I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that when he began prayer, he used to raise his hands opposite his shoulders, and he did so when he bowed, and raised his head after bowing. Sufyan(a narrator) once said: “When he raised his head:; and after he used to say: “When he raised his head after bowing. He would not raise (his hands) between the two prostrations."  

رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا اسْتَفْتَحَ الصَّلاَةَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُحَاذِيَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ وَبَعْدَ مَا يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ وَقَالَ سُفْيَانُ مَرَّةً وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ وَأَكْثَرُ مَا كَانَ يَقُولُ وَبَعْدَ مَا يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ وَلاَ يَرْفَعُ بَيْنَ السَّجْدَتَيْنِ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to raise his hands opposite his shoulders when he began prayer, then he uttered takbir (Allah is most great) in the same condition, and then he bowed. And when he raised his back (head) after bowing he raised them opposite his shoulders, and said: “Allah listens to him who praises Him.” But he did not raise his hand when he prostrated himself; he rather raised them when he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) before bowing until his prayer is finished.  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى تَكُونَا حَذْوَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ ثُمَّ كَبَّرَ وَهُمَا كَذَلِكَ فَيَرْكَعُ ثُمَّ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَ صُلْبَهُ رَفَعَهُمَا حَتَّى تَكُونَا حَذْوَ مَنْكِبَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ وَلاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي السُّجُودِ وَيَرْفَعُهُمَا فِي كُلِّ تَكْبِيرَةٍ يُكَبِّرُهَا قَبْلَ الرُّكُوعِ حَتَّى تَنْقَضِيَ صَلاَتُهُ  

I was a small boy and I did not understand the prayer of my father. So Wa’Il b. ‘Alqamah reported Wa’il b. Hujr as saying: I offered prayer along with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He used to raise his hands when he pronounced the takbir (Allah is most great), then pulled his garment around him, then placed his right hand on his left, and entered his hands in his garment. When he was about to bow he took his hands out of his garment, and then raised them. And when he raised his head after bowing, he raised his hands. He then prostrated himself and placed his face (forehead on the ground) between his hands. And when he raised his head after prostration, he also raised his hands until he finished his prayer. Muhammad (a narrator) said: I mentioned it to al-Hasan b. Abu al-Hasan who said: This is how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ offered prayer; some did it and others abandoned it. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Hammam from ibn Juhadah, but he did not mention the raising of hands after he raised his head at the end of the prostration.  

كُنْتُ غُلاَمًا لاَ أَعْقِلُ صَلاَةَ أَبِي قَالَ فَحَدَّثَنِي وَائِلُ بْنُ عَلْقَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلِ بْنِ حُجْرٍ قَالَ صَلَّيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَكَانَ إِذَا كَبَّرَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ الْتَحَفَ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ شِمَالَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ وَأَدْخَلَ يَدَيْهِ فِي ثَوْبِهِ قَالَ فَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ أَخْرَجَ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ رَفَعَهُمَا وَإِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ سَجَدَ وَوَضَعَ وَجْهَهُ بَيْنَ كَفَّيْهِ وَإِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ السُّجُودِ أَيْضًا رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْ صَلاَتِهِ قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِلْحَسَنِ بْنِ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ فَقَالَ هِيَ صَلاَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَعَلَهُ مَنْ فَعَلَهُ وَتَرَكَهُ مَنْ تَرَكَهُ  

He saw that when the Prophet ﷺ stood up to pray he raised his hands till they were in front of his shoulders and placed his thumbs opposite his ears; then he uttered the Takbir (Allah is most great).  

أَنَّهُ أَبْصَرَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ حِينَ قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى كَانَتَا بِحِيَالِ مَنْكِبَيْهِ وَحَاذَى بِإِبْهَامَيْهِ أُذُنَيْهِ ثُمَّ كَبَّرَ  

Wa’il b.Hujr said that he saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ raise his hands when he uttered the takbir (Allah is most great).  

أَنَّهُ رَأَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ مَعَ التَّكْبِيرَةِ  

I purposely looked at the prayer of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, how he offered it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood up, faced the direction of the qiblah and uttered the takbir (Allah is most great) and then raised his hands in front of his ears, then placed his right hand on his left (catching each other). When he was about to bow, he raised them in the same manner. He then placed his hands on his knees. When he raised his head after bowing, he raised them in the like manner. When he prostrated himself he placed his forehead between his hands. He then sat down and spread his left foot and placed his left hand on his left thigh, and kept his right elbow aloof from his right thigh. He closed his two fingers and made a circle (with the fingers). I (Asim ibn Kulayb) saw him (Bishr ibn al-Mufaddal) say in this manner. Bishr made the circle with the thumb and the middle finger and pointed with the forefinger.  

قُلْتُ لأَنْظُرَنَّ إِلَى صَلاَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ يُصَلِّي قَالَ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ فَكَبَّرَ فَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى حَاذَتَا أُذُنَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَخَذَ شِمَالَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْكَعَ رَفَعَهُمَا مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ وَضَعَ يَدَيْهِ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ فَلَمَّا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرُّكُوعِ رَفَعَهُمَا مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ فَلَمَّا سَجَدَ وَضَعَ رَأْسَهُ بِذَلِكَ الْمَنْزِلِ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ جَلَسَ فَافْتَرَشَ رِجْلَهُ الْيُسْرَى وَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَحَدَّ مِرْفَقَهُ الأَيْمَنَ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى وَقَبَضَ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَحَلَّقَ حَلْقَةً وَرَأَيْتُهُ يَقُولُ هَكَذَا وَحَلَّقَ بِشْرٌ الإِبْهَامَ وَالْوُسْطَى وَأَشَارَ بِالسَّبَّابَةِ  

“He then placed his right hand on the back of his left palm and his wrist and forearm.” This also adds: “I then came back afterwards in a season when it was severe cold. I saw the people putting on heavy clothes moving their hands under the clothes (i.e. raised their hands before and after bowing).”  

فِيهِ ثُمَّ وَضَعَ يَدَهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى ظَهْرِ كَفِّهِ الْيُسْرَى وَالرُّسْغِ وَالسَّاعِدِ وَقَالَ فِيهِ ثُمَّ جِئْتُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فِي زَمَانٍ فِيهِ بَرْدٌ شَدِيدٌ فَرَأَيْتُ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهِمْ جُلُّ الثِّيَابِ تَحَرَّكُ أَيْدِيهِمْ تَحْتَ الثِّيَابِ  

I witnessed the Prophet ﷺ raise his hands in front of his ears when he began to pray. I then came back and saw them (the people) raising their hands up to their chest when they began to pray. They wore long caps and blankets.  

رَأَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ حِينَ افْتَتَحَ الصَّلاَةَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ حِيَالَ أُذُنَيْهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُمْ فَرَأَيْتُهُمْ يَرْفَعُونَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ إِلَى صُدُورِهُمْ فِي افْتِتَاحِ الصَّلاَةِ وَعَلَيْهِمْ بَرَانِسُ وَأَكْسِيَةٌ