WOMEN SCHOLARS IN ISLAM (PART 1 OF 2)

The title of this article might surprise many people.  The reader might expect to find a short list of women, perhaps the wives of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, or a smattering of the daughters of great Muslim male scholars.  That however is just not the reality; the entire fourteen hundred years of Islamic history is crowded with women scholars.  And they were not only teaching women, they were teaching men.

Although it is sometimes overlooked, Islam gave women rights they had never had before, and that included the right to an education.  The modern world seems to have forgotten that women hold a treasured place in Islam, and it is certainly not because they require constant guidance and direction.  Prophet Muhammad taught that gender made no difference to a person’s worth.  Male and female, he said, have the same rights and duties to learn and to teach.  Both men and women should learn and pass on the words of the Quran and the Sunnah[1]. 

We know that the subjugation of women is not the result of Islamic teaching, quite the contrary Islam empowered women but somewhere along the timeline of history the rights of women have been eroded to a point where they now have to struggle to find space in the mosques.  How can that be when our history shows nothing but respect of women’s rights, abilities and opinions? Aisha the daughter of Abu Bakr and wife of Prophet Muhammad contributed more than 2000 hadith[2]  to humankind.  Umar ibn al-Khattab, the third Caliph[3], appointed a woman, Shifa bint Abdullah, as the administrator of the Medina market.

Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi from the Cambridge Islamic College has recently published his ground-breaking research on the female scholars in the field of hadith.  His research spanned a period of 15 years and resulted in a 57-volume work detailing and analyzing the biographies of over 9000 female scholars from the time of Prophet Muhammad until today.  He has said in several interviews that he hopes to encourage women to pursue education and knowledge.  And sadly, he found it necessary to remind men that women’s scholarship will never recover to its previous levels if men do not relearn how to respect women.

In 7th century Arabia women had few if any rights.  In just twenty-three years Prophet Muhammad turned everything around and founded a society based on clear principles and justice for all.  No person was better than another except by virtue of their piety.  In the 21st century humankind has done its best to subjugate women to a point that in some countries their lives are little different from pre-Islamic Arabia.  "The disempowerment of Muslim women is a major reason for the retrogression of many Muslim societies", says Dr. Umar Farooq Abdallah in his paper titled "Living Islam with Purpose." He goes on to say that "Muslim women excelled as leaders, poets, scholars, philanthropists, spiritual guides, and in other capacities.  Renewal of their legacy is essential for the future of Muslim communities everywhere." Therefore, in light of these wise words let us examine the lives of some of the women scholars of the past and reflect on their achievements. 

Aisha bint Abu Bakr (d. 678 CE)

Apart from being the young and beloved wife of Prophet Muhammad, Aisha is also remembered as a scholar of hadith and jurisprudence, an educator, and an orator.  The women of her time always went to her with their questions.  She was an intelligent person with a good memory and is credited with narrating over 2000 hadith, and she was also known as a great interpreter of the Quran.  Aisha’s mind was said to be sharp and her judgment excellent.  After Prophet Muhammad’s death she continued to teach and had more than 200 students.  Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Caliph, frequently asked her advice. 

Rubiyya bint Muawidh (7th century CE)

Rubbiya’s entire family was killed during the Battle of Uhud.  However, she lived on to become a great narrator of hadith.  Her narrations can be found in the books of Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Majah, and others.  She narrated how the Prophet performed ablution after actually witnessing his performance of the ritual.  Other companions would go to learn from her despite the fact so many men were present in Medina at the time.  She was regarded as the foremost expert, and her students included Abdullah ibn Abbas and his father, the great Quranic commentator. 

Amra bint Abdur Rahman (d. 710 CE)

Amra was amongst the greatest scholars from the generation that came after Prophet Muhammad and his companions.  She was a student of Aisha bint Abi Bakr, the wife of Prophet Muhammad, becoming well-known as a jurist giving Islamic rulings (fatwas) and a hadith specialist.  The Caliph Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (d. 720 CE) said, "If you want to learn hadith go to Amra." Imam Zuhri, who is believed to have compiled the first systematically edited collection of hadith said, "Go to Amra, she is the vast vessel of hadith."

