“When he sat, he spread out his left foot … and gestured with his index finger.” In the Musnad (4/317–318), Sufyan—namely al-Thawri—and Zuhayr ibn Muʿawiyah likewise narrated it. Al-Tabarani also narrated it (22/78, 83, 84, 85, 90) through both of them and others.

The other version confines the gesture to the tashahhud. It is found in the Musnad (4/319), through another chain from Shuʿbah, with the wording: “When he sat for the tashahhud … he gestured with his index finger and formed a circle with his middle finger.” Its chain is authentic, and Ibn Khuzaymah also recorded it (698). Abu al-Ahwas likewise narrated it in al-Tahawi’s Sharh al-Maʿani (1/152) and al-Tabarani’s al-Muʿjam al-Kabir (22/34/80), adding: “Then he began to supplicate with the other [finger].” Zaʾidah ibn Qudamah likewise narrated it with the wording: “He formed a circle, then raised his finger, and I saw him moving it as he supplicated with it.” It was recorded by Abu Dawud and other compilers of the Sunan collections, as well as by Ahmad (4/318) and al-Tabarani (22/35/82). Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban, Ibn al-Jarud, al-Nawawi, and Ibn al-Qayyim declared it authentic, and it is cited in Sahih Abi Dawud (717). Abu ʿAwanah likewise narrated it in similar terms, adding: “Then he supplicated.” Al-Tabarani recorded it (22/38/90). Ibn Idris narrated it similarly. Ibn Hibban recorded it (486).