Question

Asalamu Alaykum, I had a question about the hadith of ibn Masood on not doing Rafal again. I heard that the hadith of ibn Masood is weak. Is this hadith weak or not? I also had a question about Abdullah ibn Umar’s hadith on not doing Rafal ydan, again, is this hadith sahih? Can you please clarify this for me because I had confused regarding this topic?

Answer

The first point to bear in mind in relation to this discussion is that the matter of raising and not raising the hands before and after the ruku’ is one of preference. There are two opinions on this issue and both are supported by reliable narrations. Those who argue for the hands to be raised consider it permissible to also not raise the hand. Similarly, those that argue the hands should not be raised  also consider it permissible to raise the hands.

As for the narration of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him), Imam Tirmidhi has classified it as sound (hasan). Imam Ibn Hazam has classified it as rigorously authenticated (sahih) and Imam Ahmad Muhammad Shakir, rejecting the criticism of some scholars, writes in his commentary of Sunan al- Tirmidhi:

“This hadith has been authenticated by Ibn Hazm and other hadith masters (huffaz), and whatever has been stated about it containing defects is incorrect.”

It is mentioned in the al-Jawhar al-Naqi that its narrators are those of Sahih Muslim.

The teacher of Imam Bukhari, Imam Humaydi, has reported the narration of Ibn Umar with his own chain, which is one of the most reliable chains.

(Fiqh Al-Imam page 104-105)

For more information on this issue we would advise reading Fiqh Al-Imam, Key Proofs In Hanafi Fiqh by Mufti Abdur-Rahman Mangera.

سنن الترمذي ت بشار (1/ 343)
حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ كُلَيْبٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: أَلاَ أُصَلِّي بِكُمْ صَلاَةَ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ فَصَلَّى، فَلَمْ يَرْفَعْ يَدَيْهِ إِلاَّ فِي أَوَّلِ مَرَّةٍ
وَفِي البَابِ عَنِ البَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ. حَدِيثُ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ. وَبِهِ يَقُولُ غَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ العِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَالتَّابِعِينَ. وَهُوَ قَوْلُ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ، وَأَهْلِ الكُوفَةِ

Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow

Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel