[meridiasas]

There's only 3 points raised that are actual tampering with text:



And with regards to the third one, than this can very well be the intended meaning (holding hands at the sides). The majority doesn't allow that except in the case of an injury or the like and the Salafis say that Imam Malik (rah) didn't use to allow it either except in those cases.

As Salamu Alaykum


That is why those types of salafis cannot be relied upon for knowledge. If one actually looked at the most reliable works of the Maliki madhhab and their proof text works they are very clear on their proofs and reasoning as to why the most relied upon position is sadl al yadayn.


Let us look at what the classical ulama actually say:


The Main Text
Irsal al-Yadayn - The Laying of the Hands


In sha Allah, I will be listing the reasoning that our Maliki scholars have given to support their opinion, that is, laying the arms straight in prayer (sadl).

Proof from Ahadith Regarding Hand Placement
1. Sadl (laying the hands straight in the prayer) is not an action, but rather, it is the natural position of the hands while standing. This is the asl (root, origin, source)

2. The scholars have differed on the matter of qabd (grasping: holding the left hand with the right). Ibn Rushd states in Bidayat al-Mujtahid (1:137)

The reason behind their differing is that there are some ahadith narrating the way the Prophet prayed which did not mention him placing his right hand over his left, and on the other hand, it was reported that the people were ordered to do that.

As for the ahadith that Ibn Rushd is referring to, one of the most commonly cited is the hadith of Abu Humaid al-Sa’idi, which is as follows:

Muhammad ibn ‘Amir ibn ‘Atta stated: "I heard Abu Humaid al-Sa’idi talking amongst ten of the Sahabah of the Messenger of Allah. Abu Qattada who was among them spoke up and said, "I am the most knowledgeable of you about the prayer of the Messenger of Allah." They replied, "How can that be when you were not following him for a longer period, nor were you a companion of his before us?" To this Abu Qattada replied, "Yes." "Well then prove it," the others challenged. He (Abu Qattada) said, "When the Messenger of Allah stood for prayer, he raised his arms until they were level with his ears, said the takbeer and didn’t being reciting until all of his limbs had rested in their natural position. After finishing his recital, he raised his hands until they were level with his ears, said the takbeer and from there, performed the ruku’. He placed his palms on his knees and posed his back straight, neither raising his head nor lowering it . . .

This version of the hadith is narrated by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad, al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud in their Sunan, while Imam al-Bukhari narrates a shorter version of it in his Sahih. When Abu Humaid finished his description of the prayer, they all stated, "You are truthful, this is the way he used to pray."

The statement of Abu Qattada that, "[A]nd didn’t being reciting until all of his limbs had rested in their natural position" is proof that the Prophet did not always place his right hand over his left, for this is not the natural position at which the limbs rest, rather, this is what is known as sadl. If the Prophet placed his right hand over his left in the prayer all the time, then (at least) one of the Sahabah would have objected to Abu Humaid’s failure to report that in his narration.

Furtherstill, and most importantly perhaps, amongst those Sahabah was Sahl ibn Sa’d, the narrator of the hadith: "The people were ordered (literally "used to be ordered") that a man place his right hand over his left arm in the prayer," as stated by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Bari (2:334).

3. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr narrated in his book, al-Tamheed that:

Mujahid said, "If the right hand is to be placed over the left, then it should be on the palm or the wrist on the chest." The narrator added from Mujahid, "and he hated that."

It is understood from this that placing the right hand over the left was not what Mujahid was accustomed to, proof that he did not witness the Sahabah doing it.

4. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr also narrates in the same book (20:76):

‘Abd Allah ibn al-Izar said, "I used to make tawaf around the Kaba with Said ibn al-Jubayr. Once, he saw a man placing one hand over the other, so he went to him, separated his hands, and then returned to me.

From this, we notice that placing one hand over another in prayer was considered by him to be a munkar, because he changed it with his hand, which is only acceptable in relation to the munkarat. Furthermore, it is apparent from this athar that at the Masjid al-Haram, there were few people seen putting their hands over each other in the prayer, indicating that the custom was otherwise. And this was during the time of the Sahabah and Tabi’een.

5. Also narrated in al-Tamheed:

‘Abd Allah ibn Yazid said, "I never saw Said ibn al-Musayyib holding his left hand with his right hand in the prayer, he used to lay them straight.

Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib was one of the biggest Tabi’een in Madina, and this was thus the practice of the people of Madina that Imam Malik witnessed.

6. Ibn Abu Shaybah narrated that al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibrahim al-Nakh’ai, Ibn al-Musayyib, Ibn Sirin, and Sa’id ibn Jubayr all laid their arms straight in the prayer.

