to say it like this’—and he pointed with his finger—‘greeting his brother on his right and on his left.’” In another version, he said:

“Is it not enough for one of you—or one of them—to place his hand on his thigh, then greet his brother on his right and on his left?”

Muslim’s wording is:

“We prayed with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When 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 unruly horses? When one of you gives the salutation, let him turn towards his companion without gesturing with his hand.’”

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, thus commanded stillness in prayer. This requires stillness throughout the prayer, and stillness requires coming to rest. Whoever does not come to rest has not remained still in prayer. His command to remain still in prayer accords with Allah Most High’s command to observe humble devotion in it. Those most bound to follow this are the people of hadith.

Whoever supposes that his prohibition against raising the hands refers to raising them to shoulder level when bowing and when rising from bowing, and interprets it accordingly, is mistaken. The hadith itself explains that, when they gave the concluding salutation in prayer, they would gesture with their hands towards those they were greeting on their right and left. This is clarified by his words:

“Why do I see you raising your hands as though they were the tails of horses