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Raising the Index Finger in Tashahhud

Question: Is it permissible to raise the index finger and point with it in tashahhud (sitting portion where At-tahiyyatu is recited) in salat? Some people say that there are hadith-i sharifs confirming this, and for this reason, they raise their index fingers in salat. Is what they do permissible?
ANSWER
Raising the index finger in tashahhud is sunnat in the Shafi’i Madhhab, but it is not permissible in the Hanafi Madhhab. Some mujtahid scholars said that raising the index finger in tashahhud is makruh while some others said that it is sunnat. There is a rule in our religion. If something is said to be both makruh and sunnat, then it should not be done. If fatwas concerning an issue contradict each other, that is, if something is said to be both permissible and impermissible or to be both lawful and unlawful (haram), one must follow the fatwa saying that it is impermissible or unlawful. By doing so, one will refrain from committing a makruh or haram act. It is written in the books Bariqa, Hadiqa, and Radd-ul-mukhtar that one should not do an act that was said to be both sunnat and bid’at.

Some quotations from dependable fiqh books regarding raising the index finger in tashahhud are as follows:
“Regarding pointing with the index finger in tashahhud, there were scholars who said that it was sunnat as well as those who said that it was mustahab. In actual fact, it is haram to do so” (Fatawa-i gharaib).

“It is makruh to point with the index finger. The book Kubra affirms this. The fatwa has been given in agreement with this too, for it is necessary to be calm and motionless in salat(Fatawa-i sirajiyya).

“One should not point with one’s index finger. This is what the fatwa says” (Ghiyasiyya, Bazzaziyya).

“One should not point with one’s finger nor bend it. The fatwa has been given in agreement with this. Also, it is written so in the books Mudmarat, Walwaljiyya, Khulasa, and others” (Jami’ur-rumuz).

“A person should not point with his index finger. The fatwa has been given in agreement with this” (Durr-ul-mukhtar).

Once it was asked to Ebussu’ud Effendi, “Which is better, to raise one’s index finger or not to do so during salat?” He answered, “Scholars have said that both are good, yet obviously it is beter not to raise it.”

All scholars declared: “It is sunnat to do one’s best to keep one’s fingers pointing towards the qibla. It is ordered openly by the hadith, “During salat do your best to keep all your limbs pointing towards the qibla!”

As it is seen, there are scholars who say that it is haram to point with the index finger. There are also fatwas informing that it is makruh. There are many who say that one should not point with one’s finger and that information of usul (These are rulings of fiqh coming from Imam-i A’zam Abu Hanifa and his disciples. They are written in Imam-i Muhammad’s six books, namely, al-Mabsut, az-Ziyadat, al-Jami’us-saghir, as-Siyar-us saghir, al-Jami’ul-kabir, and as-Siyar-ul-kabir) states so. Then, it is not right for us, the imitators, to attempt to raise the index finger thinking that there is a hadith confirming it, thus doing something which has been said to be haram or makruh by the fatwas of many mujtahids.

A Muslim should think so:
If these great scholars had not had the documentary evidence showing that it would be haram or makruh to point with the finger, they would not say that it would be haram or makruh. After communicating the reports informing that it is sunnat or mustahab to point with the finger, they would not say, ”Though they have said so, the truth of the matter is that pointing is haram.” This means that maybe they inferred that not those pieces of information communicating that the pointing was sunnat or mustahab but those evidences showing that it was prohibited were stronger.

It is not permissible for a Hanafi Muslim to raise his index finger in tashahhud thinking that it is sunnat in the Shafi’i Madhhab. This is not called imitating another madhhab. Imitating another madhhab is permissible only in case of necessity.

Question: Suppose that a Hanafi Muslim is following one of the ruling of the Shafi’i Madhhab out of necessity. Should he raise his index finger in tashahhud in salat?
ANSWER
A person who follows one of the ruling of the Shafi’i Madhhab out of necessity should not raise his index finger in tashahhud because he has not deserted the Hanafi Madhhab. It is not permissible in the Hanafi Madhhab to raise the index finger in tashahhud.
 
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Date of Update
28 Mart 2024 Perţembe
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