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:

Assalamualikum,

This is something concerned with ``athahiyaat".
Some of our muslim brothers keep on moving their index finger during the "athahiyaat". It is quite distracting during the salaah. Please tell me some hadith regarding the same and also tell me wat rasoolollahi (SAW) used to do in the "athahiyaat". Please see to it that the hadith are genuine and true to your best of knowledge.

jaza` aka Allahu khairen......

Assalamualikum 

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Answer:

Moving finger in tashahud prayer

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.157

Ibn 'Umar reported that when the Prophet (saws) sat for the tashahud, he (saws) would place his left hand on his left knee and his right hand upon his right knee, and he would form a ring like (fifty-three) and point with his index finger. In another narration it is reported, "He would close his hand and point with his index finger." (Related by Muslim.)

Wa'il ibn Hajr reported that the Prophet (saws) would place his left palm on his left thigh and knee. He would place the end of his right elbow upon his right thigh and would then close his right hand, forming a circle. When reciting the ‘shahaadah’, he (saws) would make a circle with his middle finger and thumb and point with his index finger.

(Related by Ahmad.)

Reported az-Zubair, "When the Prophet (saws) sat for tashahud, he would place his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh. He would point with his index finger, and would not look beyond his pointing."

(Related by Ahmad, Muslim and anNasa'i.)

In light of the above evidence from the authentic traditions of the Messenger of Allah (saws), all the major schools of thought in Islam are unanimous in their opinion that it is a Sunnah to raise one’s index finger erect when reciting only the first part of the ‘Shahaadah’ (Ash hado an-laa ilaaha illalaah) during the recitation of tashahud in prayer.

To the best of our knowledge, there is no strong evidence in the authentic and established Sunnah either to raise the index finger continuously during the whole recitation of the tashahud, nor to keep moving the finger from the beginning of the recitation to its end. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan