Is it more correct to move the finger during the tashahhud?
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The questioner:
Professor, the more correct thing regarding moving the finger during the tashahhud is...
The Shaykh :
No, not moving it.
The questioner :
.......
The Shaykh :
Which is better, and is it possible to please people?
The questioner :
No.
The Shaykh :
If you try to please the Lord of people, that is enough.
The questioner:
A second question...
The Shaykh:
There is a hadith in Sunan Abu Dawud, and in its chain is a man known for poor memorization, who is Shurah ibn Hashab.
He narrates this hadith, saying that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to arrange the men, the boys, and the women. This is the hadith.
If it were alone, it would be difficult to establish this classification, but there are things that strengthen the meaning of this hadith. Among them is...
his saying (peace and blessings be upon him), "Let those of you who have reached maturity and understanding stand behind me." "Let them stand behind me" means that those who have reached maturity and understanding...
...meaning the adult men and those of them who possess intellect. And among them is what was narrated in this hadith in Sahih Muslim, and perhaps in al-Bukhari as well. And among them is what the Imam al-Nasa'i narrated in his Sunan from a man of...
the Companions, whose name I have forgotten now. He came to a young man who was standing behind the imam while he was praying, so he took him and moved him back, and he took his place.
And after the prayer, he said a few words, the meaning of which was: "Perhaps something has arisen in your heart regarding my moving you back, but I only did that because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said..." and he mentioned the meaning of the previous hadith: "Let those of you who have reached maturity and understanding...
...stand behind me." Then there is the hadith: "The best of the rows of men is the first, and the worst is the last. And the best of the rows of women is the last, and the worst is the first."
This gives us the classification regarding men and women explicitly. What remains is the boys.
So, regarding the boys, the hadith that came from the narration of Shurah ibn Hashab, considering the meaning of "Let those of you who have reached maturity and understanding stand behind me," and the application of that Companion of this meaning to that incident, and the fact that many scholars adopted this classification...
...the soul is reassured by delaying the boys from the front rows and making room for the adult men in them. This is what a person can reach with some precision in ijtihad. And for that reason, I say...
that this matter is a subject of research and consideration, so one should not be stubborn about it as if there were a correct, explicit text from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that admits no argument.
So, if it is possible to achieve the arrangement and classification without commotion and without causing problems in the mosque, there is no harm. Otherwise, let it be as it happens, except that directly behind the imam...
...two or three people, these must be from the sensible, the scholars, and the jurists of the people. As for the others...
...whether the imam is... or he is not moving...
This is a matter we have finished with. This matter falls under the general meaning of "The imam is made to be followed." If he is not moving because he believes that is the case, we do not move. But if he does not move out of stubbornness, we move in following the Sunnah. Yes.
(peace and blessings be upon him), and it is a clear matter that does not admit of argument. So if it is possible to establish the order and classification without commotion,
and without causing problems in the mosque, then there is no harm. Otherwise, it is as it may be, except that the two or three people directly behind the imam
must be from the sensible, knowledgeable, and juristic members of the community. As for others,
The questioner :
... whether he is the imam ... or he is not moving,
The Shaykh :
this is a matter we have concluded. This matter falls under the general meaning of "The imam is made to be followed." If he is not moving, because
that is what he believes, then we do not move. But if he does not move out of tribalism, we move, following the Sunnah. Yes.
Professor, the more correct thing regarding moving the finger during the tashahhud is...
The Shaykh :
No, not moving it.
The questioner :
.......
The Shaykh :
Which is better, and is it possible to please people?
The questioner :
No.
The Shaykh :
If you try to please the Lord of people, that is enough.
The questioner:
A second question...
The Shaykh:
There is a hadith in Sunan Abu Dawud, and in its chain is a man known for poor memorization, who is Shurah ibn Hashab.
He narrates this hadith, saying that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to arrange the men, the boys, and the women. This is the hadith.
If it were alone, it would be difficult to establish this classification, but there are things that strengthen the meaning of this hadith. Among them is...
his saying (peace and blessings be upon him), "Let those of you who have reached maturity and understanding stand behind me." "Let them stand behind me" means that those who have reached maturity and understanding...
...meaning the adult men and those of them who possess intellect. And among them is what was narrated in this hadith in Sahih Muslim, and perhaps in al-Bukhari as well. And among them is what the Imam al-Nasa'i narrated in his Sunan from a man of...
the Companions, whose name I have forgotten now. He came to a young man who was standing behind the imam while he was praying, so he took him and moved him back, and he took his place.
And after the prayer, he said a few words, the meaning of which was: "Perhaps something has arisen in your heart regarding my moving you back, but I only did that because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said..." and he mentioned the meaning of the previous hadith: "Let those of you who have reached maturity and understanding...
...stand behind me." Then there is the hadith: "The best of the rows of men is the first, and the worst is the last. And the best of the rows of women is the last, and the worst is the first."
This gives us the classification regarding men and women explicitly. What remains is the boys.
So, regarding the boys, the hadith that came from the narration of Shurah ibn Hashab, considering the meaning of "Let those of you who have reached maturity and understanding stand behind me," and the application of that Companion of this meaning to that incident, and the fact that many scholars adopted this classification...
...the soul is reassured by delaying the boys from the front rows and making room for the adult men in them. This is what a person can reach with some precision in ijtihad. And for that reason, I say...
that this matter is a subject of research and consideration, so one should not be stubborn about it as if there were a correct, explicit text from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that admits no argument.
So, if it is possible to achieve the arrangement and classification without commotion and without causing problems in the mosque, there is no harm. Otherwise, let it be as it happens, except that directly behind the imam...
...two or three people, these must be from the sensible, the scholars, and the jurists of the people. As for the others...
...whether the imam is... or he is not moving...
This is a matter we have finished with. This matter falls under the general meaning of "The imam is made to be followed." If he is not moving because he believes that is the case, we do not move. But if he does not move out of stubbornness, we move in following the Sunnah. Yes.
(peace and blessings be upon him), and it is a clear matter that does not admit of argument. So if it is possible to establish the order and classification without commotion,
and without causing problems in the mosque, then there is no harm. Otherwise, it is as it may be, except that the two or three people directly behind the imam
must be from the sensible, knowledgeable, and juristic members of the community. As for others,
The questioner :
... whether he is the imam ... or he is not moving,
The Shaykh :
this is a matter we have concluded. This matter falls under the general meaning of "The imam is made to be followed." If he is not moving, because
that is what he believes, then we do not move. But if he does not move out of tribalism, we move, following the Sunnah. Yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.