The ruling on raising the hands in supplication after the prayers and wiping the face with them

Question:
What is the ruling on raising the hands after the obligatory prayers, the recommended prayers, and supplication, and wiping the face with them?

Answer:
As for raising the hands after the obligatory prayers, there is no basis for it. It is a religious innovation; the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not do it, nor did his Companions when they concluded the obligatory prayers.
As for after the recommended prayers, if one does it occasionally, the matter is easy, because raising the hands is among the means of supplication being answered. However, one should not make it a habit after every recommended prayer. As for wiping the face, there are hadiths about it that are weak, and it is better not to do it. The authentic hadiths do not mention wiping after supplication, but there are weak hadiths about it.
Some scholars said that when taken together, they become a good hadith. However, the explicit hadiths do not include wiping the face. Therefore, it is better to leave off the wiping. If one supplicates, that is sufficient. And if one wipes occasionally, the matter is easy, if Allah wills.