Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Why do we kiss our fingers after Tasbeeh or after uttering the name of Imam Tayyab or after Bismillah. I have not noticed this practice by other sects.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Why do we kiss our fingers after doing Tasbih?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Kissing of the fingers after tasbeeh, or after uttering a particular name, or after saying ‘Bismillah’ is not from the teachings and guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws). He (saws) never kissed his fingers while taking any name or saying anything, and if we indeed wish to follow the tradition and way of the Messenger of Allah (saws), then we should do the same.

Never did the Prophet (saws), nor his noble ahle-bayt, nor his noble companions, nor his noble and chaste wives, etc. every kissed their hands while saying Tasbeeh, or ‘Bismillah’ or any particular name of a individual. And the biggest evidence of the Prophet (saws) not kissing his fingers while taking the name ‘Tayyeb’ is that the supposed Imam Tayyeb was born hundreds of years after the death of the Prophet (saws); thus this practice of kissing the hand when taking the name ‘Tayyeb’ must have been invented and innovated by some people hundreds of years after the death of the Prophet (saws).

Our duty is to follow the guidance and teachings of Allah and His Messenger (saws), and if something is done in the deen of Islam without authority from Allah and His Messenger (saws), it is called a ‘bidah’ (innovation) and every bidah must be immediately rejected.

It has been reported by Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (r.a.) that the Prophet of Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by Allah, by His angels, and by all the people.”

It has been reported by Jabir ibn Abdullah (r.a.) in another authentic narration that the Prophet of Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil affairs are the innovations, and every innovation is an error.”

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan