Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 790
sahih

Narrated Mus`ab bin Sa`d:

I offered prayer beside my father and approximated both my hands and placed them in between the knees. My father told me not to do so and said, "We used to do the same but we were forbidden (by the Prophet) to do it and were ordered to place the hands on the knees."

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُصْعَبَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ، يَقُولُ صَلَّيْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِ أَبِي فَطَبَّقْتُ بَيْنَ كَفَّىَّ ثُمَّ وَضَعْتُهُمَا بَيْنَ فَخِذَىَّ، فَنَهَانِي أَبِي وَقَالَ كُنَّا نَفْعَلُهُ فَنُهِينَا عَنْهُ، وَأُمِرْنَا أَنْ نَضَعَ أَيْدِيَنَا عَلَى الرُّكَبِ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 10, Hadith 185
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 1, Book 12, Hadith 756 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Prayer is the greatest of the pillars of Islam after the twin declaration of faith, and the Muslim should make sure that he prays regularly and establishes prayer as Allah wants us to do it and as the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do it. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the postures of prayer, namely bowing and prostrating. He taught that to the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them), and they transmitted it to those who came after them. In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Mus‘ab ibn Sa‘d narrates that he prayed beside his father, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) and he put his hands together, which means putting the palm of the right hand on the palm of the left hand, and he put them between his thighs, above his knees. But his father (may Allah be pleased with him) told him not to do that, and informed him that that had been permissible at the beginning of Islam, and they used to do it, then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told them not to do that, and instructed them to place their hands on their knees when bowing. This hadith highlights the keenness of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and to teach it to their children..
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