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Fatwa CenterPointing with index finger in Tashahhud according to the Maalikis
Question
In his book Ath-Thamr Ad-Dani, Al-Azhari mentions the position of the Malikiyyah regarding pointing in the Salah. What proofs do they use to prove pointing in the Tashahhud with the palm (facing) the left while making the side of the index finger uppermost?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
The evidence of the Maalikis for the permissibility of pointing with the index finger during the Tashahhud is what was reported in the Muwatta’ of Imaam Maalik that ‘Ali ibn Abdul Rahmaan Al-Mu’aawi said: “‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar saw me playing with small pebbles in prayer. When I finished the prayer, he forbade me from doing so and said: ‘Do as the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to do.’ I said: ‘What did the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, use to do?’ He replied: ‘When he sat in prayer, he placed his right hand on his right thigh, and he closed his fist and pointed with his index finger, and he placed his left hand on his left thigh.’ He said: ‘That is what he used to do.’” [End of quote]
As regards the Maaliki School saying that the side of the index finger should be uppermost, the reason might be that this finger becomes like a butcher’s knife to suppress the devil so that the worshipper would be safe from his whispers. The Maaliki scholar Al-Kharashi said: “It is recommended to move the index finger to the right and to the left while the side of the finger is facing upwards to one’s face just like a butcher’s knife.” [End of quote]
Al-Baaji, from the Maaliki School, said in his book Al-Muntaqa:
“This is what they mentioned; and regarding the meaning of pointing with the index finger, Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah reported this Hadeeth from Muslim ibn Abi Maryam, and he added at its end: Yahya ibn Sa‘eed first narrated this Hadeeth and then I met him and I heard the following from him: ‘…and Muslim added: it is a butcher’s knife against the devil; one of you is attentive as along as he points with his (index) finger.’ So, this implies that moving the index finger is to avoid being inattentive and to suppress the devil; while doing so, one remembers that he is in prayer…. Also, it was reported from Maalik that he used to take out his index finger from under his hooded cloak and move it all the time.” [End of quote]
Ath-Thamr Ad-Daani ‘ala Risaalat Abi Zayd Al-Qayrawaani reads: “‘…pointing with it’ means more than just ‘to stretch it’. To stretch is to extend; to point is something extra. Namely, it includes stretching, but stretching does not include it. ‘…having erected the edge of it’ — that is, the side of it — ‘to his face’ — that is, opposite his face. He was careful thereby not to extend it with the inside of it toward the ground and the backside of it toward his face, or to do the opposite.” [End of quote]
Placing the index finger so that its side is in the direction of one’s face consequently means that the palm of the right hand is facing left.
Allaah Knows best.
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