Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
Yes, the prayer is still valid if you lift a hand during prostration to adjust clothing or for a brief moment, as long as it was unintentional. Minor, excusable movements do not invalidate Prayer.
Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Your prayer remains valid, even if you briefly lifted your hand during prostration to adjust your clothing. It is assumed that both hands were initially placed on the ground, and the hand was only raised momentarily before you followed the Imam in rising from prostration. Such minor, unintentional movements are excused in Islamic law.
Allah says: {He has not placed upon you in the religion any hardship.} (Al-Hajj 22:78)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also cautioned against excessive rigidity in religious matters. He said: “Woe to those who are extreme in religion.” (Muslim) And he repeated it three times.
Therefore, do not worry about such minor errors. As long as you have done your best to observe the rules of prayer, unintentional slips are pardoned by Allah’s mercy.
Deeper analysis is available in the following fatwas:
- Does Raising Fingertips in Sujud Invalidate Prayer?
- Hands or Knees First in Sujud?
- Is Wudu Required to Pray Sujud At-Tilawah?
- Is Tashahhud Required after Sujud As-Sahw?
Almighty Allah knows best.