Q: I am a respected young man in the community where I live. All thanks is due to Allah. After I finished studying in the local school here in Senegal, I started to call people to Allah (Exalted be He) and educate them. People welcomed this and accepted my calling them to belief in pure Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah). They started to act upon the Qur'an and Sunnah being the two basic sources of religious knowledge after they used to neglect them. However, soon they reverted to their previous state when they noticed me praying with my right hand on the left upon my chest. They thought that I am initiating an innovation in the religion of Islam. I tried by all means to convince them that this is an act of the Sunnah. I even cited religious evidence to confirm that it is an act of the Sunnah but they refused to listen to me. Is there any religious evidence indicating that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) prayed with his hands down? Shall I be serving the call if I pray with my hands down like them to call them to pure Tawhid or I should continue praying with my right hand on the left one upon my chest and not caring whether they accept Tawhid and listen to me or not? I need your advice on this for I feel very confused. May Allah reward you best!

A: The authentically reported Sunnah from Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) indicates that he used to place his right hand on the left hand upon his chest in Salah whether it was an obligatory or supererogatory Salah. However, it is not authentically reported from him (peace be upon him) that he prayed while letting his hands down. Allah (Exalted be He) says: Indeed in the Messenger of Allâh (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allâh and the Last Day, and remembers Allâh much. (Part No. 6; Page No. 371) Also, it is authentically reported from Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) that he said: Pray as you have seen me praying. At the same time, dear brother, you need to show leniency when calling your people to the Way of Allah (Exalted be He), but do not abandon the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) because your people refuse to listen to you. You should be keen to call them to the fundamentals of Islam and Iman (Faith) as well as to subsidiary religious matters with wisdom, fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Perhaps Allah (Exalted be He) will make you the reason for guiding many people.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.