Is moving the finger during the tashahhud only for the negation and affirmation, with a discussion of the hadith (Whoever intends a good deed and does it...)?
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The questioner : When performing the tashahhud and reciting the testimony of tawhid (the oneness of Allah): "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah," moving the finger means a specific attribute. Is it moving it for the negation in "no god" and affirming it in "but Allah"?
The Shaykh : No. First, the movement is from the sitting until the taslim (closing salam), from the sitting for the tashahhud, meaning from the first time he says: "The praises are for Allah" and so on, until he says: "Peace be upon you."
The questioner : This is established.
The Shaykh : Yes, how could it not be? This is the first point.
The Shaykh: Second: The movement is not to the right and left; that is a deviation from the qiblah (direction of prayer). In the authentic hadiths, it is stated that he pointed his finger toward the qiblah. The qiblah is like this, so he does not do it like this; rather, he directs it like this. Therefore, the movement is a slight lowering and raising. And by "slightly," I mean like this, as some people do. This lowering and raising is not reported. Rather, the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr was reported, in which he said:Sunan Ibn Majah 322Sahih (Darussalam) So the movement is like this, not like this.
The questioner : Is it continuous with the sitting?
The Shaykh : From the first sitting until the taslim.
The questioner : This is what the hadith requires.
The Shaykh : Yes, this hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr is in Musnad Ahmad and other books of the Sunnah, with an authentic chain, and praise be to Allah.
Abu Layla : Is there a reward, O our Shaykh? Is there a reward in these movements?
The Shaykh : Without a doubt, every movement is ten good deeds; because the least act in Islam of obedience to Allah and following the Messenger of Allah is ten good deeds, as stated in the authentic hadith: And in a narration: Sahih al-Bukhari 7501 This is a strange and wonderful grace from Allah to His believing servants. But it is not the case that for everyone who intends a bad deed and does not do it, a good deed is written for him. A good deed is written for him, a good deed is written for him, on the condition mentioned in the hadith: Sahih Ibn Hibban 6:75 Is that clear?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : He left it for the sake of Allah, meaning out of fear of Allah. In this case, the bad deed turned into a good deed. So if a Muslim prays and moves his finger in following the Messenger of Allah, who said:Sahih al-Bukhari 6008 then without a doubt he has good deeds for that. And for this reason, it was reported from Imam Ahmad that he said: "He moves it frequently."
The questioner : I read your book, The Description of the Prophet's Prayer:Sahih al-Bukhari 6008 and I found it, and there is an additional inquiry in it, stating that he moves it vigorously...
The Shaykh : The narration of Ahmad, he moves it... what is his wording? Vigorously, vigorously. But not like this, rather like this.
The questioner : They say that he moves it to the right and left?
The Shaykh : No, that is a deviation from the qiblah.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : No, that is ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) by opinion. Here there are several madhhabs (schools of jurisprudence), and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Some scholars say, as we mentioned, from the sitting until the taslim. Some say when you say: "No god," you raise it, and "but Allah," you hold it steady. Some are the opposite, saying when you say: "but Allah," you raise it and keep it raised until the end of the prayer. This is all ijtihad, a specific understanding that was not reported in the Sunnah. And they are rewarded in any case; because they are imams. But the hadith of Wa'il is very clear; because he described the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said:. So the supplication, you know, starts from: "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad" to the end of the prayer.
The questioner : Is it not correct for the movement to be from top to bottom, or right and left, moving it?
The Shaykh: How?
The questioner : Regarding the movement, does it not prevent it from being from the right to the left?
The Shaykh : I told you - may Allah bless you - it came in many hadiths that the Messenger directed his finger toward the qiblah. So if you do it like this or like this, you have deviated it from the qiblah. So this is against the Sunnah. Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh : No. First, the movement is from the sitting until the taslim (closing salam), from the sitting for the tashahhud, meaning from the first time he says: "The praises are for Allah" and so on, until he says: "Peace be upon you."
The questioner : This is established.
The Shaykh : Yes, how could it not be? This is the first point.
