25 Authentic Ahadith on Raising the Index Finger (Raf‘ al-Sabbabah) in Tashahhud
This excerpt is taken from the book “Mas’alah Raf‘ al-Sabbabah” (i.e., pointing with the index finger in Tashahhud) by Shaykh Abdul Rauf Haanji al-Salafi.
① Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1192 – ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنهما narrated:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when sitting in prayer (Tashahhud), would place his left hand on his left knee, his right hand on his right thigh, and point with his index finger.
② Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1193 – ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنهما narrated:
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat for supplication in Tashahhud, he would place his right hand on his right thigh, his left hand on his left thigh, point with his index finger, place his thumb on his middle finger, and rest his left palm on his left knee.
❀ Some narrations mention placing the hands on the knees, others on the thighs. This indicates that the Prophet ﷺ placed his hands at the junction where the thighs and knees meet. Thus, describing it as "on the knees" or "on the thighs" is both correct and not contradictory.
③ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1166 – The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when sitting after two or four rakʿāt, would place his hands on his knees and point with his index finger.
④ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1275, Sunan Abū Dāwūd 990 – In Tashahhud, he ﷺ would place his left palm on his left thigh, point with his index finger, and not let his gaze move away from it.
⑤ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1270, Sunan Abū Dāwūd 989 – He ﷺ would point with his index finger while supplicating and would not move it.
⑥ Same sources – ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنهما added: I saw the Prophet ﷺ supplicating in this manner (without moving the finger) and pressing his left hand firmly on his left leg (knee).
⑦ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1194 – He ﷺ would place both hands on his knees, raise the index finger of the right hand (next to the thumb), and supplicate with it, keeping the left hand spread open on the left knee.
⑧ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1195 – He ﷺ would place the left hand on the left knee, the right on the right knee, form the number 53 with his fingers, and point with the index finger.
⑨ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1196, Sunan Abū Dāwūd 798 – He ﷺ would close all the fingers of the right hand except the index finger (next to the thumb), with the left hand on the left thigh.
⑩ Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 294, Sunan Ibn Mājah 913 – He ﷺ would raise the index finger next to the thumb and supplicate with it, keeping the left hand open on the left knee.
⑪ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1160 – He ﷺ would place the right hand on the right thigh, point with the index finger towards the Qiblah, fix his gaze upon it, and say, “I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ doing this.”
⑫ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1159 – In the sitting of two rakʿāt, he ﷺ spread the left foot, kept the right upright, placed his right hand on the right thigh, raised the index finger for supplication, and placed the left hand on the left thigh.
⑬ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1265, Sunan Abū Dāwūd 726, 727 – He ﷺ sat in Tashahhud, spread the left foot, placed the left hand on the left thigh, made a circle with the thumb and middle finger, closed the other two, and pointed with the index finger.
⑭ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1264 – He ﷺ placed both hands on his thighs and pointed with the index finger while supplicating.
⑮ Sunan Ibn Mājah 912 – He ﷺ made a circle with the thumb and middle finger and raised the index finger in supplication during Tashahhud.
❀ None of the above three narrations in Abū Dāwūd mention moving the finger.
⑯ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 981, 1268 – He ﷺ made a circle with the thumb and middle finger, raised the index finger, and was seen moving it while supplicating.
⑰ Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 293, Sunan Abū Dāwūd 734 – During Tashahhud, he ﷺ spread the left foot, turned the toes of the right foot towards the Qiblah, placed the right palm on the right knee, the left palm on the left knee, and pointed with the index finger.
⑱ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1272, Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 3557 – A man was supplicating with two fingers; the Prophet ﷺ said: “One, one (finger).”
⑲ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1273 – He ﷺ passed by while I was supplicating with my fingers; he ﷺ said: “One, one (finger).”
⑳ Sunan Abū Dāwūd 991, Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1274 – He ﷺ had his right hand on his right thigh, raised the index finger slightly bent, and was supplicating. (The “slightly bent” part is not authentically established.)
㉑ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1271, Sunan Ibn Mājah 911 – He ﷺ had his right hand on the right thigh and was pointing with the index finger.
㉒ Majmaʿ al-Zawāʾid 2/140 – In the final sitting, he ﷺ would point with the index finger. The polytheists claimed he performed magic with it; in truth, he was affirming Tawḥīd.
㉓ Musnad Aḥmad – He ﷺ would use it to affirm the Oneness of his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic.
㉔ Sunan al-Kubrā al-Bayhaqī 2/132 – He ﷺ said: “This is sincerity,” pointing with the index finger next to the thumb.
㉕ Musnad al-Ṭabarānī al-Kabīr – He ﷺ would do this in prayer, pointing with the index finger.
Shaykh ʿĀbid Sindhī رحمه الله wrote in Ṭawāliʿ al-Anwār that narrations about raising the finger in Tashahhud are reported from 27–28 Companions. Mullā ʿAlī al-Qārī رحمه الله mentioned the same in his treatise Tazyīn al-ʿIbārah bi-Taḥsīn al-Ishārah.
This excerpt is taken from the book “Mas’alah Raf‘ al-Sabbabah” (i.e., pointing with the index finger in Tashahhud) by Shaykh Abdul Rauf Haanji al-Salafi.
ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنهما
① Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1192 – ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنهما narrated:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when sitting in prayer (Tashahhud), would place his left hand on his left knee, his right hand on his right thigh, and point with his index finger.
② Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1193 – ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنهما narrated:
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat for supplication in Tashahhud, he would place his right hand on his right thigh, his left hand on his left thigh, point with his index finger, place his thumb on his middle finger, and rest his left palm on his left knee.
❀ Some narrations mention placing the hands on the knees, others on the thighs. This indicates that the Prophet ﷺ placed his hands at the junction where the thighs and knees meet. Thus, describing it as "on the knees" or "on the thighs" is both correct and not contradictory.
③ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1166 – The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when sitting after two or four rakʿāt, would place his hands on his knees and point with his index finger.
④ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1275, Sunan Abū Dāwūd 990 – In Tashahhud, he ﷺ would place his left palm on his left thigh, point with his index finger, and not let his gaze move away from it.
⑤ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1270, Sunan Abū Dāwūd 989 – He ﷺ would point with his index finger while supplicating and would not move it.
⑥ Same sources – ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنهما added: I saw the Prophet ﷺ supplicating in this manner (without moving the finger) and pressing his left hand firmly on his left leg (knee).
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما
⑦ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1194 – He ﷺ would place both hands on his knees, raise the index finger of the right hand (next to the thumb), and supplicate with it, keeping the left hand spread open on the left knee.
⑧ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1195 – He ﷺ would place the left hand on the left knee, the right on the right knee, form the number 53 with his fingers, and point with the index finger.
⑨ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1196, Sunan Abū Dāwūd 798 – He ﷺ would close all the fingers of the right hand except the index finger (next to the thumb), with the left hand on the left thigh.
⑩ Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 294, Sunan Ibn Mājah 913 – He ﷺ would raise the index finger next to the thumb and supplicate with it, keeping the left hand open on the left knee.
⑪ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1160 – He ﷺ would place the right hand on the right thigh, point with the index finger towards the Qiblah, fix his gaze upon it, and say, “I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ doing this.”
Wāʾil ibn Ḥujr رضي الله عنه
⑫ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1159 – In the sitting of two rakʿāt, he ﷺ spread the left foot, kept the right upright, placed his right hand on the right thigh, raised the index finger for supplication, and placed the left hand on the left thigh.
⑬ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1265, Sunan Abū Dāwūd 726, 727 – He ﷺ sat in Tashahhud, spread the left foot, placed the left hand on the left thigh, made a circle with the thumb and middle finger, closed the other two, and pointed with the index finger.
⑭ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1264 – He ﷺ placed both hands on his thighs and pointed with the index finger while supplicating.
⑮ Sunan Ibn Mājah 912 – He ﷺ made a circle with the thumb and middle finger and raised the index finger in supplication during Tashahhud.
❀ None of the above three narrations in Abū Dāwūd mention moving the finger.
⑯ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 981, 1268 – He ﷺ made a circle with the thumb and middle finger, raised the index finger, and was seen moving it while supplicating.
Abū Ḥumayd al-Sāʿidī رضي الله عنه
⑰ Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 293, Sunan Abū Dāwūd 734 – During Tashahhud, he ﷺ spread the left foot, turned the toes of the right foot towards the Qiblah, placed the right palm on the right knee, the left palm on the left knee, and pointed with the index finger.
Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه
⑱ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1272, Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī 3557 – A man was supplicating with two fingers; the Prophet ﷺ said: “One, one (finger).”
Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ رضي الله عنه
⑲ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1273 – He ﷺ passed by while I was supplicating with my fingers; he ﷺ said: “One, one (finger).”
Numayr al-Khuzāʿī رضي الله عنه
⑳ Sunan Abū Dāwūd 991, Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1274 – He ﷺ had his right hand on his right thigh, raised the index finger slightly bent, and was supplicating. (The “slightly bent” part is not authentically established.)
㉑ Sunan al-Nasāʾī 1271, Sunan Ibn Mājah 911 – He ﷺ had his right hand on the right thigh and was pointing with the index finger.
Khafāf ibn Īmāʾ al-Ghifārī رضي الله عنه
㉒ Majmaʿ al-Zawāʾid 2/140 – In the final sitting, he ﷺ would point with the index finger. The polytheists claimed he performed magic with it; in truth, he was affirming Tawḥīd.
㉓ Musnad Aḥmad – He ﷺ would use it to affirm the Oneness of his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic.
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما
㉔ Sunan al-Kubrā al-Bayhaqī 2/132 – He ﷺ said: “This is sincerity,” pointing with the index finger next to the thumb.
ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abzā رضي الله عنه
㉕ Musnad al-Ṭabarānī al-Kabīr – He ﷺ would do this in prayer, pointing with the index finger.
Shaykh ʿĀbid Sindhī رحمه الله wrote in Ṭawāliʿ al-Anwār that narrations about raising the finger in Tashahhud are reported from 27–28 Companions. Mullā ʿAlī al-Qārī رحمه الله mentioned the same in his treatise Tazyīn al-ʿIbārah bi-Taḥsīn al-Ishārah.
