Huzoor (rh): The lady has asked this question that when we say ashadu allah ilaha illallah during attahiyat, after sitting after the second prostration, we raise our finger, this right hand finger, right finger, the right hand and say ashadu allah ilaha illallah What is the significance and is it important? The significance is this that according to some scholars who collected traditions of the Holy Prophet this was the custom of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa sallallahu alaihi wa sallam so he knows better, he is the teacher, so whatever we hear about him doing we must automatically follow, there is no question asked why and again if we ponder over it, the significance will become apparent, it’s not difficult to find the significance because in bearing witness automatically it’s the human nature, you make some sign by raising the hand or by raising the finger and because you are saying, declaring oneness of Allah, so one finger should be raised as a symbol of oneness, so the significance is very apparent, if you believe in those traditions which say thatHuzoor-e-Akram sallallahu alaihi wa sallam used to do it, then automatically it becomes imperative for you to do it, because knowing that if you don’t do it, however insignificant the act be, it will injure your spirit of subordination to him and your love to him, because knowing it you have to define, so act in itself may not be important, but this defines after the knowledge or lack of regard, that is the sin. So, nobody who truly lovesHuzoor-e-Akram sallallahu alaihi wa sallam can ever think of going against his injunctions, but there are others, other schools of thought who think that these traditions don’t bear weight, they are not to be followed because they are not true traditions. According to their Imams,Huzoor-e-Akram sallallahu alaihi wa sallam did not do it, so they don’t do it and it’s no sin then, because they truly believe that ourHuzoor-e-Akram sallallahu alaihi wa sallam did not do it and it’s such a small and insignificant thing, that if they believe he did not do it and do not do it, then it’s not at all a sin for them. But still in the history of Islam, we see such tragedies happen, that people belonging to one school which taught them to raise their finger at that juncture, when they went to the mosques of those who believed one should not raise one’s finger, when they saw this finger raised, after the prayer they caught him and severed that finger which was raised and on the other hand. Those who did not raise their fingers, when they were caught in the mosque of some people who raised their fingers and somebody noticed a finger not being raised, after the prayer he was caught and that finger was severed. So this has been the time of dark ages, when Islam had entered the dark ages and then the people had completely lost significance of the spirit of Islam. So if an Ahmadi sees such a thing, he should not react so violently, only after the prayer he should say, according to my knowledge, Prophet (SAW) used to do this, so you better start doing it, if he says no, all right, let him do as he pleases.
