Wa alaykum salam wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuHu,

In Tuhfat al-Muhtaj v. 2, p. 80, it is stated that one raises the finger at the hamzah in the phrase إلا الله in the tashahhud and does not put in down until the end of the tashahhud. The raising of the finger signifies, in both word and deed, one’s testimony to Allah’s Oneness. Additionally, one does not shake the finger back and forth [tahrik]; in fact, it is disliked.

And Allah knows best.

Shafiifiqh.com Fatwa Dept.