Does one who intentionally leaves a recommended practice, such as raising the hands in prayer, commit a sin?
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The Shaykh : Does one who intentionally leaves a recommended practice from one of the pillars of Islam, such as raising the hands, commit a sin?
One who leaves a recommended practice does not commit a sin, whether that practice is in the prayer, like raising the hands, or it is another recommended practice. This is because a recommended practice is nothing but a matter of voluntary devotion and extra worship, as the Bedouin man said when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) taught him the obligatory duties, whether in prayer, fasting, or otherwise. The Bedouin man said: "O Messenger of Allah, is there anything else required of me besides these?" He said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 458Sahih (Darussalam). When the man turned away, he said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I will not add to them or subtract from them." He said (peace and blessings be upon him): Muwatta Malik 9:103, and in another narration: Sunan an-Nasa'i 2090Sahih (Darussalam).
So the recommended practices are nothing but a matter of perfection and excellence. Whoever performs them increases his nearness to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), as He (Mighty and Majestic) said in the Holy Hadith:Sahih al-Bukhari 6502 to the end of it.
One who leaves a recommended practice does not commit a sin, whether that practice is in the prayer, like raising the hands, or it is another recommended practice. This is because a recommended practice is nothing but a matter of voluntary devotion and extra worship, as the Bedouin man said when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) taught him the obligatory duties, whether in prayer, fasting, or otherwise. The Bedouin man said: "O Messenger of Allah, is there anything else required of me besides these?" He said:
No, unless you do it voluntarily.
لا ، إلا أن تطَّوَّعThat man will be successful, if he is telling the truth.
أفلح الرجل إن صدقHe will enter Paradise if he is sincere.
دخل الجنة إن صدقSo the recommended practices are nothing but a matter of perfection and excellence. Whoever performs them increases his nearness to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), as He (Mighty and Majestic) said in the Holy Hadith:
and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears
ولا يزال عبدي يتقرَّب إليَّ بالنوافل حتى أحبَّه ، فإذا أحبَبْتُه كنت سمعَه الذي يسمع به
Source
www.al-albany.com
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