Belief That Cracking Fingers Produces a Devil
Source: Fatawa al-Deen al-Khalis, Vol. 1, Pg. 141
Is it true that cracking fingers causes a devil to be created?
(Your brother: Ismail)
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʿammā baʿd!
Wa lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh.
In Islamic Shari'ah, cracking fingers has two different scenarios:
➊ Cracking fingers during Salah (prayer)
➋ Cracking fingers outside of Salah
Cracking fingers during Salah is discouraged (makrūh), and several narrations prohibit it. However, all such narrations are weak (ḍaʿīf).
Narrated from ʿAlī رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Do not crack your fingers during prayer."
(Sunan Ibn Mājah: 965)
Shaykh al-Albānī رحمه الله graded this hadith as weak in Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ (Ḥadīth: 6251).
Imām al-Zaylaʿī رحمه الله also declared it weak in Naṣb al-Rāyah (2/87).
In Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl (Ḥadīth: 378), Shaykh al-Albānī mentioned that this narration is very weak, due to the presence of al-Ḥārith al-Aʿwar, a weak narrator, some even labeling him as accused or abandoned.
Narrated from Muʿādh ibn Anas al-Juhanī رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"The one who laughs during Salah, looks around, or cracks his fingers—all are on the same level (i.e., all acts are blameworthy)."
(Dāraqutnī: 64, Sunan al-Bayhaqī: 2/279, Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl: 2/99–78, Musnad Aḥmad: 2/438, Naṣb al-Rāyah: 2/87)
This hadith is also weak due to the presence of Zabān ibn Fāʾid, a weak narrator.
Further details can be found in Majmaʿ al-Zawāʾid (2/438).
Despite the weakness of these narrations, the requirement for reverence and humility (khushūʿ and khuḍūʿ) in prayer dictates that unnecessary movements should be avoided. Therefore, it is recommended to refrain from cracking fingers during Salah.
There is no explicit or strong prohibition against cracking fingers outside Salah.
"I performed Salah with Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنه. When I cracked my fingers during Salah, he said:
‘May your mother lose you! Do you crack your fingers in Salah?’"
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 2/344, Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl: 2/99)
The chain is ḥasan, and this narration supports the prohibition within Salah. However, it makes no mention of cracking fingers outside of prayer.
Under general etiquettes, fuqahāʾ (jurists) have deemed unnecessary finger cracking as makrūh, especially when done in gatherings as an expression of arrogance or disrespect.
"Cracking fingers is makrūh, and it is counted among the actions of the people of Lūṭ. However, if done to relieve fatigue, then there is no harm."
Some scholars have included finger cracking in the list of reprehensible acts attributed to the people of Lūṭ, but no strong Sharʿī evidence supports this.
"The people of Lūṭ had ten traits for which they were destroyed: sodomy, throwing pebbles, playing with pigeons, beating drums, drinking wine, shaving the beard, growing long mustaches, whistling, clapping, and wearing silk."
This narration is also reported by Ibn ʿAsākir, al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī, and Isḥāq ibn Bishr, and Imām al-Qurṭubī references it in his tafsīr of Sūrah al-ʿAnkabūt (13/342).
Although some scholars have listed finger cracking among these actions, there is no clear, sound textual evidence confirming this.
The belief that cracking fingers results in the creation of a devil is baseless and unsupported by any authentic narration or verse of the Qur’an. It is merely a misconception.
✔ Cracking fingers during Salah is makrūh because it conflicts with the required humility and concentration, but the narrations forbidding it are all weak.
✔ Cracking fingers outside Salah is not strongly prohibited, though scholars have discouraged it if it reflects arrogance, indecency, or idle behavior.
✔ Some scholars have linked finger cracking with the acts of the people of Lūṭ, but this association lacks strong Sharʿī evidence.
➡ Therefore, the notion that a devil is born when fingers are cracked is false and has no basis in Islamic teachings.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
Source: Fatawa al-Deen al-Khalis, Vol. 1, Pg. 141❖ Question
Is it true that cracking fingers causes a devil to be created?
(Your brother: Ismail)
❖ Answer
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʿammā baʿd!
Wa lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh.