Umm al-Darda Hujayma bint Ḥuyayy al-Sughra (d. around 700 CE)

Umm al-Darda was one of the leading Muslim scholars of the second generation after the Prophet Muhammad.  She was an important hadith transmitter, teacher, jurist and an expert on the Quran.  She met and transmitted hadith from Aisha (beloved wife of Prophet Muhammad) and other companions of the Prophet including, Salman al-Farsi and Abu Hurayrah.  After living for most of her life in Medina, she moved to Damascus where she taught hundreds of students, both male and female, and many of them went on to become respected scholars in their own right.  One of her students Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan would eventually become the Caliph. 

Aisha ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Qadim (d. 1009 CE)

Aisha was one of the most learned scholars of the late 10th century.  Almost all the information about her life comes from biographical dictionaries composed by Andalusian scholars between the 12th and 14th centuries CE.  The fact that she was still remembered and documented long after her death adds to her prestige.  The following is an overview of her life according to Ibn Bashkuwal (d. 1183 CE): She was from Cordoba.  The famous historian Ibn Hayyan (d.1076 CE) made mention of her and said, "There was none in the entire Iberian peninsula in her era that could be compared with her in terms of knowledge, excellence, literary skill, poetic ability, eloquence, virtue, purity, generosity, and wisdom.  She would often write tributes in praise of the kings of her era and would give speeches in their court.  She was a very skilled calligrapher and copied many manuscripts of the Quran and other books.  She was an avid collector of books, of which she had a very large amount [sic], and was very concerned with the pursuit of knowledge…" -islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]Sunnah refers to the teachings and way of life of Prophet Muhammad.

[2]Hadith is a narrative record of the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad and his companions.  They are transmitted through chains of narration.  From this person, back to the next person, until we reach back to Prophet Muhammad or one of his companions.

[3]The title Caliph refers to the chief Muslim religious and civil ruler, regarded as the successor of Prophet Muhammad.

Importance of Knowing the Narrators of Hadeeth

The narrators of Hadeeth are the most honourable and respectable Muslims, as they are keepers and preservers of Sunnah. Most of them are the companions of the Prophet who witnessed the acts and learnt the sayings of the Prophet . Others are the successors of the companions. Who were blessed by Allah and they are highly respected by all Muslims. They are shinning stars of Islam.

Their hearts were free from worldly desires. Reading their biographies will increase love and devotion towards them and develop more interest to be faithful and obedient in the heart of the Muslim who reads their biography.

Allah Almighty Says (what means): "Verily, We have sent down the Reminder, and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)." [Quran; 15:9] The above promise made by Allah is obviously fulfilled in the undisputed purity of the Quranic text throughout the fourteen centuries since its revelation.

However, what is often forgotten by many Muslims is that the above divine promise also includes, by necessity, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad  for it is the practical example of the implementation of the Quranic guidance, the Wisdom taught to the Prophet  along with the Scripture, and neither the Quran nor the Sunnah can be understood correctly without recourse to the other.

Allah preserved the Sunnah by enabling the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and their followers, may Allah have mercy on them, to memorize, write down and pass on the statements of the Messenger of Allah  and the descriptions of his way, as well as to continue the blessings of practicing the Sunnah. Later, as the purity of the knowledge of the Sunnah became threatened, Allah caused the Muslim nation to produce outstanding individuals of incredible memory-skills and analytical expertise, who journeyed tirelessly to collect hundreds of thousands of narrations and distinguish the true words of precious wisdom of their Messenger  from those corrupted by weak memories, from forgeries by unscrupulous liars, and from the statements of the enormous number of scholars, the Companions and those who followed their way, who had taught in various centers of learning and helped to transmit the legacy of Muhammad  - all of this achieved through precise attention to the words narrated and detailed familiarity with the biographies of the thousands of reporters of Hadeeth. Action being the best way to preserve teachings, the scholars of Islam also revived the practice of the blessed authentic Sunnah.

Unfortunately, however, statements will continue to be attributed to the Prophet  although the person quoting them may have no idea what the people of knowledge in the field of Hadeeth science have ruled regarding those hadeeths, thus ironically being in danger of contravening the Prophet's  widely-narrated stern warnings about attributing incorrect/unsound statements to him.

The methodology of the expert scholars of Hadeeth in assessing narrations and sorting out the genuine from the mistaken, fabricated etc., forms the subject-matter of a wealth of material left to us by the scholars of Hadeeth (traditionists).

