Explanation of the Book of the Adhan-10a
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The Reciter: Abdullah ibn Muslimah narrated to us from Malik from Abu Hazim from Sahl ibn Sa'd, who said: "The people were instructed that a man should place his right hand over his left forearm in prayer." Abu Hazim said: "I do not know it except that it is traced back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)." Isma'il said: "It is traced back to him, and he did not say it is attributed to him."
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is regarding placing the right hand over the left in prayer. It is known that when a person says the takbir of ihram, he raises his hands to the level of his shoulders, or the tips of his ears, or the roots of his ears; all of this has come in the Sunnah. A person should do this once and that once. Then what does he do? He places his right hand over his left forearm like this. The hadith says "places" (yad'u) and does not say "grasps" (yaqbid), and there is a difference between placing and grasping. Grasping means doing it like this, letting the fingers wrap around the forearm like this. Placing is like this. Although it is reported that he places it on the palm, and placing it on the wrist, it appears that this is a matter of differing descriptions. However, what is in al-Bukhari is more authentic. And his saying "in prayer" did not specify where in the prayer this placing occurs. If we examine the prayer, we know where this placing takes place. For example, in ruku', where are the hands placed? On the knees. In sujud, on the ground. In sitting, on the thighs. In standing, it is what the hadith specifies. So it is now established that the place for placing the right hand over the left forearm is in standing. But the scholars differed on whether it is the standing before ruku' or the standing before and after ruku'. Some said it is the standing before ruku', and as for after ruku', every limb is released until it settles in its place, and every limb returns to its place. And with this, placing the right hand over the left forearm is in the standing before ruku'. Al-Albani went to this extent, even going so far as to say that placing the right hand over the left forearm after ruku' is a religious innovation. But in reality, he exaggerated in this matter, for it does not reach the level of a religious innovation given the possibility in the hadith. And as long as the possibility is present, one who exerts effort and sees that this is general for the standing before and after ruku' is not called an innovator, because he says that this is the indication of the hadith, so he is a mujtahid. The correct view is that it is not a religious innovation. But Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Baz says that placing the right hand over the left forearm is general for the standing before and after ruku'. As for Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him), he said that after ruku', one is given a choice: if he wishes, he lets his hands hang down, and if he wishes, he places the right hand over the left forearm. It seems that Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) did not clarify the matter for himself, so he saw that it is broad, and that if a person places his right hand over his left forearm, it is good, and if he lets them hang down, it is good. In any case, we do not deny one who lets them hang down after ruku', nor do we rebuke him, and we say this is an opinion and the matter is broad, and praise be to Allah. As for one who lets them hang down before ruku', it is said to him that you have contradicted the Sunnah. There is no doubt that he contradicted the Sunnah, because it is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a weak or authentic hadith that he let his hands hang down in the standing before ruku'. Yes.
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is regarding placing the right hand over the left in prayer. It is known that when a person says the takbir of ihram, he raises his hands to the level of his shoulders, or the tips of his ears, or the roots of his ears; all of this has come in the Sunnah. A person should do this once and that once. Then what does he do? He places his right hand over his left forearm like this. The hadith says "places" (yad'u) and does not say "grasps" (yaqbid), and there is a difference between placing and grasping. Grasping means doing it like this, letting the fingers wrap around the forearm like this. Placing is like this. Although it is reported that he places it on the palm, and placing it on the wrist, it appears that this is a matter of differing descriptions. However, what is in al-Bukhari is more authentic. And his saying "in prayer" did not specify where in the prayer this placing occurs. If we examine the prayer, we know where this placing takes place. For example, in ruku', where are the hands placed? On the knees. In sujud, on the ground. In sitting, on the thighs. In standing, it is what the hadith specifies. So it is now established that the place for placing the right hand over the left forearm is in standing. But the scholars differed on whether it is the standing before ruku' or the standing before and after ruku'. Some said it is the standing before ruku', and as for after ruku', every limb is released until it settles in its place, and every limb returns to its place. And with this, placing the right hand over the left forearm is in the standing before ruku'. Al-Albani went to this extent, even going so far as to say that placing the right hand over the left forearm after ruku' is a religious innovation. But in reality, he exaggerated in this matter, for it does not reach the level of a religious innovation given the possibility in the hadith. And as long as the possibility is present, one who exerts effort and sees that this is general for the standing before and after ruku' is not called an innovator, because he says that this is the indication of the hadith, so he is a mujtahid. The correct view is that it is not a religious innovation. But Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Baz says that placing the right hand over the left forearm is general for the standing before and after ruku'. As for Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him), he said that after ruku', one is given a choice: if he wishes, he lets his hands hang down, and if he wishes, he places the right hand over the left forearm. It seems that Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) did not clarify the matter for himself, so he saw that it is broad, and that if a person places his right hand over his left forearm, it is good, and if he lets them hang down, it is good. In any case, we do not deny one who lets them hang down after ruku', nor do we rebuke him, and we say this is an opinion and the matter is broad, and praise be to Allah. As for one who lets them hang down before ruku', it is said to him that you have contradicted the Sunnah. There is no doubt that he contradicted the Sunnah, because it is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in a weak or authentic hadith that he let his hands hang down in the standing before ruku'. Yes.