There are two opinions amongst the Hanaabilah as to where to place the hands in the salaah, namely, above the navel or below it. Some have opted for the hands being placed above the navel, whilst others stating that the hands should be placed below the navel. Some scholars from amongst both groups state that one has the choice between the two opinions.
The following is a list of some Hanbalee scholars who were of the opinion that the hands could be placed below the navel:
- Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal (d. 241):
Aboo Taalib said: “I asked Ahmad bin Hanbal, “Where should one place his hands when praying?” He replied, “Upon the navel or below it.” (Bada’i’ al-Fawaa’id)
- al-Khiraqeee ( d. 334):
- “The hands are raised up to the lobes of the ears or parallel to the shoulders, then the right hand is placed upon the left, and both of them placed below the navel.” (Mukhtasar al-Khiraqee)
- Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee (d. 620):
- “And he raises his hands at the time when saying the takbeer to the level of the chest or the level of the ears, and he places them both below his navel.“ (al-’Umdah al-Fiqh)
- “Then one places his right hand upon the wrist of the left and places them below the navel and looks to the place of his prostration.” (al-Muqnee)
- “He then places them below his navel due to the narration of ‘Alee bin Abee Taalib stating that, ‘It is from the sunnah that one places the right hand upon the left hand below the navel in salaah.’” (al-Kaafee)
- “It is reported from Ahmad that they should be placed below the navel.This is also reported from ‘Alee, Aboo Hurayrah, Aboo Mijlaz, an-Nakh‘ee, ath-Thawree and Is’haaq. This is due to what is reported from ‘Alee that he said, ‘ It is from the sunnah that one places the right hand upon the left hand below the navel in salaah.’ This is understood to mean the sunnah of the Prophet (salla’Allaahu alayhi wa sallam) and because it is the opinion of those companions that we have already mentioned.” (al-Mughnee)
- ‘Alaa ad-Deen al-Mardaawee (d. 885):
“He should place his hands below his navel. This is the madhab, and the view of the clear majority of hanbalee ‘ulamaa.” (al-Insaaf)
- Sharaf ad-Deen al-Hajjawee (d. 968):
- “Then he places his right hand over his left hand below his navel.” (Zaad al-Mustaqni’)
- Mar’ee bin Yoosuf al-Karmee (d.1033):
- “And he places his right hand upon his left below his navel and looks to the place of prostration.” (Daleel at-Taalib)
- Mansoor al-Buhootee (d. 1071):
- “It is mustahabb due to the statement of ‘Alee (radiya’Allaahu ‘anhu): “It is from the sunnah to place the right upon the left below the navel.’” (Rawdh al-Murbi’)
- Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahaab (d. 1206):
- “And he places them both below his navel.”
(Aadaab al-Mashi ilaa as-Salaah)
- “Then he would place his right hand on the back of his left, between the wrist and forearm, and it has not been authentically reported where he used to place them, but Aboo Daawood reported from ‘Alee (radhiya’Allaahu ‘anhu) that he said: ‘It is from the sunnah that one places the right hand upon the left hand below the navel in salaah.’” (Mukhtasar Zaad al-Ma’aad)
- Ibraaheem bin Muhammad bin Dhawiyaan (d. 1353):
He cites the following hadeeth after mentioning Mar’ee bin Yoosuf’s position of placing the hands below the navel: - “It is from the sunnah that one places the right hand upon the left hand below the navel in salaah.” (Manaar as-Sabeel)
- Saalih al-Fawzaan (haafithahu’Allaah):
- “…they may also put their hands on the upper part of the chest, under the neck, instead of putting them on the chest or below the navel as stated in the sunnah.” (Mulakhas al-Fiqhi)
Assalaamu aleykum wa rahmatullah. JazakAllah khair for this, it’s very much appreciated. I have a quick question that inshaAllah you can answer for me. In the translation that I have of Zad al-Mustaqni it says:
“He then grasps his left wrist (b: with his right, placing them) below his navel. He looks to the place where he will prostrate. He then says: “Subhanaka allahumma wa bi hamdika wa tabarak ismaka wa ta`ala jaddik wa la ilaha ghayruka.”
It has been reported in sahih hadith that the middle of the right palm maybe laid on the left wrist, however, “clasping” has also been authenticated as sahih, as reported in the text, and also in this:
Al-Nasaa’i (88) narrated that Waa’il ibn Hujr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he was standing in prayer; he clasped his right hand over his left.
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa’i.
If one does choose to “clasp,” then what is the proper method for doing so? Below the navel I honestly feel more comfortable “clasping” than just placing the right hand on top of the left hand, wrist, and forearm. Could you please take a look at these photos and tell me which is correct? I believe that I’ve seen the one on the far right done as well.
http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/3457/picture9to2.png
Additionally, in the translation, directly after discussion of the hands it talks about the status of the tasmiya:
(c3.3) (The basmala and reciting from the Qur’an)
(b: It is recommended then that) He says “ ‘A`uthu billahi min al-shaytani al-rajim,” then (b: it is recommended that he says): “Bismillahi al-rahmani al-rahim” silently, and the basmala is not a part of Al-Fatiha (b: and it is disable to say for every important action).
This says that it is just recommended to say, however in Bidayat al-Mujtahid it says that Imam Ahmad believed it to be an ayat of the Qur’an, however, obviously to be recited silently in both loud and silent prayers. Could you please inform me of his and the madhab’s official position on the matter?
JazakAllah khair, I really appreciate it. Assalaamu aleykum wa rahmatullah.
wa ‘alaykum as-salaam wa rahmatullaah,
Regarding the positioning of the hands, I have been taught that the following two methods are acceptable:
1) To clasp the right hand on the wrist of the left hand (as illustrated in the middle image that you have posted).
2) To place the right hand over the left, so that:
i) The wrist of the right hand is placed on the back of the left hand.
ii) The palm of the right hand is placed on the wrist of the left hand.
iii) The fingers of the right hand are placed on the upper left forearm.
(Illustrated in the first image that you have posted).
This conforms pretty much with what Shaykh Ibn al-’Uthaymeen stated in his sharh on Zaad, entitled Sharh al-Mumti’.
My teacher informed me that some of the Arabs of Misr and Bilaad ash-Shaam make a mistake in clasping their right hand onto their left elbow. Their misunderstanding comes through misinterpretating the term koo’ which in their own colloquial language means elbow (elbow is known as mirfaq in classical Arabic), whereas koo’ in classic Arabic refers to the joint on the wrist which is parallel to the little finger. Koo’ is the term that is stated in the text of Zaad, the place on which the right hand should clasp onto.
As for the basmalah, the two opinions that you mentioned do not conflict with one another for the Hanaabilah regard the basmalah to be an independent ayah of the Qur’aan, and not being part of Soorah al-Faatihah. It is to be recited silently before al-Faatihah, and is from the sunnan of the salaah.
Here are the words of Mansoor al-Buhootee regarding the basmalah, taken from his sharh on Zaad, Rawdh al-Murbi’:
“…it is a Qur’aanic ayah revealed independently between the chapters, except for Soorah Baraa’ah and it is makrooh to begin with it (in that soorah). The istiftaah, the ta’awadh and the basmalah are to be recited silently, and one has a choice to make the basmalah audible in other than the prayer. The basmalah is not part of al-Faatihah, and it is recommended to be said with every important action.”
wa’Allaahu A’alam
JazakAllah khair!