#523: Does a Woman place Her Hands on Her Chest during Salāt

QUESTION

” As salaam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullAah wabarakaatuh

Though I feel shy asking this question but Ejoo am asking in good faith. It’s better to ask knowledgeable people than to ask ignorant Muslim women 🙈.

Concerning the placing of hands on the chest during solaah. For men it seems quite simple and easy. But for women, do we place our hands on our breast, above it or below it because, the breast is quite extremely close to the chest.

Once again, for Allaah’s sake, am asking this question this good faith. I mean no harm.

JazaakAllaahu khayran in advance as you answer the question…Assalaam ‘alaykum wa rahmatullAah wabarakaatuh”

ANSWER

Wa ‘alaykum Salām Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh.

We ask Allāh to reward you for your ability to ask this question even though you feel shy about it, āmīn.

It has been recorded by Imām Muslim in his Sahih from our Mother Ā’ishah As-Siddīqah – radiyallāhu ‘anhā – that she said:

رحم الله نساء الأنصار، لم يمنعهن حياؤهن أن يتفقهن في الدين

“May Allāh be merciful to the Ansar women. Their shyness never prevented them from seeking to understand their Dīn.”

And Imām Al-Bukhārī recorded in his Sahih the Hadīth of Ummu Sulaym where she asked the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – saying:

يا رسول الله إن الله لا يستحيي من الحق فهل على المرأة من غسل إذا احتلمت؟ قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم:” إذا رأت الماء

O Messenger of Allāh! Indeed Allāh is not shy of the truth, is it obligatory upon a woman to observe Ghusl if she had a wet dream?
The Prophet – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said: “If she notices an ejaculation thereby”

He also recorded from Mujāhid the student of ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbās – radiyallāhu ‘anhu – that he said:

“He acquires no Knowledge the one that is Shy and the one that is arrogant.”

By shyness he means, shyness to ask questions. Otherwise, it is known that Shyness is a part of the Dīn as has come in the Hadīth.

And has come in your question, Bārakallāhu fīkum, it should be known that placing the hands on the chest during Salāt is an established Sunnah.

Three positions where the hands are to be placed have been recorded in the Ahādith.

The first, is below the navel.
This has been recorded from Ali – radiyallāhu anhu – by Imām Abū Dāwud and others. This Hadīth has been regarded as weak by many of the ‘Ulamā of Hadīth.

The second, between the navel and below the chest.
This has also been recorded as a practice of ‘Āli – radiyallāhu ‘anhu. Imām Ash-Shawkānī – rahimahullāh – referred to this in Naylu Al-Awtār and established that the Hadīth is weak.

The third, is that it is placed on the chest.
This is recorded in the Hadīth of the Sahābī Wā’il Ibn Hujr – radiyallāhu ‘anhu – established by Imām Ibn Khuzaymah in his Sahih.
The Ulamā differed on their position on this Hadīth. Though Imām Ash-Shawkānī – rahimahullāh – held that it was stronger than the narrations that posit the two earlier mentioned positions of placing the hands, the Hadīth cannot be said to be strong in itself even after considering all of its various Isnād. As yfor Shaykh Muhammad Nāsiruddīn Al-Albāni – rahimahullāh – he held in his Sifatu As-Salāh that the position mentioned in this Hadīth of Wā’il Ibn Hujr was what is established in the Sunnah.
In his position is something to look at, given that the Hadīth cannot be proven beyond reasonable doubt to be Sahih.

For this reason, Imām Ibn Al-Mundhir said in Al-Awsat:

“And someone has said: there is nothing authentically narrated from the Prophet – salallāhu yalayhi wasallam – on the exact position of placing the hands on the chest. If he likes, let him place it on his navel, if he likes, let him place it above it.”

Likewise, At-Tirmidhī – rahimahullāh – said in his Sunan:

“And upon this practiced the People of Knowledge among the Sahābah of the Prophet – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – the Tābi’īn and those who came after them: they considered that a man should place his right hand over his left hand in Salāt. While some considered that it be placed above the navel, others held that it be placed below the navel. And all of this was considered a matter of choice to them”

We say, and from Allah comes Tawfīq, that while it is better to hold unto the position mentioned in the Hadith of Wā’il that it be placed on the chest, there is nothing strict beyond tolerance in this matter.

That said, it therefore becomes apparent that if placing the hands on the chest is uncomfortable to women as you seem to have implied, there is nothing preventing them from placing same below the chest and above the navel, or below the navel.

And Allah knows best.

Bārakallāhu fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran

23rd Jumadal Ula 1439AH

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