raising finger during tasahhud

[ya habibi]

Assalamu 'Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

My local Imam after tarawih the other day said their is no harm if one doesnt raise their finger when praying ''attayaat'' as their is no solid proof or evidence for this. He went onto say to the gathering ''why do you also raise your fingers during the azaan and iqamah, their is no evidence to support this'' ? I was quite surprised by what he was saying ....is it true or are there proofs he may have missed ?

[Imam]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Assalamu 'Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,

The lifting of the finger in the tashahhud is permissable as when you read 'la ilaaha' one raises the index finger, and when he reaches 'illallah', he drops his finger, this has been stated by some of our scholars, who have claimed that it is sunnah of the Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam.

However some people will basically disagree with this, on the grounds that it distorts their sunnah way of placing their hands on thier knees, or that it breaks away the concentration of the person praying the salaah. Especially those people who thoroughly concentrate, or concentrate when they reach the words 'ayyu han nabiyyu', which when placed in front of their devotion, it means that 'Oh, Prophet', and because they believe that the Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam is always present with them, that no other act, such as lifting of the finger should be committed.

A classical example of a scholar, that has given this is The famous Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi, in his Maktubat-ar-Rabbaniyyah, and has disclaimed the lifting of the finger.

As far as evidence is concerned, then some books of fiqh, have stated that the finger should be lifted, and in books like the 'badaa'e-us-Sana'e' for example, 'Allamah Kasani has written that there are proofs of this from the sunnah, to which Imam Abu Hanifah Radi Allahu anha, has also agreed, yet the concentration issue may still prove to be a factor.

As far as adhaan and iqaamah, are concerned, I myself have never read in any hadith book, or fiqh book that it is sunnah or wajib, os mustahib for the one who listens to the adhan or iqamah, nor has it ever been encouraged, and nor was it ever taught to us by any teacher, that the finger should be raised, during these two events.

Those people who do, simply claim that it signifies that Allah the Almighty is one, and some even go on to say that the devil is hit, with a bullet, or a pellet, by the finger when it is raised.

Wallahu A'lamu Biththawaab.

M. Waseem Ashrafi