Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand for the obligatory prayer, he would say Allahu Akbar and raise his hands up to the level of his shoulders. Then, when he completed his recitation and intended to bow (ruku‘), he would raise his hands in the same manner, and when he raised his head from ruku‘, he would do the same. He (peace and blessings be upon him) would not raise his hands in any part of the prayer while sitting, and when he stood up after two rak‘ahs (for the third rak‘ah), he would raise his hands in the same way and say Allahu Akbar.

Sayyiduna Amir bin Abdullah bin Zubair narrates from his father, and he says: I saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he began the prayer, he raised his hands high until he brought them above his ears.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: There are three things that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) always practiced, but people have abandoned them: When he (peace and blessings be upon him) entered the prayer, he would raise his hands spreading them out, and when bowing (ruku‘) and rising from it, he would say Allahu Akbar, and before the recitation, he would remain silent, during which he would supplicate and ask Allah for His bounty.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said the takbeer, he would raise his hands until they were level with his shoulders or close to it, and when he bowed for ruku‘ he would raise his hands, and when he raised his head from ruku‘ he would perform raf‘ al-yadayn. He would not do so in prostrations.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: Surely, raising your hands in this manner is an innovation; the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, did not raise his hands above his chest.

Sayyiduna Malik bin Huwairith (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) when he intended to bow (ruku‘), and when he raised his head from bowing, and when he raised his head from prostration, he would raise his hands until he made them level with the upper part of his ears.

It is narrated from Maymun Makki that he saw Abdullah bin Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) leading the prayer. When he would stand, bow (ruku‘), prostrate (sajda), and stand up for qiyam, he would gesture with his palms. Maymun Makki says: I went to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and said that the prayer which Ibn Zubair offers, I have not seen anyone else offering such a prayer, and then I mentioned the gestures with the hands. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: If you wish to see the prayer of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then follow the prayer of Sayyiduna Ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him).