Hadeeth of Jaabir bin Samurah on Rafa Yadain explained

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem,

Raising the hands before Rukoo and After Rukoo is an Undeniable Sunnah of Rasool Allah s.a.w:
https://systemoflife.com/fiqh/salah/265-rafayadain-in-rukoo-and-after-rukoo

 

Some people present 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 Messneger 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]

 

The Following is a collection of 5 answers by Shaykh Zubair Ali Zair from his best book on Raful Yadain in urdu “Noor ul Aynain Fee Mas’ala Rafa Al Yadain”. Brother Raza Hasan translated this answer. May Allah reward him Abundantly for his efforts, ameen.

 

 

First Answer:

 

Just as the explanation of alot of Quranic verses is mentioned in the Quran it self, Similarly the explanation of alot of ahadith are mentioned in the ahadeeth it’s self.

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. Bayhaqi. [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 first takbeer, witr and Eidayn??

If 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.”

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