Imam Malik’s View Concerning Sadl and Qabd

1. The dislike of qabd in the fard and its permissibility in the nafl if one is standing for a long time in order to make it easier on him. (i.e. a rukhsa)

This is the opinion narrated by Ibn al-Qasim in al-Mudawanna (1:74) and in al-Tamheed (20:75) al-Layth as-Sa’d is reported to have said:

The laying of the hands if prayer is preferred, unless he is standing for an extended period and becomes tired, then there is no problem (la ba’as) in putting the right hand over the left.

Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih (1:401) in the chapter entitled, "Using the Hands in Prayer for Help, if it is Part of the Prayer" that Ibn Abbas said:

A person can use any part of his body for support. Abu Ishaq placed his head cover (over his arms) in prayer and raised it (as a sling), and ‘Ali placed his palm over his left wrist, unless scratching his skin or straightening his clothes.

Thus, putting the hands over each other in prayer is permissible when used as a means for support in cases of standing in prayer for a prolonged period of time, as is narrated of ‘Ali and as Ibn Hazm explicted stated in his al-Muhalla (4:113),

[A]nd we have narrated of ‘Ali that when he stood in prayer for a long time, he used to hold his left arm with his right hand at the origin of the palm, unless straightening his clothing or scratching his skin.

Standing for extending periods of time is a characteristic of the nafl rather than the fard prayer, as the Prophet ordered the imam to be light in the fard.

Imam al-Shawkani mentioned in Nayl al-Awtar (2:201),

[A]nd the narration of irsal (laying the arms straight in prayer) is the narration of the majority of his students, and it is the famous among them (referring to Malik and the Maliki scholars).

Imam al-Shawkani also stated:

Ibn al-Munthir narrated that Ibn al-Zubayr, al-Hasan al-Basri and al-Nakh’ai all used to lay their arms straight in the prayer, and not put the right hand over the left.

‘Abd al-Razzaq in his Musanaf ‘Abd al-Razzaq states: "I saw Ibn Jurayr praying while laying his arms straight, and al-Awza’i said that whoever wished to do the same (then let him do so) and whoever wanted to leave it (then let him leave it), and it is also the saying of ‘Atta."

2. The permissibility of qabd in both the fard and nafl.

This is the saying of Ashhab and Ibn Nafi. It is also the statement of Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr.

3. The performance of qabd in the fard and nafl.

This is narrated of the two brothers: Mutrif and Ibn al-Majishun from Malik, as stated by Ibn Rushd in al-Tahsil (1:395).

4. The prohibition of qabd.

And this is the narration of the ‘Iraqi scholars from Malik, as mentioned in by al-Bagi in al-Mutawa (1:281).

And Allah knows best.




Appendix I
Opinions from the Scholars of the Maliki School
Shaykh Ahmad ad-Dardiri:

The Maliki scholar Shaykh Ahmad ad-Dardir said in his Arqab al-Maasilik li Madh’hab al-Imam Malik that:

It is allowable to grasp the hands during the nafl prayer and it is reprehensible to grasp the hands during the fard.

Shaykh Ahmad az-Zarruq:
And to end this, we would like to quote from one of the greatest Maliki ‘ulama, Shaykh Ahmad az-Zarruq, in his commentary on the Risala of Ibn Abu Zayd:

The person praying is not to place his right hand over his left in the fard, although it is allowable in the nawafil due to the length that one stands in prayer in order to support oneself in standing. Shaykh at-Turtushi said, "It is forbidden to grasp the hands during the fard because it becomes like something he supports himself upon during the prayer" . . . The People of Learning in Madina disagreed regarding the grasping of the hands for support as to whether it was part of the outward aspects of the prayer or not.

Shaykh ‘Usman dan Fodio:
It is mentioned in the Bayan (by Shaykh ‘Uthman ibn Fudio),

Grasping the hands for support during the prayer is summed up in three opinions:

some say it is allowed absolutely
it is reprehensible except when standing long in the nawafil
it is highly recommended and its matter is to grasp the left wrist with the right hand and place them under the chest.
And Allah knows best.


Also noting Imam ibn Rushd, he never related any position of any of the four schools or mujtahid Imams that one can only do sadl when one has an injury or the like. I want to know what classical work of fiqh from any of the four schools that says that. The only people I hear and read say that are certain groups of Salafis.

That is why their tampered works, websites, and what not cannot be trusted especially when it knowingly deceived everyday Muslims into thinking that the only reason why Malikis pray like that is because Imam Malik got injured. To claim that Imam Malik based a ruling on his own injuries is an insult not only to Imam Malik but the entire Maliki school as well as classical Islamic heritage.

I dont know for the life of me why people insist on perpetuating straight up lies and propaganda. Its sickening to the stomach that people would do that to the deen. I guess those sorts would stop at nothing even stooping that low to win an argument or push their version of Islam.

I dont trust any of those salafi publishers, especially dar us salam. Until they become a lot more honest in publishing classical works, they won't get a cent from me. Alhamdulillah i'm glad that traditional oriented publishers are coming out with a lot better unaltered material.