Wa’il b. Hujr said concerning God’s Messenger, “Then he sat, stretched out his left foot , placed his left hand on his left thigh, put the tip of his right elbow on his right thigh, joined two fingers, 1 formed a ring, 2 then raised his finger, 3 and I saw him moving it and making supplication at the same time.”
1. i.e the little finger and the ring finger.
2. i.e with the thumb and the middle finger.
3. i.e the forefinger.
God’s Messenger used to teach us the tashahhud just as he would teach us a sura of the Qur’an, and would say, “The blessed adorations of the tongue, acts of worship and all good things are due to God. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and God’s mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and upon God’s upright servants. I testify that there is no god but God, and I testify that Muhammad is God’s Messenger.’’
Muslim transmitted it. In the two Sahihs and in al-Jam' bain as-Sahihain I did not find “Peace be upon you” and “Peace be upon us” without the definite article, but the author of al-Jami' transmitted it that way from Tirmidhi.
When we prayed with the Prophet we said,* “Peace be to God before it is supplicated for His servants; peace be to Gabriel; peace be to Michael; peace be to so and so.” When the Prophet finished he turned his face to us and said: Do not say, “Peace be to God”, for God Himself is Peace. When one of you sits during the prayer he should say, “The adorations of the tongue, acts of worship and all good things are due to God. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and God’s mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and upon God’s upright servants (for when he says that it reaches every upright servant in heaven and earth). I testify that there is no god but God, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.” Then he may choose any supplication which pleases him and offer it.
