Question Summary:
Bishr bin Marwan’s khutbah…What do we understand from this hadeeth? Is there any sunnah or mustahab acts from this hadeeth?

Question Detail:

‘Umaarah ibn Ru’aybah saw Bishr ibn Marwaan on the minbar raising his hands (Abu Dawood added: when he was making dua’a on Friday), and he said,
 
“May Allah make these two hands ugly. I saw the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) doing no more than this with his hand,” and he gestured with his forefinger.

What do we understand from this hadeeth? Is there any sunnah or mustahab acts from this hadeeth?

Answer :

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Bishr bin marwan was delivering the Friday Khutbah and was raising both his hands as a lecturer would do. Umarah (Radiyallaahu anhu) was present for the Khutbah and objected to the action of Bishr. Umarah (Radiyallaahu anhu) states that he witnessed Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) delivering the Khutbah; however he did not raise both his hands, rather at most he would indicate by lifting his index finger.
 
The purport of this incident is that to indicate and lift both the hands in Khutbah is against the Sunna and way of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam). At most, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) would raise his index finger. If a person raises both his hands in Khutbah, it would be Makruh. Therefore, both the hands should not be raised in Khutbah. (Bazl Al-Majhuud, vol 2, pg 185, Maktaba Qasmiyya)