Like Tails of Agitated Horses: The Hanafi Dilemma

[Evsu]

One of the primary evidences used by Hanafis against the practice of raf'ul yadayn before and after ruku' is the hadith in Sahih Muslim related by Tamim bin Tarafa from the companion Jabir bin Samura:

The Messenger of Allah came out to us while we were raising hands in prayer, upon which he said, "What is the matter with them, raising their hands in prayer as if they are tails of agitated horses? Be tranquil in prayer." (Sahih Muslim)

Their opponents clarify that this was actually when they were raising hands while saying the final salams in prayer, because there is another hadith related by 'Ubaydillah bin al-Qibtiyya from the same companion Jabir bin Samura:

While we prayed with the Messenger of Allah we said, "Assalmu alaykum wa rahmatullah" "Assalmu alaykum wa rahmatullah" [and he motioned with his hand to the sides], thereupon the Messenger of Allah said, "Why are you motioning with your hands as if they are tails of agitated horses? It is enough for one of you to place his hand on his thigh, and then say salam to his brother on his right and left." (Sahih Muslim)

The Hanafis, however, insist that the two hadiths are different, and that the Prophet said this on two different occasions. In any case, they continue to use this hadith as evidence against raf'ul yadayn before and after ruku'.


THE PROBLEM

There are two main problems with the Hanafis using the hadith of Jabir bin Samura for negating raful yadayn before and after ruku':

(1) The Hanafis maintain that it is recommended to raise hands at every takbir in the Eid prayer! Doesn't this action resemble "tails of agitated horses"?! Shouldn't this be also prohibited since raising hands in prayer is prohibited in the hadith?

(2) And this is a big one: The majority of Hanafis admit that the raful yadayn before and after ruku' was once a sunna but was later abrogated (i.e. it became mansukh). That would mean that the Prophet likened an action that was once a sunna to "tails of agitated horses"!!! Is it permissible to use such words for a sunna even if it was later abrogated? And why would the Prophet use such harsh words for people raising hands only because they thought it was still a sunna and didn't know it was abrogated?


THE SOLUTION

There are two escapes for the Hanafis from this dilemma. One is easier than the other:

(1) The easier one: Stop using this hadith as evidence against raf'ul yadayn before and after ruku'. This will solve the problem but they'll lose one of their main evidences against raf'ul yadayn before and after ruku'.

(2) The hard one: If must use this hadith, then stop raising hands at every takbir in the Eid prayer, and deny that raf'ul yadayn before and after ruku' was ever a sunna (i.e. the Prophet never practiced raf'ul yadayn before and after ruku'). And this is impossible since it has been established by sahih, mutawatir hadiths that he did that. And what about the many companions and many, many early scholars who also did it?

The choice is theirs to make, and Allah knows best.

[Khali]

Imaam an-Nawawi has stated in his book (al-Majmu): “To infer from this Hadith of Jabir bin Samurah (radhiAllahu anhu) that raising the hands in Salaah is not necessary while bending for Ruku and after rising from Ruku is a strange argument and a sign of vile ignorance of the Sunnah, because this hadith does not pertain to raising the hands in Salah while going to Ruku and raising from it. It is related to the prohibition of making signs with both the hands at the time of Taslim in Tashahud. The People of Hadith (Muhadithin) and those like them have no difference of opinion on this issue.”

Hafiz ibn Mulqin in Badr Al-Munir also said this was from most horrible forms of ignorance about the Sunnah of our leader the Messenger (saw) (Aqbahu Jahalat), because this did not come for raising hands before and after Ruku', this was only fir raising hands in the state of the Salam of the prayer.

At-Tahawi also mentionned these Ahadith in the chapter he named "Bab As-Salam fi Salah kayfa huwa"

Also Abu Dawud, An-Nasai, Ash-Shafi'i, Al-Bayhaqi put these Ahadith in chapters of Salam.

