Lumumba K.

Shakur
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali

Studies on the issue of Sadl

(Laying hands at the sides during Prayer)

http://www.masud.co.uk
http://www.lamppostproductions.com
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The Maliki Argument for not
Clasping the Hands in Salat
By
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
Questions have been asked about what
appears to be a novel practice amongst Western
Muslims of people praying with their hands at
their sides instead of folding them over their
chests as has been reported in sound traditions
about the Prophet may Allah bless him and
grant him peace. It is common knowledge to
Muslims everywhere that this was a practice of
the virtuous Imam and erudite, Malik b. Anas
may Allah have mercy on him.
What has also become commonplace is to
hear a rather unsupportable explanation of why
he did it. That explanation is that Imam Malik
only prayed with his arms at his sides because
he was tortured and therefore unable to fold his
arms on his chest.
This claim, after being unsupported by fact,
history, or logic, is clearly contravened by the
explicit statement of the Imam himself. And, we
challenge such a claim to be verified by and in
any of the traditionally relied upon books of
Islamic history. One will find oneself hard-
pressed to find any evidence substantiating this
argument.
Then, logically speaking, it would seem to be
quite unreasonable to surmise that Imam Malik
didnt have the strength to place one of his
hands over the other on his chest while
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
praying, but have enough strength to support
his own body weight when pushing himself up
from the position of prostration to the standing
position, since it was his view that when rising
from prostration one should lift his/her knees
before the hands.
What this paper will prove is that Malik
may Allah have mercy on himonly prayed
that way, because it is what he saw there to be
stronger evidence for, in addition to it being
supported by sound traditions related about the
Prophet .
It will also be shown that Malik was not alone
in this regard, and that many of the well-known
scholars from the Tabiin (Students of the
Prophets Companions) also prayed that way.
Then, we will bring out in the end that such a
prayer is legally valid in all of the schools of
Sunni law, and that ones prayer is not
invalidated if one were to do so.
What people must understand about
evidence is that it is not restricted to Quran and
Sunna, nor has it ever been restricted to them.
Consensus (Al-Ijma) is also proof. Legal Analogy
(Al-Qiyas) is another proof. There are also
things like the Pre-Quranic sacred legislation that
hasnt been abrogated (Sharu man qublana),
and the statements and actions of the Sahaba
(qawl wa amal al-Sahaba). There are also others
that we chose not to mention, since this is not
the place for such a discussion.
Were we to limit evidence to merely the
Quran and Sunna of the Prophet may Allah
bless and grant him peace a great many things
that we deem to be forbidden or permissible
today would not be able to be supported or
justified.
The reason for writing this paper is so that
the author or others will no longer have to go
into great detail repeatedly in explaining and
justifying this issue. The aim of this explanation
is not to appease or convince those opposed to
this practice. Rather, it is to console and put at
ease those who do it. This way, if one desires to
know the facts, it would be as simple as taking
recourse to the current paper, and those like it
wherever they exist. We ask Allah to benefit all
by it. Amin.
www.lamppostproductions.com Page 1
I. The Position of Malik (may Allah me pleased
with him)
Ibn al-Qasim1 says in Al-Mudawwana2:
Malik said about placing the
right hand over the left during
Salat. He said: I dont know (of)
that in the obligatory (prayer).
And he used to dislike it.
However, in voluntary prayers
(nawafil), when the standing is
extended, there is no harm in that
(for one who doesnt) support
himself by it..3
Maliks statement, I dont know of that in the
obligatory prayer, seems to point to a clear
reality to anyone who is acquainted with his
method of deducing legal rulings. That reality is
that, his statement indicates that he doesnt
know of any conclusive evidence that would be
strong enough to consider placing the right
hand over the left on the chest a Sunna act of
the obligatory prayer.
The statement also indicates that the main
reason that he disliked it was that people folded
their hands on their chests as a means of
holding themselves up in prayer. That wouldnt
be necessary, since it is disliked for Imams to
make the standings too lengthy during
obligatory prayers. As for the voluntary
prayers, he didnt dislike it then, due to the fact
that much of what is not permissible in
obligatory prayers is permissible in voluntary
prayers.
Now, where does the argument of the claimant stand
in light of this decisive evidence?
II. Evidence from Hadith
As for the hadiths that indicate this, let us
first start with the hadith of Abu Hamid Al-
Saidi, because of its complete soundness and
clear unequivocal indication of the Prophet
praying with his hands by his sides.
Ibn Hajar says in Fath Al-Bari:
1
He was one of the most famous and greatest of
Maliks students.
2
Al-Tanukhi, Sahnun b. Said. Al-Mudawwana Al-
Kubra. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1419/1998, 1/111.
3
Ibid.
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi,
Ahmad, and Ibn Khuzayma
reported it.
And, the version of Abu Dawud contains the
following addition that is a clear indication of
the hands being released at the sides. Its
wording is::
Ahmad related to usAbu Asim
Al-Dahhak b. Makhlad related to
us (transfer); Musaddad related to
usYahya related to us.
And the chain of Ahmad reads::
Abd Al-Hamid informed usthat is, Ibn Jafar
[who said] Muhammad b. Amr b. Ata informed
me. He said,
I heard Abu Hamid Al-Saidi say
while in the company of ten of
the companions of the Messenger
of Allah : I am the most
knowledgeable of you of the
prayer of the Messenger of Allah
. They said, How so? For by
Allah, you were neither the one
who spent the most time with
him, nor the eldest of us to him in
companionship. He said, True
indeed. They said, Show (us).
He said, Whenever the
Messenger of Allah may Allah
bless and grant him peace
would stand up to pray he would
raise his hands until they were
parallel with his shoulders, then
say Allahu Akbar until each bone
became settled in its place
straightly. Then, he would
recite4
4
The remainder of the hadith is,
Then, he would recite. Then, hed say
Allahu Akbar, and raise his hands until
they were parallel with his shoulders.
Then, hed bow placing his palms upon
his knees. Then, hed straighten out
[while bowing] without lowering his head
or inclining. Then, hed raise his head,
and say: Allah hears he who praises
Him. Then, hed raise his hands until
www.lamppostproductions.com Page 2

