Raising the hands in Salaah before and after every Ruku

Question:-

I follow Imam Abu Hanifah Rahimahullah and I have been trying to improve myself as a Muslim. I came across a quote from Imaam Abu Hanifah Rahimahullah that states, “When the Hadith is authentic, then that is my Madhab”. As there is an authentic Hadith regarding the lifting of the hands before and after Ruku, I was wondering why we (as Hanafis) can’t raise our hands before and after Ruku. Could you please clear this confusion for me?

Answer:-

Firstly, with regard to the statement of Imaam Abu Hanifa Rahimahullah, “If the Hadith is Saheeh, then it is my Madhab,” there are two conditions attached to this statement of Imaam Abu Hanifa Rahimahullah, which is proven both logically and through Fiqhi texts.

1. This statement of Imaam Abu Hanifa Rahimahullah refers to a Mujtahid (one that has the ability of delving directly into the Quraan and Hadith and extracting the laws of Shariah), as knowing the verses or narrations which have been abrogated, and the narrations or verses that have been the means of these previous rulings being abrogated, differentiating between the authentic and unauthentic narrations, reconciling or giving preference when there is contradiction between the proofs, are all works of the Mujtahid. Hence, only a Mujtahid has been afforded the privilege of taking the Hadith as the Madhab of Imaam Saheb, and not a non-Mujtahid. We are Muqallids and therefore, we are required to follow the Madhab without asking for any proof.

2. It is possible that a narration didn’t reach Imaam Abu Hanifa Rahimahullah hence, the statement of Imaam Abu Hanifa Rahimahullah. If the narration reached Imaam Saheb but he never accepted the narration, then it is an indication that the narration is not Saheeh (authentic), or there was a stronger narration or proof before Imaam Saheb Rahimahullah, hence this narration was left out. If this is the case, then regarding a particular narration as the Daleel of Imaam Saheb Rahimahullah is incorrect. [Re:- Rasaa’il Ibn Aabideen Pg.24]

Now coming to your query, there are number of narrations of Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam which prove that the hands should be raised when going into Ruku and after coming up from Ruku, but at the same time there are narrations which prove that the hands shouldn’t be raised before and after Ruku as well. Both narrations were practiced upon during the era of the Sahaabah, hence, none of the narrations can be rejected. The narrations of raising the hands are far more in number but there are only six or seven narrations that can be used as a Daleel (proof). The narrations of not raising the hands are few in number; the reason being that, this has been the continuous practice of the Ummah. When anything becomes the continuous practice of the Ummah, then the narrations in that particular regard decrease. In fact, the more the people act upon a certain practice, the narrations are no longer required. For example, since the era of Sayyiduna Umar Radiallahu Anhu, the entire world has been performing twenty Rakaats Taraweeh Salaah, hence, there is no need for any proof of Taraweeh being twenty Rakaats. The practice of the Ummah, which is referred to as ‘Ta’amul-e-Ummah’, is the strongest Daleel (proof). Similarly, the Kalimah-e-Shahaadah and the Quraan Sharif do not have a chain of narrators attached to it, as there is absolutely no need for it. These two things (Kalimah-e-Shahaadah and the Quraan Sharif) have been narrated to us from generation to generation, hence, there is no need to say now, that so and so narrates from so and so, who narrates from so and so, and so forth.

Secondly, all the Aimmah agree that raising the hands when going into Sajdah, between the two Sajdahs, in the start of the second Rakaat, in the beginning of the third Rakaat, and every time one goes into Sajdah and comes up, has been abrogated. The only dispute that now remains is when one goes into Ruku and comes up from Ruku. Now, the question is, has raising the hands when going into Ruku and coming up from Ruku been abrogated or not? Two Imaams state that the ruling of raising the hands has been abrogated, whilst the remaining two Imaams state that the ruling still remains.

Once Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam entered the Masjid. He saw people performing Salaah (whilst raising their hands in every posture.) He said, “What is the matter? I see you people raising your hands like the tails of a frightened horse. Perform your Salaah with ease!” [Re:- Muslim Pg.182 Vol.1] However, there is no harm in raising the hands at the time of Takbeer-e-Tahreemah, as this is out of Salaah.

In conclusion, we accept that raising the hands at the time of Takbeer-e-Tahreemah is in order as this is out of Salaah. However, the narrations with regard to raising the hands at the time of Ruku are authentic, and was the practice at a particular time but was later abrogated, hence, we will not raise our hands when going into Ruku and coming up from Ruku.

Re:- Tuhfatul Alma’ee Pg.53 Vol.2             

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date: 27 Rabi-ul-Aakhir 1444 / 22 November 2022