Moving the finger in tashahud

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Moving the finger in tashahud

Question: Assalamu alaikum

I have query regarding the raising of finger in tashhajud , when we recite attaiyyat... When and how the finger should move ?

Like in hanafis they raise and then bring down the finger and In ahle hadees they keep moving their finger till the time they finish the prayer with taslim!

I need to know what is close to the perfection or right to be done with references.

Answer wa alakium sallam dear brother

The scholars have differed on this issue:

1 – The Hanafis say that the finger should be raised when saying “Laa (no)” in the phrase “Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (I bear witness that there is no god except Allaah)” and it should be lowered when saying, “ill-Allaah (except Allaah).”

2 – The Shaafa'is say that it should be raised when saying “ill-Allaah.”

3 – The Maalikis say that it should be moved right and left until one finishes the prayer.

4 – The Hanbalis say that one should point with the finger when saying the name of Allaah, without moving it.

Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

There is no basis for any of these definitions and manners in the Sunnah. The closest of them to the correct view is the Hanbali view, were it not that they limited raising the finger to when saying the name of Allaah.

[Tamaam al-Minnah, p. 223]

- Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al Uthaymeen (rahimahuAllaah) explains the evidences:

Muslim (580) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar said: When he – meaning the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – sat during the prayer, he would place his right hand on his right thigh and clench all his fingers, and point with the finger that is next to the thumb, and he would place his left hand on his left thigh.

According to a report narrated by Muslim from Ibn 'Umar, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat during the prayer, he would put his hands on his thighs and raise the finger of his right hand that is next to the thumb, and make du'aa’ with it, and his left hand would be resting on his left thigh.

Al-Nasaa'i (1273) narrated that Sa’d said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) passed by me whilst I was making du'aa’ with my fingers and he said, “One, one,” and pointed with his index finger. Meaning: point with one finger, namely the index finger.

Ahmad (5964) narrated that Naafi’ said: When 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar sat during the prayer, he would put his hands on his thighs and point with his finger whilst looking at it. Then he said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “It is harder on the Shaytaan than iron,” meaning the index finger. This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), p. 159.

These ahaadeeth indicate two things:

1 – That one should point with the finger throughout the entire Tashahhud

2 – That one should move it when making du'aa’.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) explained the phrases narrated for the du'aa’ in the Tashahhud. He said:
Every time you make du'aa’ then move your finger towards upwards towards the One upon Whom you are calling, so we say:

Al-salaamu 'alayka ayyuha'l-Nabiyyu (Peace be upon you O Prophet) – you should point your finger whilst reciting this because the salaam is a kind of du'aa’.

Al-salaamu 'alayna (peace be upon us) – point your finger.

Allaahumma salli 'ala Muhammad (O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad) – point your finger.
Allaahumma baarik 'ala Muhammad (O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad) – point your finger.
A'oodhu Billaaih min 'adhaaib Jahannam (I seek refuge with Allaah from the torment of Hell) – point your finger.

Wa min 'adhaab il-qabr (and from the torment of the grave) – point your finger.

Wa min fitnat il-mahyaa wa'l-mamaat (and from the trials of life and death) – point your finger.
Wa min fitnat il-maseeh il-dajjaal (and from the trial of the Dajjaal) – point your finger.
Every time you make du'aa’ point upwards towards the One upon Whom you are calling. This is closer to the Sunnah.

End of quotation from al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 3/202

Shaikh Muqbil bin Haadee Al-Waadi'ee (rahimahullaah) on moving the finger for tashahud
This was the position of Shaikh Muqbil bin Haadee Al-Waadi'ee (rahimahullaah) - i.e. that the finger is NOT moved during the tashahhud, rather one only points with it without moving it. The issue of difference revolves around a single hadeeth reported by Waa'il bin Hujr.

Shaikh Muqbil discusses it in As-Saheehul-Musnad mimmaa laysa fis-Saheehayn, vol.2, pg.265. The narration was recorded by Ibn Maajah, and Waa'il said, “I saw the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) making a circle with his thumb and middle finger and he lifted the one that was next to them (i.e. the index finger), supplicating with it in the Tashahhud.”

Shaikh Muqbil said, “This hadeeth is Hasan (good). This hadeeth proves pointing with the finger. However, in reference to moving it, then the only one who narrated that was Zaa'idah bin Qudaamah and he has contradicted 13 narrators (who all narrated this same hadeeth from Waa'il): Bishr bin Al-Mufadhdhal with Abee Daawood, Sufyaan bin 'Uyainah with An-Nasaa'ee, Ath-Thawree with An-Nasaa'ee, 'Abdul-Waahid bin Ziyaad with Ahmad, Shu'bah with Ahmad, Zuhayr bin Mu'aawiyah with Ahmad, 'Abdullaah bin Idrees with Ibn Khuzaymah, Khaalid bin 'Abdullaah At-Tahhaan with Al-Bayhaqee, Muhammad bin Fudhayl with Ibn Khuzaymah, Abul-Ahwas Sallaam bin Sulaym with At-Tayaalisee, Aboo 'Awaanah and Gheelaan bin Jaami’ both were quoted by Al-Bayhaqee as mentioning it (i.e. this hadeeth without moving the finger), and all of them reported it from 'Aasim bin Kulayb (who narrated it from his father, from Waa'il) and none of them mentioned moving (the finger) in it.

