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What is the proof of Rafa Yadain?

Answered as per Shafi'i Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Shaykh Hamza Karamali, SunniPath Academy Teacher

One Hanafi told me that the practice of Rafa Yadain was abrogated, and he also gave me some proofs of that. I became very confused after that, so now I want to know that what is the proof that rafa yadain was not abrogated and was the practice of Prophet Muhammed (P.B.U.H)? Kindly please answer with proofs.

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

Summary of the Proofs

Imam Muslim narrates through several chains of transmission that the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to raise his hands at the opening Allahu Akbar, when bowing, and when he stood up after bowing. Imam Bukhari narrates a hadith that the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to raise his hands when standing up from the first testification of faith. In his commentary on Sahih Muslim, Imam Nawawi adduces all these hadiths as proofs for the Shafi`i positions on raising the hands during prayer. He then mentions that there is scholarly consensus that it is recommended to raise one’s hands at the opening Allahu Akbar but that the raising of hands on other occasions during the prayer has been differed upon, most notably by Imam Abu Hanifa, and Imam Malik (according to one of the reports of his position on the issue) (al-Minhaj  Sharh Sahih Muslim b. Hajjaj 2.315).

The Impermissibility of Condemning Others

Scholars mention that one of the conditions for commanding the right and forbidding the wrong is that the issue not be differed upon by scholars whose opinions count. One of the unfortunate blameworthy innovations in our times is the tendency to quickly assume by examining a couple of hadiths or Qur’anic verses that everyone in Islamic history–whoever they may be–who goes against one’s own conclusions on the issue at hand was mistaken and all Muslims who follow their interpretations of the Qur’an and hadith corpus are misguided and must be corrected. Such attitudes are responsible for many of the arguments and ensuing divisions that we see in our mosques and Islamic centers.

The proper way to read such hadiths is to take them as proof for the position that one follows to put one’s own heart at rest. One may, at the same time, believe that the position is probably correct and that others are probably mistaken. However, the possibility exists that we are mistaken on the position and we acknowledge that there is room for disagreement, for otherwise, great scholars such as Imam Abu Hanifa and (according to one of the narrations from him) Imam Malik would not have arrived at different conclusions. We therefore respect the followers of their schools and acknowledge their right to follow a position that runs contrary to our own just as we expect the same respect and acknowledgment from them toward the position that we follow.

And Allah knows best.

Hamza.
 

This answer was indexed from Qibla.com, which used to have a repository of Islamic Q&A answered by various scholars. The website is no longer in existence. It has now been transformed into a learning portal with paid Islamic course offering under the brand of Kiflayn.

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