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Proof for placing the hands below the navel in Salah

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by HadithAnswers.com

Is the following narration Sahih with the extra wording ‘under the navel’:

Sayyiduna Wa’il ibn Hujr (radiyallahu’anhu) reports:

“I saw the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) placing his right hand over his left hand in Salah, below the Navel.”

(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah)

How many manuscripts have the additional wording and how many do not? Barakallu feek

Answer

Firstly, it should be understood, that if a particular Hadith, or a version of a Hadith is found even in just one reliable copy of a book, it is sufficient to attribute that Hadith to the book in question. (Tadribur Rawi, vol.1 pg.192)

There are several examples of the Muhaddithun having varied copies of their books, which they would edit throughout their lives.

The Muwatta of Imam Malik (rahimahullah) is a famous example of such a phenomena. There is even a case like this in Sahih Bukhari.

Manuscripts that have these words

With reference to your specific query, these words appear in approximately 5 different manuscripts of Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah.

Three of these are cited by ‘Allamah Muhammad Hashim At-Tathwi As-Sindhi (rahimahullah) in his book; Tarsi’ud Durrah ‘ala Dirhamis Surrah, pg.85, and two are cited by my Respected Teacher, Al-Muhaddith Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah (may Allah protect him) in his annotated edition of Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, (Hadith: 3959)

Whilst it is possible for some of the above to have quoted from the same source, it is still sufficient to prove its existence in the book; Al-Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah.

Al-Muhaddith, Shaykh ‘Abid As-Sindhi (rahimahullah)-who was a great Muhaddith in Madinah Munawwarah- writes: “There is no doubt in this Hadith being proof (for the practice of keeping the hands below the navel in salah)”

Don’t aid the enemy!

To question and accuse our ‘Ulama of the past of altering or adding this Hadith in their manuscripts is an insult on the ummah at large!

It is not proper to create such unnecessary doubt in their reliability, thereby pleasing the enemies of Islam!

(See footnotes of my Respected Teacher, Al-Muhaddith Shaykh Muhammad ‘Awwamah (may Allah protect him) on Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, (Hadith: 3959)

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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