173 - Issue: He said: "Then he should spread his left palm on his left thigh, and his right hand on his right thigh, and form a ring with the thumb and the middle finger, and gesture with the index finger (1)."

Its entirety is that it is recommended for the person praying, when sitting for the tashahhud, to place the left hand on the left thigh, spread out with the fingers joined, with all the tips (2) of its fingers facing the qiblah. He should place his right hand on his right thigh, clenching the little finger and the ring finger, forming a ring with the thumb and the middle finger, and gesturing with the index finger (1), which is the finger next to the thumb. This is based on what Wabil ibn Hujr narrated, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) placed his right elbow on his right thigh, then contracted his little finger and the finger next to it, formed a ring with his middle finger and thumb (3), and raised the index finger, gesturing (4) with it (5). Abu al-Hasan al-Amidi said: It has been narrated from Abu Abd Allah that he should gather his three fingers and clench the thumb as in the gesture of fifty-three, based on what Ibn Umar's narration that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) placed his right hand on his right knee, formed a fifty-three, and gestured with the index finger. Recorded by Muslim (6). Al-Amidi said: It is also narrated that he should spread the little finger and the ring finger so that he might face the qiblah with them. The first is more appropriate, following the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He should gesture with the index finger, raising it upon the mention of Allah the Almighty in his tashahhud, based on what we have narrated, and he should not move it, based on what Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr narrated, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to gesture with his finger and not move it. Recorded by Abu Dawud (7). In another version: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to, when he sat to supplicate, place his right hand on his right thigh.