And the natural place of the hands/arms of a
person is at his/her sides. And it cannot be said
that a persons arms are straight if they are
folded on his/her chest.
Shaykh Muhktar Al-Dawdi5 says,
And if the Prophet  used to pray
while placing the right over the left
hand the ten companions would have
rebuked him (i.e. Abu Hamid) for
omitting it when he said: until
each bone became settled in its
place since peoples egos are
disposed to a severe eagerness to
point out the mistake of ones
challenger when competing. And
amongst the ten companions was
Sahl ibn Sad  who said (in another
hadith): The people were ordered to
place the right hand on the left
forearm during Salat. So, it becomes
clear that the order in the hadith of
Sahl  came from one other than the
Prophet and Sahls
acknowledgement  of the
description of the prayer which the
clasping of the hands (qabd) has been
they were evenly parallel with his
shoulders. Then, hed say: Allahu Akbar.
Then, hed fall to the ground, and extend
his arms away from his sides. Then, hed
raise his head, fold his left leg, and sit on
it while spreading the toes of his feet
when he fell prostrate, then hed
prostrate, and say: Allahu Akbar. Then,
hed sit up, bend his left leg, and sit on it
until every bone returned to its place.
Then, hed do in the other units (rakat)
the like of that. And when he stood from
the two units he said: Allahu Akbar,
raised his hands until he made them
parallel with his shoulders just as he gave
the takbir at the beginning of the prayer.
Then, hed do that in the rest of his Salat,
until the prostration containing (i.e.
before) the taslim (i.e. the final Salaam)
left out his left leg, and sat leaning to one
side on his left [buttock]. They said:
You have spoken the truth. That is how
he used to pray may Allah bless and
grant him peace.
5
He is one of the scholars of Mauritania, author of
Mashruiyat al-Sadl fi al-Salat (The Legitimacy of
Drooping the Hands in Salaat).
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
omitted from is proof that the order
in the aforementioned hadith is not
from the Prophet .
As for the hadiths that mention the Prophet
praying with his hands folded on his chest or
under his navel, they refer to the voluntary
prayers.
Nawawi says:
And about Malik is also (the report
mentioning) the favorableness of
placing (the hands on the chest) in
the voluntary (prayers), and the
(favorableness) of leaving (them by
the sides) during the obligatory
(prayers). And this is what his
followers from Basra gave more
weight to6
Muhammad Al-Khadr Al-Shinqiti7 said,
And of the hadiths indicating the
release (of the hands at the sides) is
every hadith in which the prayer of
the Prophet may Allah bless and
grant him peace is described
wherein he covered (i.e. in the
hadith) the mention of the
recommended acts (mustahabbat) of
prayer without mentioning the
clasping (of the hand).8 Thats
because leaving (the hands hanging)
is the original position as is not a
secret. And clasping (the hands) is an
6
Al-Nawawi, Yahya b. Sharaf. Sahih Muslim bi Sharh
Al-Nawawi, Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1995, 4/96. Hadith #
401.
7
He is Muhammad Al-Khadr b. Shaykh Abd Allah b.
Mayabi Al-Jakani Al-Shinqiti. He was one of the most
remarkable and outstanding scholars of Mauritania
who appeared in the first half of the fourteenth
century after the Hijra. He died in the 1984/1405.
8
These hadiths are many. Unfortunately, we wont
bother to mention them here in an attempt to avoid
prolixity. What we will do instead is mention where
they can be found. Those narrated on the authority
of Ibn Umar can be found in Muwatta, Sahih Al-
Bukhari and Muslim. As for those from Abu Hurayra,
check the six renowned collections with the
exception of Ibn Majah. From Ali, you can look in
Ahmads Musnad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasai, and
Ibn Majah. As for Abu Qalaba, refer to Bukhari and
Muslim. And refer to Abu Dawud for those found on
the authority of Salim Al-Barrad.
www.lamppostproductions.com Page 3
 added description. So, when it is not
mentioned, the situation is to remain
according to the original state, which
is the release of the hands (irsal). Also
because silence about the description
(of something) at the time
clarification is required is indicative
of limitation (to what is without the
addition)...9
So, with to regard to hadith evidence, there is
more that can be mentioned, although what has
already passed should be sufficient enough
evidence to establish that the Prophet did in
fact pray while leaving his arms at his sides.
III. Evidence from the Traditions of the Sahaba
and Tabiin
In the Musannaf10 of Ibn Abi Shayba, the
following can be found:
1. Abu Bakr [b. Abi Shayba) declared:
Hushaym declared to us about Hasan
[Al-Basari]about Yunus [who
declared] about Ibrahim [Al-Nakhai]
that they (Hasan and Ibrahim) used to
release their hands [at their sides]
during prayer.
2. Affan declared to us: Yazid b. Ibrahim
declared to us. He said: I heard Amr b.
Dinar say: [Abd Allah] b. al-Zubayr
(the grandson of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq),
whenever he prayed, he used to release
his hands [at his sides].
3. Ibn Ulaya declared to us: On the
authority of Ibn Awn about Ibn Sirin
that he was asked about the man who
holds his right hand with his left. He
said: That was merely done because of
the Romans [influence].
4. Umar b. Harun declared to us: On the
authority of Abd Allah b. Yazid. He
said: I never saw [Said] b. Al-
Musayyab (the most knowledgeable of
the Tabiin) clasping his right hand in
9
Al-Shinqiti, Muhammad al-Khadr b. Abd Allah.
Ibram al-Naqd fima qila min Arjahiyat al-Qabd. Beirut:
Dar al-Bashair al-Islamiya. 1996.
10
The Musannaf is one of the earliest hadith canons in
Islamic history.
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
the prayer. He used to release them [at
his sides].
5. Yayha b. Said declared to us: On the
authority of Abd Allah b. Al-Izar. He
said: I used to accompany Said b.
Jubayr. So, he saw a man praying while
placing one of his hands on the other.
This one on this one and this one on
this one. So, he went, separated them,
and then returned [to me].
And Imam Nawawi said in his Majmu:11
Layth b. Sad [said about the person
who prays]: He releases them (i.e.
the hands). Then, if that (i.e. the
prayer) is too long for him, he should
place the right over the left. And
Awzai said: [One has] a choice
between clasping and releasing (the
hands).
Shaykh Al-Khadr said,
I say (that) the statement of Layth is
unequivocal in indicating that
clasping [the hands] is not in his view
from the Sunna. However, it falls
under the category of support [of
ones body weight]. And this is
exactly the reason that Malik
expressly considered it to be disliked,
since it is a form of supporting
(oneself). And Ibn Abi Shayba
reported Ibn Sirin as saying when he
was asked about the man who holds
by his right hand his left hand: That
was merely because of the
Romans.12
Then Abu Dawud relates that Muhammad b.
Jahada said about the matter of releasing the
arms at ones sides:
Then, I mentioned that to Hasan b.
Abi Al-Hasan, and he said: It is the
prayer of Allahs messenger .
11
This is one of the major source books on Shafii
fiqh.
12
Ibram al-Naqd, p.57.
www.lamppostproductions.com Page 4
 Whoever does it does it. And
whoever abandons it abandons it.13
Al-Khadr says,
And the scholars have said that Ibn
al-Zubayr took the description of
prayer from Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. Al-
Khatib reports in Tarikh al-Baghdad
that Ahmad b. Hanbal  said: Abd
Al-Razzaq related to me. He said:
Verily, the people of Mecca say: Ibn
Jurayj took the description of prayer
from Ata. And Ata took it from Ibn
Al-Zubayr. And Ibn Al-Zubayr took it
from Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. And Abu
