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Wiping the hands on the face after du’a

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by HadithAnswers.com

I heard that it is sunnah to pass the hands over the face after du’a. A salafi scholar says that it is bida’h (an innovation) to do so. What is the proof that it is sunnah to pass the hands over the face after du’a. Please list the Ahadith which support your answer.

Answer

The scholar you quote is mistaken. There are several proofs for this sunnah. Among them are the following:

1. Sayyiduna ‘Umar ibnul-Khattab (radiyallahu’anhu) reports that when Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam) would spread out his hands in supplication (du’a), he would not leave them down until he wiped them on his face.’ (Sunan al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3386)

Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) has stated that there are various other narrations that support this and that this hadith is hasan (soundly authentic) – ( Bulughul-Maram pg.455; Hadith 1554-1555; also see Faddul-wi’a of Allamah Suyuti (rahimahullah)

2. Imam ‘Abdur-Razzaq narrates from Imam Ma’mar who narrates from Imam Zuhri (rahimahumullah) that Rasulullah (sallallahu’alaihi wasallam) would raise his hands up to his chest when making du’a. Thereafter, he would wipe them on his blessed face. Imam Abdur-Razzaq says, ‘I have seen (my teacher) Imam Ma’mar (rahimahullah) doing so and I also do so.’ (Musannaf Abdur-razzaq vol.2 pg.247; Hadith 3234, 3235 )

3. also see narrations of Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas and Sa’ib ibn Yazid (radiyallahu’anhum) in Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1480, 1487.

In the past, there existed an isolated view of this act being an innovation. However, Allamah ‘Abul-Fath Muhammad ibn al-Imam (rahimahullah)  – demise: 745 A.H. – has stated that those ‘Ulama that have refuted this have done so because they were not aware of these ahadith. (Silahul-Mu’min pg.157)

To classify this as an innovation after being made aware of the Ahadith that support it is a foul blunder!

In fact, the narration of Musannaf ‘Abdul-Razaq establishes the fact that this remained the practice (ta’amul) of the ‘Ulama of the ummah as well.

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Answered by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar

This answer was collected from HadithAnswers.com. The answers were either answered or checked by Moulana Haroon Abasoomar (rahimahullah) who was a Shaykhul Hadith in South Africa, or by his son, Moulana Muhammad Abasoomer (hafizahullah), who is a Hadith specialist. 

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