he makes a similar point in his ‘Umdat al-Riayah (1/38), marvelling at the shaykhs who chose to abandon the pointing gesture and even deemed it disliked. He adds, “Kaydani, in his Khulasah, struck yet another note on the lute and went so far as to list it among the prohibited acts!” He further writes in the marginalia to Ghayth al-Ghamam ‘ala Imam al-Kalam (p. 41): “This view is one of the vile, rejected opinions, because it contradicts what has been established from our three imams regarding the sunnah status of the gesture—as stated explicitly by Muhammad in his Muwatta and by Abu Yusuf in his Amali. It is astonishing that a number of Hanafis issued fatwas declaring the gesture disliked when it is affirmed both by the Law-giver himself and by the Imam of the school!” I say: Even more astonishing is that these muftis claim the gate of ijtihad has been closed after the first four centuries, yet they practise ijtihad in this very issue, opposing the explicit texts of their own imams, the reports transmitted from the Companions and Successors, and the sound hadiths of the Master of the Messengers—even though they all agree that “there is no ijtihad when a text is present.” Would that they had not uttered such words, or at least had stopped there. Allah’s help is sought. A discussion once took place between me and one of my teachers about this matter; he is among those who prohibit the gesture despite having examined the relevant hadiths and the statements of the imams. I asked him, “Why do you not raise your finger in the prayer?” He offered two arguments. The first is the old, well-known claim already cited by al-Qari—that prayer is founded on stillness and tranquillity—which has been answered above. As for me, I said to him, “When the transmitted evidence arrives, reasoning ceases; there is no personal opinion alongside a clear text! Is your stance anything but…"