Hands Up! (Ahadith No. 702-706)

Salam,
Bismillah.

Book 12: Characteristics of Prayer

Ahadith 699-701 are repeats. Read here.

Volume 1, Book 12, Number 702:

Narrated Salim bin ‘Abdullah:

My father said, “Allah’s Apostle used to raise both his hands up to the level of his shoulders when opening the prayer; and on saying the Takbir for bowing. And on raising his head from bowing he used to do the same and then say “Sami a-l-lahu Liman hamida, Rabbana walaka-l-hamd.” And he did not do that (i.e. raising his hands) in prostrations.

Volume 1, Book 12, Number 703:

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar:

I saw that whenever Allah’s Apostle stood for the prayer, he used to raise both his hands up to the shoulders, and used to do the same on saying the Takbir for bowing and on raising his head from it and used to say, “Sami a-l-lahu Liman hamida”. But he did not do that (i.e. raising his hands) in prostrations.

Both these positions of hands are correct according to the Hadith.

Volume 1, Book 12, Number 704:

Narrated Abu Qilaba:

I saw Malik bin Huwairith saying Takbir and raising both his hands (on starting the prayers and raising his hands on bowing and also on raising his head after bowing. Malik bin Huwairith said, “Allah’s Apostle did the same.”

Volume 1, Book 12, Number 705:

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar:

I saw Allah’s Apostle opening the prayer with the Takbir and raising his hands to the level of his shoulders at the time of saying the Takbir, and on saying the Takbir for bowing he did the same; and when he said, “Sami a-l-lahu Liman hamida “, he did the same and then said, “Rabbana wa laka-l-hamd.” But he did not do the same on prostrating and on lifting the head from it.”

Volume 1, Book 12, Number 706:

Narrated Nafi’:

Whenever Ibn ‘Umar started the prayer with Takbir, he used to raise his hands: whenever he bowed, he used to raise his hands (before bowing) and also used to raise his hands on saying, “Sami a-l-lahu Liman hamida”, and he used to do the same on rising from the second Rak’a (for the 3rd Rak’a). Ibn ‘Umar said: “The Prophet used to do the same.”

Question: Is it Sunnah to raise hands (raf`-ul-yadayn) during Salah?
Answer: Duh!

Question: How far should one raise their hands?
Answer: Prophet (SAW) used to raise his hands to the level of his shoulders, as mentioned in the Hadith.

Wassalam.