The Ruling on Raising the Hands in Supplication After Prayer

Question:
This questioner asks in this question: Is it permissible to raise the hands in supplication after the obligatory prayers, or the voluntary ones, or not? And if it is permissible, when is that? May Allah reward you.

Answer:
Raising the hands in supplication is recommended, and it is one of the causes of acceptance, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): meaning: empty. It is recommended to raise the hands in supplication when one supplicates to his Lord in his home, while traveling, or in any place. He raises his hands and supplicates, striving in his supplication and persisting in it. This is one of the causes of acceptance.
From this hadith is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): إن الله تعالى طيب، ولا يقبل إلا طيبًا، وإن الله أمر المؤمنين بما أمر به المرسلين، فقال تعالى: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُلُوا مِنْ طَيِّبَاتِ مَا رَزَقْنَاكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِلَّهِ [البقرة:172] وقال تعالى: يَا أَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُوا مِنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَاعْمَلُوا صَالِحًا [المؤمنون:51] ثم ذكر الرجل يطيل السفر أشعث أغبر، يمد يديه إلى السماء: يا رب! يا رب! ومطعمه حرام، ومشربه حرام، وملبسه حرام، وغذي بالحرام؛ فأنى يستجاب له! Indeed, Allah the Exalted is pure, and He does not accept except what is pure. And Allah commanded the believers with what He commanded the messengers, so He said: "O you who believe, eat from the good things We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah" [Al-Baqarah: 172]. And He said: "O messengers, eat from the good things and do righteous deeds" [Al-Mu'minun: 51]. Then He mentioned the man who travels a long distance, disheveled and covered in dust, stretching his hands to the sky: "O my Lord! O my Lord!" while his food is forbidden, his drink is forbidden, his clothing is forbidden, and he is nourished with what is forbidden; so how will he be answered! meaning: it is far from being accepted for him, even if he stretched out his hands, even if he persisted in supplication, while he consumes what is forbidden and engages in what is forbidden in his food and drink, and the like of that.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) makes clear that raising the hands is one of the causes of acceptance, and likewise, persisting in supplication is one of the causes of acceptance. However, there may be a barrier, which is consuming what is forbidden. One who consumes what is forbidden, this is one of the causes of being deprived of acceptance. Likewise, heedlessness of Allah, turning away from Allah, and committing many sins are among the causes of being deprived of acceptance.
But one does not raise the hands in the places where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not raise them. In the places where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not raise them, we do not raise them; because we follow him in action and omission, for he is the model, as Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [Al-Ahzab: 21]. Just as we follow him in action, we follow him in omission. He raised his hands when he sought rain from the pulpit on Friday. When he asked Allah for rain, he raised his hands in the Friday sermon on the pulpit. We raise our hands when we seek aid, when we ask for rain, when we ask for rain. The imam and the followers raise their hands, they raise their hands and supplicate to Allah, and they say "Ameen" to the imam's supplication. Likewise, when he supplicates between himself and his Lord, in his home, at the end of the night, in the morning, at any time he supplicates, he raises his hands. Or after the voluntary prayer, if he prays at times, he supplicates to his Lord after the voluntary prayer, in the morning, or at night, or at any time. But in the obligatory prayer, we do not raise the hands when he says the taslim; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not raise his hands in the obligatory prayer. It has not been preserved from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he raised his hands after the obligatory prayers. So we do not raise them, we follow him, may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him.
And likewise, in the Friday sermon, if he supplicates, he does not raise his hands; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not raise his hands in the Friday supplication except specifically when seeking rain. So if he supplicates in the Friday sermon, or the Eid sermon, he does not raise his hands; because the Prophet (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him) did not raise them. And when he says the taslim from the obligatory prayer; Fajr, or Zuhr, or 'Asr, or Maghrib, and 'Isha', he does not raise his hands; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not raise them.
And likewise, between the two prostrations, supplication between the two prostrations, he does not raise his hands. And likewise, at the end of the prayer before saying the taslim, he does not raise his hands; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not raise them in these places. So when he omitted it, we omit it, following him (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him). But if a person sits in his home in the morning, then supplicates and raises his hands at night, and raises his hands at any time, remembering a need, and raises his hands; then there is no harm in that. But in the places where the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did it and did not raise his hands, we do not raise them, as you heard, such as between the two prostrations, supplication at the end of the prayer before the salam, such as supplication in the Friday sermon, the Eid sermon, he does not raise them. But in the supplication for rain, we raise our hands. After the obligatory prayer, when he says the taslim from the obligatory prayer and supplicates, he does not raise his hands. He supplicates between himself and his Lord after the dhikr. If he supplicates after the dhikr between himself and his Lord, there is no harm, but he does not raise his hands; because the Messenger did not raise them, may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him.
And it is obligatory upon the people of faith to follow the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in his actions, his words, and in his doing and omitting (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him). Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.