The Shaykh: Second: The movement is not to the right and left; that is a deviation from the qiblah (direction of prayer). In the authentic hadiths, it is stated that he pointed his finger toward the qiblah. The qiblah is like this, so he does not do it like this; rather, he directs it like this. Therefore, the movement is a slight lowering and raising. And by "slightly," I mean like this, as some people do. This lowering and raising is not reported. Rather, the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr was reported, in which he said:
'Abdullah bin 'Umar said: "People say: 'When you sit to relieve yourself, do not face the Qiblah.' But one day I climbed up onto the roof of our house, and I saw the Messenger of Allah sitting on two bricks (to relieve himself), facing the direction of Baitul-Maqdis (Jerusalem)." This is a Hadith narrated by Yazid bin Harun.
فرأيت رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - يحركها يدعو بهاThe questioner : Is it continuous with the sitting?
The Shaykh : From the first sitting until the taslim.
The questioner : This is what the hadith requires.
The Shaykh : Yes, this hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr is in Musnad Ahmad and other books of the Sunnah, with an authentic chain, and praise be to Allah.
Abu Layla : Is there a reward, O our Shaykh? Is there a reward in these movements?
The Shaykh : Without a doubt, every movement is ten good deeds; because the least act in Islam of obedience to Allah and following the Messenger of Allah is ten good deeds, as stated in the authentic hadith:
Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says to His angels: When My servant intends a good deed and does not do it, write it for him as one good deed. And when he does it, write it for him as ten good deeds, up to a hundred good deeds, up to seven hundred, up to many times over. And Allah multiplies for whom He wills. And when My servant intends a bad deed and does not do it, do not write anything for him. And when he does it, write it for him as one bad deed
يقول الله - عزَّ وجلّ - لملائكته : إذا هم عبدي بحسنة فلم يعملها فاكتبوها له حسنة ، وإذا عملها فاكتبوها له عشر حسنات إلى مائة حسنة ، إلى سبع مائة إلى أضعاف كثيرة ، والله يضاعف لمن يشاء ، وإذا هم عبدي بسيئة فلم يعملها فلا تكتبوها شيئا ، وإذا عملها فاكتبوها سيئة واحدةbut does not do it, then write a good deed (in his account)
وإذا لم يعملها فاكتبوها له حسنةAnd when My servant intends a bad deed and does not do it, write it for him as one good deed, for he only left it out of fear
وإذا هم عبدي بسيئة فلم يعملها ، فاكتبوها له حسنة فإنما تركها من جراياThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : He left it for the sake of Allah, meaning out of fear of Allah. In this case, the bad deed turned into a good deed. So if a Muslim prays and moves his finger in following the Messenger of Allah, who said:
offer your prayers in the way you saw me offering my prayers
صلوا كما رأيتموني أصليThe questioner : I read your book, The Description of the Prophet's Prayer:
offer your prayers in the way you saw me offering my prayers
صلوا كما رأيتموني أصليThe Shaykh : The narration of Ahmad, he moves it... what is his wording? Vigorously, vigorously. But not like this, rather like this.
The questioner : They say that he moves it to the right and left?
The Shaykh : No, that is a deviation from the qiblah.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : No, that is ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) by opinion. Here there are several madhhabs (schools of jurisprudence), and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Some scholars say, as we mentioned, from the sitting until the taslim. Some say when you say: "No god," you raise it, and "but Allah," you hold it steady. Some are the opposite, saying when you say: "but Allah," you raise it and keep it raised until the end of the prayer. This is all ijtihad, a specific understanding that was not reported in the Sunnah. And they are rewarded in any case; because they are imams. But the hadith of Wa'il is very clear; because he described the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said:
When he sat, he placed his left hand on his left thigh and his right hand on his right thigh, and he clenched his fingers and formed a ring with his thumb and middle finger, and raised his index finger, and I saw him moving it, supplicating with it
فلما جلس وضع كفه اليسرى على فخذه اليسرى وكفه اليمنى على فخذه اليمنى ، وقبض أصابعه وحلق بالإبهام والوسطى ورفع السبابة فرأيته يحركها يدعو بهاThe questioner : Is it not correct for the movement to be from top to bottom, or right and left, moving it?
The Shaykh: How?
The questioner : Regarding the movement, does it not prevent it from being from the right to the left?
The Shaykh : I told you - may Allah bless you - it came in many hadiths that the Messenger directed his finger toward the qiblah. So if you do it like this or like this, you have deviated it from the qiblah. So this is against the Sunnah. Yes, that is right.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.