Did the Sahaabi Ibn Umar do Raf al-Yadain during Salah?

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

There are narrations saying Sayidina Ibn Umar did perform Raf al-Yadain in Salah and others mentioning the opposite. Therefore, scholars will differ upon what they believe his position was. Hanafi scholars suggest that he initially practiced it and then left it when he learned that it has been abrogated.

Explanation

عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي حَسَنُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ طَاوُسًا، وَهُوَ يُسْأَلُ عَنْ رَفْعِ الْيَدَيْنِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ، فَقَالَ: رَأَيْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ، وَعَبْدَ اللَّهِ، وَعَبْدَ اللَّهِ يَرْفَعُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ فِي الصَّلَاةِ. لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ

Ibn Jurayj said, Hassan bin Muslim informed me saying, I heard Tawus being asked about raising the hands in prayer. He said: I saw Abdullah, and Abdullah, and Abdullah raising their hands in prayer. Namely, Abdullah bin Umar, Abdullah bin Abbas, and Abdullah bin al-Zubayr. (Musanaf Abd al-Razzaq, 2525).

The narration above is proof that (Sayidina) Abdullah Ibn Umar did perform Raf al-Yadain during Salah. This is also supported by the fact that he narrated it as a Sunnah of the blessed Prophet ﷺ. However, there are authentic Hadith narrations that assert that the blessed Prophet ﷺ prayed without Raf al-Yadain. It is also worth noting that the narration above does not explicitly say that the raising of the hands was throughout the prayer.

The Prophetic example

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، قَالَ: ” رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا قَامَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يَكُونَا حَذْوَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ، وَكَانَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ حِينَ يُكَبِّرُ لِلرُّكُوعِ، وَيَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ إِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ، وَيَقُولُ: سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ، وَلاَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ فِي السُّجُودِ “

(Sayidina) Abdullah bin Umar (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) said, ‘I saw that whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood for the prayer, he used to raise both his hands up to the shoulders. He ﷺ used to do the same upon uttering the Takbir for bowing and on raising his ﷺ head from it, and he ﷺ used to say, “Allah (Most High) hears the one who praises Him”. But he did not do that (i.e. raise his hands) in prostration.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, 736).

The Hadith above establishes Raf al-Yadain for the beloved Prophet ﷺ. However the following narration negates it. There are also other Hadith that Hanafis cite when opposing Raf al-Yadain. Since, they believe the final position of the blessed Prophet ﷺ was to pray without Raf al-Yadain.

عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: أَلَا أُصَلِّي بِكُمْ صَلَاةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ فَصَلَّى، فَلَمْ يَرْفَعْ يَدَيْهِ إِلَّا فِي أَوَّلِ مَرَّةٍ. وَفِي البَابِ عَنْ البَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ. حَدِيثُ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ، وَبِهِ يَقُولُ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ العِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَالتَّابِعِينَ، وَهُوَ قَوْلُ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ، وَأَهْلِ الكُوفَةِ

Alqamah narrated that (Sayidina) Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) said, ‘Shall I not demonstrate the Prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to you?’ Then he prayed Salah and did not raise his hands except when pronouncing the first Takbir. (Sunan al-Tirmidhi 257, Hasan).

When the Hadith narrations are all given due consideration, the Hanafi position seems very credible. As many Hanafi Imams said that Raf al-Yadain was practiced by the Prophet ﷺ, but later discontinued. That explains why we have Hadith accepting Raf al-Yadain and others rejecting it.

Negating Ibn Umar’s Raf al-Yadain

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، عَنْ حُصَيْنٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، قَالَ: مَا رَأَيْتُ ابْنَ عُمَرَ، يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ إِلَّا فِي أَوَّلِ مَا يَفْتَتِحُ

Abu Bakr bin Ayyash informed us, from Husayn, from Mujahid, who said: I never saw Ibn Umar raise his hands except at the beginning. (Musanaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, 2452).

The narrators in the above chain are all found in Sahih al-Bukhari. Thus, the narration is authentic. It is a significant proof against those who asserted that Sayidina Ibn Umar did perform Raf al-Yadain. Once again, the Hanafi Imams provided a very reasonable explanation.

يجوز أَن يكون ابْن عمر فعل مَا رَوَاهُ طَاوُوس يَفْعَله قبل أَن تقوم الْحجَّة عِنْده بنسخه، ثمَّ قَامَت الْحجَّة عِنْده بنسخه فَتَركه، وَفعل مَا ذكره عَنهُ مُجَاهِد. (عمدة القاري شرح صحيح البخاري)

It is possible that Ibn Umar did what Tawus narrated before evidence was established for him regarding abrogation. Then the proof was established for him, so he abandoned it. And started to practice what Mujahid mentioned about him. (Imam Badr al-Deen al-Ayni 855H, Umdatu al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari).

In the Nass (text) above, Imam al-Ayni reconciles the seemingly contradictory narrations regarding Ibn Umar performing Raf al-Yadain. He explains that this great Sahabi did practice it until he became aware that it is abrogated. Thereafter he desisted.

Conclusion

As seen in the discussion above, there is evidence to claim that Sayidina Ibn Umar did perform Raf al-Yadain during Salah. However, there is also proof to oppose this position. Hanafis felt that this is reconciled by asserting that he done it until he realised it was abrogated.

This is also the Hanafi position regarding the practice of the blessed Prophet ﷺ. They believe the Mubarak Prophet ﷺ did practice Raf al-Yadain but then left it. If one were to accept this interpretation, then it would render the Hanafi position incredibly strong. Since, it would mean that the Sahaabi who narrated Raf al-Yadain from the Prophet ﷺ himself refrained from it.

When a Sahabi narrates something from the beloved Prophet ﷺ, but then does the opposite, it is a proof that he believes the action was abrogated. And that is precisely the Hanafi position. There are many other proofs for the Hanafi position too. See the related answers below for details.

 

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (19.08.24)