['Aalim Network QR] Praying with hands at the side

[Ummulbanin <workshop@popmail.dircon.co.uk>]

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|       In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful       |\
|  Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\
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Assalamu 'Alaykum
The following question was kindly answered by Mulla Asgher.

Salaams & Duas
Ummulbanin Merali - Moderator - 'Aalim Network
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QUESTION:

Most Sunni pray with their hands on their stomach, while most Shia pray
with hands at their sides, when standing.  Can you supply hadith or
Quranic verses etc. which explain why we should pray with hands at the
side when standing or why we shouldn't pray with hands on the stomach when
standing, and if we pray with hands on the stomach, is the prayer invalid
by taqlid of Sistani or by any other reliable source? 

ANSWER:

We pray with our hands by our sides because that is now the Prophet
(P.B.U.H.& H.P.) prayed. Abdul Hay in his Fatawa, and Al-Tabrani have
reported from Mua'dh: 

"The Prophet after Takbiratul Ihram used to keep his hands by his sides." 

And similarly Shaykh Dehlavi in his book FATHUL MANNAN says that Imam Malik
ruled that the hands be kept hanging by the sides.

Imam Shafei, basing his verdict on a narration from Abu Dawud, considered
folding the hands as optional, and Imam Malik considered it as Makrooh
(unworthy) in obligatory prayers.

Prominent companions like Al Hasan Basari prayed with their hands hanging by
their sides.

The school of Ahlul Bayt teaches us to keep our hands by our sides when we pray.

Ayatullah Seestani like all the preceding and contemporary Maraje' says:
"It is Mustahab for the person offering prayers to stand erect, slacken down
his shoulders, place his hands on his thighs, joining his fingers together,
look at the place of sajdah, place the weight of his body equally on two
feet, stand in humility and keeping both his feet in line."

As for folding hands in Namaaz, all Maraje' have ruled that it invalidates
the prayers, if it is done believing that it was ordained by Sharia'.