Ibn Al-’Arab? Al-M?lik? said: ‘I once invited Shaikh Ab? Bakr Al-Fihr? in Muharras Ibn Ash-Shawwa’ at Ath-Thagr. Ab? Bakr was of those eminent Shaikhs who earnestly followed the prophet’s example in raising his hands in Sal?t. He arrived at the Thagr where I teach. The Shaikh entered the mosque and stood in the first row. And I was standing at its end near a window looking over the sea to enjoy the breeze. In the same row, there were the chief of the sea crew Ab? Thamnah, his deputy and some members of the crew waiting for the Im?m to lead them in the Sal?t. During his [N?filah] Sal?t, the Sahikh raised his hands when doing Ruk?‘ and when raising from it. Ab? Thamnah addressed his companions: ‘Do you see what has this eastern done?! Go and Kill him and throw his body in the sea and let no one see you’. Hearing this, I felt that my heart jumped into my throat and said to them: ‘Subh?na All?h, this is the great Faq?h of our time, At-Turt?sh?’.

They asked: ‘Why does he raise his hands then?’

I said: ‘This is the prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) Sunnah and Im?m M?lik’s Mathhab as is narrated by the scholars of Mad?nah(*)’. Then I tried to keep them calm and quiet till the Shaikh finished his Sal?t. We, then, returned back to the residence at the Muharris. The Shaikh noticed my anger and inquired about the reason. I told him the whole thing. He, then, laughed and said: ‘Indeed, I wish to be killed following the Sunnha’.

I said: ‘You should not do this; you are in a town where if you follow this Sunnah you will be killed’. He then said: ‘leave aside this idle talk and lets discuss something more useful’. (1)

The Sunnah is to raise hands in Sal?t without clinching fingers. The prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) used to raise them to the level of his shoulders or to the level of his ear lobes simultaneously with reciting Takb?r,