Discussion of the Maliki school's position on moving the index finger to the right and left during the tashahhud.

The Shaykh : We were discussing the manner of the movement; where is this?
Mashhur: It is found in "Mukhtasar Khalil" and its commentaries!

The Shaykh: Yes.
Mashhur: It says: "Chapter on bending the fingers: and he moves it to the right and left, not up and down."

The Shaykh : Like this?
Mashhur: Exactly as the text states, yes, this is as the text states.

The Shaykh : Have you reviewed other books?
Mashhur: I reviewed "al-'Utiyyah" by Malik. He holds—this is a rare text from Malik—he holds the view of movement, but in general terms without detail.

The Shaykh : Without detail?
Mashhur: Without detail regarding the manner of the movement.

The Shaykh : Meaning he simply mentions the movement.
Mashhur: He simply mentions the movement, yes. And this transmission from Malik is actually rare, whereas Ibn al-'Arabi warns against it in "al-'Aridhah," saying: "Beware of what is in al-'Utiyyah," meaning it is such and such. He spoke very strangely, meaning, glory be to Allah! If al-Saqaf had stopped to clarify this, he would have gone to every extreme in warning the servant of Allah!

The Shaykh: Yes.
Mashhur: We have, our Shaykh, a lengthy response to him on this issue regarding the chains of the hadith of Wa'il.

The Shaykh : Who responded?
Mashhur: I wrote on the chains of the hadith of Wa'il, yes, and by the grace of Allah, I compiled something good.

The Shaykh : What Allah willed, may Allah reward you with good.
Mashhur: And beware of it.

The Shaykh : Oh Allah!
Another student: ... You respond to al-Yamani who said that it is only indication.
Mashhur: Yes.
Another student: Did Maqbul present it to him?
Mashhur: Yes, his thesis was published; the Shaykh referred to it in a Sudanese magazine. Was it printed?
Another student: By Allah, we have it, we have a copy, I don't know!
Mashhur: I wish you would send it.
Another student : I hope to Allah.
Mashhur: May Allah reward you with good.
Mashhur: Of course, I am telling you I have a copy, not a printed version; I have a copy of a complete version.
Mashhur: From the magazine?
Another student: No, no, from the research.
Mashhur: His research was published in the magazine, not by a publishing house.
Another student: I don't know, I have it photographed in my mind right now.
Mashhur: Shaykh, they say: Eleven people narrated it from Asim, the hadith.

The Shaykh : Yes.
Mashhur: But by the grace of Allah, I came across twenty-five narrations from Asim. You pointed out, our Shaykh, a very wonderful observation, which is: that the hadith of Wa'il uniquely mentions four or five matters. This is a very wonderful point that everyone who criticized the hadith for anomaly overlooked!

The Shaykh : Yes, may Allah reward you, Professor, and may He benefit through you.
Mashhur: May Allah bless you.
Another student: But it seems you indicated that the Hanbalis have only pointing!
Mashhur: In their fiqh books.
Another student: In some of their branches.
Another student: My Shaykh, come down from there!

The Shaykh : I say: I have seen some of the brothers doing the movement to the right and left, as if they were relying on a transmission like this. Since we are not obligated to follow a specific manner of movement—including this one—I see no obligation to adhere to this manner for the reason I mentioned earlier. I see it is better to adhere to what is stronger theoretically and derivatively than that movement. I have seen, once or more than once, some of the youth, as if it is their nature or innate disposition, instead of placing it like this, their hand tilts like this. You must have noticed with me.
Mashhur: Yes.

The Shaykh : So I drew his attention, my brother, to the fact that the Sunnah is facing the qiblah, so you are now deviating your finger from the qiblah.
We are here now, Muhammad...
Another student: Yes, my Shaykh.

The Shaykh : So moving it to the right and left is a deviation from the qiblah, whereas this movement, directed first by the finger to the qiblah, and then moving it like this, has no deviation.
Mashhur: If you fixed the hand, our Shaykh, and did this; right and left.

The Shaykh : This is what we are talking about.
Mashhur: Yes.

The Shaykh : Right and left means deviation, and everything is relative. Meaning, you are now doing this and this, a small amount, but if you exaggerate, the difference in the deviation I claim becomes apparent.
Mashhur: Yes.

The Shaykh : So if the matter comes down to this movement, whether it is apparent or hidden, and this stable movement that keeps the finger toward the qiblah; as long as there is no form prescribed for the obligated, and the matter comes down to opinion, then this opinion is preferable. Because the generality you want to circle around when you take the opinion of the Malikis that you transmitted is not taking the generality.
Mashhur: Yes, no, my statement was, or what occurred to me!

The Shaykh : Yes.
Mashhur: That this and that, meaning just as this is called movement, that is also called movement, and it is not restricted to this or that.

The Shaykh : Very good, but will we say: by any movement, even the one the Malikis do?
Mashhur: This is a departure from facing the qiblah.

The Shaykh : That is it!
Mashhur: Yes.

The Shaykh : So this departure has weight in consideration and must be taken into account; so whichever movement is closer in its appearance or manifestation to the etiquettes of the Shari'ah, especially in this prayer, is the stronger. With that, we do not deny; as long as we do not have a text that obligates us to adhere to a specific manner of movement.
Mashhur: Some, our Shaykh, err and exaggerate with it, thinking like this, meaning this is from...

The Shaykh : Yes, from the anomalies.
Mashhur: The anomalies.
Another student: Is it over or not?
Mashhur: Yes?
Another student: Is the question over, O Shaykh?