"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us the prayer. He stood up and said the takbir, and when he wanted to bow, he put his hands together and put his hands between his knees and bowed." News of that reached Sa'd and he said: "My brother has spoken the truth. We used to do that, then we were commanded to do this," meaning to hold the knees.
The Book of The At-Tatbiq (Clasping One's Hands Together)
Sunan an-Nasa'i - Hadith 1031
Hadith Text
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us the prayer. He stood up and said the takbir, and when he wanted to bow, he put his hands together and put his hands between his knees and bowed." News of that reached Sa'd and he said: "My brother has spoken the truth. We used to do that, then we were commanded to do this," meaning to hold the knees.
Scholarly Commentary
This narration demonstrates the evolution of prayer practices during the Prophet's lifetime. Initially, the Companions were instructed to place their clasped hands between their knees during ruku' (bowing), which is known as tatbiq. This practice was later abrogated and replaced with placing the hands firmly on the knees.
The testimony of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas confirms the authenticity of this earlier practice and its subsequent abrogation. This illustrates the principle of naskh (abrogation) in Islamic law, where later revelations or Prophetic instructions supersede earlier ones.
The current established practice in all schools of Islamic jurisprudence is to place the palms on the knees during ruku', with fingers spread apart. The earlier method of tatbiq is no longer practiced, demonstrating how the Shariah was perfected through gradual revelation and instruction.
Legal Ruling
The consensus of scholars holds that placing the hands on the knees during ruku' is the obligatory and final ruling. The earlier practice of tatbiq is considered abrogated and should not be practiced in prayer.