When do you move your finger in Salah?
Posted Oct 04, 2010 by Aboo Thaabit with 8 Comments
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen writes in his book ash-Sharh al-Mumti’:
The scholars have said that you point with your index finger when there is a reason to do so. But this begs the question, what classifies as a reason?
We say, its reason is when Allaah is mentioned, but the scholars differ on when this actually is. Some say this means whenever the name of Allaah is mentioned in the Tashahud (i.e. you raise your finger everytime the name of Allaah is mentioned).
Whilst others say, it is only when the kalimah laa ilaaha illallaah is said that one raises his finger.
This is the difference between the scholars, however the Sunnah teaches us that one should raise his finger only during the time of du’aa, since the wording of the hadeeth is:
He moves it (the finger) and supplicates with it.
[Imaam Ahmad, Nasaa'ee, al-Bayhaqee and Ibn Khuzaymah]
However both moving the finger as well as not moving the finger have been reported in different hadeeths. The answer to this is easy, (and it is) that the hadeeths mentioning not moving the finger, this means moving it all the time non stop. And as for the hadeeths that mention moving the finger then this refers to moving it during the time of du’aa only.
So whenever you make du’aa move your finger, and this is closer to the Sunnah.
[ash-Sharh al-Mumti' 'ala Zaad al-Mustaqni']
Asalamu-alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
Okay so i’m a little confused.
“So whenever you make du’aa move your finger, and this is closer to the Sunnah.”
Whenever we make dua-When exactly? During salah? :S
Aren’t we supposed to move it when we say “ashhadu al laa ilaaha illa Allah” during the tashahhud?
Asslamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh!
Jazak Allahu Khair for sharing this knowledge with us.
I used to move my finger from “At-tahiyyatu Lillahi…” till the end of the dua, with interruptions. I didn’t know it was more preferred at the time of dua’3.
Sister Mehr: Dua is the part starting after Darood-e-Ibraheemi till saying Salaam. There are many authentic dua’3 to be recited at this time. (Please correct me brother if I’m wrong.)
Fe amanillah!
Assalamu Alaikum
Is it ok moving our finger when we say “ashhadu al lahilaha ….” ?
Jazakallah Khair for everything
Yes that is fine too.
I just point the finger during “ashhadu al lahilaha” and that’s it. Do i need to move it up and down?
The scholars say you should move it yes because this is how our beloved Prophet used to do.
Asalamalikum
Akhi when you say “scholars say….” – because these are fiqh issues – isnt the ikhtilaf accepted? I follow the hanafi methodology and the way taught is different…but with evidence
wa alaikum assalam
Ikhtilaaf is only accepted when there is room for it, like when the evidence is strong on both sides. But its not allowed (and this is something most people fail to grasp) when lets say a group of people have reached a conclusion based upon a weak hadith etc and the other group based their ruling upon an authentic hadith, then you have to follow the correct opinion and ikhtilaaf is no longer valid.
hope that makes sense.