Aslam

Praise be to Allah.The Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to

raise his hands for takbeerat al-ihram (the takbeer at the beginning of the

prayer), sometimes whilst saying the takbeer, sometimes after it and sometimes before. (al-Bukhaari

and al-Nisaa’i)

When he had finished reciting Qur’aan, he would

pause for a moment then raise his hands, say takbeer and do rukoo’. (Sifat

Salaat al-Nabi

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), p. 128).

He used to raise his hands when he stood up from

rukoo’ (reported by al-Bukhaari and Muslim), and this raising

of the hands is mutawaatir (reported by so many to so many that it is

inconceivable that they could all have agreed on a lie). It is the opinion

of the majority of scholars and of some of the Hanafis. (Sifat Salaat al-Nabi

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) by al-Albaani, p. 136).

The Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon

him) used to say takbeer when he got up for the third rak’ah (reported by

al-Bukhaari and Muslim), and he would raise his hands sometimes when he

said this takbeer. (al-Bukhaari and Abu Dawood). (Sifat Salaat al-Nabi

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), p. 177).

Raising the hands in prayer was a well-known practice

among the companions of the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Imaam al-Bukhaari said: “Al-Hasan and Humayd ibn Hilaal said: ‘The Companions of

the Messenger of Allaah

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) all used to raise

their hands, without exception.” (Juz’ raf’ al-yadayn, p. 26,

ma’a jila’ al-‘aynayn).

Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Look at the practice at the

time of the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and the Sahaabah

after him. They used to raise their hands in prayer when doing rukoo’, and when

standing up again. And in the time of the Sahaabah, if ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar saw

someone not raising his hands in prayer, he would throw a stone at him. [next phrase is

unclear]. (I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een, 2/376).

So what is proven in the Sunnah with regard to raising

the hands in prayer is that they should be raised at four points in the prayer: when

pronouncing takbeerat al-ihraam, when doing rukoo’, when standing up from

rukoo’, and after standing up from the first tashahhud. And Allaah knows best.