the obligatory prayer, he raises his hands—so much so that you wonder whether he has supplicated at all—then wipes his face and rubs his hands together, and then performs the prayer. They persist in this practice, thinking that it is obligatory, or nearly so. There is no doubt that it has no basis. Therefore, students of knowledge should draw people’s attention to this, but with gentleness, for when ordinary people are criticized for something to which they are accustomed, they become averse. But when they are approached with wisdom and kindness, they accept. How many people ask about the ruling on raising the hands after a voluntary prayer! They imagine that the ruling hinges on raising the hands, whereas it does not hinge on that. Rather, it hinges on the supplication itself: whether you raise your hands or not, if you wish to supplicate to Allah, then supplicate before giving the salām. That is what is legislated.

His statement, “and supplicates with what has been reported”: “what” is a relative pronoun encompassing everything that has been reported. However, he does not mean that every supplication reported in the sunnah is to be said here. Rather, he means supplications that have been reported for this particular place. Among them is the supplication mentioned earlier: “O Allah, help me to remember You, give thanks to You, and worship You well” (1). Also among them is what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, when he said: “O Messenger of Allah, teach me a supplication to use in my prayer.” He said: “Say: O Allah, I have wronged myself greatly, and none forgives sins except You. So forgive me with a forgiveness from You and have mercy on me. Indeed, You are the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful” (2). However, if he supplicates with a different supplication, that is permissible.