In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate

 

Tashahhud in each of the four schools of jurisprudence

 

 

In the Hanafi school:

 

Position of the hands:

 

It is sunna to clasp one’s fingers when reciting ashhadu al la ilaha, with the thumb on the side of one’s middle finger, and to raise the index finger; then, lower the index finger when saying illa ‘Llah.

 

Wording:

At-tahiyyatu li ‘Llahi wa ‘s-salawatu wa ‘t-tayyibat(u), as-salamu `alayka ayyuha ‘n-Nabiyyu wa rahmatul ‘Llahi wa barakatuh(u), as-salamu `alayna wa `ala `ibadi ‘Llahi s-salihin(a), ashhadu an la ilaha illah ‘Llah(u), wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa rasuluh.

 

The Abrahamic supplication that follows the final tashahud:

Allahumma salli `ala Muhammadin wa `ala ‘ali Muhammadin kama sallayta `ala Ibrahima wa `ala ali Ibrahim(a), wa barik `ala Muhammadin wa `ala ali Muhammadin kama barakta `ala Ibrahima wa `ala ali Ibrahim(a), fi ‘l-`alamina innaka hamidun majid.

 

 

In the Maliki school: 

 

Position of the hands:  (note:  There are a number of other strong opinions in the school regarding the position of the hands as well.)

 

There is a special grip that the right hand can be placed in.  This grip is achieved by folding the pinky, ring finger, and middle finger so that their tips touch the part of the palm which contains the bone of the thumb.  The forefinger should be kept straight pointing towards the direction of prayer.  Then, the thumb should be lowered on top of the side of the middle finger and pressed against the index finger.  The right hand with the above-mentioned grip should be placed on the lower right thigh vertically.  The side of the right hand which has the pinky should touch the lower thigh while the side with the forefinger should face the sky or the ceiling.  While reciting the testification and up until the end of the prayer/sitting one should move the right forefinger’s tip in a small clockwise circle.  One should try not to bend the forefinger but to keep it in a straight line while moving its tip in a tight clockwise circle.  The grip of the right hand (as explained before) dictates that knuckles be vertically in line with each other.  If they are horizontally in line with each other, one has not followed our instructions correctly.  Just before the closing salam, one opens up one’s right hand gracefully (middle finger, then right finger, and then pinky) and twists the entire hand counter-clockwise until it lies flat on the lower thigh just like the left one.

 

Wording:

at-tahiyyatu li l-lahi, az-zakiyatu li l-lahi, at-tayyibatu, as-salawatu li l-lah. as-salamu `alayka ayyuha n-nabiyyu wa rahmatu l-lahi wa barakatu. as-salamu `alayna wa `ala `ibadi l-lahi s-salihin. ash-hadu an la ilaha illa l-lahu wahdahu la sharika lah. wa ash-hadu anna muhammadan `abduhu wa rasuluh.

 

The Abrahamic supplication that follows the final tashahud:

allahumma salli `ala muhammadin wa `ala ‘ali muhammad; ka ma sallayta `ala ibrahima wa `ala ‘ali Ibrahim. wa barik `ala muhammadin wa `ala ‘ali muhammad; ka ma barakta `ala ibrahima wa `ala ‘ali ibrahim. fi l-`alamina, innaka hamidun majid.

 

 

In the Shafi’i school:  for video demonstration, go here:  http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=3&ID=3421&CATE=353

 

Position of the hands:

 

One’s left hand rests on the left thigh near the knee, its fingers extended and held together.  The right hand is similarly placed, but is held closed with its thumb under the base of the index finger, which alone is left extended.  One lifts the index finger and points with it when one says the words illa Llah.  (One does not move it while it is thus raised, following the sunna from a hadith related by Abu Dawud.  It is offensive to move it here, though some hold that it is recommended, the evidence for which is also from the sunna, in a hadith related by Bayhaqi, who states that both hadiths are rigorously authenticated (sahih).  Bayhaqi says that the meaning of moving it in the latter hadith is simply raising it, so there is no actual contradiction.)

 

Wording:  for audio, go here:  http://www.dhikr.org/maqasid/10.24.wav

At-tahiyyatu l-mubarakatu s-salawatu t-tayyibatu li Lah, as-salamu `alayka ayyuha n-Nabiyyu wa rahmatul Llahi wa barakatuh, as-salamu `alayna wa `ala `ibadi Llahi s-salihin, ash-hadu al-la ilaha illa Llah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadar rasulu Llah.

 

The supplication that follows the first tashahud:  Allahumma salli `ala Sayyidina Muhammad.

 

The Abrahamic supplication that follows the final tashahud:

Allahumma salli `ala Sayyidina Muhammadin wa `ala ali Sayyidina Muhammadin kama sallayta `ala Sayyidina Ibrahima wa `ala ali Sayyidina Ibrahim(a), wa barik `ala Sayyidina Muhammadin wa `ala ali Sayyidina Muhammadin kama barakta `ala Sayyidina Ibrahima wa `ala ali Sayyidina Ibrahima, fi l-`alamin(a), innaka hamidun majid.

 

 

In the Hanbali school:

 

Position of the hands:

 

He clenches the pinky and second smallest finger of his right hand and forms a circle with his thumb and middle finger, and points with his index finger, without moving it, during the tashahud. He spreads out the fingers of the left.

 

Wording:

Al-tahiyyatu lillah wa al-salawatu wa al-tayyibat, al-salamu `alayka ayyuha al-nabi wa rahmatu llahi wa barakatuhu, al-salamu `alayna wa `ala `ibadi llahi al-salihin, ashhadu an la ‘ilaha ‘ill allah, wa ashhadu anna muhammadan `abduhu wa rasuluhu

 

The Abrahamic supplication that follows the final tashahud:

Allahumma salli `ala muhammadin wa `ala ‘ali muhammadin ka ma salayta `ala ‘ali ibrahima innaka hamidun majid, wa barik `ala muhammadin wa `ala ‘ali muhammadan ka ma salayta `ala ‘ali ibrahima innaka hamidun majid

 

note:  Another opinion in the school indicates that the finger should be raised every time the Majestic Name “Allah” is mentioned, resulting in raising the finger at the following bold places:

 

The tashahhud: Al-tahiyyatu lillah wa al-salawatu wa al-tayyibat, al-salamu `alayka ayyuha al-nabi wa rahmatu llahi wa barakatuhu, al-salamu `alayna wa `ala `ibadi llahi al-salihin, ashhadu an la ‘ilaha ‘ill allah, wa ashhadu anna muhammadan `abduhu wa rasuluhu

The final supplication: Allahummasalli `ala muhammadin wa `ala ‘ali muhammadin ka ma salayta `ala ‘ali ibrahima innaka hamidun majid, wa barik `ala muhammadin wa `ala ‘ali muhammadan ka ma salayta `ala ‘ali ibrahima innaka hamidun majid.( Note: Allahumma is a phrase meaning ya Allah! [“O, Allah!â€]).

 

And Allah knows best and Alone gives success.  All praise is due to Him, Lord of All the Worlds.