I say: These wordings from these four trustworthy narrators support Za’idah’s report, confirm its authenticity, and demonstrate the invalidity of these latter-day scholars’ declaring it defective on grounds of anomaly. This is because the words of Zuhayr and Bishr, “He would do this,” carry the same meaning as the wording of Abu al-Ahwas and Ibn Idris, “He points,” since it is an imperfect verb that denotes repetition to those knowledgeable in the Arabic language and its conventions—as is likewise the case with Za’idah’s wording, “He moves it.” It was for this reason that the latter-day scholars referred to above rejected it. Thus, the wording of these trustworthy narrators, “He points,” is likewise an imperfect verb denoting repeated pointing; there is no difference. It therefore has the meaning of “he moves,” and this is very clear. So I do not know how this escaped those who reject movement of the finger! What further confirms what I have mentioned is the addition of Abu al-Ahwas, and likewise that of Bishr in Ibn Khuzaymah: “And he began ... pointing with it.” This is even more explicit in indicating both pointing and movement, and that too is clear.

In summary: Wail’s hadith, as narrated by Za’idah concerning movement of the finger, is authentic, and it has reliable corroborating reports conveying the same meaning. Those who declared it anomalous overlooked the reports of trustworthy narrators that agree with it, as well as the fact that the imperfect verb indicates continuity. They likewise disregarded the earlier imams’ authentication of it, setting themselves above them and claiming knowledge they did not possess.

What is truly strange is that the student of the aforementioned Shaykh Shu‘ayb—who boasts of having studied under him and worked under his supervision and direction—has also disagreed with his Shaykh concerning this hadith. For the Shaykh stated in his comment on this report of Za’idah in Sahih Ibn Hibban (5/171): “Its chain of transmission is strong.” He did not impugn it as anomalous, and that is the truth.

So I do not know whether the Shaykh has withdrawn from this affirmation of its strength in favor of his student’s view and ignorance, or whether he has suffered at his hands what he suffered at the hands of his other student, Hassan Abd al-Mannan, who contradicted him regarding dozens of hadiths from Riyad al-Salihin that he declared weak, then stated after them that the Shaykh agreed with him—despite the fact that the Shaykh had himself authenticated some of them in some of his annotations.

Time will reveal that.