Islam

Islam

Monday 11 January 2016

When to raise one's finger during tashahhud

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Question

I found out that in tashahhud, the strongest opinion is to raise your finger without moving it. What I am still confused about is when I am supposed to raise my finger?

Answer

All praise is due to Allah and May peace and blessing be upon our Prophet Muhammad. 

From the texts that we have, it seems that when the worshiper sits for tashahhud, he starts to raise his finger without moving it right then. In other words, the worshiper points his index finger towards the qiblah as he starts pronouncing “al-tahiyyât lillâh…”. 

He continues pointing his finger until he completes the sitting for tashahhud, either by getting up to the third unit of prayer in case it is the first tashahud of the prayer, or by the taslîm if it was the second tashahhud

There is another sound saying that the worshiper may start raising his finger when he says: “…La ilâha illa Allah…” (Thee is no God except Allah), because this is a customary place of pointing. 

Pointing is a sign of monotheism, as has been stated by many of the Successors. [Musannaf Ibn Abî Shaybah (2/484-486) and Sunan al-Bayhaqî: (2/130-133)]. 

This is the opinion of the Shâfi`î school of thought [al-Nawawî, al-Majmû` (2/454-455)] and is one of the sayings attributed to Imam Ahmad [al-Insâf (3/535)] 

The Hanafî school of thought is near to that opinion. They say to raise the finger upon saying “Lâ ilâha…” and putting it down again upon saying “…illâ Allâh”. [Hâshiyah Ibn `Abidîn (1/509)] 

I would say that if the worshiper varies his practice in this regard, doing it occasionally one way and occasionally another, then he will be more assured of achieving the Sunnah in his practice.

And Allah knows best.

-islamtoday.net

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