Authored by: Sheikh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani حفظ اللہ
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّوْنَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا صَلُّوْا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِيمًا﴾ [الأحزاب : 56]
“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ). O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and peace.”
This verse applies universally and also includes prayer. When this verse was revealed, the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) asked the Prophet (ﷺ) how they should send blessings upon him, as they had already learned to offer greetings. The hadith in Sunan Darqutni states:
عَنْ أَبِيْ مَسْعُوْدٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ ... فَقَالَ يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ ! اَمَّا السَّلَامُ فَقَدْ عَرَفْنَاهُ فَكَيْفَ نُصَلِّيْ عَلَيْكَ اِذَا نَحْنُ صَلَّيْنَا فِيْ صَلَاتِنَا؟ فَقَالَ قُوْلُوْا اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰي . . . إلخ
[Sunan Darqutni 1/355]
“Abu Mas'ud Ansari (رضي الله عنه) narrated that a man came and sat before the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, we understand how to greet you, but how should we send blessings upon you when we pray?’ The Prophet (ﷺ) responded, ‘Say, “اللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰي…”’”
From this hadith, it becomes evident that the Companions were already reciting Salam upon the Prophet (ﷺ) in prayer, but after the revelation of this verse, they learned to send blessings along with greetings. This verse from Surah Al-Ahzab was revealed in the fifth year of Hijrah, instructing the believers to send blessings and peace upon the Prophet (ﷺ). Consequently, the Companions began incorporating Salawat along with Salam in the Tashahhud, as both are integral to each other. If we only recite Salam in the first Tashahhud without Salawat, we comply with ﴿وَسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِيْمًا﴾ but not with ﴿صَلُّوْا عَلَيْهِ﴾.
There is a sound hadith indicating that the Prophet (ﷺ) himself recited Salawat in the first Tashahhud. Sa’d bin Hisham narrated from Sayyidah Aisha (رضي الله عنها) regarding the Prophet’s (ﷺ) night prayer:
فَقُلْتُ یَا اُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ ... ثُمَّ یُصَلِّيْ عَلٰی نَبِیِّهِ ... وَیُصَلِّيْ عَلٰی نَبِیِّهِ صَلَّی اللهُ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
[Abu ‘Awana 2/324, Baihaqi 2/500, Nasai 1721]
“I asked, ‘O Mother of the Believers! Tell me about the Prophet's (ﷺ) Witr prayer.’ She said, ‘We would prepare the siwak and water for him. He would then perform eight rakats without sitting except after the eighth. He would then pray to his Lord and send blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ), then rise again and, after the ninth rakat, sit, praise his Lord, send blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ), and conclude with Salam.’”
This hadith clarifies that the Prophet (ﷺ) recited Salawat in the Tashahhud before the final sitting, indicating that it should also be recited in the first Tashahhud in line with his Sunnah.
“When any of you concludes the final Tashahhud, he should seek refuge in Allah from four things: (1) the punishment of Hell, (2) the punishment of the grave, (3) the trials of life and death, and (4) the evil of the Dajjal.”
[Sahih Muslim, Book of Mosques: Chapter on Seeking Refuge from Specific Things in Prayer, 588]
Based on this hadith, each worshiper should conclude the final Tashahhud by supplicating:
اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيْحِ الدَّجَّالِ
[Muslim, Book of Mosques 588]
Afterward, one may make any additional supplication of choice, as indicated in another hadith:
“Let him choose any supplication he likes and make it.” [Sahih Bukhari, Book of Adhan: Chapter on Choosing Supplications After Tashahhud, 835]
Question:
Is it necessary to recite Salawat in both Tashahhuds during prayer? What is the evidence for reciting it in the first Tashahhud?Answer:
Allah Almighty says in the Quran:﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّوْنَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا صَلُّوْا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِيمًا﴾ [الأحزاب : 56]
“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ). O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and peace.”
This verse applies universally and also includes prayer. When this verse was revealed, the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) asked the Prophet (ﷺ) how they should send blessings upon him, as they had already learned to offer greetings. The hadith in Sunan Darqutni states:
عَنْ أَبِيْ مَسْعُوْدٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ ... فَقَالَ يَا رَسُوْلَ اللهِ ! اَمَّا السَّلَامُ فَقَدْ عَرَفْنَاهُ فَكَيْفَ نُصَلِّيْ عَلَيْكَ اِذَا نَحْنُ صَلَّيْنَا فِيْ صَلَاتِنَا؟ فَقَالَ قُوْلُوْا اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰي . . . إلخ
[Sunan Darqutni 1/355]
“Abu Mas'ud Ansari (رضي الله عنه) narrated that a man came and sat before the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, we understand how to greet you, but how should we send blessings upon you when we pray?’ The Prophet (ﷺ) responded, ‘Say, “اللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰي…”’”
From this hadith, it becomes evident that the Companions were already reciting Salam upon the Prophet (ﷺ) in prayer, but after the revelation of this verse, they learned to send blessings along with greetings. This verse from Surah Al-Ahzab was revealed in the fifth year of Hijrah, instructing the believers to send blessings and peace upon the Prophet (ﷺ). Consequently, the Companions began incorporating Salawat along with Salam in the Tashahhud, as both are integral to each other. If we only recite Salam in the first Tashahhud without Salawat, we comply with ﴿وَسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِيْمًا﴾ but not with ﴿صَلُّوْا عَلَيْهِ﴾.
There is a sound hadith indicating that the Prophet (ﷺ) himself recited Salawat in the first Tashahhud. Sa’d bin Hisham narrated from Sayyidah Aisha (رضي الله عنها) regarding the Prophet’s (ﷺ) night prayer:
فَقُلْتُ یَا اُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ ... ثُمَّ یُصَلِّيْ عَلٰی نَبِیِّهِ ... وَیُصَلِّيْ عَلٰی نَبِیِّهِ صَلَّی اللهُ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
[Abu ‘Awana 2/324, Baihaqi 2/500, Nasai 1721]
“I asked, ‘O Mother of the Believers! Tell me about the Prophet's (ﷺ) Witr prayer.’ She said, ‘We would prepare the siwak and water for him. He would then perform eight rakats without sitting except after the eighth. He would then pray to his Lord and send blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ), then rise again and, after the ninth rakat, sit, praise his Lord, send blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ), and conclude with Salam.’”
This hadith clarifies that the Prophet (ﷺ) recited Salawat in the Tashahhud before the final sitting, indicating that it should also be recited in the first Tashahhud in line with his Sunnah.
Supplications in the Final Tashahhud
Question:
Is it mandatory to make any specific supplications in the final Tashahhud, or are they all optional? Please clarify according to the Quran and Sunnah.Answer:
In the final Tashahhud, one is instructed to seek refuge from four things. Abu Huraira (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:“When any of you concludes the final Tashahhud, he should seek refuge in Allah from four things: (1) the punishment of Hell, (2) the punishment of the grave, (3) the trials of life and death, and (4) the evil of the Dajjal.”
[Sahih Muslim, Book of Mosques: Chapter on Seeking Refuge from Specific Things in Prayer, 588]
Based on this hadith, each worshiper should conclude the final Tashahhud by supplicating:
اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ اَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ وَمِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَمِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ وَمِنْ شَرِّ فِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيْحِ الدَّجَّالِ
[Muslim, Book of Mosques 588]
Afterward, one may make any additional supplication of choice, as indicated in another hadith:
“Let him choose any supplication he likes and make it.” [Sahih Bukhari, Book of Adhan: Chapter on Choosing Supplications After Tashahhud, 835]