I passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ who was praying. I saluted him and he returned it by making a sign. The narrator said: I do not know but that he said: He made a sign with his finger. This is the version reported by Qutaybah.
أَنَّهُ قَالَ مَرَرْتُ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ إِشَارَةً قَالَ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُهُ إِلاَّ قَالَ إِشَارَةً بِأُصْبُعِهِ وَهَذَا لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ قُتَيْبَةَ
"I passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he was praying, and greeted him with Salam. He returned my greeting with a gesture, or maybe it was just with his finger."
عَنْ صُهَيْبٍ صَاحِبِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَرَرْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ عَلَىَّ إِشَارَةً وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ بِإِصْبَعِهِ
"I passed by Messenger of Allah (S) while he was performing Salat, so I said greeted him with Salam, and he returned it by making signals." He said: "I do not know except that he said: 'He indicated with his finger.'"
مَرَرْتُ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ إِلَىَّ إِشَارَةً وَقَالَ لاَ أَعْلَمُ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِشَارَةً بِإِصْبَعِهِ قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ بِلاَلٍ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَأَنَسٍ وَعَائِشَةَ
"I passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he was praying, and greeted him with Salam. He returned my greeting with a gesture, or maybe it was just with his finger." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1186)
عَنْ صُهَيْبٍ صَاحِبِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ مَرَرْتُ بِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَسَلَّمْتُ فَرَدَّ إِلَيَّ إِشَارَةً وَقَالَ لَا أَعْلَمُ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِشَارَةً بِإِصْبَعِهِ
[Machine] I passed by the messenger of Allah ﷺ and greeted him while he was praying, and he responded to me with a gesture. Laith said, "I think he responded with his finger."
«مَرَرْتُ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَرَدَّ إِلَيَّ إِشَارَةً» قَالَ لَيْثٌ أَحْسَبُهُ قَالَ بِأُصْبُعِهِ
"I passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he was praying, and greeted him with Salam. He returned my greeting with a gesture, or maybe it was just with his finger." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1186)
«مَرَرْتُ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ إِشَارَةً » وَلَا أَعْلَمُ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ قَالَ « بِإِصْبَعِهِ»
"I passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he was praying, and greeted him with Salam. He returned my greeting with a gesture, or maybe it was just with his finger." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1186)
عَنْ صُهَيْبٍ صَاحِبَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ «مَرَرْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ إِشَارَةً وَلَا أَعْلَمُ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ قَالَ بِإصْبُعِهِ»
[Machine] "I passed by the Messenger of Allah while he was praying, so I greeted him and he returned my greeting with a sign. Layth thought he pointed with his finger, and it has been narrated in this story with a chain of transmission that he gestured with his hand without a doubt."
مَرَرْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ إِلَيَّ إِشَارَةً قَالَ لَيْثٌ حَسِبْتُهُ قَالَ بِأُصْبُعِهِ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ فِي هَذِهِ الْقِصَّةِ بِإِسْنَادٍ فِيهِ إِرْسَالٌ أَنَّهُ أَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ بِلَا شَكٍّ
"عَنْ صُهَيْب قَالَ: مَرَرْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ الله ﷺ وَهُوَ يُصَلِّى فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ، فَرَدَّ عَلَىَّ إِشَارَةً، قَالَ لَيْث: حَسَبْتُهُ قَالَ: بإصْبعَهِ".