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Detailed Answer:
Question: is it referred to the obligation or recommendation of Takattuf in the tradition of the prophet?
Answer: it is not referred to the obligation of Takattuf, in what has been narrated from the tradition of the prophet –s.a-. For proving our claims, here we mention some narratives:
1. Someone who performs prayer in a wrong way:
According to what the narrators have narrated, there was a man who was performing prayer while the prophet was looking at him. Afterwards, he came to the prophet and saluted. The prophet returned the salutation and told him “go and perform your prayer again, you have not said it properly”. He performed his prayer similar to the first and came to the prophet again, and he told him “return and say it again, for you have not performed that”. Three times he performed prayer and swore that he cannot perform a better prayer. Since he was eager to learn the correct way of performing prayer, the prophet taught him.
Abu Hurayra said that the prophet said “ when you decide to say prayer, perform Wodhu (ablution) thoroughly, turn to Qibla, then utter Takbir and recite parts of Quran that you know by heart, after that perform RuKu’ till your body come to ease, then get up from Ruku’ completely and perform Sajda, arise from Sajda and sit down comfortably then perform it again till you are at ease and do the same throughout prayer”.
The following Hadith has been quoted by septet sources from Sahih Bukhari (1): “if placing hand over the other had been certainty or Mustahab (recommended), the prophet would have referred to that”.
2. Des c r i p tion of the prophet’s prayer by ‘Aayeshah:
Muslem has narrated that ‘Aayeshah said “the messenger of God began his prayer by uttering Takbir and reciting Al-Hamd Sura, and while performing Ruku’ he didn’t move his head upward nor downward but in middle position. Afterwards, before going to the position of Sajda he raised completely, after performing it and before the second Sajda, he sat upright. After two Rak’ah he uttered Tahayyut. Then he spread his left foot and placed the right foot over that. He forbade sitting on two heels and sitting with the forearms on floor like animals. And he used to bring his prayer to an end by uttering Salam (Tashahhud)”. (2)
Though in the last narrative it was just referred to the obligations of prayer, in this narrative some of Mustahab (recommended) and Makruh (not recommended) parts have been stated. If placing hand over another was a certainty or Mustahab tradition, the prophet –s.a- would certainly state that, for in the view of his followers, its recommendation was not less than placing right foot over the left foot. These narratives, which concern the quality of prayer, are considered as best proofs that placing hand over another is not certain tradition.
3. Des c r i p tion of the prophet’s prayer in the narrative of Mu’aaz
Tabaraani has narrated from ‘Abdul-rahmaan Ibne Qanam and he from Mu’aaz Ibne Jabal that “when the prophet was commencing his prayer, he raised his hands up to his ears, and uttered Takbir, then he brought them down and became silent, and often I saw he placed his right hand over the left one”. (3)
Although this narrative concerns that the prophet placed his right hand over the left one, it was for a moment (referring to the word < ربما>) and he intended to relax his hands. And perhaps placing the right hand over the left one has had another reason, not by this reason that it is Mustahab in prayer. (4)
1. Boluq Al-maraam: 92, number 2/250, which is published in Riaaz; Sobol Al-salam: volume1, page 159
2. Boluq Al-maraam: 99, number 8/257
3. Al-mu’jam Al-kabir: volume 20, page 74
4. The aspects of Shia’s creed, page 394
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