What is the ruling on raising the hands in the supplication of the Friday sermon?

Question : What is the ruling on raising the hands in the supplication of the Friday sermon?

Answer : Raising the hands in the supplication of the Friday sermon is not prescribed. For this reason, the Companions criticized Bashir ibn Marwan when he raised his hands in the Friday sermon, except in two matters: asking for rain and asking for the rain to stop. Asking for rain is well known; it is seeking the downpour of rain. Asking for the rain to stop is the opposite of that. The evidence for this is what Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated. He said: A man entered on a Friday while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon and said, "O Messenger of Allah, the wealth has been destroyed and the paths have been cut off, so will you ask Allah to send us relief?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his hands and said, "O Allah, send us rain. O Allah, send us rain." What did he say? This means the sky was clear from all directions. He only mentioned Sula, which is a well-known mountain in Madinah, because the cloud comes from that direction. He said: A cloud emerged from behind him like a shield. A shield is what a warrior uses to protect himself in battle; it resembles the metal sheet on which bread is baked. When the sky expanded, it spread out, it flashed with lightning, it thundered, and it rained. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not descend from the pulpit until the rain was dripping from his beard. The rain continued to fall for a full week. Then a man, or the first man from the second Friday, entered and said, "O Messenger of Allah, the wealth has been drowned and the buildings have collapsed, so ask Allah to hold it back." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his hands and said, "O Allah, around us and not upon us." He pointed to the sides. Whenever he pointed to a side, the cloud would disperse. They watched the cloud as the Messenger pointed to it. "Around us," and it would disperse. By the command of the Messenger or by the command of Allah? By the command of Allah, because the Messenger did not command it, but he supplicated to his Lord and pointed to the sides he wanted, so the cloud gathered toward those sides, to the right and to the left. The people went out walking in the sun, and everything around Madinah was raining until the Wadi became a known channel in Madinah to this day by this name, for a full month. Allahu Akbar. How great is the power of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. It means that between the supplication of the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and the end of his sermon, Allah created the cloud, and it thundered and flashed and rained. The Messenger did not descend from his pulpit until the rain was dripping from his beard. In this is the greatest sign of the power of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and of His hearing, and of His answering the supplication. In it is also a sign for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), because Allah fulfilled his supplication and answered it, while the people were watching and witnessing. And if he had not been truthful, he would not have been granted success in this. Therefore, it is mentioned that Musaylimah the Liar—and there is no harm in mentioning his name, do not object to us—Musaylimah the Liar used to claim messengership, and he was a liar, without doubt. One day, his companions came to him. A boy. His hair had grown on one side of his head and not the other.
So they called him and asked him to ask Allah to make all the hair on the head grow. Musaylimah the Liar came and wiped the boy’s head so that all the hair on the head would grow. Do you know what he said? What happened? When he wiped it, all the hair fell out. On another occasion, a group of people came to him and said, "The water in the well has dried up; there is only a little left." So the false messenger went to the well and asked for water to rinse his mouth and spit into the well so that the well would fill with water, as happened with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). When he did so, what happened? The water in it dried up. Is this a testimony from Allah to the lie of this liar or to his truth? To his lie, because the outcome was contrary to his wish, refuting him. It remains to be said: We know that the preacher does not raise his hands on Friday in his Friday sermon except in what? In asking for rain and asking for the rain to stop. Now, if he supplicates for the victory of the believers and the rectification of the affairs of the rulers, does he raise his hands? No. Do the people raise their hands? The people do not raise their hands unless their imam raises his hand. For this reason, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his hands to ask for rain, the Companions raised their hands. As for asking for the rain to stop, I do not remember the Companions raising their hands. But it appears, and Allah knows best, that if the preacher raises his hands, the followers should raise their hands, because they are followers of others.