577. Should I Raise My Hands When The Imaam Is Making Duaa During The Friday Khutbah?

By Asma bint Shameem 

There were times and places when the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam raised his hands while making duaa and there were times and places when he did NOT raise his hands while making duaa. 

The Friday Khutbah is one of the places when he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam did NOT raise his hands while making duaa. 

Nor is there any report of the Sahaabah raising their hands while they were listening to the Imaam making duaa during the khutbah, except when praying salaat al-Istisqaa’, the prayer for rain. 

So if they didn’t do it, we shouldn’t be doing it either. 

In fact some of the Sahaabah were UPSET when they saw someone making duaa raising their hands during the Jumu’ah khutbah. 

When Umaarah ibn Ru’aybah radhi Allaahu anhu saw Bishr ibn Marwaan on the minbar raising his hands (during Friday khutbah), he said: 

“May Allaah make these two hands ugly. I saw the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam doing no more than this with his hand,” and he pointed with his forefinger.” (Muslim)

You see, making duaa is an *act of worship*. 

And every act of worship has to have *PROOF* from the Qur’aan or authentic Sunnah, otherwise it’s not permissible. 

If we don’t have proof from the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam or the Sahaabah for raising the hands during the Jumu’ah khutbah, then we shouldn’t be doing that either. 

That applies to both the Imaam AND the attendees. 

We should just quietly say Ameen to the Imaam’s duaas WITHOUT raising our hands. 

Imaam an-Nawawi said:

“This indicates that the Sunnah is NOT to raise the hands during the khutbah,”

Shaikh ibn Uthaymeen said:

“Raising the hands when the imaam is delivering the khutbah on Friday is not prescribed in sharee’ah. 

The Sahaabah denounced Bishr ibn Marwaan when he raised his hands during the Friday khutbah. 

But an exception is made in the case of prayers for rain (istisqaa’), because it is proven that the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam raised his hands when praying to Allaah for rain during the Friday khutbah, and the people raised their hands with him.

 But apart from that one should not raise one's hands when making du’aa’ during the Friday khutbah.”

(Fataawa Arkaan al-Islam, p. 392)

And Allaah knows best