Bakr took it from the Prophet .
And this indicates that Abu Bakr used
to release [his hands] in his prayer,
because, Ibn Al-Zubayr took the
description of prayer from him. And
Ibn Abbas (The Prophets cousin)
testified that the Salat of Ibn Al-
Zubayr is the Salat of the Prophet 
in what Abu Dawud relates about
Maymun Al-Makki that he saw Abd
Allah b. Al-Zubayr while leading
them in prayer. He said afterwards,
Then, I went to Ibn Abbas and said:
Verily, I have seen Ibn Al-Zubayr
pray a prayer that I have never seen
anyone pray. Then I described to
him this gesture, and he said: If
youd like to look at the prayer of the
Messenger of Allah  then copy the
prayer of Abd Allah b. Al-Zubayr.
Al-Khadr says,
And what is confirmed by scholars is
that Ibn Al-Zubayr used to release
[his hands] in his Salat. So, it is
known by the testimony of Ibn
Abbas that his prayer is the prayer of
the Prophet , and that he used to
release [his hands] in Salat14
And in the Musannaf15 of Abd Al-Razzaq Al-
Sanani he says,
13
Abu Dawud
14
Ibram al-Naqd, p. 63.
15
This Musannaf is also one of the earliest hadith
canons in Islamic history.
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
I saw Ibn Jurayj praying while
releasing his hands. And Awzai said:
Whoso pleases does it. And whoso
pleases leaves it. And it is the view
of Ata.16
IV. The Position of the Majority of Scholars
Most scholars hold the view that the
normative, if not permanent, practice of the
Prophet  was folding his arms while praying.
This is the position taken by the other three
schools, and is the opinion considered by many
Malikis to be the position having more evidence
in support of it. However, the basis for this
position is that it has been related about 18
Sahaba and 2 of the Tabiin that the Prophet
prayed with his hands clasped. However, there
exists contention regarding the chain of
transmission of each one of these narrations.
For this reason, it is said of them that it has
been related about them, which is a clear
indication of weakness and indecisiveness.
Hadith scholars know it as the wording
indicative of sickness (sigat al-tamrid). As for
the one or two sound narrations, which are
found in the collections of Bukhari and Muslim,
they are not clear in their indications that the
Prophet prayed with his hands clasped. For that
reason, it is not possible to unequivocally
conclude that he may Allah grant him peace
prayed with his hands clasped. Rather, it is
equally plausible, if not more reasonable, to
conclude the opposite.
Al-Dawdi says,
As for ascribing the [position of]
clasping the hands (qabd) to the
majority [of scholars], if the intended
[ascription] is [an ascription to] the
majority of the Sahaba, then this
ascription is not true by any means,
since it (i.e. clasping the hands) has
not been found to be soundly
established about the Prophet may
Allah grant him peace, nor one of his
Rightly-Guided Successors. So, how
could attributing it to the majority of
the Sahaba and Tabiin be true? As for
what Tirmidhi relates from Samak b.
Harb from Qabisa b. Hulb from his
16
Al-Musannaf. 2/276.
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 father who said: The Messenger of
Allah used to lead us, and take his left
with his right. and declared it to be
Hasan (of fair grading), then said,
Action is in accordance with this
among the companions of the
Prophet , the successors (tabiin),
and those after them; There is no
doubt that he (Tirmidhi) depended
upon the hadith of Hulb in
attributing this action, since there is
a distance (in time) between him, and
between the Sahaba and Tabiin. Also
because, he didnt mention any
support for that other than the
hadith of Hulb. And if it (the hadith)
had been Sahih (sound), it would have
resolved the dispute. However, it is
one of the narrations of Samak and
Qabisa. And it has already preceded
that Samak is weakand Qabisa is
unknown (majhul). And only Samak
narrates on his authority. And
Tirmidhis choosing of this chain
from [all] the different chains going
back to the Prophet in this chapter is
a proof that all chains of
transmission fall in the center of
ignominy. Just as it has already
preceded about the Imams of the
Tabiin (Said b. Al-Musayyab, Said b.
Jubayr, and Mujahid) what points to
the contrary of what Tirmidhi
attributed to the Sahaba and Tabiin,
while knowing that these know
better the doings of the Sahaba in the
matter than Tirmidhi and all from his
generation. And if what is intended
by the majority is the majority of
those lesser than the Successors of
the Successors (tabiu al-tabiin), the
ascription to them is true. The
statement of Nawawi in Sharh Muslim
(4/114) indicates it. The proof of the
majority [of scholars after the Salaf]
regarding the favorableness of
placing the right on the left is the
aforementioned hadith of Wail, and
the hadith of Abu Hazim on the
authority of Sahl. So, this gives the
feeling that the Sahaba and Tabiin are
outside of this majority, since they
dont present the aforementioned
hadith of Sahl as evidence, because
the one giving the order is unknown.
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
And if he had not been unknown, the
Imams of the Salaf would not have
differed regarding its ruling. (They
also differed) because the hadith of
Wail is weakened (malul) due to a
break in its chain, and the weakness
of one of its narrators. So, the Salaf
didnt present it as evidence17
V. The Statements of other Scholars
Ibn Rushd18 says,
Scholars have differed regarding
placing the hands, one of them on
the other during Salat. Malik
considered that makruh (disliked)
during the obligatory prayer, and
permitted it during the voluntary
prayers. Others considered this
action to be from the one of the
Sunnahs (recommended acts) of
Salat. They are the majority (of those
after the Salaf).
The reason for their difference is that
some established traditions (of the
companions and successors) have
come. The description of the
Prophets prayer may Allah grant
him peace has been related in
them. And nowhere in them was it
related that he placed his right over
his left. It also has been confirmed
that the people were commanded to
do that (i.e. clasp their hands). That
has also been mentioned as part of
the description of his prayer may
Allah bless and grant him peace in
the hadith of Abu Hamid. And some
people saw that the reports that have
been confirmed necessitated an
addition upon the reports not
containing this addition, and that the
addition must be followed. Others
saw that the more worthy obligation
was to follow the reports that dont
contain the addition, because they
are more numerous, and since this
(i.e. clasping of the hands) doesnt
befit the actions of prayer. Rather,
17
Mashruiyat al-Sadl, p. 69.
18
Ibn Rush was a famous Muslim philosopher,
magistrate, and jurist from Islamic Spain who died in
the year 595 after the emigration (Hijra) from Mecca
to Medina.
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 they fall under the category of
seeking support (in remaining still
and standing). Therefore, Malik
permitted it in voluntary prayers,
and did not permit it in the
obligatory19
Ibn Abd Al-Barr20 says,
And placing the right of them over
the left or releasing them (at the
sides), all of that is a Sunna in
Salat21
VI. Summary and Conclusion
5. None of the Imams of the other
madhhabs (legal schools) hold it to be
an obligation to pray while clasping
ones hands. They only consider it to be
a Sunna. As for Malik, it is permitted
without dislike during voluntary
prayers when the standing is long. As
for the obligatory prayers, he disliked
it, although dislike does not mean that
something is prohibited according the
scholars.
6. Some Imams hold both folding the
hands as well as leaving them at ones
sides to be Sunnas that have been both
related about the Prophet may Allah
grant him peace.