It was also reported from the companions 'Abdullaah bin Az-Zubayr, 'Abdullaah bin 'Umar, Aboo Humayd As-Saa'idee, Aboo Hurayrah, Sa’d bin Abee Waqqaas, Ibn 'Abbaas, Khaffaaf bin Eemaa’, and all of them did not mention moving (the finger). So it is known from this that the report of Zaa'idah is strange and contradicting (Shaathth). And Allaah knows best. The detailed explanation concerning those who reported the hadeeth of these narrators who have opposed Zaa'idah, and (the hadeeths of) these companions can be seen in the research of our noble brother, Ahmad bin Sa'eed, may Allaah preserve him.”

The difference is that Shaikh Al-Albaanee considered this a case of Ziyaadatuth-Thiqah (the additional information added in a narration of one of the narrators who is reliable that is not found in the other versions of the hadeeth). This is because Al-Albaanee did not consider the additional wording, “and he would move it” as contradictory because he says that pointing does not negate movement. Shaikh Muqbil went with the basic principle that a Ziyaadah (extra added wording) that contradicts what others who were more reliable or more numerous in their number reported is Shaathth, and thus unaccepted.

sheikh Saleh al fawzan may allah be pleased with him was asked this question and the shiekh answered briefly on how to use the index finger during the tashahhud. Question and answer is as follows:

Question: O sheikh if you could please explain to me the way to do the 'sabbaabe’ (using the index finger in tashahhud).

Answer:You raise the index finger during prayer when you pronounce the name of Allah
Or when you make the du'a (supplications during tashahhud)

You raise it as a sign of tawheed (oneness of Allah)
Question:Some people oh sheikh raise and move their index finger until the end of the prayer.
Answer:Yes, that is because it is believed from some traces (hadeeth) or the likes that it must be moved and that its severe against the shaytaan
But the most correct way, and Allah knows best, is that he doesn’t move it he just raise it but doesn’t move it and that is a sign of tawheed.

SHIEKH IBN BAZ ON MOVING THE FINGER and he answered the following way

Q: A questioner says: First, I love you for the sake of Allah. Second, I want to ask Your Eminence about the ruling on moving the index finger in Salah (Prayer). Should one move it once when saying Tashahhud (testification recited in the sitting position in the second/ last unit of Prayer) or move it several times? I observe some people performing Salah moving their forefinger constantly during Tashahhud. Please, give us a Fatwa (legal opinion issued by a qualified Muslim scholar). May Allah reward you with the best!

Answer: It is Sunnah (action following the example of the Prophet) to move one’s forefinger when one sits to recite the first and last Tashahhud. One is to hold all the fingers of the right hand and point with the forefinger. Sometimes, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would hold his little finger and ring finger, put his thumb on his middle finger, and point with his forefinger during his sitting to recite Tashahhud. As for moving the forefinger, one should do so during Du`a(supplication) as reported in the Hadith:The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to move it (i.e. the index finger) upon Du`a’. Thus, one can move it slightly when supplicating: “O Allah, send Your blessings on Muhammad; I seek refuge with Allah from the torture of the Hellfire; O Allah! Help me to remember You,” and the like Du`a’ that one can say before Taslim (salutation of peace ending the Prayer). One should move one’s forefinger slightly at each Du`a’ as stated in the Sunnah (whatever is reported from the Prophet). May Allah, for Whose Sake you love me, love you! May Allah make us out of those loving one another for His Sake!

dear brother based on the following evidences moving the finger in tashahud ( shiekh albanis position is correct based on the hassan hadeeth of Ahmad (5964) narrated that Naafi’ said: When 'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Umar sat during the prayer, he would put his hands on his thighs and point with his finger whilst looking at it. Then he said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “It is harder on the Shaytaan than iron,” meaning the index finger. This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), p. 159.

And keeping the finger straight when saying the tashahud (shiekh muqbils position) is also correct based on a saheeh hadeeth as mentioned above there is no harm in alternating between the two reported positions as both are correct and if one decides to choose either position over the other then there is no harm in that

In conclusion we would like to mention here Shiekh albanis (rahimullah) method for grading hadeeths as a reminder for our followers

and say the following: al-Albaanee never grades a hadith without someone preceding him in it. So if he grades something weak, a scholar of Hadeeth before him would have done the same. Therefore if Shaykh al-Albaanee is accused of a mistake, then whoever Shaykh al-Albaanee followed for example, al-Dhahabi, Imaam Ahmad, Ishaaq ibn Rahaawiyah, Yahya Ibn Ma'een etc will also be accused of that mistake.-

Allah knows best