We are writing this post to bring back the abondaned sunnah; so people may start practicing what Prophet ﷺ used to do.Although, prayer is valid (in sha’ Allāh) without raising your hands during prayer but it’s obviously more rewarding if you wish to do it (as part of getting closer to sunnah) and become forerunner to achieve greater good.
وَٱلسَّٰبِقُونَ ٱلسَّٰبِقُونَ • أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبُونَ •
And the forerunners, the forerunners. Those are the ones brought near [to Allāh] – Surah al-Waqi’a 1
Practicing Rafa’ yadain (literally means raising of two hands) during salaah is a sunnah reported in many aḥādīths
Narrated Salim bin ‘Abdullah:
My father said, “Allāh’s Apostle used to raise both his hands up to the level of his shoulders when opening the prayer, and on saying the Takbir for bowing, and on raising his head from bowing he used to do the same and then say “Sami a-l-lahu Liman hamida, Rabbana walaka-l-hamd.”, and he did not do that (i.e. raising his hands) in prostrations. – Sahih al-Bukhari 2 & Sahih Muslim 3
Similar ḥadīth has also been narrated `Ali ibn Abi Talib
Narrated Ali ibn Abu Talib
:
When the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ stood for offering the obligatory prayer, he uttered the takbir (Allāhu Akbar) and raised his hands opposite to his shoulders; and he did like that when he finished recitation (of the Qur’an) and was about to bow; and he did like that when he rose after bowing; and he did not raise his hands in his prayer while he was in his sitting position.
When he stood up from his prostrations (at the end of two rak’ahs), he raised his hands likewise and uttered the takbir (Allāh is most great) and raised his hands so as to bring them up to his shoulders, as he uttered the takbir in the beginning of the prayer. – Sunan Abu Dawood 4
Now whether you sheikh tells you to do it or not, it’s irrelevant, because you have daleel (evidence) for it and in sha’ Allāh you will get more reward for doing rafaa’ yadain