He cited every one of those reports in full, reproducing their exact wording, although we have refrained from quoting most of them here because they do not meet our criteria. Shaykh Ali then states (p. 10): “These are many hadiths transmitted through numerous, well-known chains. There can be no doubt about the validity of the basic act of pointing, for some of its isnads are found in Sahih Muslim. In fact, it is mentioned in all six canonical collections and elsewhere, to the point that it has virtually reached the level of tawatur; indeed, one may rightly say that it is mutawatir in meaning. How, then, could anyone who believes in Allah and His Messenger abandon acting upon it and resort to rationalizations in the face of a clear textual proof—especially when those rationalizations are defective, having issued from someone himself in need? They claim, quoting certain opponents of the gesture, that it involves an unnecessary additional movement and that omitting it is therefore preferable, since prayer is founded on dignity and composure. This claim is refuted by the simple fact that, had omission truly been preferable, the Prophet ﷺ—who embodied the height of dignity and serenity—would not have done it. Moreover, pointing to the divine oneness while worshipping is light upon light and joy upon joy; the entire prayer, indeed all worship and obedience, revolves around that affirmation. Some have argued that the gesture coincides with the practice of the Rafida, so abandoning it would better achieve the goal of differing from them. [This] is plainly untenable for several reasons: 1. The great majority of them—as we observe in our own time—do not point at all; instead they wave their hands when giving salam and slap their thighs in lament over the passing of Islam. Their rationale, therefore, turns back on them and becomes proof for us. 2. Even if the attribution were sound, we are not required to differ from them in every action, including those deeds of theirs that conform to the sunnah, such as eating with the right hand and the like.