In Islamic Shari'ah, cracking fingers has two different scenarios:
➊ Cracking fingers during Salah (prayer)
➋ Cracking fingers outside of Salah
❶ Ruling on Cracking Fingers During Salah
Cracking fingers during Salah is discouraged (makrūh), and several narrations prohibit it. However, all such narrations are weak (ḍaʿīf).
First Hadith:
Narrated from ʿAlī رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
"Do not crack your fingers during prayer."
(Sunan Ibn Mājah: 965)
Shaykh al-Albānī رحمه الله graded this hadith as weak in Ḍaʿīf al-Jāmiʿ (Ḥadīth: 6251).
Imām al-Zaylaʿī رحمه الله also declared it weak in Naṣb al-Rāyah (2/87).
In Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl (Ḥadīth: 378), Shaykh al-Albānī mentioned that this narration is very weak, due to the presence of al-Ḥārith al-Aʿwar, a weak narrator, some even labeling him as accused or abandoned.
Second Hadith:
Narrated from Muʿādh ibn Anas al-Juhanī رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"The one who laughs during Salah, looks around, or cracks his fingers—all are on the same level (i.e., all acts are blameworthy)."
(Dāraqutnī: 64, Sunan al-Bayhaqī: 2/279, Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl: 2/99–78, Musnad Aḥmad: 2/438, Naṣb al-Rāyah: 2/87)
This hadith is also weak due to the presence of Zabān ibn Fāʾid, a weak narrator.
Further details can be found in Majmaʿ al-Zawāʾid (2/438).
Despite the weakness of these narrations, the requirement for reverence and humility (khushūʿ and khuḍūʿ) in prayer dictates that unnecessary movements should be avoided. Therefore, it is recommended to refrain from cracking fingers during Salah.
❷ Ruling on Cracking Fingers Outside Salah
There is no explicit or strong prohibition against cracking fingers outside Salah.
A Mawqūf narration from Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنه:
"I performed Salah with Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنه. When I cracked my fingers during Salah, he said:
‘May your mother lose you! Do you crack your fingers in Salah?’"
(Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah: 2/344, Irwāʾ al-Ghalīl: 2/99)
The chain is ḥasan, and this narration supports the prohibition within Salah. However, it makes no mention of cracking fingers outside of prayer.
Under general etiquettes, fuqahāʾ (jurists) have deemed unnecessary finger cracking as makrūh, especially when done in gatherings as an expression of arrogance or disrespect.
Imām Abū al-Ḥasanāt ʿAbd al-Ḥayy al-Lakhnawī رحمه الله writes in
"Cracking fingers is makrūh, and it is counted among the actions of the people of Lūṭ. However, if done to relieve fatigue, then there is no harm."
Radd al-Muḥtār (1/431) also mentions its disliked status.
❸ Is Cracking Fingers an Act of the People of Lūṭ?
Some scholars have included finger cracking in the list of reprehensible acts attributed to the people of Lūṭ, but no strong Sharʿī evidence supports this.
Imām Ālūsī رحمه الله mentions in
"The people of Lūṭ had ten traits for which they were destroyed: sodomy, throwing pebbles, playing with pigeons, beating drums, drinking wine, shaving the beard, growing long mustaches, whistling, clapping, and wearing silk."
This narration is also reported by Ibn ʿAsākir, al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī, and Isḥāq ibn Bishr, and Imām al-Qurṭubī references it in his tafsīr of Sūrah al-ʿAnkabūt (13/342).
Although some scholars have listed finger cracking among these actions, there is no clear, sound textual evidence confirming this.
❖ Conclusion
The belief that cracking fingers results in the creation of a devil is baseless and unsupported by any authentic narration or verse of the Qur’an. It is merely a misconception.✔ Cracking fingers during Salah is makrūh because it conflicts with the required humility and concentration, but the narrations forbidding it are all weak.
✔ Cracking fingers outside Salah is not strongly prohibited, though scholars have discouraged it if it reflects arrogance, indecency, or idle behavior.
✔ Some scholars have linked finger cracking with the acts of the people of Lūṭ, but this association lacks strong Sharʿī evidence.
➡ Therefore, the notion that a devil is born when fingers are cracked is false and has no basis in Islamic teachings.
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
