Chapter on Not Raising the Hands in other than the Opening & the Command to be Still in Salah

By ‘Allamah Zafar Ahmad al-‘Uthmani

Translated by Zameelur Rahman

1. Narrated from Tamim ibn Tarafah from Jabir ibn Samurah (Allah be pleased with him): He said:

Allah‟s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) came out to us and said: “Why do I see you raising your hands like they are the tails of wild horses? Be still in Salah!” Muslim narrated it (1:181).

I say: The evidence adhered to in this hadith is his (Allah bless him and grant him peace) statement, “Be still in Salah,” as it proves the obligation of stillness and that raising the hands in Salah negates this [stillness].

If it is said that his (Allah bless him and grant him peace) statement, “Why do I see you raising your hands like they are the tails of wild horses?” was said specifically with respect to raising [the hands] upon salam as clarified in a second hadith, which is Muslim’s narration from ‘Ubayd Allah ibn al-Qibtiyyah from Jabir ibn Samurah, he said: “We would, when praying with Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him), say ‘al-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmat Allah, al-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmat Allah,’” and he gestured with his hands to the side, “so Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: ‘Why do you gesture with your hands like they are the tails of wild horses?’”

Translation of I’la al-Sunan Section on Raf’ al-Yadayn