Why do Muslims raise their hands before praying?
Mostly it's the way the Prophet ﷺ began his prayer. Muslims raise their hands while saying the opening "Allahu akbar" (the takbir), which marks the moment they stop everything else and stand before Allah. It's a sunnah, so the prayer is still valid if you forget, but the takbir itself is essential.
The opening takbir
The prayer begins with the words "Allahu akbar", meaning "Allah is the Greatest." The Prophet ﷺ said that the beginning of the prayer is the takbir (Sunan Abi Dawud 61). Raising the hands as you say it is like a gesture that says: whatever I was doing, I'm putting it aside now. Many people find it helps them leave their phone, their work and their worries behind.
The takbir is also called takbirat al-ihram, because once you say it you are "in" the prayer. Talking, eating and walking away are no longer allowed until you end it with the salam.
Shoulders or ears?
There are two authentic descriptions of how high the hands go:
- To the shoulders: Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet ﷺ raised both hands to the level of his shoulders when opening the prayer (Sahih al-Bukhari 735).
- To the ears: Wa'il ibn Hujr reported that he saw the Prophet ﷺ raise his hands opposite his ears when beginning the prayer (Sahih Muslim 401).
The schools mostly follow one or the other; for example, the Hanafi school raises men's hands to the ears. Either way, the prayer is valid.
Are the hands raised again?
It depends on the school:
- Shafi'i and Hanbali: raise them at the opening, before bowing, and after rising from the bow, and also when standing up for the third rakah. Ibn Umar reported this from the Prophet ﷺ (Sahih al-Bukhari 739).
- Hanafi: raise them only for the opening takbir.
- Maliki: the main view is to raise them only at the opening, though some Malikis follow the other practice.
All of these are accepted, and the hands are never raised when you go down for prostration (Sahih al-Bukhari 735). If you pray at a mosque, follow what is done there, and learn more about the rest of the sequence in How do I pray as a Muslim?
What if I forget?
Don't worry. Raising the hands is a sunnah, not a pillar. If you realise it after the takbir, just continue; no extra prostration is needed. What matters is that you say "Allahu akbar" to begin. After the takbir, many Muslims then say a short opening dua. See What is the opening dua in prayer? And if you wonder where to place your hands next, see Where do I put my hands during prayer?
- Raising the hands accompanies the opening "Allahu akbar".
- The Prophet ﷺ raised them to his shoulders or ears; both are reported.
- Schools differ on raising them again for bowing and rising.
- It's a sunnah, so forgetting it doesn't spoil the prayer.
People also ask
Will Allah accept my prayer if I don't understand Arabic?
Yes, Allah rewards sincere effort even if you don't understand Arabic yet. Learn why sincerity matters and how to understand your prayer step by step.
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