Darulifta Ahlesunnat (Dawateislami)
Question
What do the noble scholars and jurists of Islamic law say about the following: My right hand was withered from birth, meaning it is shriveled. Because of this, the hand is completely lifeless and non-functional. I perform all my tasks with my left hand. I wanted to ask regarding salah, that when the finger is to be raised in Tashahud, what is the ruling for me at that time? Will I raise the index finger of my left hand or not raise it at all? Please provide Sharī’aĥ guidance.
Answer
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ
اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ
In the inquired situation, you are not instructed to raise your finger [رفع السبابه] in Tashahud. Therefore, you will not raise the finger of your left hand either, because the method that is narrated from the Prophet ﷺ is to raise the finger of the right hand and only this is the Sunnah. But if someone’s index finger of the right hand is amputated, they will not point with any other finger of the right hand, or if they don’t have a right arm at all they will not point with the fingers of the left hand. Hence, you will not point with the left-hand finger.
It is narrated in Sahih Muslim and other books of ‘Sihah’ and ‘Sunan’:
عن عامر بن عبد اللہ بن الزبير، عن أبيه، قال:كان رسول اللہ صلى اللہ عليه وسلم إذا قعد يدعو، وضع يده اليمنى على فخذه اليمنى، ويده اليسرى على فخذه اليسرى، و أشار بإصبعه السبابة ، و وضع إبهامه على إصبعه الوسطى
Translation: It is narrated from ‘Aamir Bin Abdullah Bin Al-Zubair, it is narrated from his father that he said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would sit (in Qa’dah) to recite (the Tashahud), he would place his right hand on his right thigh and his left hand on his left thigh, and he would point with his index finger and touch his thumb with the middle finger (forming a circle). (Al-Sahih Li-Muslim, Book of Salah, Chapter: Description of sitting in salah, Vol. 1, p. 260, Publ. Lahore)
Imam Nawawi رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه states in the commentary of this Hadith:
و يشير بمسبحة اليمنى لا غير فلو كانت مقطوعة أو عليلة لم يشر بغيرها لا من الأصل باليمنى و لا اليسرى
Translation: He should point with the index finger of the right hand and not with any other. If it is amputated or diseased, he should not point with any other finger, neither with the fingers of the right hand nor of the left hand. (Sharah Al-Nawawi ‘Ala Muslim, Book of Salah, Chapter: Description of sitting in salah, Vol. 5, p. 81, Publ. Beirut)
This pointing is to be done with his right hand. Describing the method of this, Allamah Shami رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه writes:
و صفتها: أن يحلق من يده اليمنى عند الشهادة الإبهام والوسطى، و يقبض البنصر و الخنصر، و يشير بالمسبحة
(Radd Al-Muhtar Ma’a Al-Durr Al-Mukhtar, Book of Salah, Chapter: Description of salah, Vol. 2, p. 266, Publ. Quetta)
It is only sunnah to point in the prescribed manner. Allamah ‘Abdul-Hay Lakhnawi رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه states after describing the method:
و هذا؛ أي استنانُ الإشارةِ بالسبابة مع الكيفيَّةِ المذكورةِ قد صحَّحه و اعتمدَ عليه كثيرٌ من أصحابنا، كما لا يخفى
(‘Umdah Al-Ri’ayah Bi-Tahshiyah Sharh Al-Wiqayah, Book of Salah, Vol. 2, p. 290, Publ. Beirut)
Pointing is to be done with the right hand only. Thus, it is stated in Nur Al-Idah Ma’a Maraqi Al-Falah:
"و" تسن "الإشارة في الصحيح" لأنه صلى اللہ عليه وسلم رفع أصبعه السبابة و تكون "بالمسبحة" أي السبابة من اليمنى فقط
If the finger is amputated, one cannot point with any other finger, as Allamah Sayyid Ahmad Tahtawi رحمة اللہ تعالى عليه writes under the above-mentioned text of Maraqi Al-Falah:
لا يشير بغير المسبحة حتى لو كانت مقطوعة أو عليلة لم يشر بغيرها من أصابع اليمنى ولا اليسرى كما في النووي على مسلم
(Hashiyah Al-Tahawi A’la Maraqi Al-Falah, Book of Salah, Topic: Describing its sunnah, p. 269, Publ. Beirut)
In Imdad Al-Fattah, it is mentioned under the text of Nur Al-Idah ‘والاشارۃ فی الصحیح بالمسبحۃ’:
و تکون (بالمسبحۃ) تسمیٰ بالسبابۃ ایضا من اصابع الید الیمنیٰ فقط
(Imdad Al-Fattah Sharh Nur Al-Idah, Book of Salah, Topic: The Sunnah, p. 299, Publ. Quetta)
It is also stated elsewhere in this book:
(و اشارہ بالمسبحۃ) من اصابع یدہ الیمنیٰ
(Imdad Al-Fattah Sharah Nur Al-Idah, Book of Salah, Topic: Method of offering Salah, p. 323, Publ. Quetta)
وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ رَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم
(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَ اٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)
Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari
Ref No: Aqs-2752
Date: 20th Sha’ban Al-Mu’azzam 1446 AH/ 19th February 2025