Concerning Sending Blessings upon the Prophet and Indicating the same by the Use of Abbreviations

All praise and thanks be to Allah, Alone, and may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him after whom there will be no Prophet, and upon his family and Companions. As for what follows:

Allah has sent His Messenger, Muhammad to all of the worlds, as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner and a caller to Allah, by His Permission, as a guiding light. He sent him with guidance and mercy and the true religion and happiness in this world and the Hereafter for whomsoever believes in him and loves him and follows his path. He conveyed the Message and fulfilled his contract, he advised his community, he struggled in Allah's way to perform the true Jihad - may Allah reward him for that with the best of rewards and make it better and complete it.

Obedience to him and implementing his commands and abstaining from the things he forbade are among the most important obligations in Islam, it is the objective of his Message, and bearing witness to him as the bearer of the Message entails loving him, obeying him and sending blessings upon him on every occasion, and whenever he is mentioned. For in doing so we are fulfilling a part of his right and giving thanks to Allah for His Generosity in sending him to us.

In invoking blessings upon him there are many benefits, including: Implementing the Commands of Allah, the Most Glorified, Most High and concurrence with Allah's sending blessings upon him and the angels' sending blessings upon him; Allah, the Most High says:

Verily, Allah sends His Salat (Graces, Honors Blessings, Mercy etc.) on the Prophet (Muhammad) and also His angels (ask Allah to bless and forgive him) O you who believe! Send your Salat on (ask Allah to bless) him (Muhammad) and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation) (i.e. As-Salamu 'Alaikum).

There is also a multiplication of the reward for the one who sends blessings on him and the hope of having one's supplication answered; and it is a causative factor in achieving blessings. It keeps alive one's love for him and increases it and compounds it, and it is a means of guidance for the worshipper and it gives life to his heart. The more he increases his blessings upon him and remembers him, the more his love for him takes over his heart, until there remains no opposition in his heart to his commands, nor doubt concerning anything which he brought.

Also, he may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him - in many authentic Hadiths attributed to him, encouraged sending blessings upon him, including that which Muslim narrated in his Sahih, on the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that Allah's Messenger said:

"Whoever sent blessings upon me once, Allah sends blessings upon him ten times.»

It is also reported from him, may Allah be pleased with him, that Allah's Messenger said:
Do not make your houses into graves and do not take my grave as a place of celebration, but send salutations upon me, for verily, your salutations are conveyed to me, wherever you may be"

And he said:
Wretched be the man who hears me mentioned and does not send blessings upon me.

We should be aware of the fact that sending blessings upon him is legislated in the prayers, during the Tashahhud, and likewise in the sermons and in supplications, when seeking forgiveness, after the Adhan, when entering and leaving the mosque and whenever he is mentioned at other times.

It is also confirmed when it is written in any book, publication, letter, treatise or the like. Based upon the aforementioned evidences and legislation, it is clear that it should be written in full, in fulfillment of the Command of Allah, the Most High to us, and in order that the reader should say it as he comes upon it. The invocation of peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah should not be written in the abbreviated formo or and such like abbreviations which may be used by some writers and authors, as this contradicts the Command of Allah, the Most Glorified, Most High in His Noble Book, in His Words:

Send your Salat on (ask Allah to bless) him (Muhammad and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation i.e. As-Salamu 'Alaikum).

Also, through abbreviations the intention is not fulfilled and it is devoid of any excellence. In addition, the reader may not pay attention to it, or he may not understand its meaning, and it should be noted that the scholars detest it and warn against it.

Ibn As-Salah says in his book, 'Uloomul-Hadith, commonly known as: Muqaddimah Ibn As-Salah, in the twenty-fifth point on the recording of Hadith and the manner of ensuring the accuracy of the writing and recording

"Ninth: To be mindful of writing peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, whenever he is mentioned, and not to tire of repeating it when necessary. For in that there is a great benefit, which the student and the writer of Hadith seek, and whoever ignores this has lost a great good fortune. We observe that whoever does so (i.e. sends blessings and peace upon the Prophet much) has righteous good dreams and whenever he writes it, it is a supplication which he is writing, not speech which he is transmitting, therefore it is not a condition that he be recording a Hadith, and he should not abbreviate it from what is written in the original.

Likewise in the matter of praising Allah, the Most Glorified, when mentioning His Name, such as: "The Almighty, the All- Powerful', 'Most Blessed, Most High' and other similar sayings..." up to his words:

"And he should avoid two omissions: The first is writing it in an abbreviated form, as two letters, or the like. The second is writing it in an incomplete form regarding its meaning, such as by not writing wa sallam (and peace of Allah). It is reported on the authority of Hamzah Al-Kanani - may Allah, the Most High have mercy on him - that he used to say: "I used to write Hadiths, and when mentioning the Prophet, I used to write Sallallahu 'alaihi without adding wa sallam. Then I saw the Prophet in a dream and he said to me: 'What is wrong you that you do not compete the sending of blessings upon me?' After that, I never wrote Sallallah 'alaihi again without adding wa sallam..." - up to the words of Ibn As-Salah:

"I say: It is also detested to abbreviate 'Alaihis-Salam (peace of Allah be upon him) - and Allah knows best."

Thus ends the summarized quotation from him- may Allah, the Most High have mercy on him.

The most learned scholar, As-Sakhawi - may Allah, the Most High have mercy on him said, in his book Fathul-Mughith, in explanation of the book Alfiyatul-Hadith by Al-'Iraqi:

"And beware, O writer, of abbreviating it that is, the expression: Blessings and peace of Allah be upon the Messenger of Allah in your writing, by reducing it to two letters or the like, so that its form becomes incomplete, as do Al-Kasa'i and the ignorant people - mainly from among the non-Arabs and the common students, who write, instead of 'Sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam':, or:, because doing so results in a loss of reward, due to the deficiency of the book in failing to do what is required."

As-Suyooti- may Allah, the Most High have mercy on him - said, in his book, Tadrib Ar-Rawi Fi Sharhi Taqrib An-Nawawi:

"It is detested to abbreviate the sending of blessings and peace here, and on every occasion on which the sending of blessings is legislated, as is made clear in the explanation of Muslim and others of the words of Allah, Most High:

Send your Salat on (ask Allah to bless) him (Muhammad SAW) and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation i.e. As-Salamu 'Alaikum). up to his words:

It is hated to write it by one letter or two, as much as it is hated to write it as; rather it should be written in full."

Thus ends the summarized quotation from his words may Allah, the Most High have mercy upon him.

This is my advice to every Muslim, both reader and writer, that he should adhere to what is better and always search for that which brings a greater reward and recompense, and to abstain from that which invalidates it or lessens it. We ask Allah, the Most Glorified, Most High to grant us all to do that which pleases Him, for He is Most Magnanimous, Most Generous. And may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.