A Hadeeth is composed of two parts: the Matn (text) and the Isnaad (chain of reporters). A text may seem to be logical and reasonable but it needs an authentic Isnaad with reliable reporters to be acceptable. 'Abdullaah Ibn Al-Mubaarak  (d. 181 AH), one of the illustrious teachers of Imaam Al-Bukhari  said: "The Isnaad is part of the religion, had it not been for the Isnaad, then people would have claimed whatever they wished."

Among the sciences of Hadeeth is the study of the chain of reporters (the Isnaad). Many Muslim scholars have specialized in this field. It includes identifying the name of each and every narrator (reporter), his character (his truthfulness, piety, public behavior), his ability and reputation as a memorizer and the types of narrations he is known to report, whether authentic, weak, fabricated, etc. In addition, each narrator should be identified by a rating given by other narrators who knew him. So all of these and many other details must be considered to know the degree to which a Hadeeth may be used as a basis for Islamic belief or practice (Sharee’ah), or merely as a point of interest (not to be attributed to the sayings, etc. of the Prophet ).

After the Book of Allah (The Quran), the books of Hadeeth collection that were collected by Imaams Bukhari and Muslim  are considered by the Muslim scholars to be the most authentic books of Hadeeth. However, there are other famous scholars in the field who compiled books of Hadeeth such as; Abu Daawood (d.275), At-Tirmithi (d. 279), An-Nasaa’i (d. 303) and others .  -islamweb.net

THE STORY OF ABDUR-RAHMAN IBN AWF

Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf was born around 580 CE and lived for about 75 years.  He was born into a family in the Banu Zuhura clan, part of the tribe of Quraish.  The mother of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon him, Aminah, was also from this clan thus genealogists tell us that Abdur-Rahman was a fourth cousin to Prophet Muhammad.  When Abdur-Rahman died he left an inheritance of what would today amount to over six million British pounds, and he is often remembered because of this great wealth.  However, although he was a hugely successful businessman, he did not let his wealth control him.   Abdur-Rahman was motivated by his love of God, His Messenger Prophet Muhammad, and the religion of Islam, and thus he used his wealth wisely assuring that it would benefit Islam and that God would be pleased with his efforts.

Abdur-Rahman was one of the close companions of Prophet Muhammad and his life story is certainly one worth studying and emulating.  He was one of the first eight people to accept Islam.[1]  He was one of the first five people to embrace Islam at the urging of Abu Bakr, only two days after Abu Bakr himself accepted Islam.  Abdur-Rahman is one of the ten men given the glad tidings of Paradise from Prophet Muhammad himself.[2]  And his remarkable character continued to inspire those around him even after Prophet Muhammad’s death.  He was one of the first three people to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr when he became the leader of the Muslim nation and one of six people chosen by Umar ibn al-Khattab to be in the shura council to choose the leader after his death.

Little is known of Abdur-Rahman’s early life.  He was born approximately ten years after Prophet Muhammad, and we know that his family was not poor.   At the time of his conversion to Islam he was a trader, travelling regularly to Yemen.  Perhaps even then he had established the skills he needed to acquire his great wealth.  It was whilst travelling in Yemen that Abdur-Rahman met an old man who spoke to him about a prophecy predicting the rise of a man calling to the end of idolatry.  Thus, when he returned to Mecca and heard Abu Bakr talking about Muhammad’s claim to prophethood he converted immediately. 

This was a time when very few people knew about the new religion, and the famous House of Arqam, where Prophet Muhammad taught a secret group of believers, had not yet been established.   Thus Abdur-Rahman had his faith honed and polished from the very beginning, and it was at this time that Prophet Muhammad changed his name from Abdu Amru, a name representative of idolatry, to Abdur-Rahman meaning slave of the Most Gracious.  Abdur-Rahman has been described as light skinned, tall, with lots of hair that he tied at the back of his head in a knot, as was the custom of the time. 

Although an established trader Abdur-Rahman also suffered under the severe persecution the Meccan elite imposed upon the early believers.  Thus, when Prophet Muhammad sent a group of people to seek refuge in Abyssinia Abdur-Rahman was among them.  After hearing the news that life in Mecca had begun to improve Abdur-Rahman returned to Mecca to find the persecution and oppression was ongoing, thus he was among the believers that migrated to Madina.  Most had to stealthily and quickly leave Madina and Abdur-Rahman, like many others, left with only the clothes on his back and what he could carry easily. 

Once in Madina, Prophet Muhammad set about uniting the two groups of Muslims, those who emigrated and those who were residents of Madina.  He paired them up, a man from Mecca with a man from Madina, and they became as close as blood brothers.  They shared everything, and since those in Madina had more of everything they became known as the Helpers.  Abdur-Rahman was paired with Saad ibn Ar-Rabi.  Saad was a very wealthy man and even offered Abdur-Rahman half his business empire that included successful orchards.  Abdur-Rahman thanked him and supplicated for him profusely but did not accept.  Instead he asked to be directed to the marketplace.[3] Within a very short space of time Abdur-Rahman had established himself as a successful business entrepreneur and is known to have said that if he picked up a rock it would not have surprised him to find gold or silver.

Abdur-Rahman was soon an extraordinarily wealthy man.  However, he did not let the wealth corrupt him.  Due to his closeness to Prophet Muhammad Abdur-Rahman’s understanding of Islam was very profound.  He was generous to a fault and knew that by giving away his wealth he was pleasing God and multiplying his riches.  By following the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, he helped people secretly and openly.  He knew his entrepreneurial skills were gifts from God and it made him happy to be able to share his wealth.

He is known to have given 2000 dinars to subsidize an expeditionary force, and at many other times, for the sake of God and for the benefit of Islam, he gave freely.  He used his wealth at different times for different purposes; examples of his generosity include donating 400 ounces of gold, 500 camels and 500 horses.  He also freed groups of slaves and donated 400 dinars each to the survivors of the Battle of Badr.   Abdur-Rahman did not neglect his other duties because of his businesses.  He participated in all the battles and skirmishes and was one of the men severely wounded at Uhud, after which he forever walked with a limp.[4]  The last battle that Prophet Muhammad took part in was at Tabuk and it was there that Abdur-Rahman was given an honor never before bestowed upon anyone else.  It was the time for prayer and Prophet Muhammad was not there so the believers chose Abdur-Rahman to lead them.  During the prayer Prophet Muhammad arrived and took a position behind Abdur-Rahman. 

After Prophet Muhammad died Abdur-Rahman continued to amass wealth and took it upon himself to look after the Mothers of the Believers (the widows of Prophet Muhammad).  He provided for their living expenses, financed their pilgrimages to Mecca and left an orchard worth 400,000 dinars to be distributed amongst them.[5] At the end of his life, even though he had been given the good news of Paradise, Abdur-Rahman wept worried that he had been given his reward in this life rather than in the next.  He was a generous and selfless man dedicated to God, Prophet Muhammad and Islam, and was constantly aware that wealth, not properly utilized, could easily lead to corruption and an eternal downfall. -islamreligion.com

FOOTNOTES:

[1]Seerah of Mohammad by Ibn Ishaq.

[2]At-Tirmidhi.

[3]Saheeh Bukhari.

[4]Ibid.

[5]Ibid.

The Prophet's acts of worship during Hajj -II

4- Heeding Allah's hudood (limits)

Heeding Allah's limits is the highest degree of piety. It is an indication of true belief, and a sign of perfect submission to Allah. The Prophet  more than anyone else, was a strict observant of Allah's limits. He was the most devout of all, and used to glorify Allah's sanctities more than any one else, as was seen on many occasions during Hajj. For example, when he  offered Hady, out of consideration for his companions he did not end his Ihraam, although he ordered those who did not offer Hady to end theirs, and to perform Umrah simultaneously with the Hajj. However, having interpreted his order merely as a non-obligatory permission, they kept their Ihraam. Expressing their desire to stay in the state of Ihraam, some of them said "Do we come to 'Arafah after having sex with our wives?" Upon hearing this, the Prophet  responded: "You know for sure that I am more devout, more truthful, and more righteous than any of you. Yet, had I not offered Hady, I would have ended my state of Ihram. You, therefore, should end your state of Ihram." [Al-Bukhari]

