Explanation on the practice of moving the index continuously in Tashahhud

(عن عبد الله بن الزبير ان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يشير باصبعه اذا دعا ولا يحركها"(النسائى/ ابو داؤد”

Translation:

(Hazrat) Abdullah Bin Az-Zubair (Radiyallahu Anhu) reports that Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) was making a sign with his finger while making Dua and he was not moving it." (Nisai /Abu Dawud)

Position of the Hadith:

Imam Nisai (Rahmatullahi alayh) did not make any comment on this Hadith. Thus, it means that this Hadith is correct according to him.

Explanation:

Raising the finger means raising the index finger and Dua means reading Tashahhud. This Hadith shows that Rasullullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) did not use to move his index finger when he was making sign with it while reading Tashahhud. But there is another Hadith in Nasai, according to which Hazrat Waa'il Bin Hujr (Radiyallahu Anhu) says that he saw Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) moving his finger. It seems that Hazrat Waa'il Bin Hujr (Radiyallahu Anhu) interpreted the raising of the finger as moving. Similarly, it is also possible that he had moved it only once or twice. But he did not move it continuously as Hazrat Abdullah Bin Az-Zubeir (Radiyallahu Anhu) has highlighted.

The statement of Hazrat Abdullah Bin Az-Zubeir (Radiyallahu Anhu) deserves more consideration because he is relating to us what Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) used to do all the time. Regarding what Hazrat Waa'il Bin Hujr (Radiyallahu Anhu) is saying, it is simply what he saw Rasullullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) doing on an occasion. Normally, something that Rasullullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) practiced all the time, will have priority and preference over a practice that he could have observed once or twice for some reason. In the commentary of the Hadith of Hazrat Waa'il Bin Hujr (Radiyallahu Anhu), Allaamah Bin Hazm (Rahmatullahi alayh) says in his Al-Muhalla :-

"ففيه تحريك السبابة عند الرفع وبه اخذ مالك والجمهور على ان المراد بالتحريك ههنا هو الرفع لا غير"

"There is the mention of moving the index finger in this Hadith at the time of raising (the finger). And this is what Imam Malik (Rahmatullahi Alayh) adopted. But according to جمهور (the majority), here to move means nothing else besides raising."

Mullah Ali Al-Qari said in his Al-Mirqaat:

"ويمكن ان يكون معنى "يحركها" يرفعها اذ لا يمكن رفعها بدون تحريكها"

"It is possible that يحركها (he was moving it) means يرفعها (he was raising it) because it is not possible to raise it without moving it."

Thus, according to the majority of the 'Ulama, it is the movement of raising the finger that has been interpreted by moving in some Hadith. Therefore, the most correct and the closest practice to the Sunnah is to make a sign with the index finger without moving it.

[English version of "Explication lors la pratique bouge-bouge l'index dans Tashah-hud" – Al Jamiat – Vol.4 No.3]