Can I Perform the Sadl as a Hanafi?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

Does it invalidate the prayer if we dangle our hands/hold them to our sides. Instead of folding our hands. Someone said that sadl is accepted in all the madhabs and its the safest opinion and should be done out of precaution.

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

The Ruling

Keeping one’s arms on the side during the standing won’t invalidate the prayer. [Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

The reason for this ruling is that a prayer performed this way won’t prevent you from performing all the obligatory (fard) components of the prayer, namely the standing, the recitation, the bowing, the prostration, and the last sitting. [ Shurunbulali, Nur al-Idah]

Nonetheless, holding your left wrist with your right hand under your navel during the standing remains an emphasized sunna. [Ibid]

According to the Hanafi school, failing to do so without an excuse regularly can very well be sinful because it entails for you to turn away from the sunna of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings upon him). [Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

The Safest Thing to Do

The safest thing to do for a believer is to choose one of the four Sunni schools of law (preferably the school for which a living reliable teacher is available in your area) and to implement the preponderant position of this school in one’s worship, financial transactions, and marital affairs. [Ibn Abidin, Sharh Uqud Rasm al-Mufti]

Allah, Most High, says: “Ask the people of remembrance if you do not know” [Quran, 16:43]

Nonetheless, it is not problematic to follow a specific school for a religious issue and another school for another unrelated religious issue.

Please see: Clarifying the Issue of Talfiq in Islamic Law – Dr H. A. Hellyer

And Allah knows best.
Wassalam
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found. Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani. He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others. He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.