In the salaah of Shaykh Albani (rahimullah) he says in footnote 281:

The Ibaadiyyah have distorted this hadeeth: their scholar Rabee` has related it in his unreliable Musnad with a different wording to justify their view that raising the hands with takbeer invalidates the Prayer! That wording is false, as I have explained in ad-Da`eefah (6044).

The hadeeth is mentioned in the Hanafi fiqh book al-Badai with the wording ''...we were raising hands in prayer BEFORE AND AFTER RUKU...'' which is ofcourse a addition which is not present in the books of ahadith.

[Khali]

I came upon this on facebook:

Mas'la Rafa' al-Yadain 'Ind ar-Ruku' wa ba'dahu (Refutation Series): Part 4 - Hadith of Jaabir bin Samurah

Hadith of Jaabir bin Samurah on Rafa Yadain

Some people have presented the hadith of Jaabir bin Samurah against rafa yadain:

خرج علینا رسول اللہ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ‏، فَقَالَ : " مَا لِي أَرَاكُمْ رَافِعِي أَيْدِيَكُمْ كَأَنَّهَا أَذْنَابُ خَيْلٍ شُمُسٍ ؟ اسْكُنُوا ‏فِي الصَّلاةِ "‏

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came towards us and said: “How is it that I see you lifting your hands like the tails of headstrong horses? “Be calm in the prayer”. [Sahih Muslim, Vol 1, Pg 181, H. 430]



First Answer:

Just like Quran explains itself, A Hadith explains another Hadith.

Jabir bin Samurah said:

“When we said prayer with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) we said the taslim and gestured with our hands on both sides. Upon this the Messenger (SAW) said, ‘why do I see you moving your hands as if they were tails of headstrong horses. When one of you says the taslim then he should only turn his face towards his companion and not gesture with his hands.” (Sahih Muslim, Vol1, Pg 181)

It is said in another narration of Jaabir bin Samurah that:

“When we said prayer with the Messenger of Allah (SAW) we said the taslim and gestured with our hands on both sides. Upon this the Messenger (SAW) said, ‘why do I see you moving your hands as if they were tails of headstrong horses. It is enough for you that one should place ones hand on ones thigh and then pronounce taslim to the brother on ones right and left’”. [Sahih Muslim H. 430]


The phrase, “أَذْنَابُ خَيْلٍ شُمُسٍ” (Tails of headstrong horses), is present in all three narrations, which is a clear evidence that all these three ahadith are talking about only one incidence, therefore; taking evidence from it, is absolutely rejected.


Second Answer:


There is a consesus of all the Muhadditheen that this hadith is related to Tashahhud. It is not in the prohibition of the rafa yadain of before and after ruku’. No one amongst the Khair ul-Quroon has ever taken evidence from this Hadith against the rafa yadain.

For example: The following Muhadditheen have brought this hadith under the chapter of Salaam (at the end of prayer).

1.Imam Nawawi. [Sahih Muslim with the Sharh of Imam Nawawi Vol 4, Pg 152]
2.Imam Abu Dawud. [Sunan Abu Dawud: 998, 999]
3.Imam al-Nasai. [H. 1185]
4.Imam Tahawi. [Sharh Ma’ani al-Athaar, Vol1, Pg 268, 269]
5.Baihaqi. [Al-Sunan al-Kubra Vol2, pg 181]

No Muhaddith ever brought this hadith under the chapter of prohibition of doing rafa yadain before and after ruku’. From the Ijmaa of Scholars, we came to know that this hadith is related to Tashahhud, and it has nothing to do with the rafa yadain of before and after ruku’.

Hafidh Ibn Hajr said: “It is not right to take evidence from this Hadith (of Jaabir bin Samurah), because the first hadith is a shortened version of the second Hadtih. [Al-Talkhis al-Khabir, Vol1, Pg 221]

Imam Al-Bukhari said, “the one who depends upon the hadith of Jabir bin Samurah for forbidding the raising of hands at ruku‘, then there is not for him a portion of knowledge, for this is well-known, having no difference of opinion over it that it was in the state of tashahhud.” [At-Talkhis al-Khabir Vol1, Pg 221, Juz Rafa Yadain: 37]

Similar thing is also said by Imam Ibn Hibban that: “mentioning the [full] narration is necessary to explain the previously mentioned summarised narration because the people were commanded with tranquillity in prayer at the point of indicating at the taslim, not the raising which is established at ruku‘.”Then he narrates the like of what Muslim narrates. [Sahih Ibn Hibban 178/3, H. 1877]

Imam Nawawi said: “The one, who takes evidence from this Hadith for not doing rafa yadain before and after ruku, has done an act of major ignorance. Doing rafa yadain before and after ruku’ is Sahih and proven which can not be refuted….. [Al-Majmoo’ Sharh al-Madhab Vol 3, Pg 403]

Hafidh Ibn al-Mulqan said: “Taking evidence from this Hadith is a very serious and bad Jahalat, which has been added to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), because this hadith is not narrated regarding the rafa yadain of before and after ruku, Instead they (the sahaba) used to point with their hands in Salam…. There is no difference of opinion among the Ahl-e-Hadith (Scholars) regarding it. The one who has a very little relation with hadith, even he accepts this. [Al-Badar al-Muneer Vol3, Pg 485]


Third Answer:


If this hadith is on the prohibition of doing rafa yadain, then why do the opposers of rafa yadain do rafa yadain in the following places?

First Takbeer
Witr
Eidain

If the rafa yadain of ruku is prohibited with this hadith, then the above mentioned rafa yadain should also be prohibited.

There answer is also our answer. If the excpetions of these above rafa yadain are proven from other ahadith, then the exception of rafa yadain before and after ruku’ is also proven from other ahadith.


Fourth Answer:


The hadith presented by the opposers doesn’t mention about the rafa yadain of ruku, while the ahadith presented by the supporters, do mention about the rafa yadain of ruku’. Therefore; Mufassar will take precedence over the Mubham.

Hafidh Ibn Hajr wirtes: And Mufassar is superior over the the Mubham. [Fathul Bari 283/10].


Fifth Answer:


If the rafa yadain of this hadith is taken to be the rafa yadain of before and after ruku’, then that means doing rafa yadain is a very scurrilous act; and since the rafa yadain is proven from the prophet (peace be upon him) throug mutawaatir narrations, then it would mean that Prophet (peace be upon him) acted upon a scurrilous action, which can not be expected from the prophet, so we came to know that this is not the rafa yadain of before and after ruku. Otherwise, we would have to consider the act of prophet to be scurrilous, about which we can’t even think.

Note: Some people have tried to answer the first answer that this hadith is consisted of multiple incidences, this claim of theirs is wrong.

Hafidh Abdul Manan Nurpuri wrote in his letter to Abdul-Rasheed Kashmiri that:

“In the narration of Jabir bin Samurah, there is not even a hint on the prohibition of the rafa yadain of ruku, even when the incidences are considered to be multiple, because in one narration, the rafa yadain of Salam not being mentioned in it, does not necessitate that it means the rafa yadain of ruku. Therefore; making it an evidence of the prohibition of rafa yadain in ruku is nothing but ignorance.”

The other parts can be read on the following links:

Part 1: http://www.facebook.com/notes/ask-is...13187655373267

Part 2: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?not...13201128705253

Part 3: http://www.facebook.com/notes/ask-is...13208612037838

Part 4: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?not...02351&comments

Part 5: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?not...26304684134372

Part 6: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?not...26883410743166

Part 7: http://www.facebook.com/notes/ask-is...13238295368203

Part 8: http://www.facebook.com/notes/ask-is...13243412034358

Part 9: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?not...13244062034293

Part 10: http://www.facebook.com/notes/ask-is...13500678675298

Part 11: http://www.facebook.com/notes/ask-is...13751245316908

Part 12: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?not...30968023668038

Part 13: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?not...33402483424592

Part 14: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?not...33405556757618

Part 15: http://www.facebook.com/notes/ask-is...14323518593014

Part 16: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?not...14514885240544

Part 17: http://www.facebook.com/notes/ask-is...14517485240284