Following is the fatwa of Abdul Mannan Nurpoori Rahimullah
Question:
Is it fine to place hands after the Rukoo. To know about this issue there are some statements which are presented here, please clear them in your spare time.
It was narrated that Musa bin Umair Al-Anbari and Qais bin Sulaim Al-Anbari said:
“Alqamah bin Wa’il told us that his father said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he was standing in prayer, holding his left hand with his right.'” [Nasaiee The Book of the Commencement of the Prayer Chapter: Placing the right hand on the left hand during the prayer]
and in Sahih Muslim there is a long prayer narrated from Prophet peace be upon him.
And Hudayfa ra said in one of the narration: “and stood up, and his standing was almost as long as his rukoo” i.e. it was too long so that placing hands became necessary.
And a Hanafi scholar Allama Abu Bakr Kasani wrote in his book Badai al-Sanae 1/152 “same is narrated from Abu Hanifa and Muhammad that they put the right hand on the left as it is done in the prayer”
And Allama Abdul Hai Lakhnavi said after a long discussion on this issue: “There is no harm in accepting it after the appearence of agreement” Sharah al Waqiya 1/159
It is proven from these references that one should place right hand on the other after the rukoo while standing, as it is proven from Prophet peace be upon him in his sayings, Practice and his Taqreer. And Rafa Yadayn is only proven by his peace be upon him practice and Taqreer.
Answer:
You have provided the evidence to place the hands after the rukoo that Wail bin Hujr RA said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he was standing in prayer, holding his left hand with his right.'” [Nasaiee The Book of the Commencement of the Prayer Chapter: Placing the right hand on the left hand during the prayer]
With regards to your evidence the words which you have stated are really for Standing before the Rukoo and after the Rukoo, but this general meaning is not meant here, rather it only means standing before the rukoo and evidence for it is the same hadith of Wail bin Hujr ra, The words of this hadith in Sahih Muslim 1/173 and Musnad Ahmad 4/317-318 are ” Wa’il b. Hujr reported:
He saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) raising his hands at the time of beginning the prayer and reciting takbir, and according to Hammam (the narrator), the hands were lifted opposite to ears. He (the Holy Prophet) then wrapped his hands in his cloth and placed his right hand over his left hand. And when he was about to bow down, he brought out his hands from the cloth, and then lifted them, and then recited takbir”
People of Knowledge know that the word “ثم” and “فاء” both are used to maintain the order (of the statement). So, If you pay attention on the words “”and placed his right hand over his left hand. And when he was about to bow down” , you will clearly understand that Wail bin Hujr RA saw Prophet peace be upon him folding his hands in between the first Takbeer and Rukoo and then he (Wail bin Hujr) narrated it. So it is proven from the hadith of Wail bin Hujr that the words of his hadith “”I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), when he was standing in prayer” and the words “I saw the Prophet peace be upon him put his right hand over his left hand in the prayer” and the words “I saw him (peace be upon him) holding his right hand to the left in the prayer” means Standing before the rukoo.
Then the words of this hadith in Sahih Ibn Khuzaima 1/242 are that Wail bin Hujr ra said: “”I came to Al-Madinah and said: ‘I am going to watch the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pray. He said the takbir and raised his hands until I saw his thumbs near his ears then he caught hold of his left hand with his right hand (i.e. folded his hands). Then he started recitation.”
These words are clearly proving that Wail bin Hujr ra saw Prophet peace be upon him folding his hands in between Takbeer and Qiraat and then narrated it, Imam Ibn Khuzaima in his Sahih narrated these words and made a chaper “Chapter on Placing the right hand over the left hand in the prayer before the Recitation”
So, Imam is pointing out after mentioning this chapter that thegeneral words of this hadith of Wail bin Hujr ra i.e. “when he was standing in prayer” or “in the prayer” means standing in the prayer before the recitation. [Quran wa hadeeth ki roshni me Ahkam wa Masail 1/185-187]