5- His tranquility and submission to Allah

Presence of the heart, and submissiveness to Allah, Almighty, can be attained only through tranquility and strict discipline of the senses. The outer appearance in this regard, is an indication of the inner reality. In his Hajj, the Prophet  combined both elements: Firstly, he  attained a presence of the heart. Nothing could divert his attention away from his rituals, or from showing submission and humility to Allah. Standing with his hands raised close to his chest, he privately offered his supplication for extended periods of time. Secondly, all of the Prophet's  senses were full of submission and surrender to Allah, Almighty. He would walk quietly in reverence and tranquility going about his rituals. Jabir  reported: "The Prophet  performed Al-Ifadhah in tranquility." [Al-Bukhari] Ibn 'Abbas  reported that as he and the Prophet  were moving together on the Day of 'Arafah, they heard loud noises, clattering and roars of camels. The Prophet  then pointed his whip at the people and said: "Be quiet; haste is no indication of righteousness!" [At-Tirmithi]

6- Doing plenty of good deeds

Not only did the Prophet  enjoined good, he  was also keen on doing the same during the Hajj. This is manifest in his performance of all the favorable Hajj rituals. He performed Ghusl (ritual body wash) before assuming Ihram, wore perfume upon assuming and ending it, [Al-Bukhari], marked and garlanded the sacrificial animal, and frequently recited talbiyah aloud until he  had cast the Jamaratul-'Aqabah ('Aqabah Stone). [Al-Bukhari] He also started Tawaf as soon as he entered the House, [Al-Bukhari], walked briskly in Tawaf, touched the two corners of the Ka'bah, offered two Rak'ahs of Tawaf behind Maqam Ibraheem (Ibraheem's station), [Muslim], supplicated Allah on the hills of Safa and Marwah, ran in the middle of the valley, supplicated upon touching the two corners and while throwing the jamarat [Al-Bukhari]. There are many other acts that he performed.

7- His moderation and equanimity

Islam encourages moderation and censures exaggeration. In fact equanimity was the most significant attitude of the Prophet  in the Hajj. He  abhorred exaggeration—he  did neither too much nor too little. Two acts of worship can be stressed in this regard. Firstly, he  adopted a happy medium between his acts of worship [Al-Bukhari], and his responsibility as a leader of the Muslims. However, he  did not neglect his duty to his wives and his household who needed care and affection. Secondly, he  also took equal care of his body and soul. This is a very important point, as the awe-inspiring surroundings of the Hajj may compel many people to observe the spiritual and entirely forget the physical side of their being. The Prophet  however, took very good care of his body. For example, on Tarwyah Day he  moved closer to Mina in order to be near 'Arafah [Muslim]; slept during the nights of 'Arafah and Muzdalifah [Al-Bukhari]; took breakfast on the Day of 'Arafah [Al-Bukhari]; but did not offer supererogatory prayers [Muslim]. He  took shelter in a dome made from camel hair erected especially for him, moved between the sacred sites [Al-Bukhari], and performed some of the Hajj rituals riding on camelback [Muslim]. Furthermore, he even had someone who served and helped him. [Ibn Majah]

8- Renouncement of the present life

The Prophet  renounced the present life and rejected all that was not vital for the Hereafter. There are countless examples of his denunciatory attitude towards the present life. Listed are but a few:

He  used an old, shabby camel saddled with a piece of velvet hardly worth four Dirhams (silver currency). He  allowed Usamah Ibn Zayd  to ride behind him on his camel back from 'Arafah to Muzdalifah, and allowed Al-Fadhl Ibn 'Abbas  to ride behind him from Muzdalifah to Mina. [Al-Bukhari] - islamweb.net

READ PART 1 - The Prophet's acts of worship during Hajj -I

The Prophet's acts of worship during Hajj -I

Introduction

Hajj is one of the most prominent forms of worship in Islam. It is an embodiment of true following of the Prophet's example. Unfortunately, it has recently become apparent that too much emphasis is being placed upon rulings pertaining to common mistakes committed by pilgrims during Hajj, and to what validates or invalidates this major ritual. The fact that these rulings are indeed important, even necessary (since the validity of Hajj is largely contingent on them) has made people forget other equally important aspects of the Prophet's  conduct during the Hajj. As a consequence, pilgrims nowadays perform many acts that do not exactly follow his guidance.

The main aim of this article is therefore, to give an accurate account of the Prophet's  acts of worship during Hajj, with the hope that this will help those who wish to accurately follow the Prophet's  example.

