Answered by Shaykh Abu Usamah
I would like to know what’s the correct way (Sunnah according Ahnaf) of doing ruku in salah and raising one’s hands before reciting qunut in witr salah. The reason I ask this is because I see brothers who when doing ruku have both their elbows and knees bent, as a result; their back forms an arch (i.e. curved space), isn’t straight (i.e. at approximate right angle) and their heads droop downwards not being in line with rest of the body.
Also I see brothers when performing witr in the final rak`ah before reciting qunut (before ruku) they drop their hands to their sides (from below the navel) before raising them again to pronounce takbir for the qunut. I can’t remember where, but I have read that this is incorrect and that one should raise the hands (for takbir) directly from below the navel to the ears (for takbir) and then tie them back (below the navel) to recite qunut.
Al-Salam `alaykum
1. The correct (sunna) posture for ruku is that legs be straight. It is somewhat disliked (makruh tanzihi) to bend them to the extent that they resemble a bow. The back should also be straightened such that the head, back and posterior are level. (Hashiya al-Tahtawi and Maraqi al-Falah p215)
It is mentioned in Talim al-Haq (edited):
Saying “Allahu Akbar” go into ruku
The eyes should be fixed on to the feet (f: this is recommended)
For men:
In ruku grasp both knees, with the fingers apart.
Ensure that the arms do not touch the body (f: this is sunna).
Keep the back straight, with the head neither lowered nor raised.
ln ruku recite its tasbih softly at least 3 or 5 times.
WOMEN
When making ruku a women should only bend over sufficiently so that their hands reach their knees.
The hands should be placed on the knees, with the fingers kept together.
In ruku the elbows should touch the sides of the body and the feet should be kept together.
Subhaana Rabbi al-`Adheem
(Glory be to My Lord, the Tremendous’)
2. For the Witr qunut: The hands should be raised to the ears, before saying Allahu Akbar (as when starting the prayer), without dropping them to the sides. (Maraqi al-Falah p305)
Abu Usamah