Raising the index finger when reciting the tashahhud: Do we lower it after saying, “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger,” or do we keep it raised?
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The questioner : When reciting the tashahhud, we raise the index finger when we say: “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.” Do we lower the finger after finishing that, or does it remain raised until the end of the tashahhud or the end of the taslim?
The Shaykh : Yes. What is prescribed for the one praying, when he is sitting for the tashahhud or between the two prostrations, is to place his left hand on his left thigh, or to rest it on his knee. As for the right hand, it is placed on the right thigh, and the little finger, the ring finger, and the middle finger are bent, with the thumb placed over them. If he wishes, he may form a circle with the thumb and the middle finger by placing the tip of the thumb on the tip of the middle finger so that it resembles a ring. As for the index finger, which is the finger between the thumb and the middle finger, it remains raised and is not bent. Every time he makes a supplication, he moves it, raising it upward as a sign of the exaltedness of the One being supplicated to, who is Allah (Mighty and Majestic). When he says, “Peace be upon you, O Prophet,” he raises it as a sign of the exaltedness of Allah. When he says, “Peace be upon us,” he likewise raises it as a sign of the exaltedness of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), because your saying “Peace be upon you, O Prophet, peace be upon us” is a supplication, for you are supplicating to Allah the Exalted for safety to be attained. Likewise, when he says “O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad, O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad”, he points with it upward. And when he says:Sunan Ibn Majah 909Sahih (Darussalam) he points with it upward, moving it, supplicating with it.
This is what is prescribed regarding the position of the hands in the tashahhud and between the two prostrations. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes. What is prescribed for the one praying, when he is sitting for the tashahhud or between the two prostrations, is to place his left hand on his left thigh, or to rest it on his knee. As for the right hand, it is placed on the right thigh, and the little finger, the ring finger, and the middle finger are bent, with the thumb placed over them. If he wishes, he may form a circle with the thumb and the middle finger by placing the tip of the thumb on the tip of the middle finger so that it resembles a ring. As for the index finger, which is the finger between the thumb and the middle finger, it remains raised and is not bent. Every time he makes a supplication, he moves it, raising it upward as a sign of the exaltedness of the One being supplicated to, who is Allah (Mighty and Majestic). When he says, “Peace be upon you, O Prophet,” he raises it as a sign of the exaltedness of Allah. When he says, “Peace be upon us,” he likewise raises it as a sign of the exaltedness of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), because your saying “Peace be upon you, O Prophet, peace be upon us” is a supplication, for you are supplicating to Allah the Exalted for safety to be attained. Likewise, when he says “O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad, O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad”, he points with it upward. And when he says:
let him seek refuge with Allah from four things: From the torment of Hell, from the torment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the Fitnah (tribulation) of Masihud-Dajjal.
أعوذ بالله من عذاب جهنم ومن عذاب القبر ومن فتنة المحيا والممات ومن فتنة المسيح الدجالThis is what is prescribed regarding the position of the hands in the tashahhud and between the two prostrations. Yes.