To what extent is it true to say that letting the arms hang loose (sadl) in prayer may be a more accurate application of the Sunnah than clasping them (qabd), based on the fact that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, always chose what was easier, and that the permissibility of both clasping and letting the arms hang loose is an inferred ijtihaad not fundamentally rejected?

The prayer is valid whether the worshiper clasps their hands or lets them hang, as clasping is a Sunnah (recommended act) and not an obligation. The statement that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, never had a choice between two matters except that he chose the easier one, is incorrect. The correct approach is for a Muslim to follow what has been authentically reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Authentic hadiths have been narrated from Wāʾil ibn Ḥujr, Sahl ibn Saʿd, and Ibn Masʿūd, indicating the Sunnah of placing the right hand over the left in prayer. The omission of mentioning this Sunnah in the hadith of the one who prayed badly does not negate its desirability, because that hadith was limited to mentioning the obligatory acts. Those who argue against its permissibility relied on this, but their argument is refutable. In conclusion, there is no doubt about the permissibility of placing the right hand over the left in prayer. More than twenty hadiths have been reported regarding this, and the hadith about choosing between two matters has no relation to this issue.