How did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) place his right hand on the head of Ibn 'Abbas while he was on his left?
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The questioner : What is taken from the hadith is a delightful benefit regarding the physical character of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and that is that he placed his right hand on the head of Ibn 'Abbas while he was on his left, and this necessitates that his hand (peace and blessings be upon him) was long.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : That his hand was long.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Because he placed it on his head.
The Shaykh : What do you have by way of explanation? Do you think it was from behind or from the front?
The questioner : Yes?
The Shaykh : Did he place his right hand on his head from behind or from the front?
The questioner : If we say from the front, there is no problem, meaning it is easy to say that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) did this and placed his hand on his head.
The Shaykh : But from behind?
The questioner : Did it not come in another wording that it was from behind?
The Shaykh : Yes, we want to ask.
The questioner : I swear by Allah, I think this is what is in the other wording:.
The Shaykh : Meaning from behind me.
The questioner : Yes,
The Shaykh : And for this reason, perhaps, and Allah knows best, he placed his left hand, and for this reason we see that the explanation does not address it?
The questioner : In the Book of Witr.
The Shaykh : It will come in the Book of Witr, what does al-'Ayni say?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Wait, did he not mention it?
Okay, check it, check whether he said: he placed his left hand on his head, and that some of the narrators made a mistake, because if placing the right hand came from the front, how would Ibn 'Abbas take it from behind him, if it came from the front, and if it came from behind, there is great difficulty, and a person may not be able to do it unless the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had a special quality in this, and that his hands move as he wishes, so Allah knows best.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : That his hand was long.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Because he placed it on his head.
The Shaykh : What do you have by way of explanation? Do you think it was from behind or from the front?
The questioner : Yes?
The Shaykh : Did he place his right hand on his head from behind or from the front?
The questioner : If we say from the front, there is no problem, meaning it is easy to say that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) did this and placed his hand on his head.
The Shaykh : But from behind?
The questioner : Did it not come in another wording that it was from behind?
The Shaykh : Yes, we want to ask.
The questioner : I swear by Allah, I think this is what is in the other wording:
So he took my head from behind me
فأخذ برأسي من خلفيThe Shaykh : Meaning from behind me.
The questioner : Yes,
The Shaykh : And for this reason, perhaps, and Allah knows best, he placed his left hand, and for this reason we see that the explanation does not address it?
The questioner : In the Book of Witr.
The Shaykh : It will come in the Book of Witr, what does al-'Ayni say?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Wait, did he not mention it?
Okay, check it, check whether he said: he placed his left hand on his head, and that some of the narrators made a mistake, because if placing the right hand came from the front, how would Ibn 'Abbas take it from behind him, if it came from the front, and if it came from behind, there is great difficulty, and a person may not be able to do it unless the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had a special quality in this, and that his hands move as he wishes, so Allah knows best.