Wiping the face with the hands after supplication
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Fatwa number ( 2396 )
Q: Guides have come to us stating that if a person raises his hands to supplicate to Allah, he should not wipe his face with them; because wiping the face with them after supplication is a religious innovation (bid'ah). They also say that when the mu'adhdhin says in the iqamah: "The prayer has begun," it is a religious innovation (bid'ah) that is not permissible for some of the congregation to say: "May Allah establish it and make it lasting." So clarify for us the ruling on these two matters.
A: First: The supplication of a servant to his Lord and his asking of Him is prescribed and encouraged, and raising the hands in it as a sign of humility and earnestness to Allah is also established and prescribed. As for wiping the face with the palms after supplication, a weak hadith has been reported regarding it, narrated by Ibn Majah through the route of Salih ibn Hassan al-Nadri , from Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi , from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 3866Da'if (Darussalam) It is weak due to Salih ibn Hassan ? He was deemed weak by Ahmad and Ibn Ma'in and Abu Hatim and al-Daraqutni , and al-Bukhari said: The hadith is denounced (munkar), and Abu Nu'aym al-Isbahani said: The hadith is denounced (munkar) and abandoned, and Ibn Hibban said: He was a companion of female singers and listening to music, and he used to narrate fabricated hadiths
from the reliable narrators, and Ibn al-Jawzi said regarding this hadith: It is not authentic; it contains Salih ibn Hassan . Another hadith was reported on this matter, narrated by al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan, who said: Narrated to us Abu Musa Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna and Ibrahim ibn Ya'qub , and more than one person, who said: Narrated to us Hammad ibn 'Isa al-Juhani , from Hanzalah ibn Abi Sufyan al-Jumahi , from Salim ibn 'Abdullah , from his father, from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:Mishkat al-Masabih 2245. Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna said in his narration: Bulugh al-Maram 16:118. Abu 'Isa said: This is a valid, strange hadith; we do not know it except from the hadith of Hammad ibn 'Isa , and he narrated it alone, and he is one who narrates few hadiths. Hanzalah ibn Abi Sufyan is trustworthy, and Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan deemed him trustworthy. End of quote. However, it contains Hammad ibn 'Isa , who is weak, and he narrated it alone as mentioned by al-Tirmidhi . Since supplication is a prescribed act of worship, and no Prophetic statement or practice has been established regarding wiping the face with both hands, but rather it was reported through weak chains, it is better to leave it, in accordance with the authentic hadiths which do not mention wiping. Second: The principle in acts of worship is to follow what is prescribed, and not to worship Allah except with what He has legislated.
It has not been established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said when he heard the iqamah: "May Allah establish it and make it permanent." However, Abu Dawud narrated it from him in his (Sunan) through a weak chain, saying: Narrated to us Sulayman ibn Dawud al-'Ataki , narrated to us Muhammad ibn Thabit , a man from the people of Sham narrated to me, from Shahr ibn Hawshab , from Abu Umamah , or from some of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).Mishkat al-Masabih 670 The reason for its weakness is that there is an ambiguous man in its chain, and an ambiguous narrator is not relied upon as evidence. Thus, it becomes clear that saying: "May Allah establish it and make it permanent" when the mu'adhdhin says: "The prayer has begun" is not prescribed, due to its lack of establishment from him. Rather, it is better for the one who hears the iqamah to say what the mu'adhdhin says; because it is an adhan, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan an-Nasa'i 678Sahih (Darussalam). And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: Guides have come to us stating that if a person raises his hands to supplicate to Allah, he should not wipe his face with them; because wiping the face with them after supplication is a religious innovation (bid'ah). They also say that when the mu'adhdhin says in the iqamah: "The prayer has begun," it is a religious innovation (bid'ah) that is not permissible for some of the congregation to say: "May Allah establish it and make it lasting." So clarify for us the ruling on these two matters.
A: First: The supplication of a servant to his Lord and his asking of Him is prescribed and encouraged, and raising the hands in it as a sign of humility and earnestness to Allah is also established and prescribed. As for wiping the face with the palms after supplication, a weak hadith has been reported regarding it, narrated by Ibn Majah through the route of Salih ibn Hassan al-Nadri , from Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi , from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
When you supplicate to Allah, supplicate with your palms uppermost, not with the backs of your hands uppermost, and when you finish, wipe your face with them.
إذا دعوت الله فادع ببطون كفيك ولا تدع بظهورهما، فإذا فرغت فامسح بهما وجهكfrom the reliable narrators, and Ibn al-Jawzi said regarding this hadith: It is not authentic; it contains Salih ibn Hassan . Another hadith was reported on this matter, narrated by al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan, who said: Narrated to us Abu Musa Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna and Ibrahim ibn Ya'qub , and more than one person, who said: Narrated to us Hammad ibn 'Isa al-Juhani , from Hanzalah ibn Abi Sufyan al-Jumahi , from Salim ibn 'Abdullah , from his father, from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
when God’s messenger raised his hands in supplication he did not lower them till he wiped his face with them
كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا رفع يديه في الدعاء لم يحطهما حتى يمسح بهما وجههhe did not lower them till he wiped his face with them
لم يردهما حتى يمسح بهما وجههIt has not been established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said when he heard the iqamah: "May Allah establish it and make it permanent." However, Abu Dawud narrated it from him in his (Sunan) through a weak chain, saying: Narrated to us Sulayman ibn Dawud al-'Ataki , narrated to us Muhammad ibn Thabit , a man from the people of Sham narrated to me, from Shahr ibn Hawshab , from Abu Umamah , or from some of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
that Bilal began the iqama , and when he said, “The time for prayer has come,” God’s Messenger said, “May God establish it and cause it to continue!”
أن بلالاً أخـذ في الإقامة، فلما أن قـال: قد قامت الصلاة، قال صلى الله عليه وسلم: (أقامها الله وأدامها)When you hear the Mu'adhdhin then say what he says
إذا سمعتم المؤذن فقولوا مثل ما يقول
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.