Praise be to Allah.
First of all we should know that even if someone is not moving index finger according to sunnah and ahadeeth that are going to be described, because of not knowing it, there's no need to correct him because his prayer is still valid.
But we should follow sunnah while offering salah because our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Offer your prayers in the way you saw me offering my prayers."
Sahih al-Bukhari (631) , (6008)
With regard to the evidence concerning this issue, following are the ahadeeth:
(a) "Abdullah ibn. Zubair narrated on the authority of his father that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sat for tashahhud, he placed his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh, and pointed with his forefinger, and placed his thumb on his (milddle) finger, and covered his knee with the palm of his left hand."
Sahih Muslim (579 b)
(b) "It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to sit during prayer, putting his hands on his knees and raising his right finger which was next to his thumb, supplicating with it, and with his left hand (spread out) on his knee."
Sunan Ibn Majah (913)
Sahih Muslim (580 a)
(c) Wa'il bin Hujr described the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Then he sat and lay his left foot on the ground, and placed his left hand on his left thigh and knee. He put his right elbow on his right thigh, then he made a circle with two fingers of his (right) hand, then he raised his finger and I saw him moving it, supplicating with it."
Sunan an-Nasa'i (1268)
Classed as 'Sahih' by Al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan an-Nasa'i (889) ,
Irwaa al-Ghaleel (2/ 69), (2/ 86) , Silsilah as-Sahiha (5/ 310) , (7/ 551) and Sahih Abi Dawud (3/ 316) other in Sunan al-Darimi (1397)
(d) "It was narrated from 'Amir bin Abdullah bin Az-Zubair, from his father, that: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sat to say the tashahhud, he placed his left hand on his left thigh and pointed with his forefinger, and his gaze did not go beyond he finger with which he was pointing."
Sunan an-Nasa'i (1275)
(e) Ahmad narrated that Naafi’ said: "When ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar sat during the prayer, he would put his hands on his thighs and point with his finger whilst looking at it. Then he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “It is harder on the Shaytaan than iron,” meaning the index finger."
Musnad Ahmad (6000)
Note: This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), page. 159 & Mishkat al-Masabih (917)
Also Read this Post:
Weakness of Ahadeeth Regarding the Effect of Moving the Forefinger, During Tashahhud, on Shaytaan
Conclusion:
We should raise and point index finger of right hand straight toward qiblah.
We should curl remaining fingers of right hand and place the thumb on middle finger.
We should move index finger and movement should be like shaking/ vibrating but not up and down.
We should point finger during tashahhud from start, till the end of tashahhud.
We should look at pointed finger during tashahhud.
Note:
There's a hadeeth narrated from Abdullah bin Az-Zubair: "He used to point with his finger when making du’aa’ but he did not move it."
Sunan an-Nasa'i (1270)
Sunan Abi Dawud (989)
This addition – “but he did not move it” – was classed as Shaz (Isolated) by al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan an-Nasa'i (1270) , Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan Abi Dawud (989) and Tamaam al-Minnah, p. 218.
Similarly in another hadeeth narrated from Numayr al-Khuzaa’i, bending the finger slightly when pointing was mentioned.
Sunan Abi Dawud (991)
But this is also a Da'eef (Weak) hadeeth.
classed by al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan Abi Dawud (991) , Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan an-Nasa'i (1274) and Tamaam al-Minnah p. 222.
For more detail on this subject read/ watch these articles and videos:
And Allah knows the best.
First of all we should know that even if someone is not moving index finger according to sunnah and ahadeeth that are going to be described, because of not knowing it, there's no need to correct him because his prayer is still valid.
But we should follow sunnah while offering salah because our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"Offer your prayers in the way you saw me offering my prayers."
Sahih al-Bukhari (631) , (6008)
With regard to the evidence concerning this issue, following are the ahadeeth:
(a) "Abdullah ibn. Zubair narrated on the authority of his father that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sat for tashahhud, he placed his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh, and pointed with his forefinger, and placed his thumb on his (milddle) finger, and covered his knee with the palm of his left hand."
Sahih Muslim (579 b)
(b) "It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to sit during prayer, putting his hands on his knees and raising his right finger which was next to his thumb, supplicating with it, and with his left hand (spread out) on his knee."
Sunan Ibn Majah (913)
Sahih Muslim (580 a)
(c) Wa'il bin Hujr described the prayer of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Then he sat and lay his left foot on the ground, and placed his left hand on his left thigh and knee. He put his right elbow on his right thigh, then he made a circle with two fingers of his (right) hand, then he raised his finger and I saw him moving it, supplicating with it."
Sunan an-Nasa'i (1268)
Classed as 'Sahih' by Al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan an-Nasa'i (889) ,
Irwaa al-Ghaleel (2/ 69), (2/ 86) , Silsilah as-Sahiha (5/ 310) , (7/ 551) and Sahih Abi Dawud (3/ 316) other in Sunan al-Darimi (1397)
(d) "It was narrated from 'Amir bin Abdullah bin Az-Zubair, from his father, that: When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sat to say the tashahhud, he placed his left hand on his left thigh and pointed with his forefinger, and his gaze did not go beyond he finger with which he was pointing."
Sunan an-Nasa'i (1275)
(e) Ahmad narrated that Naafi’ said: "When ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar sat during the prayer, he would put his hands on his thighs and point with his finger whilst looking at it. Then he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “It is harder on the Shaytaan than iron,” meaning the index finger."
Musnad Ahmad (6000)
Note: This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), page. 159 & Mishkat al-Masabih (917)
Also Read this Post:
Weakness of Ahadeeth Regarding the Effect of Moving the Forefinger, During Tashahhud, on Shaytaan
Conclusion:
We should raise and point index finger of right hand straight toward qiblah.
We should curl remaining fingers of right hand and place the thumb on middle finger.
We should move index finger and movement should be like shaking/ vibrating but not up and down.
We should point finger during tashahhud from start, till the end of tashahhud.
We should look at pointed finger during tashahhud.
Note:
There's a hadeeth narrated from Abdullah bin Az-Zubair: "He used to point with his finger when making du’aa’ but he did not move it."
Sunan an-Nasa'i (1270)
Sunan Abi Dawud (989)
This addition – “but he did not move it” – was classed as Shaz (Isolated) by al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan an-Nasa'i (1270) , Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan Abi Dawud (989) and Tamaam al-Minnah, p. 218.
Similarly in another hadeeth narrated from Numayr al-Khuzaa’i, bending the finger slightly when pointing was mentioned.
Sunan Abi Dawud (991)
But this is also a Da'eef (Weak) hadeeth.
classed by al-Albaani in Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan Abi Dawud (991) , Sahih wa Da'eef Sunan an-Nasa'i (1274) and Tamaam al-Minnah p. 222.
For more detail on this subject read/ watch these articles and videos:
Here's explanation about this subject by Abu Ishaq Al Heweny student of Shaikh Nasir ud-Din al-Albani (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