We know the validity of praying with our hands

at our sides from the following:
1. It was the position held by our Imam
Malik, and most of his disciples and
Malikis historically.
2. The hadiths of the Prophet indicate
that he prayed that way.
3. It was the opinion taken by the Tabiin,
the most knowledgeable of them being
by unanimous consensus Said b. Al-
Musayyab.
In the end, Id like to say that it would be much
more beneficial for those seeking to sow discord
through this matter to address some of our
more pressing issues like the divorce rate in the
Muslim community, or things like, trying to
help solve the problems of Muslims suffering
from substance abuse and alcohol problems.
Instead of policing peoples prayer when theyre
not doing anything wrong, they should go
looking for things, which are truly haram
(unlawful) and try to find the proper Islamic
solutions for them.

4. It was the position of Abd Allah ibn Az-

Zubayr who learned from his
grandfather, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq who
learned from the Prophet himself. In
addition, it hasnt been confirmed in
any sound reports that any of the other
Sahaba prayed while clasping their
hands.

19
Al-Andalusi, Ibn Rushd. Bidayat Al-Mujtahid wa
Nihayat al-Muqtasid. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiya,
1997/1417, 1/192-193.
20
Ibn Abd Al-Barr was a great Maliki jurist and
hadith scholar known as The Great Hadith Retainer
of the West (Hafiz Al-Maghrib). He died in the year
468 after the Hijra, the same year that his counterpart
Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadi, The Great Hadith Retainer of
the East (Hafiz Al-Mashriq) passed away.
21
Al-Namri, Abu Umar Ibn Abd al-Barr. Al-Kafi fi Fiqh
Ahl al-Madina al-Maliki, Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiya,
1992/1413. p. 43

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 Qabd or Sadl - Right over Left or Hands at the Sides?


Qabd or Sadl:
Right over Left or Hands at the
Sides?
A Maliki Critique of the Reports that 18 of the
Companions (Sahaba) and 2 of the Successors
(Tabiun) reported the Prophet  as having prayed
with his right hand over his left hand
By Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
In the name of Allah, All-Compassionate, All-Merciful
The debate endures in spite of more
and more evidence being revealed about the
permissibility of praying with the hands at the
sides as did Imam Malik b. Anas and the
exponents of his school. Few still insist that
Imam Malik only prayed that way due to being
tortured at the behests of the Abbasid caliph;
torture that led to his arms being pulled out of
their sockets.1 They still insist on such a notion
in spite of the explicit statement of Malik that
he disliked for a person to prayer any of the 5
compulsory prayers while folding one arm or
hand over the other.2
1
This lie has been circulated among Muslims, and
many have accepted it in large numbers in spite of
the fact that it cannot be substantiated in any of the
books of Islamic history, jurisprudence, or any other
works.
2 4
Al-Mudawwana Al-Kubra. 1/111. Dar al-Fikr: 1998.
Have a look at my treatise entitled The Maliki
Argument for not Clasping the Hands in Salat.
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
Furthermore, it has also been revealed
that Imam Malik was not alone in this position.
Rather, the most knowledgeable and
noteworthy of the Tabiun also preferred this
manner of prayer as has been shown by the
reports of Ibn Abi Shayba.3
Why do the Malikis continue to resist
the majority and risk being harassed for
praying in this fashion? Dont Malikis know that
it is well established that 18 of the Companions
and 2 of the Successors have reported that the
Prophet  prayed with the right hand/arm over
the left? Even the most uneducated of Muslims
knows such things. So why are they being so
stubborn and arrogant?
Well, is it really true that 18 of the
Companions and 2 of the Successors reported
the Prophet  as praying the way that most
people do? True or not, there exists sufficient
doubt about every single report that exists to
this effect that weakens the popular claim
and understanding that it is well established
that the Prophet prayed while placing one hand
over the other.
This short essay is written not to
condemn the majority, or even say that their
manner of prayer is incorrect. It is written to
reveal to all that the position of holding one
hand over the other in Salat is not as strong as
people have come to accept. To the contrary,
the argument that the Prophet  prayed in this
fashion is no stronger than the argument that
he prayed while draping his arms at his sides.
Below is a critique of each individual report
and an exposition of their weaknesses in either
the chain or meaning. These critiques have
been summarized from the work of Shaykh
Mukhtar Al-Dawdi4, Mashruiyyat al-Sadl fi Al-
3
Ibn Abu Shayba reports hadiths that show that the
following personages prayed while draping their
hands at their sides: Said b. Al-Musayyib, Said b.
Jubayr, Al-Hasan Al-Basari, Ibrahim Al-Nakhai,
Muhammad b. Sirin, and the Companion, Abd Allah
ibn Al-Zubayr. [Ibn Abi Shayba, Abu Bakr. Musannaf]
Imam Awzai also expressed that to pray that way or
not was a persons prerogative [Al-Musannaf. 2/276]
And Imam Nawawi relates this position as being
ascribed to Imam Layth b. Sad.
He is Shaykh Mukhtar b. Muhaymidat Al-Dawdi, one
of the great contemporary Mauritanian scholars of
the Shinqit.
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 Qabd or Sadl - Right over Left or Hands at the Sides?

