Sunan an-Nasa'i The Book of Qiyam Al-Lail (The Night Prayer) and Voluntary Prayers During the Day

Sunan an-Nasa'i 1748

Chapter: Not raising the hands while supplicating during witr

Authentic 3 scholars’ grades Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 1748

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ الْبُنَانِيِّ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم

لاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ إِلاَّ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ ‏.‏

It was narrated that Anas said:

"The Prophet (ﷺ) would not raise his hands in any of his supplications except when praying for rain (Al-Istisqa')." (One of the narrators) Shu'bah said: "I said to Thabit: 'Did you hear it from Anas?' He said: 'Subhan Allah!' I said: 'Did you hear it?' He said: 'Subhan Allah!'

Reported by An-Nasa’i (No. 1748, 1513), Al-Bukhari (No. 1031, 3565), Muslim (No. 895a, 895c, 896), Abu Dawud (No. 1170), Ibn Majah (No. 1180), Ahmad (No. 12402, 12710, 12780, 13229, 13495) and Ad-Darimi (No. 1492).

Classical commentary

Al-Sindi — Hashiyat al-Sindi on Sunan al-Nasa'i

قَوْله ( لَا يَرْفَع يَدَيْهِ فِي شَيْء مِنْ دُعَائِهِ إِلَّا فِي الِاسْتِسْقَاء ) لَا يَخْفَى أَنَّ الْمُرَاد هَاهُنَا أَنَّهُ لَا يُبَالِغ فِي الرَّفْع لَا أَنَّهُ لَا يَرْفَع أَصْلًا فَلَا دَلَالَة فِي الْحَدِيث عَلَى التَّرْجَمَة وَاَللَّه تَعَالَى أَعْلَمُ.…

Scholar	Grade	Applies to	Work
Al-Albanid. 1420 AH	AuthenticSahih	The hadith	No. 1748
Zubair Ali Zaid. 1435 AH	AuthenticSahih Muslim	The hadith	No. 1748
Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddahd. 1417 AH	AuthenticSahih	The hadith	No. 1748

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 1031

The Prophet (ﷺ) never raised his hands for any invocation except for that of Istisqa' and he used to raise them so much that the whiteness of his armpits became visible. (Note: It may be that Anas did not see the Prophet (ﷺ) raising his hands, but it is narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to raise…

لاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ إِلاَّ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ، وَإِنَّهُ يَرْفَعُ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ‏.‏

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 3565

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not use to raise his hands in his invocations except in the Istisqa (i.e. invoking Allah for the rain) in which he used to raise his hands so high that one could see the whiteness of his armpits. (Note: It may be that Anas did not see the prophet (as) raising his hands but…

كَانَ لاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ، إِلاَّ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ، فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ‏.‏ وَقَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى دَعَا النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ…

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 895a

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raising his hands (high enough) in supplication (for rain) that the whiteness of his armpits became visible.

يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي الدُّعَاءِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ ‏.‏

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 895c

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was not accustomed to raice his hands in any supplication he made except when praying for rain. (He would then raise [his hands] high enough) that the whiteness of his armpits became visible. 'Abd al-A'la said that (he was in doubt whether it was) the…

يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ إِلاَّ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ ‏

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 896

This hadith has been narrated by Anas b. Malik through another chain of transmitters.

وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، أَنَّحَدَّثَهُمْ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوَهُ ‏.‏

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Abu Dawud 1170

The Prophet (peace be upon him) was not accustomed to raise his hands in any supplication he made except when praying for rain. He would then raise them high enough so much so that the whiteness of his armpits was visible.

لاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنَ الدُّعَاءِ إِلاَّ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ ‏.‏

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik

See all 16 versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 1513

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not raise his hands during any supplication except when praying for rain, when he used to raise his hands so high that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen."

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Ibn Majah 1180

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Prophet (ﷺ) did not raise his hands in any of his supplications except when praying for rain (Istisqa’), when he raised his hands so high that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen.

لاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ إِلاَّ عِنْدَ الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ ‏.‏

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Musnad Ahmad 12402