What is the ruling on raising the hands during transitions in prayer other than the opening Takbir?
Chapter on the Description of Prayer
Al-Mughni
Book of Prayer
Primary text
It is recommended to raise the hands to the level of the shoulders or the tips of the ears when moving into Ruku (bowing) and after rising from Ruku. The beginning of the raising should coincide with the beginning of the Takbir, and the completion of the raising should coincide with the completion of the Takbir. This is the position of Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Jabir, Abu Hurayrah, Ibn al-Zubayr, Anas, Al-Hasan, 'Ata', Tawus, Mujahid, Salim, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, and others among the Tabi'in, and it is the position of Ibn al-Mubarak, Al-Shafi'i, Ishaq, and one narration from Malik. The evidence includes the narration of Al-Zuhri from Salim from his father, stating he saw the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, raise his hands to align with his shoulders when starting prayer, when intending to bow, and after rising from bowing, but not during prostration. Furthermore, the Hadith of Abu Humayd, narrated by ten Companions who confirmed the Prophet's prayer method, supports this practice, making it near a continuous transmission that allows no doubt.
Supporting text
Al-Thawri, Abu Hanifah, and Ibrahim al-Nakha'i held that the hands should only be raised for the opening Takbir and not for subsequent transitions. They base this on the narration of Ibn Mas'ud, who prayed showing no raising of hands except in the first instance. They prioritize the narration of Ibn Mas'ud because he was a jurist who constantly attended the Prophet, peace be upon him, and was deeply aware of his state, both internal and external. Ibrahim al-Nakha'i suggested that perhaps those narrating the raising of hands only witnessed one specific prayer of the Prophet.