Index finger during Tashahhud

قال أبو جعفر: (ويستقبل بأصبع رجله اليمنى القبلة، كما يفعل في السجود، ثم يبسط كفيه على ركبتيه، وينشر أصابعه، ولا يشير بشيء منها).
وذلك لما في حديث وائل بن حجر رضي الله عنه "أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لما جلس افترش رجله اليسرى، ووضع يده اليسرى على فخذه اليسرى، ويده اليمنى على فخذه اليمني".
* وينشر أصابعه كما ينشرها في السجود والركوع، ولا يشير بشيء منها، لقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "كفوا أيديكم في الصلاة، واسكنوا في الصلاة".
[شرح مختصر الطحاوي - الجصاص - المجلد ١ - الصفحة ٦٢٨-٦٢٩]

Al-Tahawi said: "He faces the Qiblah with the toes of his right foot, as he does in prostration, then places his palms on his knees, spreads his fingers, and does not point with any of them.) This is based on the report of Wa’il ibn Hujr, may Allah be pleased with him, that “when the Prophet ﷺ sat, he placed his left foot beneath him, his left hand on his left thigh, and his right hand on his right thigh.” He spreads his fingers as he does in prostration and bowing, without pointing with any of them, according to the words of the Prophet ﷺ: “Place your hands in prayer and remain still in prayer.”" [Sharh Mukhtasar al-Tahawi - Al-Jassas - Volume 1 - Page 628-629]

Al-Tahawi stated the Hanafi position regarding the index finger during Tashahhud, mentioning that one should neither point nor move the index finger. Both hands should remain flat on the thighs.

This position is based on a narration mentioned by al-Tahawi, in which the Prophet ﷺ instructed remaining still in prayer.

The original position of the Hanafi madhhab is to keep the hands still throughout the entire Tashahhud and not to raise the index finger at all.

Some later Hanafi scholars held that it is more correct to raise the index finger at the end of the Tashahhud when saying "la ilaha," then lower it again, which differs from Abu Hanifa’s view on this issue.

قال: والإشارة بالإصبع فِي التَّشَهُّدِ حسنٌ، ولا بأس أن يشير به من تحت ساجه، وهو مُلْتَفٌّ به.
[النوادر والزيادات - المجلد ١ - الصفحة ١٨٨]

Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani mentioned: Imam Malik said: "Pointing with the finger during the tashahhud is good, and there is no harm if one points with it while it is wrapped in his clothing." [Al-Nawadir wal-Ziyadat - Volume 1 - Page 188]

ومن المجموعة، قال عليٌّ، عن مالك: ولتضع الْمَرْأَة يَدَيْهِا على فخذيها، وتشير بإصبعها.
[النوادر والزيادات - المجلد ١ - الصفحة ١٨٩]

Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani mentioned: And from the Al-Majmu'ah, ‘Ali, quoting Malik, said: “A woman should place her hands on her thighs and point with her finger.” [Al-Nawadir wal-Ziyadat - Volume 1 - Page 189]

قال أبو زيد: قَالَ ابْنُ الْقَاسِمِ: رأيت مالكًا يُحَرِّك السبابة فِي التَّشَهُّدِ مُلِحًّا.
[النوادر والزيادات - المجلد ١ - الصفحة ١٨٨]

Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani mentioned: Ibn al-Qāsim said: I saw Mālik moving the index finger during the tashahhud persistently (or repeatedly). [Al-Nawadir wal-Ziyadat - Volume 1 - Page 188]

Imam Malik allows both moving the finger and simply pointing it.

The movement of the index finger should not be exaggerated up and down, but rather a subtle motion while keeping the finger in place.

وَبَسَطَ يَدَهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُسْرَى وَقَبَضَ أَصَابِعَ يَدِهِ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى إلَّا الْمُسَبِّحَةَ وَالْإِبْهَامَ وَأَشَارَ بِالْمُسَبِّحَةِ
أَخْبَرَنَا الرَّبِيعُ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا الشَّافِعِيُّ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ عَنْ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْمَعَافِرِيِّ قَالَ رَآنِي ابْنُ عُمَرَ وَأَنَا أَعْبَثُ بِالْحَصَى فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ نَهَانِي وَقَالَ: اصْنَعْ كَمَا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - يَصْنَعُ فَقُلْت: وَكَيْفَ كَانَ يَصْنَعُ؟ قَالَ «كَانَ إذَا جَلَسَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ وَضَعَ كَفَّهُ الْيُمْنَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُمْنَى وَقَبَضَ أَصَابِعَهُ كُلَّهَا وَأَشَارَ بِأُصْبُعِهِ الَّتِي تَلِي الْإِبْهَامَ وَوَضَعَ كَفَّهُ الْيُسْرَى عَلَى فَخِذِهِ الْيُسْرَى»
[الأم - المجلد ١ - الصفحة ١٣٩]

Imam al-Shafi'i said: "He places his left hand flat on his left thigh, and closes the fingers of his right hand over his right thigh, except for the index finger and the thumb, and he points with the index finger. Mālik informed us from Muslim ibn Abī Maryam, from ʿAlī ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Maʿāfirī, who said: Ibn ʿUmar saw me playing with pebbles. When he finished (the prayer), he forbade me and said: “Do as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to do.” I said: “And how did he used to do?” He said: “When he sat in the prayer, he would place his right palm on his right thigh, close all of his fingers, and point with the finger next to the thumb (the index finger), and place his left palm on his left thigh.”" [Al-Umm - Volume 1 - Page 139]

Imam al-Shafi'i holds that one should point with the index finger during Tashahhud.

Later Shafi'i scholars held that the index finger should be raised only at the end of the Tashahhud, when saying "illa Allah," and then kept pointed until Taslim.

قال ابن هانئ: وسئل: هل يشير الرجل بإصبعيه في الصلاة؟ قال: نعم شديدًا.
["مسائل ابن هانئ" (٣٩٣)]

Ibn Hānīʾ said: He (Ahmad) was asked, “Does a man point with his finger during prayer (in Tashahhud)?” He said: “Yes—firmly (or strongly).” [Masail Ibn Hani #393]

Imam Ahmad appears to hold the same position as Imam al-Shafi'i regarding the index finger, that it should be pointed during Tashahhud.

Later Hanbali scholars stated that the pointing is done when mentioning Allah during the Tashahhud. However, this is not explicitly mentioned by Imam Ahmad himself.