commenced the prayer, he would raise his hands until they were level with his shoulders. He did the same when he intended to bow, and after he raised his head from bowing, but he did not raise them between the two prostrations. This is agreed upon (3). He is given the choice to raise them to the lobes of his ears or to the level of his shoulders, and the meaning of this is that the tips of his fingers should reach that position. He is given this choice because both matters are narrated from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Raising them to the level of the shoulders is in the hadith of Abu Humayd and Ibn Umar, and it was narrated by Ali and Abu Hurayrah, and it is the opinion of Al-Shafi'i and Ishaq. Raising them to the level of the ears was narrated by Wa'il ibn Hujr and Malik ibn al-Huwayrith, and it was narrated by Muslim (5), and some of the people of knowledge have held this view, while Ahmad's inclination toward
(3) Recorded by Al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter on Raising the Hands in the First Takbir with the Opening Alike, the Chapter on Raising the Hands when saying Takbir, when bowing, and when rising, and the Chapter on Where One Raises His Hands, from the Book of Adhan. Sahih Al-Bukhari 1/187, 188. And Muslim, in: The Chapter on the Recommendation of Raising the Hands Level with the Shoulders with the Opening Takbir... etc., from the Book of Prayer. Sahih Muslim 1/292. It was also recorded by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter on Raising the Hands in Prayer, the Chapter on Opening the Prayer, and the Chapter on One Who Mentions Raising His Hands When Rising from the Second [Rak'ah], from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/166, 171, 172. Al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter on What Has Been Reported Regarding Raising the Hands at the Time of Bowing, and the Chapter on What Has Been Reported Regarding the Description of Prayer, from the Chapters on Prayer. Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/56, 98-100. Al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on the Action of Opening the Prayer, the Chapter on Raising the Hands Before the Takbir, and the Chapter on Raising the Hands Level with the Shoulders, from the Book of Opening the Prayer; in: The Chapter on Raising the Hands Level with the Shoulders When Rising from Bowing, from the Book of Prostration (Tatbiq); and in: The Chapter on Raising the Hands for Rising to the Two Latter Rak'ahs Level with the Shoulders, from the Book of Forgetfulness (Sahw). Al-Mujtaba 2/93, 94, 152, 153, 3/4. Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on Raising the Hands When Bowing and When Rising from Bowing, from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/279. Al-Darimi, in: The Chapter on Raising the Hands from Bowing and Prostration, and the Chapter on What is Said After Raising the Head from Bowing, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Al-Darimi 1/285, 300. Imam Malik, in: The Chapter on Opening the Prayer, from the Book of the Call (Nida'). Al-Muwatta 1/75-77. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 2/8, 18, 100, 106, 132, 134, 147. (4) In manuscript M: "or". (5) The hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr was recorded by Muslim, in: The Chapter on Placing the Right Hand Over the Left After the Opening Takbir... etc., from the Book of Prayer, and the hadith of Malik ibn al-Huwayrith was recorded in: The Chapter on the Recommendation of Raising the Hands Level with the Shoulders... etc., from the Book of Prayer. Sahih Muslim 1/301, 293. The hadith of Wa'il regarding his description of the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was also recorded by Abu Dawud, in: The Chapter on Raising the Hands in Prayer, from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawud 1/166, 167. Al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on the Position of the Thumbs When Raising [the hands], and the Chapter on Raising the Hands Stretched Out, from the Book of Opening the Prayer. Al-Mujtaba 2/95. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 4/316. The hadith of Malik ibn al-Huwayrith was also recorded by Al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on Raising the Hands Level with the Ears, from the Book of Leadership (Imamah), and in the beginning of the Book of Opening. Al-Mujtaba 2/94, 95. Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on Raising the Hands When Bowing, from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/279. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 3/436, 437, 5/53.
