Question
assalaam o alaikum In your response you have written: ” It is widely reported that the Prophet prayed with his hands folded, however, he did not discourage anyone from not folding their hands. ” It would be a great help to produce a couple of reliable references which prove that the Prophet (pbuh) never discouraged anyone from keeping their hands unfolded. Shia sources may not work here for they are a party in this dispute. Secondly, you admit that it is widely reported that the Prophet (pbuh) prayed while keeping his arms folded then what would be the legitimate excuse to abandon this practice for an alternative?
Answer
The fact that the Prophet (pbuh) did not strictly define the position of hands during Qiyaam, allows us leverage in this practice. Whatever has been reported in this connection is the general practice of the Prophet (pbuh), which does not by itself prohibit variations in this placement of hands.