Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
1. Is it true that there are 2 opinions (according to Hanafi madhab) regarding the index finger in tashahud during salah? One opinion (according to Imam al-A’zam and Qadi Abu Yusuf??) that to raise at negation (la ilaha) and drop at affirmation (illa Allah) when say the shahada? Second opinion (Imam Muhammad??) to keep index finger raised in last tashahud up until saying salam? I know of a scholar (Hanafi) here in UK who follows (including all his murids I’ve seen) the second opinion. Please clarify this for me.
Walaikum assalam,
The transmitted position in the school, from all three of our imams is the first opinion. When one is going to raise the index finger, one folds the three other fingers, and makes a ring by placing ones thumb on the final digit of the middle finger.
Having checked the two most important treatises on this subject, by Mulla Ali al-Qari, and by Allama Ibn Abidin (Allah have mercy on them), I did not find this second position.
It is certainly not a famous position according to the classical texts of the school. I did not see Arab Hanafi scholars do this. Nor major Indian scholars I have met, including Sayyidi Shaykh Mahmoud Ashraf Usmani.
Ask them…
2. Which is the du’a (masnun, according to Hanafi madhab) which may be said in between the 2 prostrations during salah and can it be said in all salawat (e.g. fard individually/jama’ah, wajib, sunnan or nafl) or just in non-fard salawat? please kindly provide the du’a in Arabic with translation for the benefit of others.
There is no sunna dua between the two prostrations. Ibn Abidin says that it is recommended to say, “Rabbi ‘Gfirli” (Allah, forgive me), twice, because some of the mujtahids held it to be necessary. This is permitted in all prayers.
Walaikum assalam,
Faraz Rabbani