However, it has not been established that he—peace and blessings be upon him—raised his hands with the remaining takbīrs of the funeral prayer. All that has been established is that Abd Allāh ibn Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—raised them with the remaining takbīrs. (1)
After pronouncing the takbīr, should a Muslim place his right hand over his left, or leave his hands at his sides?
Nothing has been established concerning this matter that would permit a definitive conclusion. Some scholars regarded folding the hands during the funeral prayer as recommended and therefore held that placing the right hand over the left is prescribed in it.
The evidence for raising the hands with the first takbīr is the report from Abū Hurayra: “The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—pronounced the takbīr over a funeral and raised his hands with the first takbīr....” Reported by al-Tirmidhī. (2)
(1) Al-Bukhārī cited this report from Ibn Umar without a connected chain in his *Sahīh* (Book of Funerals, “Chapter: The Sunnah of the Funeral Prayer,” *Fath al-Bārī*, 3/189), saying: “Ibn Umar would ... and would raise his hands.” He transmitted it with a connected chain in *Juz Raf al-Yadayn* (pp. 184–185, *Jalā al-Aynayn*), as did Ibn Abī Shayba in *al-Musannaf* (3/296) and al-Bayhaqī in *al-Sunan al-Kubrā* (4/44).
Regarding this report from Ibn Umar as recorded by al-Bayhaqī, al-Albānī said in *Ahkām al-Janāiz* (p. 117): “Its chain is authentic.”
He then added: “Whoever holds that Ibn Umar would have done this only on the basis of instruction from the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—may raise [his hands]....” End quote.
(2) A hadith graded hasan due to corroborating evidence.
It was recorded by al-Tirmidhī in the Book of Funerals, “Chapter: Reports Concerning Raising the Hands During the Funeral Prayer” (hadith no. 1077), and this is his wording. The words omitted by the ellipsis are: “and he placed his right hand over his left.” I did not include this clause in the main text because it has no corroborating report. It was also recorded by al-Dāraqutnī in *al-Sunan* (2/74–75) and al-Bayhaqī in *al-Sunan al-Kubrā* (4/38).
The hadith’s chain rests on Yazīd ibn Sinān Abū Farwa, who is weak. His report was, however, corroborated. As al-Mizzī noted in *Tuhfat al-Ashrāf* (10/9): “Yūnus ibn Khabbāb corroborated him, reporting a similar version from al-Zuhrī.” Al-Albānī also cited in *Ahkām al-Janāiz* (p. 116) a supporting report from Ibn Abbās, recorded by al-Dāraqutnī in *al-Sunan* (2/75), with a chain containing an unidentified narrator. It contains nothing, however, that supports the clause mentioned just above. The first part of the hadith therefore attains the grade of hasan due to corroborating evidence. Allah knows best.