The ruling on pointing with the index finger during the tashahhud and how to do it
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He has one last question as well. He says: I also see some of the worshippers, when they are in the final tashahhud, raising both their right and left index fingers when they reach the words in the tashahhud: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger." Is this action correct?
Answer: The sunnah is to raise only the right index finger. In the first and final tashahhud, one points with the right index finger and folds all his fingers, pointing with the index finger when mentioning Allah or when making du'a. Or, he folds the little finger and the ring finger and joins the thumb with the middle finger, pointing with the index finger. These are two sunnahs. If he wishes, he folds all his fingers and points with the index finger; if he wishes, he folds the little finger with the ring finger, joins the thumb and the middle finger, and points with the index finger. All of this came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
As for the left hand, one does not point with anything; rather, he spreads it on his thigh, with its tips on his knee, and does not point with anything, neither with the index finger nor with anything else. This is the sunnah. With the right hand, he folds his fingers and points with the index finger, or if he wishes, he folds the little finger and the ring finger, joins the thumb and the middle finger, and points with the index finger. These are two sunnahs; he does this one way at times and that one way at other times.
As for the left hand, he spreads it flat on his thigh, or on his knee, or on his thigh with its tips on his knee. The sunnah came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding all of this. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh: And he does not point with the left index finger; he does not point with it. The pointing is with the right hand only. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Answer: The sunnah is to raise only the right index finger. In the first and final tashahhud, one points with the right index finger and folds all his fingers, pointing with the index finger when mentioning Allah or when making du'a. Or, he folds the little finger and the ring finger and joins the thumb with the middle finger, pointing with the index finger. These are two sunnahs. If he wishes, he folds all his fingers and points with the index finger; if he wishes, he folds the little finger with the ring finger, joins the thumb and the middle finger, and points with the index finger. All of this came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
As for the left hand, one does not point with anything; rather, he spreads it on his thigh, with its tips on his knee, and does not point with anything, neither with the index finger nor with anything else. This is the sunnah. With the right hand, he folds his fingers and points with the index finger, or if he wishes, he folds the little finger and the ring finger, joins the thumb and the middle finger, and points with the index finger. These are two sunnahs; he does this one way at times and that one way at other times.
As for the left hand, he spreads it flat on his thigh, or on his knee, or on his thigh with its tips on his knee. The sunnah came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding all of this. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh: And he does not point with the left index finger; he does not point with it. The pointing is with the right hand only. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.
