Question:
Is the ḥadīth about raising the index finger between the two prostrations (rafʿ as-sabābah bayna’s-sajdatayn) authentic or not?
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
On this matter, there is a scholarly difference of opinion:
- Shaykh al-Albānī (رحمه الله) did not consider the ḥadīth authentic.
- Mawlānā ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Nūristānī (ḥafiẓahu’llāh), however, declared the narration authentic and marfūʿ (attributed to the Prophet ﷺ), as found in Musnad Aḥmad. According to him, Shaykh al-Albānī erred in this specific instance.
Thus, the stronger view — based on the research of Mawlānā Nūristānī — is that the ḥadīth is indeed ṣaḥīḥ and established.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
