Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed
Is there a hadith proving that we should raise our finger at “Illa Llah” as the Shafi’is do? Or is it a reprehensible innovation?
It has been confirmed in rigorously authenticated hadiths that he, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, used to point with his finger in the tashahhud position. And these hadiths have not shown us the time that he used to do this, so the scholars differed about it. What our imams have decided is that it is raised at the saying “Illa Llah”, because the indication means the oneness (of God), so it is appropriate to raise it at the word of oneness.
Bayhaqi has related in his Sunan, “that the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, used to point with it for oneness.” However there is an unknown narration in the hadith, as Imam al-Nawawi said in the Majmu`. However, it is still drawn upon, and the matter is actually very expansive, since there is no text about it that would prevent examination and ijtihad.
Amjad Rasheed
[Translated by Sr. Shazia Ahmad]