Is Moving The Finger Specific To The Tashahhud, Or Is It Also Sunnah Between The Two Prostrations? What Is The Correct Way To Move The Finger?

Question: Is moving the finger specific to the tashahhud, or is it also sunnah between the two prostrations? what is the correct way to move the finger?

Summary:

The established Sunnah from the Prophet ﷺ is to point with the index finger and move it during the Tashahhud, in the first and final Tashahhud, depending on the prayer. In the four-rakah prayers and Maghrib, this is done in both Tashahhuds, while in two-rakah prayers such as Fajr and voluntary prayers, it is done in the final Tashahhud. As for between the two prostrations, it has not been established in any clear, authentic hadith that the Prophet ﷺ used to move his index finger. Therefore, what appears closest to the correct view is to restrict moving it to the Tashahhud. As for the manner of moving it: the fingers of the right hand are closed, the index finger is pointed toward the Qiblah, and it is moved slightly from the beginning of the Tashahhud until the Taslim, without exaggeration or visibly raising and lowering it. This is the view preferred by Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله.

Answer:

First: The Basis Is to Follow the Manner in Which the Prophet ﷺ Prayed

From the Qur'an:

[Al-Ahzab: 21]
“Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example.”

From the Sunnah:

Narrated by al-Bukhari.The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Pray as you have seen me praying.”
Therefore, the basic principle regarding the manner of the prayer is that we restrict ourselves to what has been authentically established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

Second: The Establishment of Pointing With the Index Finger During the Tashahhud This has been established in multiple authentic hadiths.

From the Sunnah:

Narrated by Muslim.It has been authentically reported from Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنهما:
“When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat supplicating, he would place his right hand on his right thigh... and he would point with his index finger.”
This hadith is clear and authentic evidence for the basis of pointing with the index finger during the Tashahhud.

Third: The Evidence for Moving the Index Finger. Pointing with the index finger during the Tashahhud is established, and moving it has also been established.

From the Sunnah:

Narrated by al-Nasai, Ahmad, and al-Darimi, and authenticated by Shaykh al-Albani in Sahih al-Nasai and Asl Sifat Salat al-Nabi ﷺ.Wail ibn Hujr رضي الله عنه said while describing the Tashahhud of the Prophet ﷺ.
The clearest report regarding moving it is the hadith of Wail ibn Hujr رضي الله عنه concerning the Tashahhud of the Prophet ﷺ. After mentioning his sitting, he said: “Then he raised his finger, and I saw him moving it while supplicating with it.”
This is a clear text concerning moving the index finger, rather than merely raising it and pointing with it. As for the narration, “and he did not move it,” Shaykh al-Albani ruled that this addition is irregular or rejected, and he preferred the narration affirming movement: “And I saw him moving it while supplicating with it.” In conclusion, pointing with the index finger is established without issue, and moving it during the Tashahhud is established in the hadith of Wail ibn Hujr, which al-Albani authenticated.

Fourth: When Does the Movement Begin and When Does It End? Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله stated that the movement begins from the start of sitting for the Tashahhud and continues until the end of the Tashahhud and the Taslim.

From the Scholars:

He رحمه الله said while explaining the hadith of Wail:
“This is an explicit text indicating that the movement began from the moment he ﷺ sat for the Tashahhud, continuing with the movement until the supplication, because he said: ‘supplicating with it.’” [In the fatwa, What Is the Ruling on Pointing With the Index Finger During the Tashahhud and What Is Its Manner?]
Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله said regarding continuing the movement:
“He would move it, continuing to move it until the end of the Tashahhud; that is, until the Taslim.” [Shaykh al-Albani’s statement concerning when moving the index finger begins and ends]
Accordingly, the movement is not restricted to saying, “La ilaha illa Allah,” nor to the name of Allah, nor to specific places within the supplication, because no authentic evidence has been established specifying it in this manner. Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله also explicitly stated that restricting the movement to the mention of the name of Allah is an opinion that has no basis in the Sunnah or in any report from a Companion.

Fifth: How Should the Index Finger Be Moved? What is established in the hadith is the statement of Wail رضي الله عنه: “And I saw him moving it while supplicating with it.” As for specifying a particular speed for the movement, no hadith has been established concerning this. Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله explained that what is meant is moving the index finger while directing it toward the Qiblah. It does not mean that the worshipper should repeatedly and visibly raise and lower his finger.

From the Scholars:

Regarding this raising and lowering, he said:
“This has no basis.” [Shaykh al-Albani’s explanation of how the index finger is moved]
He also said, when asked about the extent and intensity of the movement, that no particular type of movement has been specified in the Sunnah. Rather, the hadith mentions movement in unrestricted terms, so it remains unrestricted. [Al-Albani’s statement concerning the extent of moving the index finger] Accordingly, the preferred manner is to raise the index finger, direct it toward the Qiblah, and move it slightly in its place without exaggerating in raising and lowering it, continuing in this manner until the Taslim.

Sixth: Is the Index Finger Moved Between the Two Prostrations? What is explicitly established in the authentic hadiths is moving the index finger while sitting for the Tashahhud. The hadith of Wail ibn Hujr رضي الله عنه, in which he said: “Then he raised his finger, and I saw him moving it while supplicating with it,” was reported in the context of the Prophet ﷺ sitting for the Tashahhud. Therefore, what appears closest to the correct view is to restrict it to the position in which the Sunnah has been established, which is the Tashahhud. As for sitting between the two prostrations, it is not Sunnah to move the index finger because no clear, authentic hadith has been established indicating that the Prophet ﷺ used to move it in this position. This is also the safer approach regarding the manner of the prayer, because it is an act of worship founded upon following the Sunnah. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Pray as you have seen me praying.” Seventh: The Places Where the Finger Is Moved in the Prayers Based on this: In Dhuhr, Asr, and Isha prayers, the index finger is moved during the first Tashahhud and then during the final Tashahhud. In Maghrib prayer, it is moved during the first Tashahhud and then during the final Tashahhud. In Fajr prayer, it is moved during the final Tashahhud, because this is its only Tashahhud. In two-rakah voluntary prayers, it is moved during the Tashahhud at the end of the prayer. The concise principle is: whenever the worshipper sits for the Tashahhud, it is prescribed for him to point with his index finger and move it until the Taslim. Sitting between the two prostrations is not included in this. Conclusion: Moving the index finger is an established Sunnah during the Tashahhud, based on the hadith of Wail ibn Hujr رضي الله عنه: “And I saw him moving it while supplicating with it.” Shaykh al-Albani authenticated this hadith. The preferred view according to Shaykh al-Albani رحمه الله is that the worshipper begins pointing and moving the index finger from the beginning of sitting for the Tashahhud and continues until the Taslim. He moves it slightly while directing it toward the Qiblah and does not exaggerate in raising and lowering it, because this manner has not been established in the Sunnah. As for between the two prostrations, it is not Sunnah to move the index finger, because the clear and authentic hadiths, rather, doing so is closer to an innovation, only establish this during the Tashahhud. The basic principle regarding the manner of the prayer is to stop at what has been established from the Prophet ﷺ without adding anything to it. The Full Text of Shaykh al-Albani’s Statement Regarding the Ruling and Manner of Pointing With the Index Finger

And Allah knows best.

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Is Moving The Finger Specific To The Tashahhud, Or Is It Also Sunnah Between The Two Prostrations? What Is The Correct Way To Move The Finger?

Summary:

From the Qur'an:

From the Sunnah:

From the Sunnah:

From the Sunnah:

From the Scholars:

From the Scholars:

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