Salat [The Legitimacy of Draping the Arms in
Salat].
A more detailed work is being prepared for
release that gives more detail about the hadiths
of Ibn Abi Shayba and establishes their
authenticity, God-willing. Upon completion of
that, we plan to present to our readers a
complete reference work for the topic of the
proper positioning of hands in prayer.
This hadith in spite of being in both the
Muwatta and the Sahih of Bukhari, isnt
definitive proof that the Prophets sunnah
was to pray while holding his left hand with
his right hand. What weakens such an
assumption made from this hadith are the
following:
Weakness #1:
This is not an explicit report of a statement
or action of the Prophet .

Hadith #1: The hadith of Sahl Weakness #2:

Reported in Al-Muwatta and Sahih
The saying that, The people were ordered
al-Bukhari that a person is to place the right hand over
his left forearm during Salat is the
Abdullah ibn Maslama5 related to us from
statement of the Companion, Sahl. And he
Malik from Abu Hazim6 from Sahl b. Sad. He
doesnt say that the Prophet  gave this
said:
order. So there is the possibility that

another could have given this order.

 :
Weakness #3:
:
The saying, I know only that he attributes
The people were ordered that a
that (yanmi dhalika) to the Prophet  is
person is to place the right hand
not the statement of Sahl. Rather it is the
over his left forearm during
statement of the Tabii, Abu Hazim. So there
Salat. Abu Hazim said: I know
is no certainty that Sahl actually attributed
only that he attributes that
this to the Prophet , since Abu Hazim is
(yanmi dhalika) to the Prophet
merely conjecturing about what he
. Ismail7 said: (I know only
remembers.
that) That is attributed (yunma
dhalika). And he didnt say: He
Weakness #4:
attributes (yanmi).
The statement of Ismail that, (I know only
The Weaknesses of the Hadith that) That is attributed (yunma dhalika). And
he didnt say: He attributes (yanmi) further
emphasizes the belief that Abu Hazim didnt
5
actually hear Sahl attribute the order to the
He is Abu Abd Al-Rahman Abdullah b. Maslama b.
Qanab Al-Harithi Al-Madani Al-Basari, a reliable
Prophet .
narrator (thiqa) and a devout worshipper (abid). Ibn
Main and Ibn Al-Madini placed no one over him with
regard to the Muwatta. He passed away in Mecca in
the year 220 A.H. or 221 A.H. [Tahdhib al-Tahdhib: Hadith #2: The Hadith of Wail
6/31] and [Siyar alam An-Nubala: 1/257].
6
Abu Hazim is Salama b. Dinar, the shaykh of Medina, Reported in Sahih Muslim
and patron of Banu Makhzum. He was a cripple date-
merchant, and an ascetic magistrate. He died in the Muslim said as is in Sahih Muslim [4/114]:
year 140 A.H. [Siyar alam al-Nubala: 6/96] [Tahdhib al-
Tahdhib: 4/143].
7
Ismail is Abd Allah b. Abd Allah b. Uways b. Malik.
He was a veracious Imam and hadith master, and one

of the scholars of Medina. He was the leading hadith :
specialist of his time. He died in the year 226 A.H. or  :
227 A.H. [Siyar alam al-Nubala: 10/392].

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 Qabd or Sadl - Right over Left or Hands at the Sides?
Zuhayr b. Harb related to us,
Affan related to us, Hamam
related to us, Muhammad b.
Juhada related to us, Abd Al-
Jabbar b. Wail related to me,
from Alqama b. Wail and a client
of theirs that they both related to
him from his father, Wail ibn
Hujr that he saw the Prophet  -
raise his hands when he entered
Salat. He said the takbir, he
wrapped himself in his garment,
and then placed his right hand on
the left[to the end of the
hadith].
The Weaknesses of the Hadith
Weakness #1:
The narrator, Muhammad b. Juhada, is weak.
Nawawi alluded to it by his saying,
In it is Muhammad b. Juhada.
And Ibn Hajar said in the introduction to Al-
Fath [p. 361]:
Muhammad b. Juhada Al-Kufi
was accused of being a Shiite
[biased toward Ali and against
Muawiya].
Then Ibn Hajar said after declaring Ibn Juhada
as being one of the weak narrators,
Verily one of the conditions of (a
hadith being) Sahih is that the
transmitter be sound in creed.
And in Mizan al-Itidal of Imam Dhahabi [4/418]
he said that Abu Awana Al-Waddah said about
him:
He was extreme in his Shiism (kana
yaghlu fi tashayyuihi).8
8
Dhahabi says in his Mizan [4/418, #7305],
Muhammad b. Juhada is one of the reliable and
trustworthy Tabiin, He met Anas . The only thing
is that Abu Awana Al-Waddah said, He was extreme
in his shiism. But, I [Dhahabi] say (that) not a single
revilement (of the Companions) has been recorded
about the man. So where is the extremism?!
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
Weakness #2:
There is a second break in the chain, since
Alqama b. Wail never met his father, Wail,
on whose authority he is supposedly
speaking.
Dhahabi in Al-Mizan [4/28] and Ibn Hajar in
Taqrib al-Tahdhib [2/31] limited themselves to
mentioning that
Alqama is Saduq (veracious),
except that he never heard any
reports from his father, Wail.
And the reviser (muhaqqiq) of Al-Mizan placed
a number next to him and said:
[1] In the Thiqat of Ibn Hibban:
(He said) His father died while he
was in his mothers womb.
And in Siyar Alam Al-Nubala of Dhahabi he
mentions that Tirmidhi said in Al-Ilal Al-Kubra:
I asked Bukhari: Did Alqama
hear anything from his father,
Wail? He said: Verily Alqama
was born after the death of his
father by 6 months.
And Nawwawi said in Tahdhib al-Asma [1/343]:
Verily the reports of Alqama
from his father, Wail, are
through an undisclosed
intermediary (mursala).
Weakness #3:
The client mentioned alongside Alqama is
unknown and unidentified. So this counts as
another break in the chain according to hadith
scholars.9
9
Shaykh Mukhtar Al-Dawdi said,
If it is said: Tirmidhi said along with (the
commentary of) Al-Arida [6/237] as well as Bukhari in
Al-Tarikh Al-Kabir [4/14]:
Verily Alqama heard from his father, the
response is that it has already been
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 Qabd or Sadl - Right over Left or Hands at the Sides?
Weakness #4:
Wail was from the city of Hadramaut (Yemen).
He came to the Prophet  when he was in
Madinah, accepted Islam, and returned shortly
after to his city. And due to him not taking up
residence in Medinah, Ibrahim Al-Nakhai
rejected his hadiths related to the description of
the Prophets prayer , as is found in Shafiis
Umm [1/105] under: Those who oppose the
raising of the hands.10
mentioned from the two of them that he was
born 6 months after his fathers death. And
this is more definitive than them saying:
He heard from his father, Wail.
For this reason, hadith masters (huffaz)
didnt consider this to be a confirmed hearing
(sama) as has already been stated, and
because Yahya b. Main is one of those who
said that
the reports of Alqama from his
father, Wail are through an
undisclosed intermediary (mursala).
This is because Ibn Main was the most
knowledgeable of all the Imams of his era
with relation to hadith transmitters. In
Tadhkirat al-Huffaz of Imam Dhahabi [2/430]
he states:
Ibn Main said: The knowledge of all people
stopped at Yahya b. Main. And Ahmad b.
Hanbal said: Yahya b. Main is the most
knowledgeable of us of hadith transmitters.
10
Shaykh Al-Dawdi says,
And in the introduction to Nawawis Sharh Muslim
[1/27] he said:
And a group (of scholars) criticized
them i.e. Bukhari and Muslim
about certain hadiths wherein they
violated the conditions they
stipulated for acceptance, and have
descended below the grade of those
(hadiths) they obliged themselves to
(report).
That is, they have descended below the grade
of sahih (sound). And on page 16, (he says):
So Muslims book contains hadiths whose chains or
texts they have differed with regard to whether or
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
What this means is that Wail wasnt the
greatest authority on the Prophets prayer,
since he spent almost no time in his presence
after accepting Islam at his hands.
Weakness #5:
The hadith never states how Wails son or their
client obtained information about what their
father supposedly saw. For instance, the chain
reads,
Abd Al-Jabbar b. Wail related
to me, from Alqama b. Wail and a
client of theirs that they both
related to him from his father,
Wail ibn Hujr that he saw the
Prophet  - raise his hands when
he entered Salat...
Alqama could have said, I heard my father
say, My father told me or My father
related to me that But no such expression is
used in this hadith that would indicate that
there was definitely a meeting between Alqama
and his father, Wail.
Hadith #3: The Hadith of Ibn
Masud
Reported in the Sunan of Abu
Dawud and the Sunan of Nasai
It is related that Abd Allah b. Masud 
said:

not they are sahih in his view. And in that is a
careless departure from this stipulation.
And it is known (to scholars) that the
stipulation of Bukhari and Muslim is (for the
report to have) a chain that is connected by
way of a trustworthy transmitter from
another trustworthy transmitter to the
Prophet  with no subtle weakness (illa) or
irregularity (shudhudh) despite of this being
the definition of sahih in the view of the
overwhelming majority of the Imams. And
you know that this condition is lacking in the
aforementioned hadiths of Sahl and Wail. So
on that basis, presenting them as proof is
invalid.
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 Qabd or Sadl - Right over Left or Hands at the Sides?
The Prophet  saw me placing
my left hand on my right hand in
Salat. So he took my right hand,
and then placed it over my left
hand.
Abu Dawuds chain is:
Muhammad b. Bakkar from Hushaym
ibn Bashir from Al-Hajjaj b. Abi
Zaynab from Abu Abi Uthman from
Ibn Masud.
Nasais chain is:
Hushaym ibn Bashir from Al-Hajjaj b.
Abi Zaynab from Abu Abi Uthman
from Ibn Masud.
The Weaknesses of the Hadith
Weakness #1:
Muhammad b. Bakkar is unknown.
Dhahabi stated it in Al-Mizan [4/412].
Weakness #2:
Weakness has been ascribed to Hushaym
b. Bashir. Dhahabi states in Al-Mizan
[5/431], and Ibn Hajar states in Taqrib al-
Tahdhib [2/269] that he:
Often used trickery in his
reports to convince others to
accept unacceptable chains of
narration in addition to being
guilty of conveying subtly
distinguishable incomplete chains
of narration (kathir at-tadlis wa
al-irsal al-khafi).
Weakness #3:
Al-Hajjaj b. Abi Zaynab has been declared
to be weak by Ali b. Al-Madini, Nasai,
Ahmad, and Daraqutni as stated by
Dhahabi in Al-Mizan [1/462].
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
Hadith #4: The Hadith of Hulb Al-
Tai
Reported by Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Ibn
Majah, and Daraqutni
It has been related that Hulb Al-Tai said:

