Friday 30 September 2011

Placing Hands on Chest in Prayer.

Q; just in case brother: i know you have provided evidences of scholars who critisize the hadith of hands below navel. but i just wanted evidences of scholars and sahabas who preffered the hands on the chest??
:D jazakallah

A; All-Praise is due to Allah,
At the end of the day the Scholars of Fiqh did not make a big issue when it comes to these matter's...

The placing of the hands is a Sunnat As-Sallah (The recommendable acts of Prayer) which is defined by the Scholars of Fiqh as: If one perfoms this action they are rewarded for it, and if they leave it they are not sinful for it. As opposed to the Fard of Sallah (The Obligatory acts of Prayer) which is defined by the Scholars of Fiqh as: If one perfoms this action they are rewarded for it, and if they leave it they are sinful for it.

Scholars mentioned this issue as followed,
Abu Ee'saa (Imam At-Tirmadhi) said, The performance on that (placing the right on top of the left) at the people of knowledge from the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to the Taaba'een and those whom came after them, their opinions were that a man places the right on the left in Prayer, and some of their opinions were to place it above the navel and some below the navel and all of this was broad based to them.
(Tirmadhi no: 1055) These narration's have been both confirmed in Albaani's Ahkaam Al-Janaaiz no: 150, authentic men (in the chain narration) the men of Muslim (in his chain narrations)

Ibn Mundhir said, There is no firm reports on the Prophet (peace be upon him) as to where he placed his hands (in Prayer), so verily one may chooses to place it below their navel, and one may choose to place above their navel. end of quote. (Al-Awsat, 3/94)

Sheikh Adul-Rahmaan Ibn Naasir As-Saa'di (May Allah have mercy on his soul) said, And place your right hand on your left, above your navel or below it or on your chest.
(Manhaj As-Saalikin, 77-78)

As for the Hadiths mentioning placing the right on top of the left on the chest are as followed-

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Tahqeeq Saheeh Ibn Khuzaymah (479) also in Al-Buyhaqi, narrated that Waa’il ibn Hajar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I prayed with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he placed his right hand over his left hand on his chest.
Ash-Shawkani said, there is nothing in this chapter thats more authentic then the Hadith of Waa’il ibn Hajar.

Narrated by Tawwos that the Prophet (peace be upon him) would place his right hand on top of his left hand and tightly place them both on his chest. (Narrated by As-Siyouti and Abu Dawoud no: 648 and Albaani grades it as Sahih in his authentication of Abu Dawoud, and Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen grades it Hasan in his Majmooa'h Al-Fatwawah, 100/13)

Narrated by Quobaysah on the authority of his father, I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) move from the right to the left and saw him place his hands on his chest.
(Mosnad Imam Ahmad 5/226, and in another narration from Yahya he said, He put the right on top the left placing it above the elbow.

Note: if one tries this action (placing the right hand above the left elbow) they wil find it is only possible to be done by placing it on the chest.

Imam Muslim states in a Chapter of his (not a Hadith)-
Sahih Muslim Book 04. Prayer
Chapter : The placing of the right hand over the left hand after the first Takbir in prayer (Takbir-i-Tahrima) below the chest and above the navel and then placing them opposite the shoulders in prostration.
(The meaning of placing of the right hand over the left hand below the chest and above the navel means on the Chest as it is discibed by most Scholars)

Evidently this issue has even been proven through the Tafsir-
As-Siyouti said in his book Ad-Dar Al-Manthoor, Narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in his Mosnaf, Al-Bukhari in his Tarikhihi, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Mundhir, Ibn Abi Haatim, Ad-Daaraqatani in his book of Al-Afraad, Abu Ash-Shaykh, Al-Haakim, Ibn Mardawiyah, and Al-Buyhaqi in his Sunnan on the authority of Ali on his saying to Allah's words, "So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]." (Al-Kawthar 108/2) He siad this means: Putting the right hand on the left forearm and placing both on the chest.
(Al-Albaani said in Sifat Salaat al-Nabi 1/217, Authentic men (in the chain narration) except Waalid Aa'sam Al-Jahdari, I heard E'jaaj Al-Basari say I have never heard of him.)

As to the opinons of the Companions in this matter An-Nawawi said, This was also the opinions of Ali Ibn Abi Talib and Abu Huraira, Aisha and others of the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) and Saeed bin Jabir,An-Nakhiy, Al-Abu Mujliz and others from the Taabee'n, and Sufian Ath-Thawri and Abu Hanifa and his companions, Ahmad, Ishaq and Ibuthaur This is Dawoud, and the majority of the Scholars.

Al-Bagawi said, And the practice of this at the majority of the Scholars from the Companions and whom came after them. (Both these quotes can be found in (Fatih Al-Garour fi Wada' Al-Yaday 'ala Sadoor)

The evidences relating to this matter is quite clear from the Sunnah and the statements of the Companions and others that placing your hands on your chest is the correct view.
It is also been recommended by the majority of the Four Imams such as As-Shaafi'e, one of the three opinons of
Malik and Ahmad, and the only one that went against them was Abu Hanifa who states a weak Hadith on his opinion.

Al-Albaani said in Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (p. 69): Placing them (the hands) on the chest is what is established in the Sunnah, and doing otherwise is either weak (based on weak evidence) or has no basis. End quote.

Al-Sindi said in Haashiyat Ibn Maajah: Just as it is Sunnah to clasp the hands and not let them hang by one’s sides, it is proven that they are to be placed in the chest, not elsewhere. As for the hadeeth “It is Sunnah to place one hand over the other beneath the navel when praying”, the scholars are agreed that it is da’eef (weak). End quote.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: Other scholars are of the view that they should be placed on the chest, and this is the most correct view. There is some debate concerning the evidence for that but the apparent meaning of the hadeeth of Sahl ibn Sa’d which is in al-Bukhaari supports the idea that the hands should be placed on the chest. The best report concerning this issue, even though there is some debate concenring it, is the hadeeth of Waa’il ibn Hujr who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to put (his hands) on his chest.
(Al-Sharh al-Mumti’ 3/36, 37)

And Allah knows best...

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