Moving the Finger in Prayer

The questioner : The questioner asks: Are there any legal proofs for moving the finger in the sitting between the two prostrations?

The Shaykh : Yes, there are legal proofs. All the proofs that those who affirmed moving the fingers in the tashahhud rely on also apply to the sitting between the two prostrations. The hadith of 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr and the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar regarding the affirmation of the gesture state: "When he sat to make supplication, he would point with his finger." This is the wording of the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr: "When he sat to make supplication..." It is known that if we asked you all, "Which sitting involves supplication? Is it the tashahhud, the sitting between the two prostrations, the tashahhud alone, or both?"

The questioner : Both.

The Shaykh : Both. Every sitting is a place for supplication. In fact, the sitting between the two prostrations contains only supplication, whereas the sitting for the tashahhud contains both the tashahhud and supplication. Therefore, the sitting between the two prostrations is included in the ruling of pointing with the finger, grasping the little and ring fingers, and circling the thumb with the middle finger.
Furthermore, Imam Ahmad narrated a clear and explicit hadith from Wā'il ibn Ḥujr regarding this, in which he described the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He mentioned that he would prostrate, then sit, grasp the little and ring fingers, circle the thumb with the middle finger, and point with his index finger, then prostrate again, and continue doing so in his prayer until the end. The author of al-Fatḥ al-Rabbānī fī Tartīb al-Musnad said that its chain of narration is good. I was told that al-Arnūṭ, who wrote a commentary on Zād al-Ma'ād, said that its chain is authentic. Ibn al-Qayyim also mentioned this in Zād al-Ma'ād.
Therefore, what a person should do in the sitting between the two prostrations is the same as what he does in the tashahhud. The jurists distinguished between the two, saying that when one sits between the two prostrations, he spreads the fingers of his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh. However, in the tashahhud, he grasps the little and ring fingers, circles the thumb with the middle finger, and points with the index finger. But the requirement of the Sunnah is what we mentioned earlier. Yes.

The questioner : Shaykh, in the hadith where he moved his finger, does this apply to the sitting of rest? Yes.

The Shaykh : Yes, no, because there is no dhikr in it.

The questioner : All right.

The Shaykh : Because in that hadith, he moved it to make supplication, and the sitting of rest does not contain supplication.

The questioner : No, actually, if you sit in prayer until...

The Shaykh : If he sits in prayer, he moves his finger to make supplication with it, as the wording states.

The questioner : In the hadith, is there any mention of 'aqidah?

The Shaykh : He makes supplication with it, which qualifies the general statement. Therefore, the movement is only for supplication. As for moving it like some people who constantly move it as if they are playing with their fingers, this is not from the Sunnah. A person moves his finger to make supplication with it. Whenever he says, for example, "O Allah, forgive me," he raises it, and "have mercy on me," he raises it, because he is making supplication to He who is in the heavens (Blessed and Exalted is He), so he points. But moving it constantly, whether by rotating it or otherwise, is frivolity from which prayer is free. Why do I need...