Likewise, no report has come down from the early generations (salaf) that they clasped their hands after rising from bowing, nor is it known that any of the leading Imams ever did so. Shaykh Nasir al-Din al-Albani, however, went to excess and labeled the act of clasping the hands and placing them on the chest after rukuʿ a “bidʿah ḍalālah” (misguiding innovation).

The matter, however, is open to ijtihad, which is why Imam Ahmad left the worshipper free either to do it or to omit it. That option ultimately depends on the level of understanding and scholarly reasoning each mujtahid attains. Allah knows best.