Only an ignoramus would deny the authenticity of these reports. Our own scholars concede the point, yet they argue that the practice was later abrogated, adducing Ibn Masud’s narration as evidence. Plainly, however, the agreed-upon principles of usul shared by the Hanafis and their opponents forbid invoking abrogation so long as reconciliation between the two apparently conflicting texts is possible—and it is possible here in two ways: 1. One may say that the Prophet sometimes raised his hands—indeed, in most prayers—and at other times left the gesture. 2. One may invoke the juristic maxim that al-muthbit (the one who affirms an action) takes precedence over al-nafi (the one who negates it); this too is a recognised foundational rule. Al-Bukhari, in his treatise (no. 7), wrote: “If two men narrate from a single transmitter, and one says, ‘I saw him do it,’ while the other says, ‘I never saw him do it,’ the first is a witness, whereas the second is not, for he merely failed to notice the act. Likewise, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr ruled in a case where two witnesses testified that a man owed another one thousand dirhams by his own acknowledgement, yet also testified that he had made no acknowledgement: judgment is based on the testimony affirming the acknowledgement, and the contrary statement is set aside. The same applies to Bilal, who said, ‘I saw the Prophet pray inside the Kaaba,’ while al-Fadl ibn al-Abbas said, ‘He did not pray.’ People accepted Bilal’s word because he was a witness and ignored the statement of the one who said, ‘He did not pray,’ since he had not preserved the fact.” Accordingly, the report of the Companions who affirmed that the Prophet raised his hands outweighs the solitary report of the one who denied it—especially when they are a group and he is a single individual, namely Ibn Masud. Our scholars’ objection that such a practice could not have escaped Ibn Masud is of no avail, for an opponent could equally retort: it is even more far-fetched to claim that Ibn Masud alone knew of the alleged abrogation, while it remained hidden from the vast majority of the Companions, including several of the rightly guided caliphs, who would then—by your account—have continued to act upon an abrogated practice and to transmit it to the ummah, not least Ibn Umar