JiiiMu / Hadith / How to pray

Raising the hands

The Prophet ﷺ raised his hands at the start, before bowing and on rising.

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to raise his hands level with his shoulders when he began the prayer, when he said the takbir for bowing, and when he raised his head from bowing.

Sahih al-Bukhari 735, Sahih Muslim 390

What this hadith teaches

Raising the hands with the takbir is a sunnah of the prayer, made with humility, palms facing the qiblah.

Reference and grade

Grade
Sahih: agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim
Narrator
Abdullah ibn Umar

The hadith in Arabic نص الحديث

يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَذْوَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ إِذَا افْتَتَحَ الصَّلاَةَ، وَإِذَا كَبَّرَ لِلرُّكُوعِ، وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ رَفَعَهُمَا كَذَلِكَ أَيْضًا وَقَالَ ‏"‏ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ، رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ ‏"‏‏.‏ وَكَانَ لاَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ فِي السُّجُودِ

Arabic text of Sahih al-Bukhari 735, as given on sunnah.com.