The Prophet's  acts of worship during Hajj

Educating and leading the pilgrims, as well as caring for his wives and household did not prevent the Prophet  from worshipping Allah, or from showing submissiveness to Him. This attitude took various forms, and here are some of the most significant examples:

1. Realizing and enhancing Tawheed (Islamic monotheism)

Tawheed is one of the fundamental principles of Islam that the Prophet realized and fostered. This was very evident in his conduct during the Hajj as it was in his recitation of Talbiyah (saying Labbayka Allahumma labbayk), which has become the Hajj motto. It means that the act of Hajj is offered to Allah, the One, Who has no associates. The Prophet continued to recite Talbiyah from the moment he began the ritual, and until he had cast Jamratul-'Aqabah (Aqabah stone) on the Slaughter Day (i.e. 'Eed day). His Talbiyah went as follows: "Labbayka Allahumma labbayk. Labbayka la shareeka laka labbayk. Innal-hamda wan-n'imata laka wal-mulk, la shareeka lak".

Moreover, the Prophet  observed strict devotion in all his deeds. He  always asked Allah to help him avoid hypocrisy and showing-off. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that he heard the Prophet  say: "O Allah, make my Hajj (pilgrimage) free of hypocrisy and showing-off." [Muslim]

While he was on the hills of Safa and Marwah, the Prophet  supplicated to Allah as narrated by Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said, "The Prophet  began by ascending As-Safa until the Ka'bah was visible to him, then he faced Qiblah and said "La ilaha illallah, Allahu Akbar" (There is no god worthy of worship but Allah, Allah is the greatest) and repeated "La ilaha illallah." There are no associates to Him; He is the Owner of the universe, to Him we give thanks, He is the Omnipotent; there is no god worthy of worship but Allah, the One... "He repeated this three times until he reached Al-Marwah, where he did the same as he did on As-Safa." [Muslim]

The Prophet  supplicated Allah on the Day of 'Arafah saying as narrated in the authentic hadeeth, "The best invocation is performed on the Day of 'Arafah, and the best supplication ever offered by me or by previous apostles is: La ilaha illallah. There are no associates to Him; He is the Owner of the universe, to Him we give thanks, He is the Omnipotent; there is-no god but Allah, the One." [Muslim]

2. Repudiating the polytheists and insisting on acting differently from them

In many of the Hajj rituals, the Prophet  insisted on acting differently from the polytheists and on following in the footsteps of our father Ibraheem, may Allah exalt his mention. This attitude was culminated by his rejection of their actions in the sermon he delivered on the Day of 'Arafah. "All Jahiliyah (pre-Islamic) traditions are under my feet," the Prophet declared. [Muslim] Some of the most important rituals that the Prophet insisted on changing are as follows:

Talbia: The polytheists used to associate other gods with Allah when they said "Except one associate; he is yours; you own him and whatever he owns." [Al-Bukhari] The Prophet  made Tawheed (monotheism) pure, and cast away the association of other gods with Allah, repudiating such practice.

Another example of the Prophet's  insistence on acting differently from the polytheists is seen in his stopping with the pilgrims at 'Arafah, unlike the Quraysh who used to stop at Muzdalifah, saying: "We do not perform Al-Ifadah (departure) except from Haram." [Al-Bukhari]

3. His overwhelming supplication, invocation and humility to Allah

Supplication has a special status in Islam as it aims at expressing total submissiveness, surrender and humility to Allah. The Prophet  said: "Supplication is worship." [Abu Dawood] He used to per-form supplication during the Hajj more than at any other time. He would supplicate Allah, Almighty, in Tawaaf, and while standing on the hills of Safa and Marwah. He also offered lengthy supplications on the Day of 'Arafah, riding on his camel back, raising his hands close to his chest as if he were a poor man begging for sadaqah (charity). He  would remain in that condition from the moment he had chosen the spot at which he would stop after salah (prayer) and until sunset. He  also did the same at Al-Mash'ar Al-Haram (the Sacred Monument) in Muzdalifah right after he had offered the Fajr (dawn) prayer and almost until sunrise. [Al-Bukhari] On the Days of Tashreeq, and when he  had cast the first two jamarat (pebbles), he would face Qiblah, raise his hands, and start a prolonged supplication. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] -islamweb.net