Is moving the finger during the tashahhud tied to the supplication, or does the worshipper continue moving it even after finishing his supplication until the imam says the taslim?

The questioner : The movement of the finger in the tashahhud in a four-rak'ah prayer, meaning, does the ma'mum keep supplicating until he finishes his supplication, or does he continue until the imam stands up?

The Shaykh : Until what does the imam do?

The questioner : Until the imam stands up for the third rak'ah, or until the ma'mum finishes his supplication and the imam has not yet stood up for the third rak'ah?

The Shaykh : First, what is the secret behind your question regarding the first tashahhud? What is the difference between the first tashahhud and the second tashahhud, specifically regarding your question, so that I can understand the answer?

The questioner : It may be that the ma'mum is supplicating and finishes his supplication before the imam stands up for the third rak'ah, and likewise in the second tashahhud.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : Meaning, does he stop his finger and finish his supplication, or does he continue?

The Shaykh : So it is now clear that your mention of the first tashahhud was not intentional, because you also mentioned the other tashahhud. So, the intent of your words, in brief, as I understood it, is: a worshipper in the tashahhud, whichever tashahhud it is, finishes his tashahhud and supplication before the imam stands up in the first tashahhud or before the imam says the taslim in the final tashahhud. Does he continue the movement or not? Is that your question? The answer is: he does not continue, because the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr, in the well-known hadith in the Sunan, when he described the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and came to the mention of the tashahhud, he mentioned that: And he said—and here is the point—. So, the movement is tied to the supplication. In the situation you asked about, the follower finished the supplication and fell silent, so the movement ended, because the movement is tied to the supplication. But I am mentioning why the follower finishes the supplication while there is room for what he remembers and what he does not remember of the supplication, so let him continue in supplication until the imam stands up or until he says the taslim. At that point, there is no need for such a question, because the supplication continues and the movement continues.


The questioner : Regarding the movement of the finger, O Shaykh, people use it like this, and some like that. Is the Sunnah like this or like that?

The Shaykh : No, most people take matters without understanding. What is established in the Sunnah is raising the finger and directing it toward the qiblah, not toward the ground, but toward the qiblah. Then there are two opinions here: either he erects it, directing it like this toward the qiblah without moving it, or he moves it. There is no doubt, regarding the jurisprudence called today comparative jurisprudence, that the movement is the stronger position, because the hadiths that came regarding raising the index finger in the tashahhud are of two types: a type that established the raising, and a type that established the movement along with the raising. So, the movement is an additional ruling that should be added to what it is added to; so he raises it and he moves it. This is first: we must know it. Second: some people err in the movement, just as they err when they point their finger to the ground. The Sunnah, as we said, is toward the qiblah. So, these who move their finger add to the movement something that was never mentioned in the Sunnah, which is lowering and raising; they do it like this. This is lowering and raising. This has no basis. The only established thing is the movement. And we know from the precision of the Arabs in their language that if they had seen the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) when he was moving his finger, raising it and lowering it, they would have told us, as they did regarding raising the hands: "He raised and lowered." But they did not say regarding the movement of the finger except: "I saw him moving it." So the minimum that establishes the movement is what is required. As for the worshipper exaggerating by raising and lowering, that is something that was not reported. You have received the answer to your question, if Allah wills, and an addition, meaning.

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : It is this circling first, then raising toward the qiblah second, then like this.

The questioner : Is there a narration that he used to move it vigorously?

The Shaykh : There is no narration at all, neither vigorous nor otherwise. There is no such narration. There is no such thing. There is nothing except what you heard just now . But I mentioned in the footnote or in the commentary on the description of the prayer, a narration from Imam Ahmad that he raises it vigorously. So this is a statement of Imam Ahmad and not a hadith. Did you notice, my brother, thatThe questioner : you missed the answer, so we say that this is an athar from Imam Ahmad that he raises it vigorously, and it is not a hadith traced to the Messenger (peace be upon him).


The questioner : Is it established, O our Shaykh, in a narration that there are ten good deeds in every movement?

The Shaykh : No. This was reported regarding the raising, but the generality of the evidence supports that, because every deed that a Muslim does is recorded for him as ten good deeds, at least. So when the text came regarding raising the hands, ten good deeds for every raising, likewise the movement of the finger, we hope that it has this reward.

The questioner : If Allah wills.