We listened to your program, Light on the Path, and heard that raising the hands in supplication after the obligatory prayer is a religious innovation. So when is it recommended to raise the hands? Is it after the prayer of travel or in the voluntary prayers?
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The questioner : From the Sultanate of Oman, this is a listener to the program saying in this question: We listened to your program, Light on the Path, and heard that raising the hands in supplication after the obligatory prayer is a religious innovation. So when is it recommended to raise the hands? Is it after the prayer of travel or in the voluntary prayers? We ask for your guidance. May Allah reward you with good?
The Shaykh : Yes, raising the hands is associated with supplication and is one of its etiquettes. For this reason, it came in the hadith narrated by Ahmad in al-Musnad that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saidBulugh al-Maram 16:117 And in the authentic hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned a man who lengthens his journey, disheveled and covered in dust, stretching his hands to the sky, saying, "O my Lord, O my Lord," while his food is forbidden, his clothing is forbidden, and he is nourished with what is forbidden. So how will he be answered?
In these two hadiths, there is evidence that raising the hands in supplication is among the causes of being answered. However, it should be known that raising the hands in supplication falls into categories. The first category is what the Sunnah has come with regarding raising the hands in it.
The second category is what the Sunnah has come with regarding not raising the hands in it.
The third category is what appears to be without raising the hands.
The fourth category is what the Sunnah has been silent about.
As for the first, which is what the Sunnah has come with regarding not raising the hands in it, it is the supplication in the sermon on Friday or on the day of Eid. The hands are not raised in the supplication in the sermon except if one supplicates for rain or for the rain to be around us and not upon us. If one supplicates for rain, asking Allah to send down the rain, or for the rain to be around us and not upon us, then the Sunnah has been established in this regarding raising the hand. And other than that, the hand is not raised in it. For this reason, the Companions criticized those who raised their hands in the sermon during supplication.
And as for what appears to be without raising the hands, it is like the supplication after the prayer by saying "I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah" after the obligatory prayer. When a person says the closing salam, he says "I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah". It has not come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he raised his hands in this, so the best in this is not to raise them.
Likewise, it has not come that the hands are raised in the supplication between the two prostrations, nor in the supplication after the tashahhud. The hands are not raised in these.
And as for what the Sunnah has come with regarding prohibition, as we mentioned a moment ago in the sermon, except in the supplication for rain, the Sunnah has come with raising the hand in it. And other than that, the original ruling is raising the hand. The original ruling is raising the hand, except what the evidence indicates regarding not raising it. However, it is said that supplication after the prayer has no basis, for supplication before saying the salam is better. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the tashahhud, when he mentioned the tashahhud, he saidSahih Ibn Hibban 10:238 So he made the supplication before the salam. As for after the salam, it is a place for dhikr, as Allah the Exalted said [An-Nisa 4:103].
So we do not prohibit raising the hands after the prayer, but we say that supplication after the prayer is not the way of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) except in saying "I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah". And his way is that the supplication be before he says the salam. If someone asks, did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) not say to Mu'adh We say, yes, but the meaning of "after the prayer" here is its end. For the "back" of every thing can be after it or part of it, but in its end, as it is said "the back of the animal," meaning it is in its rear and is part of it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So likewise, his saying We only understood this to mean the end of the prayer because the end of the prayer is a place for supplication, as previously indicated in the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him).
So, in summary, the answer is that it is said that supplication after the obligatory or voluntary prayer has not come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in any form. The prescribed supplication is to be before he says the salam, not in the obligatory prayer and not in the voluntary prayer. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you for this good guidance.
The Shaykh : Yes, raising the hands is associated with supplication and is one of its etiquettes. For this reason, it came in the hadith narrated by Ahmad in al-Musnad that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said
Your Rabb (Lord of the Universe) is Modest and Generous, and would never turn the hands of a slave without gain when he raises them to Him (in supplication).
إن الله حيي كريم يستحيي من عبده إذا رفع إليه يديه أن يردّهما صفراIn these two hadiths, there is evidence that raising the hands in supplication is among the causes of being answered. However, it should be known that raising the hands in supplication falls into categories. The first category is what the Sunnah has come with regarding raising the hands in it.
The second category is what the Sunnah has come with regarding not raising the hands in it.
The third category is what appears to be without raising the hands.
The fourth category is what the Sunnah has been silent about.
As for the first, which is what the Sunnah has come with regarding not raising the hands in it, it is the supplication in the sermon on Friday or on the day of Eid. The hands are not raised in the supplication in the sermon except if one supplicates for rain or for the rain to be around us and not upon us. If one supplicates for rain, asking Allah to send down the rain, or for the rain to be around us and not upon us, then the Sunnah has been established in this regarding raising the hand. And other than that, the hand is not raised in it. For this reason, the Companions criticized those who raised their hands in the sermon during supplication.
And as for what appears to be without raising the hands, it is like the supplication after the prayer by saying "I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah" after the obligatory prayer. When a person says the closing salam, he says "I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah". It has not come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he raised his hands in this, so the best in this is not to raise them.
Likewise, it has not come that the hands are raised in the supplication between the two prostrations, nor in the supplication after the tashahhud. The hands are not raised in these.
And as for what the Sunnah has come with regarding prohibition, as we mentioned a moment ago in the sermon, except in the supplication for rain, the Sunnah has come with raising the hand in it. And other than that, the original ruling is raising the hand. The original ruling is raising the hand, except what the evidence indicates regarding not raising it. However, it is said that supplication after the prayer has no basis, for supplication before saying the salam is better. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the tashahhud, when he mentioned the tashahhud, he said
Then let him choose from the supplications whatever he wishes.
ثم ليتخيّر من الدعاء ما شاءAnd when you have completed the prayer, remember Allah standing, sitting, or [lying] on your sides
فإذا قضيتم الصلاة فاذكروا الله قياما وقعودا وعلى جنوبكمSo we do not prohibit raising the hands after the prayer, but we say that supplication after the prayer is not the way of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) except in saying "I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah". And his way is that the supplication be before he says the salam. If someone asks, did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) not say to Mu'adh
Do not neglect to say after every obligatory prayer: O Allah, help me to remember You
لا تدعن أن تقول دبر كل صلاة مكتوبة اللهم أعني على ذكركThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So likewise, his saying
Do not neglect to say after every prayer
لا تدعن أن تقول دبر كل صلاةSo, in summary, the answer is that it is said that supplication after the obligatory or voluntary prayer has not come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in any form. The prescribed supplication is to be before he says the salam, not in the obligatory prayer and not in the voluntary prayer. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you for this good guidance.