The Places of Raising the Index Finger in the Tashahhud
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
When is the index finger raised in the first and second tashahhud, and is it raised in any other positions?
The Shaykh:
It is correct that it is raised when the Name of Allah is mentioned in supplication, in the tashahhud and in du'a. It is raised when the Name of Allah is mentioned. If the Name of Allah passes in the tashahhud, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah," it is raised at the mention of the Name. Or "I seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the Hellfire"; if he says "I seek refuge in Allah" and it comes to the Name of Allah, he raises his finger. This is the place for raising the index finger when the Name of Allah passes in the tashahhud or in du'a. Yes, in order to indicate tawhid (the oneness of Allah). Yes.
Another questioner:
May Allah.
The Shaykh:
And likewise "O Allah," because it is the Name of Allah. Its origin is "Ya Allah," then the yaa was deleted and replaced with a mimm at the end. This is also the Name of Allah, and there is no harm in it. The index finger is raised at it.
In the prayer? No, specifically in the tashahhud. Raising the index finger is specifically in the tashahhud when the Name of Allah passes. As for when the Name of Allah passes while he is reciting the Qur'an in the prayer, he does not raise his hand, he does not raise his finger. In standing, he does not raise his finger, nor in prostration, nor in bowing, except in the tashahhud sitting. And he does not raise the index finger in the sitting between the two prostrations? Only for the tashahhud. This is what the evidence has come regarding.
The issue of moving it or not moving it is easy in this matter. If he moves it, there is no harm, and if he does not move it, there is no harm, because there is a narration that he moves it, and there is a narration that he does not move it. So the result is that the matter is broad in this.
When is the index finger raised in the first and second tashahhud, and is it raised in any other positions?
The Shaykh:
It is correct that it is raised when the Name of Allah is mentioned in supplication, in the tashahhud and in du'a. It is raised when the Name of Allah is mentioned. If the Name of Allah passes in the tashahhud, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah," it is raised at the mention of the Name. Or "I seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the Hellfire"; if he says "I seek refuge in Allah" and it comes to the Name of Allah, he raises his finger. This is the place for raising the index finger when the Name of Allah passes in the tashahhud or in du'a. Yes, in order to indicate tawhid (the oneness of Allah). Yes.
Another questioner:
May Allah.
The Shaykh:
And likewise "O Allah," because it is the Name of Allah. Its origin is "Ya Allah," then the yaa was deleted and replaced with a mimm at the end. This is also the Name of Allah, and there is no harm in it. The index finger is raised at it.
In the prayer? No, specifically in the tashahhud. Raising the index finger is specifically in the tashahhud when the Name of Allah passes. As for when the Name of Allah passes while he is reciting the Qur'an in the prayer, he does not raise his hand, he does not raise his finger. In standing, he does not raise his finger, nor in prostration, nor in bowing, except in the tashahhud sitting. And he does not raise the index finger in the sitting between the two prostrations? Only for the tashahhud. This is what the evidence has come regarding.
The issue of moving it or not moving it is easy in this matter. If he moves it, there is no harm, and if he does not move it, there is no harm, because there is a narration that he moves it, and there is a narration that he does not move it. So the result is that the matter is broad in this.
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، بداية من باب الآنية — islamhouse.com (1:11:59)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.