The Prophet  used to lead us.
And he would take his left hand
with his right.
This hadith is reported by way of Sammak b.
Harb from Qabisa b. Hulb from his father,
Hulb.
Weaknesses of the Hadith
Weakness #1:
Qabisa b. Hulb has been classified as
weak and unknown.
Shawkani said in Nayl al-Awtar [2/200]:
In the chain of this hadith is
Qabisa b. Hulb. Sammak is the
only one to narrate from him. Al-
Ijli considered him to be reliable.
And Ibn Al-Madini and Nasai
said: (He is) Unknown.
Weakness #2:
Sammak b. Harb has been classified as
weak. Dhahabi said about him in Al-Mizan
[2/422 & 423]:
Sufyan, Shuba, and others
declared him to be weak. And
Ahmad said: (He is) Unstable
(mudtarib) in hadith. And Nasai
said: He used to be dictated to.
And he would learn (from those
dictated notes).
So there is a weak transmitter on the
authority of one who is unknown in the
chain. So no attention is to be shown to it.
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 Qabd or Sadl - Right over Left or Hands at the Sides?
Hadith #5: The Hadith of Ali b.
Abu Talib
Reported by Abu Dawud
It has been related that Ali ibn Abu Talib
said:
Reported by Daraqutni
It is from the Sunnah to place
the right hand on the left hand
during Salat under the navel.
This has been related by way of Abd Al-
Rahman b. Ishaq Al-Wasiti.
Weaknesses of the Hadith
Weakness #1:
Abd Al-Rahman b. Ishaq has been
classified as weak. Dhahabi said of him in
Al-Mizan [3/262]:
Ahmad said: He is insignificant. (He is)
Rejected in hadith.
Nawawi said in Sharh Muslim [4/115]:
(He is) Weak by the agreement (of
hadith scholars).
Hadith #6: The Hadith of Abu
Hurayra
Reported by Abu Dawud
It has been related that Abu Hurayra 
said:
hadith. And Bukhari and Ibn Al-
The taking of the palms over the palms
is under the navel.
This has been related by way of Abd Al-
Rahman b. Ishaq also.
Weakness of the Hadith
Abu Dawud related it by way of Abd Al-
Rahman b. Ishaq upon whom there is
agreement about him being declared
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
weak, rejected, and insignificant, as has
been stated.
Hadith #7: The Hadith of Abd
Allah b. Abbas
In Awjaz al-Masalik ala Muwatta Malik
[3/169] (it states):
And Daraqutni reported from
the hadith of Ibn Abbas  raised
to the Prophet  [marfuan] (that
he said):
Verily we assembly
of Prophets have
been ordered to hold
our right hands over
our left hands.
Weaknesses of the Hadith
Weakness #1:
One of the transmitters, Talha b. Amr, has been
classified as being an unreliable narrator. The
author of Awjaz al-Masalik says,
And in its chain is Talha b. Amr
who is relinquished (matruk).
Likewise it is mentioned in Al-
Ayni (Sharh of) Al-Bukhari.
Dhahabi said in Al-Mizan [3/54]:
Ahmad and Nasai said (about
Talha): (He is) relinquished in
Madini said: He is insignificant
(Laysa bi shayin).
Hadith #8: The Hadith of Jabir b.
Abd Allah
Reported by Ahmad and
Daraqutni
It has also been related that Jabir b. Abd
Allah ascribed the act of placing the
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 Qabd or Sadl - Right over Left or Hands at the Sides?
right hand over the left in Salat to the
Prophet  too. It states that Jabir said,
 P placing the right over the left
during Salat.
The Messenger of Allah  passed
by a man who was praying while
placing his left hand on the right
hand. So he snatched it and
placed the right on the left.
But, this is reported by way of Al-Hajjaj
b. Abi Zaynab from Abu Sufyan
from Jabir b. Abd Allah.
Weaknesses of the Hadith
Weakness #1:
Al-Hajjaj b. Abi Zaynab has already been
discussed. And it has already been
revealed that Al-Hajjaj is weak.
Weakness #2:
Abu Sufyan Talha b. Amr is also
classified as weak. Dhahabi said of him in
Al-Mizan [3/56]:
Shuba and Ibn Uyayna said:
His hadiths from Jabir are no
more than a written collection
(sahifa) [i.e. so, he didnt actually
hear from Jabir]. And Ibn Main
was asked about him and he said:
[He is] Nothing.
Hadith #9: The Hadith of Aisha
bint Abi Bakr
Reported by Daraqutni and
Bayhaqi
It has been related that Aisha  said:
: 11
hadith masters of Mecca. Shaykh Al-Dawdi says of
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
Three things are from prophecy:
Making haste to break fast,
delaying the predawn meal, and
Weaknesses of the Hadith
Weakness #1:
This report is not ascribable to the Prophet .
Rather, it is only ascribable to his wife, Aisha.
Ibn Hazm related it in Al-Muhalla [4/113] as a
statement of Aisha but without a chain.
Weakness #2:
There is a break in the chain. So it even
cannot be ascribed to Aisha.
Hafiz b. Hajar said in Talkhis al-Habir
[1/223]:
Daraqutni and Bayhaqi related it
as a statement of Aisha . And it
has a break in its chain.
Hadith #10: The Hadith of Abd
Allah b. Umar
Reported by Al-Aqili11
It has been related also that Ibn Umar 
reported that the Prophet  used to pray while
holding his left hand with his right hand.
Weakness of the Hadith
This reported in spite of being related by Al-
Aqili was declared to be weak. Imam Shawkani
made mention of this in Nayl al-Awtar [2/200].
Al-Aqilis name is Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Amr
ibn Musa b. Hammad Al-Aqili. He was one of the
him, He has dangerous writings. One of them is Al-
Duafa. He died in Mecca. [Tadhkira al-Huffaz: 3/50]
and [Shadharat al-Dhahab: 2/295].
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 Qabd or Sadl - Right over Left or Hands at the Sides?
Hadith #11: The Hadith of Yala b.
Murra
Related by Imam Al-Tabari
It has been related that one of the
Companions by the name of Yala b.
Murra12  related that the Prophet 
was seen praying while holding one
hand with the other.
Weakness of the Hadith
One of the transmitters in the chain by
the name, Umar b. Abd Allah b. Yala,
has been classified as weak. Shawkani
states in Nayl al-Awtar [2/200],
It also contains Umar b. Abd
Allah b. Yala. And he is weak.
And Dhahabi said in Al-Mizan [4/131]
about the aforementioned Umar:
(He is) Relinquished (matruk).
He used to drink wine (khamr).
Hadith #12: The Hadith of Gudayf
b. Al-Harith or Harith b. Ghudayf
Reported by Baghawi
Number 12 is the hadith of Ghudayf b.
Al-Harith or Harith b. Ghudayf. Hafiz b.
Hajar said in Al-Isaba maa al-Istiab
[3/184]:
Verily Bukhari said in his
biography: Man meaning, Ibn
Isa said on the authority of
Muawiya i.e. Ibn Salih from
Yunus ibn Sayf from Ghudayf ibn
Al-Harith Al-Sakuti or Al-Harith
b. Ghudayf who said:
Shaddad b. Shurahbil
 P Reported by Al-Bazzar
12
Shawkani states in Nayl al-Awtar under the
aforementioned reference: [He is] Yala b.
Murra according to Tabari.
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
I didnt forget about
things. I didnt forget
Allahs Messenger 
placing his right hand
over his left hand
during Salat.
Baghawi reported it by way of
Zayd b. Al-Habbab with this
wording.
Weaknesses of the Hadith
Weakness #1:
It is unclear if the transmitters name is
Ghudayf or Al-Harith.
Weakness #2:
It is unclear if he was a Sahabi or a Tabii.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar said about the
aforementioned Ghudayf:
Ibn Sad, Al-Ijli, Daraqutni, and
others mentioned him among the
Tabiin (Companion successors).
And there is confusion about whether or
not he ever saw the Prophet  when he
was a child, which would make him a
Tabii if he in fact never saw the Prophet
. Ahmad related it in Al-Musnad. It is
also stated in Al-Mughni along with Al-
Sharh al-Kabir [1/549].
So the conflict (idtirab) found in the
chain becomes clear about if the
transmitter is either Ghudayf or Al-
Harith, and about whether or not he was
a Sahabi or a Tabii. And that demands
that it be discarded as proof.
Hadith #13: The Hadith of
Hadith number 13 is mentioned in Nayl
al-Awtar under the aforementioned
reference [2/200]. Shawkani says:
And (there is another hadith) on
the authority of Shaddad b.
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 Qabd or Sadl - Right over Left or Hands at the Sides?
Shurahbil (as found) with Al-
Bazzar.
Weakness of the Hadith
This report contains a weak narrator by the
name, Abbas b. Yunus. Shawkani says in
declaring the hadith of Shaddad to be weak,
But in it is Abbas ibn Yunus.
Shaykh Al-Dawdi says,
And when a hadith scholar
(muhaddith) says: In it is So-and-
So, it is an allusion to the
weakness of So-and-So.
Furthermore, Ive searched in
both Taqrib al-Tahdhib and Al-
Mizan, and I didnt find any
biography for the aforementioned
Abbas. So perhaps he is
unknown.
Hadith #14: The Hadith of Abu Al-
Darda
Reported by Daraqutni and Ibn
Abi Shayba
Hadith number 14 is the hadith of Abu
Al-Darda . Shawkani says in Nayl al-
Awtar under the aforementioned
reference [2/200]:
And (there is another hadith) on
the authority of Abu Al-Darda (as
found) with Daraqutni reaching
back to the Prophet  [marfuan],
as well as one reaching Abu Al-
Darda only [mawqufan] in Ibn
Abu Shayba.
Weakness of the Hadith
The report ascribed the Prophet has not
been authenticated.
Shaykh Al-Dawdi said,
The only thing is that I searched
in the Sunan of Daraqutni in the
chapter of Taking the Left with
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
the Right during Salat, but I
didnt find Abu Al-Darda in it.
Nevertheless, Muhammad Shakir
said in his short commentary
(taliq) on Al-Muhalla [4/13]:
Hafiz al-Haytami
mentioned it in Majma
al-Zawaid and said:
Tabarani related it in
Al-Kabir, going back to
the Prophet and to the
Companion, Abu Al-
Darda . The one
designated to the
companion is sound
(sahih). As for the one
assigned to the Prophet
(marfu), there are
among its transmitters
one who I havent
found anyone who has
provided a biography
for him.
Hadith #15: The Hadith of Uqba b.
Abi Aisha
Reported by Haytami in Majma al-
Zawaid
Hadith Number 15 is the hadith of Uqba ibn
Abu Aisha that is designated only to the
Companion (mawquf), not to the Prophet
(marfu). Shawkani stated it under the
aforementioned reference of Nayl al-Awtar. And
even if it happened to be authentic, it would
only be ascribable to the Companion, not to the
Prophet .
Hadith #16: The Hadith of
Hudhayfa
Ascribed to Daraqutnis Sunan
Hadith Number 16 is the hadith of
Hudhayfa . Shaykh Al-Dawdi said,
He (i.e. Shawkani) stated it
under the aforementioned
reference. However, I couldnt
find it in his (i.e. Daraqutnis)
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 Qabd or Sadl - Right over Left or Hands at the Sides?
Sunan under the Chapter of
Taking the Left with the Right.
And perhaps he related what has
been attributed to him (i.e. the
Prophet) from Hudhayfa and Abu
Al-Darda  in (a work) other than
his Sunan.
Hadith #17: The Hadith of Muadh
b. Jabal
Reported by Tabarani
The next hadith is the hadith of Muadh
. Shawkani stated it in Nayl al-Awtar
under the aforementioned reference.
The Weakness of the Hadith
One of its narrators by the name, Al-Khasib b.
Jahdar, has been classified as weak. Shawkani
says,
And (there is another hadith) on
the authority of Muadh in
Tabarani. But in it is Al-Khasib ibn
Jahdar.
Dhahabi said in Al-Mizan [2/176] under the
biography of the aforementioned Al-Khasib:
Bukhari said (of him): A liar!
Shuba, Al-Qattan, and Ibn Main
also declared him to be a liar.
Hadith #18: The Hadith of Abd
Allah b. Al-Zubayr
Reported by Abu Dawud
Number 18 is the hadith of Abd Allah ibn
Al-Zubayr . He said:
to place his right hand over his
Putting the feet together and
placing one hand on the other is
from the Sunnah.
Abu Dawud reported it.
Weaknesses of the Hadith
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
Weakness #1:
It is common knowledge that putting the
feet together is disliked.
Weakness #2:
This report contradicts what is commonly
accepted about the fact that Ibn Al-Zubayr
preferred to pray while draping his hands at the
side, as Imam Malik is known for doing. Shaykh
Al-Dawdi said,
And one of the clearest
indications of the falseness of this
report (athar) is the agreement of
the Salaf that Ibn Al-Zubayrs
view  was to drape the hands
(sadl) during Salat. So it would
not be correct for him to
intentionally contradict the
Sunnah.
And he is the last of the eighteen (18)
Companions (Sahaba).
The Tabii Reports
Report #1: The Report of Al-Hasan
Al-Basri
Reported by Abu Dawud
Report #2: The Report of Tawus
Also Reported in Abu Dawud
It is reported that Tawus said,
 P
The Messenger of Allah  used
left hand, and then hold them
tight on his chest while he was in
Salat.
The Weaknesses of both Reports
Weakness #1:
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 Qabd or Sadl - Right over Left or Hands at the Sides?

