Hadith 1186
Chapter 6: Returning the salams with a gesture when praying - كتاب السهو
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ بُكَيْرٍ، عَنْ نَابِلٍ، صَاحِبِ الْعَبَاءِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنْ صُهَيْبٍ، صَاحِبِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ مَرَرْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَسَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَدَّ عَلَىَّ إِشَارَةً وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ بِإِصْبَعِهِ .
It was narrated that Suhaib, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"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."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 1186
In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 8