Kissing the thumbs

What do the learned ‘Úlamā of Islam state in the following case whether it is permissible in the light of Sharī’á, to kiss the nails upon hearing the blessed name of the beloved Prophet śallAllāhu álayhi wa âlihi wa sahbihī wa sallam in the Ad’hān and Khutba? Bayyinu Tujiru

Answer:

The blessed ‘Úlamā have declared that to kiss the nails and brandish them over the eyes upon hearing the blessed name of the beloved Prophet śallAllāhu álayhi wa âlihi wa sahbihī wa sallam during the Adh’ān [call to prayer] is Mustaḥab[preferred]. However, one should not do such [kiss the nails] for the duration of the Khutba, as the ḥukm [of Sharī’á law] is of silence.

It is stated in [Ibn Abidīn’s] Radd al-Muḥtār:

It is Mustaḥab during the Adh’ān that upon hearing [the muaddhin] proclaim ‘Ash-hadu Anna Muḥammadar Rasūlullāh’ the first time, [one should] reply with ‘śallAllāhu álayka Ya RasūlAllāh’ and upon hearing it the second time to declare, ‘Qurratu ‘Aynī Bika Yā RasūlAllāh’, that is to say, ‘You are the coolness of my eyes [Ya] O Messenger of Allah.’ Thereafter, one should say,’ O Allah bless me with good hearing and good eyesight’, this should be said after brandishing the thumbs over the eyes. The beloved Prophet śallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam will lead one into Jannah who does so. The same has been mentioned in Kanz al-‘Abād. This statement is that of Jami’ al-Ramūz of Imām Qahstānī, similar has been declared in Fatāwah Sūfiya.

I have authored a concise book on this topic entitled, munīr al-‘ayn fi ḥukmī taqbīl ul-ibhamayn. In this book I have clarified and answered all objections with reference to numerous ḥadīth.

And Allah knows best.