Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
muslim:895c – Muḥammad b. al-Muthanná > Ibn Abū ʿAdī And ʿAbd al-Aʿlá > Saʿīd > Qatādah > Anas

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was not accustomed to raice his hands in any supplication he made except when praying for rain. (He would then raise [his hands] high enough) that the whiteness of his armpits became visible. 'Abd al-A'la said that (he was in doubt whether it was) the whiteness of his armpit or armpits.  

مسلم:٨٩٥c – حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ وَعَبْدُ الأَعْلَى عَنْ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ

أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ لاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ إِلاَّ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ غَيْرَ أَنَّ عَبْدَ الأَعْلَى قَالَ يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطِهِ أَوْ بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Ibn Mājah, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
bukhari:1031 – Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Yaḥyá And Ibn Abū ʿAdī > Saʿīd > Qatādah > Anas b. Mālik

The Prophet ﷺ never raised his hands for any invocation except for that of Istisqa' and he used to raise them so much that the whiteness of his armpits became visible. (Note: It may be that Anas did not see the Prophet ﷺ raising his hands, but it is narrated that the Prophet ﷺ used to raise his hands for invocations other than Istisqa. See Hadith No. 807 & 808 and also see Hadith No. 612, Vol. 5).  

البخاري:١٠٣١ – حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى وَابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ إِلاَّ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ وَإِنَّهُ يَرْفَعُ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ  

bukhari:3565 – ʿAbd al-Aʿlá b. Ḥammād > Yazīd b. Zurayʿ > Saʿīd > Qatādah > Anas

Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not use to raise his hands in his invocations except in the Istisqa (i.e. invoking Allah for the rain) in which he used to raise his hands so high that one could see the whiteness of his armpits. (Note: It may be that Anas did not see the prophet (as) raising his hands but it has been narrated that the Prophet (as) used to raise his hands for invocations other than Istisqa. See Hadith No. 612 Vol. 5. and Hadith No. 807 & 808 Vol 2.)  

البخاري:٣٥٦٥ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ أَنَّ أَنَسًا ؓ حَدَّثَهُمْ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ لاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ إِلاَّ فِي الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ وَقَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى دَعَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ وَرَأَيْتُ بَيَاضَ إِبْطَيْهِ  

ibnmajah:1180 – Naṣr b. ʿAlī al-Jahḍamī > Yazīd b. Zurayʿ > Saʿīd b. Abū ʿArūbah > Qatādah > Anas b. Mālik

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Prophet ﷺ did not raise his hands in any of his supplications except when praying for rain (Istisqa’), when he raised his hands so high that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen.  

ابن ماجة:١١٨٠ – حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْجَهْضَمِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ

أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ لاَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَىْءٍ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ إِلاَّ عِنْدَ الاِسْتِسْقَاءِ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ  

nasai-kubra:1832 – Ḥumayd b. Masʿadah > Yazīd b. Zurayʿ > Saʿīd > Qatādah > Anas b. Mālik

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Prophet ﷺ did not raise his hands in any of his supplications except when praying for rain (Istisqa’), when he raised his hands so high that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen. (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 1180)  

الكبرى للنسائي:١٨٣٢ – أَخْبَرَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ أَنَّ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ حَدَّثَهُمْ

أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللهِ ﷺ «كَانَ لَا يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ إِلَّا عِنْدَ الِاسْتِسْقَاءِ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ»  

nasai-kubra:1442 – Ḥumayd b. Masʿadah > Yazīd / Ibn Zurayʿ > Saʿīd > Qatādah > Anas b. Mālik

It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Prophet ﷺ did not raise his hands in any of his supplications except when praying for rain (Istisqa’), when he raised his hands so high that the whiteness of his armpits could be seen. (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 1180)  

الكبرى للنسائي:١٤٤٢ – أَخْبَرَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ زُرَيْعٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ أَنَّ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ حَدَّثَهُمْ

أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ «لَا يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ إِلَّا عِنْدَ الِاسْتِسْقَاءَ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَرْفَعُ يَدَيْهِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ إِبْطَيْهِ»