Al-Qawa'id al-Nuraniyya - Ibn Taimiya - (80)

Al-Qawa'id al-NuraniyyaIbn Taimiya

behind the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when one of us gave the salutation, he would gesture with his hand to his right and left. When he had finished praying, he said: ‘Why does one of you gesture with his hand as though your hands were the tails of restive horses? It is enough for one of you—or: Is it not enough for one of you?—to say it like this’—and he gestured with his finger—‘greeting his brother to his right and left.’” Another narration states that he said: “Is it not enough for one of you—or: one of them—to place his hand upon his thigh and then greet his brother to his right and left?”

Muslim’s wording is: “We prayed with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and whenever we gave the salutation, we would gesture with our hands, saying: ‘Peace be upon you.’ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, looked at us and said: ‘Why are you gesturing with your hands as though they were the tails of restive horses? When one of you gives the salutation, let him turn toward his companion and not gesture with his hand.’”

Thus, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, commanded stillness during prayer. This requires stillness throughout the prayer, and stillness can be attained only through composure. Whoever lacks composure is not still during prayer. His command to remain still during it accords with Allah Most High’s command to observe humble submission therein, and the people of hadith have the greatest duty to follow this.

Whoever supposes that his prohibition against raising the hands refers to raising them to shoulder level when bowing and when rising from the bow—and interprets it accordingly—has erred. The hadith itself explains that, when they gave the closing salutation that releases one from prayer, they would gesture with their hands toward those whom they were greeting on their right and left.

This is made clear by his words: “Why do I see you raising your hands as though they were the tails of horses

خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَسَلَّمَ أَحَدُنَا أَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ مِنْ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَمِنْ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ فَلَمَّا صَلَّى قَالَ: مَا بَالُ أَحَدِكُمْ يُومِئُ بِيَدِهِ كَأَنَّهَا أَذْنَابُ خَيْلٍ شُمْسٍ؟ إِنَّمَا يَكْفِي أَحَدُكُمْ - أَوْ: أَلَا يَكْفِي أَحَدَكُمْ - أَنْ يَقُولَ هَكَذَا - وَأَشَارَ بِإِصْبَعِهِ - يُسَلِّمُ عَلَى أَخِيهِ مِنْ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَمِنْ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ» " وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ قَالَ: " «أَمَا يَكْفِي أَحَدَكُمْ - أَوْ أَحَدَهُمْ - أَنْ يَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَى فَخْذِهِ ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمَ عَلَى أَخِيهِ مِنْ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَمِنْ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ» ؟ ". وَلَفْظُ مسلم: " «صَلَّيْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَكُنَّا إِذَا سَلَّمْنَا قُلْنَا بِأَيْدِينَا: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ، فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: مَا شَأْنُكُمْ تُشِيرُونَ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ كَأَنَّهَا أَذْنَابُ خَيْلٍ شُمْسٍ؟ إِذَا سَلَّمَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَلْتَفِتْ إِلَى صَاحِبِهِ وَلَا يُومِئُ بِيَدِهِ» ". فَقَدْ أَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِالسُّكُونِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ، وَهَذَا يَقْتَضِي السُّكُونَ فِيهَا كُلِّهَا، وَالسُّكُونُ لَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا بِالطُّمَأْنِينَةِ، فَمَنْ لَمْ يَطْمَئِنَّ لَمْ يَسْكُنْ فِيهَا، وَأَمْرُهُ بِالسُّكُونِ فِيهَا مُوَافِقٌ لِمَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ مِنَ الْخُشُوعِ فِيهَا، وَأَحَقُّ النَّاسِ بِاتِّبَاعِ هَذَا هُمْ أَهْلُ الْحَدِيثِ. وَمَنْ ظَنَّ أَنَّ نَهْيَهُ عَنْ رَفْعِ الْأَيْدِي هُوَ النَّهْيُ عَنْ رَفْعِهَا إِلَى مَنْكِبِهِ حِينَ الرُّكُوعِ وَحِينَ الرَّفْعِ مِنْهُ وَحَمَلَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ - فَقَدْ غَلِطَ، فَإِنَّ الْحَدِيثَ جَاءَ مُفَسَّرًا بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا سَلَّمُوا فِي الصَّلَاةِ سَلَامَ التَّحْلِيلِ أَشَارُوا بِأَيْدِيهِمْ إِلَى الْمُسَلَّمِ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَمِنْ عَنِ الشِّمَالِ. وَيُبَيِّنُ ذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ: " «مَا لِي أَرَاكُمْ رَافِعِي أَيْدِيكُمْ كَأَنَّهَا أَذْنَابُ خَيْلٍ