The ruling on pointing with the index finger at verses of the Names and Attributes during prayer
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
This questioner says: Pointing with the hand on the chest with the index finger when hearing verses of the Names and Attributes. I do this, but I am hesitant about it. Is it part of the Sunnah or not?
The Shaykh:
I do not know of any basis for it; we do not know of any basis for it. Rather, a person submits, listens, and benefits, with his hands on his chest, his right hand over his left palm, wrist, and forearm. This is the Sunnah, and he does not point with anything.
The questioner:
May Allah welcome you. To complete his question, or the second questioner’s, he said: And likewise in the obligatory prayer when hearing the verses?
The Shaykh:
No, not in the obligatory prayer nor in the voluntary prayer; he does not point with anything. Yes. Mm.
The questioner:
He says: Does the one praying behind the imam do what the one praying voluntarily does, asking for Paradise and seeking refuge from the Fire, or not?
The Shaykh:
Yes.
The questioner:
He says: And likewise in the obligatory prayer when hearing the verses, does the one praying behind the imam do what the one praying voluntarily does, asking for Paradise and seeking refuge from the Fire?
The Shaykh:
Yes, if the imam stops to ask, he asks as well; there is no harm in it. Because when he was reciting during his night prayer, if he passed verses of supplication, he would supplicate; if they were verses of glorification, he would glorify; if they were verses of seeking refuge, he would seek refuge. The light is like this in this state. Yes. And... The Sunnah in the illness is no; he continues. It is not recorded that our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stopped in the illness.
This questioner says: Pointing with the hand on the chest with the index finger when hearing verses of the Names and Attributes. I do this, but I am hesitant about it. Is it part of the Sunnah or not?
The Shaykh:
I do not know of any basis for it; we do not know of any basis for it. Rather, a person submits, listens, and benefits, with his hands on his chest, his right hand over his left palm, wrist, and forearm. This is the Sunnah, and he does not point with anything.
The questioner:
May Allah welcome you. To complete his question, or the second questioner’s, he said: And likewise in the obligatory prayer when hearing the verses?
The Shaykh:
No, not in the obligatory prayer nor in the voluntary prayer; he does not point with anything. Yes. Mm.
The questioner:
He says: Does the one praying behind the imam do what the one praying voluntarily does, asking for Paradise and seeking refuge from the Fire, or not?
The Shaykh:
Yes.
The questioner:
He says: And likewise in the obligatory prayer when hearing the verses, does the one praying behind the imam do what the one praying voluntarily does, asking for Paradise and seeking refuge from the Fire?
The Shaykh:
Yes, if the imam stops to ask, he asks as well; there is no harm in it. Because when he was reciting during his night prayer, if he passed verses of supplication, he would supplicate; if they were verses of glorification, he would glorify; if they were verses of seeking refuge, he would seek refuge. The light is like this in this state. Yes. And... The Sunnah in the illness is no; he continues. It is not recorded that our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stopped in the illness.
Source
فتاوى الحج ١٤١٠ هـ - ١٤ — archive.org (56:33)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.