( b) Ibn ‘Umar’s statement: ‘Raising your hands in Sal?t like this is by All?h ( - عز وجل -) Bid‘ah. Indeed the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) never exceeded in Sal?t this level, pointing to his chest’. (1)
Besides being weak, this had?th does not concern the problem under discussion. Ibn Hibb?n said: ‘Some of those who have no Knowledge in the science of had?th nor its ranks held that it is a Bid‘ah to raise one’s hands in Sal?t when doing Ruk?‘ and when rising from it. Ibn ‘Umar’s original statement states: ‘Raising your hands in Du‘?’ to the level of your ears is Bid‘ah, the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) never exceeded this level’. Hammad Ibn Zaid - who related this had?th - interpreted the words “this level” to mean “to the level of his ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) chest”. Then he [Hamm?d] continued the rest of the had?th and then added: ‘The ‘Arabs use the word Sal?t to mean Du‘?; the word Sal?t in Hamm?d’s narration refer to Du‘? the thing which proves my view’. Then Ibn Hibban narrated from Al-Hasan Ibn Sufy?n through a complete chain of narrators traced back to Ibn ‘Umar ( - رضي الله عنهم -) to have said: ‘By All?h, the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) never
(1) Narrated by Al-Jawraq?n? in “Al-’Ab?til” (vol. 2 / no. 20) and Ibn Al-Jawz? in “Al-‘Ilal” (vol. 1 / no. 429). They both considered the had?th as a weak one because of Bishr Ibn Harb [one of the narrators] who is a weak narrator. Al-Jawra?n? said: ‘ This is a false had?th narrated only by Bisher Ibn Harb from Ibn ‘Umr’. He then added: ‘ Yahy? Al-Qatt?n does not relate his ah?d?th, so does Ibn Al-Mad?n?, for they are traced back to reliable narrators only by him.Besides, Ibn Al-Ma‘?n considered him a weak narrator’.
This had?th was considered as a weak one- because of Bishr Ibn Harb - by: Ath - Thahab? in “Al-M?z?n” (vol. 1 / p. 315), “Mukht?sar Al-‘Ilal” (p. 635), and in “Ah?d?th Mukht?rah” (no. 73) and by Ibn T?hir in “Tathkiratul Mawd? ‘?t” (p. 3).
Some scholars held it Bid‘ah to raise one’s hands when doing Ruk?‘ and raising from it depending on the prophet’s had?th that states: ‘ why do you raise your hands as if they are the tails of undomesticated horses, keep clam in your Sal?t’. This view was, however, refuted by Im?m Al-Bukh?r? who said: ‘This had?th pertains to Tashahhud not doing Ruk?‘ or raising from it. The Sah?bah ( - رضي الله عنهم -) used to raise their hands when reciting Tashahhud saluting each other. Seeing this, the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) ordered them not to do so. Consequently, this had?th must not be used as an evidence -as some ignorants do- concerning the issue under discussion for raising one’s hands in Ruk?‘ and rising from it something well - known amongst the ‘Ulamah’. (p.110) . See: “Al-Majm?‘” (vol. 3 / p. 403) and “Nylul Awt?r” (vol. 2 / p. 201).