for brevity, not because he held that the hands should not be raised. That is, he did not omit mentioning it because he regarded the hands as not to be raised; rather, he confined himself to mentioning the supplication alone.

The correct view is that he raises his hands, because this is authentically reported from Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him (1). Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, was one of the Rightly Guided Caliphs whose sunnah is to be followed by the command of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him (2). Thus, he raises his hands.

But how should he raise his hands?

The answer is that the scholars said: He raises them to his chest, without raising them excessively, because this supplication is not one of earnest entreaty, in which a person raises his hands emphatically. Rather, it is a supplication expressing hopeful desire. He holds his hands open, with their palms facing the sky. This is what our scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, have stated.

The apparent sense of the scholars’ words is that he holds the hands together, one against the other, like a beggar asking another person to give him something. As for spreading them apart and keeping them apart, I know of no basis for this, neither in the sunnah nor in the words of the scholars.

His statement, “in it,” means: in the third rakʿah after bowing. This is preferable (3). If he performs qunūt before bowing, however, there is no harm. Thus, after completing the recitation, he may perform qunūt, then say the takbīr and bow. This too is permissible.

His statement, “He performs qunūt in it,” indicates—may Allah have mercy on him—that qunūt is a sunnah in