—This appears to be a copyist’s slip, for al-Hakim’s wording “the left hand” shows that the prohibition concerned only one hand. Abu Dawud also transmits it with the wording: “He forbade a man to lean on his hand when rising in the prayer.” The phrase “when rising” is a weak addition, because it comes through the route of Muhammad b. Abd al-Malik al-Ghazal who—although trustworthy—was, as Maslama said, frequently mistaken; he alone reports this clause, so it is rejected. As for al-Nawawi’s remark in al-Majmuʿ (3/445) that the narrator is “unknown,” that is incorrect, as we showed in al-Taʿliqat al-Jiyad. Abd al-Warith also followed Maʿmar in the chain, but he stopped the report at Nafiʿ (i.e., made it mawquf) and gave a different wording. He narrated from Ismail b. Umayya: “I asked Nafiʿ about a man who prays while interlacing his fingers. He replied: Ibn Umar said, ‘That is the prayer of those who have incurred wrath.’” Abu Dawud recorded it. Abd al-Warith—namely Ibn Saʿid b. Dhakwan—is graded reliable and firmly established in al-Taqrib; therefore what he reported may concern another incident. Allah knows best. The alternative wording is found in Imam Ahmad (2/116) through a separate chain: “Muhammad b. Abd Allah b. al-Zubayr narrated to us: Hisham—meaning Ibn Saʿd—narrated to us, from Nafiʿ, from Ibn Umar, that the Messenger of Allah saw a man letting his hand drop during the prayer and said…,” then he mentioned it. This chain is sound and meets Muslim’s criteria.