Both of these reports are incompletely
transmitted, since there are undisclosed
Companion and/or even non-Companion
intermediaries between these Tabiin. Shawkani
said:
And (there is a report) on the
authority of Al-Hasan
incompletely transmitted to the
Prophet (murslan) in Abu Dawud,
and (there is a report) on the
authority of Tawus also
incompletely transmitted to the
Prophet with him (i.e. Abu
Dawud).
Ibrahim Al-Nakhai, Muhammab b. Sirin, Layth
b. Sad, Jafar Al-Sadiq, Awzai (perhaps), and the
Companion Abd Allah b. Zubayr  all prayed
this way.
So to condemn Malik and his followers today,
would be to condemn the most distinguished
scholars of the Salaf, when they knew the
Sunnah better than we did. And any other claim
would be nothing more than arrogance and
stupidity.
Again, the ultimate aim is to spread more inner-
religious tolerance, not to condemn or make a
definitive claim that we are upon truth.

Weakness #2:

It is commonly acknowledged that Al-Hasan Al-

Basri prayed while draping his hands at his
sides. So this report contradicts this well-
established fact.

Shaykh Al-Dawdi said,

However, I could only find in

Abu Dawud (the report of) Tawus.
As for Al-Hasan, I didnt find it in
it in spite of knowing that the
position of Al-Hasan was to drape
the hands (at the sides). And
there is nothing sound (sahih)
about Tawus.

Conclusion

Based on these findings, it can no longer be said

that there is abundant evidence that the
Prophet  prayed while holding one hand/arm
on the other. And it can also not be said that the
position of Malikis of draping the hands at the
sides during Salat is the weaker of the two.

In spite of the fact that there are all of these

explicit and implicit reports of him praying
while holding his left hand and there being
almost no explicit reports of him praying while
draping his hands at his sides, the living
although undocumented sunnah of the
Medinite scholars among the Tabiun still
remains to be sunnah as defined by Imam Malik
. It should be enough that Said ibn Al-
Musayyib, Said b. Jubayr, Al-Hasan Al-Basari,

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