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One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullah, Since your responder to the question stated in the above-captioned Subject, said he is unaware of any ahadith concerning the moving of the finger and also claimed ijmaa of all the muslim scholars pertaining to only pointing the finger during the shahadah, please find ahadith and statements of Imams contrary to it. http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/7570 http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/11527

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Answer:

Moving finger in tashahud

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.157

Ibn 'Umar reported that when the Prophet (saws) sat for the tashahud, he (saws) would place his left hand on his left knee and his right hand upon his right knee, and he would form a ring like (fifty-three) and point with his index finger. In another narration it is reported, "He would close his hand and point with his index finger." (Related by Muslim.)

Wa'il ibn Hajr reported that the Prophet (saws) would place his left palm on his left thigh and knee. He would place the end of his right elbow upon his right thigh and would then close his right hand, forming a circle. When reciting the ‘shahaadah’, he (saws) would make a circle with his middle finger and thumb and point with his index finger.(Related by Ahmad.)

Reported az-Zubair, "When the Prophet (saws) sat for ‘tashahud’, he would place his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh. He would point with his index finger, and would not look beyond his pointing."(Related by Ahmad, Muslim and anNasa'i.)

Wa'il ibn Hajr reported that the Prophet (saws) would place his left palm on his left thigh and knee. He would place the end of his right elbow upon his right thigh and would then close his right hand, forming a circle. In another narration it states, "He would make a circle with his middle finger and thumb and point with his index finger. Then he would raise his finger, and (Wa'il) saw him moving it to make supplications." (Related by Ahmad.) Explaining the hadith, al-Baihaqi says, "The implication of 'he would move it' is that he would point with it, not that he would continue to move it." This would be in agreement with the narration of Ibn az-Zubair who reported, "The Prophet (saws) would point with his (index) finger while supplicating, and he would not move it." (Related by Abu Dawud.)

Respected Brother in Islam, the scholars and jurists in Islam are unanimous in their opinion regarding the raising of one’s index finger during the ‘tashahud’ in prayer, but depending on which Hadith one gives weight to, there is a slight difference of opinion amongst the scholars regarding its exact movements: 

• Imam Shafei of the Shafei school of thought is of the opinion that one is to point with the finger only once, when saying "except Allah" in the statement bearing witness.
• Imam Abu Haneefah of the Hanafi school of thought is of the opinion that one is to raise the finger in the denial part of the statement (there is no god) and put it back down during the confirmation part (except Allah).
• Imam Maalik of the Malik school of thought is of the opinion that one is to move the finger to the left and right until they finish the prayer.
• Imam Ahmad ibn Hambal of the Hanbali school of thought is of the opinion that one is to point with the index finger every time they mention Allah, as a reflection of the Oneness of Allah, and not move it.
  

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan