Alayhis Salam For The Ahlulbayt (a.s)

The Verse Of Salawat

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

"Verily Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet (saw). O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation."

{33:56}

Holy Qur'aan 

It is mandatory for every believer to send his blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) based on the above Qur'anic commandment. Per the Ahlulbayt (a.s) after each 'Salawat' and 'Salam,' both Allah (swt) and his Angels (a.s) become pleased with the believer. Hence, those who say Salawat when they hear the name of our Prophet (saw) or his family members will receive good reward in doing so. Such is the importance of Salawat that all Muslims agree that if one does not recite it in their daily prayers then their prayer becomes invalid.

There are numerous kinds of Salawat. The most famous among them are “Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala Muhammad” or “Sallallahoo alayhi Wa'lwasallam.” That is "May the mercy of our Lord, the asking forgiveness of the angels and our greetings be upon the Prophet Muhammad and his family."

Due to the Nawas'aab roots in the so called 'Ahl Sunnah' they intentionally exclude the family members from this supplication. The video above has highlighted this issue but more importantly pointed out how companions such as Umar ibn Khataab would be called 'Radi Allahu anhu' in clear concise manner while Allah (swt) would not even called 'Azawajal' [Mighty and Majestic} properly!

Abdul-Aziz ibn Baaz:

And it is not allowed for anybobdy to permit a saying or act of worship unless its proven from the mighty book (Qur'aan) or the correct sunnah or what all scholars agree on. Just like many proofs show that we should forbid the innovations, and we should warn about them.

Source. Majmu' Al-Fataawa. Vol. 21, Pg. # 23. 

Saleh ibn Abdul-Aziz Al-Sheikh:

And 'taradi' (saying may Allah be pleased) on the companions and the wives of the Prophet (saw) was added and did not exist in his time (saw), neither in the era of Aboo Bakr, Umar and Uthman. And it was not even in the time of the Imams of the Tabi'in, but after them they did add this 'taradi' & have made it a slogan. For it became a slogan of Ahl ul Sunnah against those who are others than themselves such as Al-Rawafid, Al-Khawarij, Al-Nawasi

b etc.

Source: Al-La'aali Al-Ba'iya Fi Sharh Al-Aqeeda Al-Wasetiyya. Vol.2, Pg. # 410.

Al-Bukhari:

Narrated Adam from Sho’ba from Al-Hakam who said: I heard Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Laila said: Ka‘b ibn Ujra met me and said: "Shall I give you a present? Once the Prophet (saw) came to us and we said: "O Allah's Apostle! We know how to greet you, but how should we (ask Allah to) send blessings on you?" He said: 'Say: O Allah (swt)! Send Your Mercy on Muhammad (saw) and on the family of Muhammad (a.s), as You sent Your Mercy on Ibraheem (a.s) and on the family of Ibraheem (a.s), for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious. O Allah (swt)! Send Your Blessings on Muhammad (saw) and the family of Muhammad (a.s), as You sent your Blessings on Ibraheem (a.s) and on the family of Ibraheem (a.s), for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious."

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Pg. # 1584. H. # 6357.

Al-Bukhari:

Narrated Abdullah ibn Yusuf from Al-Laith from ibn Al-Haad from Abdullah ibn Khabbab from Abi Sa’eed Al-Khudri who said: We said: "O Allah's Apostle! (We know) this greeting (to you) but how should we (ask Allah to) send blessings on you? He said: "Say: O Allah (swt)! Send Your Mercy on Muhammad (saw) and on the family of Muhammad, (a.s) as You sent Your Mercy on Ibraheem (a.s) and on the family of Ibraheem (a.s), for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious. O Allah (swt)! Send Your Blessings on Muhammad (saw) and the family of Muhammad (a.s) as You sent your Blessings on Ibraheem and on the family of Ibraheem (a.s), for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious."

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Pg. # 1206. H. # 4798.

Muslim ibn Hajjaj:

Narrated Yahya ibn Yahya Al-Tamimi narrated Malik from No’aim ibn Abdullah Al-Mojmar from Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Zaid Al-Ansari {and Abdullah ibn Zaid-he who was shown the call (for prayer in a dream)} narrated from Abi Masoud Al-Ansari who said: "We were sitting in the company of Sa'ad ibn Ubada when the Messenger of Allah (saw) came to us. Bashir ibn Sa‘d said: "Allah has commanded us to bless you, O Messenger of Allah! But how should we bless you?" He (the narrator) said: 'The Messenger of Allah (saw) kept quiet (and we were so much perturbed over his silence) that we wished we had not asked him. The Messenger of Allah (saw) then said: (For blessing me) say: "O Allah, bless Muhammad and the members of his household as Thou didst bless the members of Ibrahim's household. Grant favours to Muhammad and the members of his household as Thou didst grant favours to the members of the household of Ibraheem in the world. Thou art indeed Praiseworthy and Glorious; and salutation as you know."

Source: Saheeh Muslim. Vol. 1, Pg. # 191. H. # 65.

Al-Albani:

Narrated Ka‘b ibn Ujra: We said or someone said: "We are ordered to bless you, and to greet you. We know how to greet you, but how should we (ask Allah to) send blessings on you? He said: "Say: O Allah! Send Your Mercy on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad (saw), as You sent Your Mercy on Ibraheem (a.s) and on the family of Ibraheem (a.s), for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious. O Allah (swt)! Send Your Blessings on Muhammad (saw) and the family of Muhammad, (a.s) as You sent your Blessings on Abraham and on the family of Ibraheem, for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious!"

Source: Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood. Vol. 1, Pg. # 272. H. # 976.

Ibn Hajar Al-Haythami:

Narrated Alee ibn Abi Talib (a.s) who said: "Every Du'a will be accepted if you send blessings on Muhammad (saw) and household of Muhammad (saw)."

Al-Haythami: Narrated by Al-Tabarani in Al-Awsat, and it’s narrators are Trustworthy, and it was mentioned before in the beginning of the chapter through ibn Masoud and it is a good Hadeeth, and the Hadeeth of Jabir and Hadeeth of Fudhala ibn Ubaid.

Source: Majma Al-Zawa'id. Vol. 10, Pg. # 180. H. # 17278.

Al-Albani:

In a Hadeeth it is said that sending blessings on the Prophet (saw) before du'a is the cause of the acceptance of du'a, and Imam Alee (a.s) said: "Every du'a will be accepted if you send blessings on Muhammad (saw) and household of Muhammad (saw)."

Narrated by Al-Tabarani in Al-Awsat, and it’s narrators are trustworthy - as it is recorded in Al-Majma.

Source: Sefatul Salat Al-Nabi. Vol. 3, Pg. # 997.

أُولَـٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ

"Such are they on whom are blessings (salawat) from their Lord, and mercy. Such are the rightly guided." 

{2:157}

Holy Qur'aan 

The phrase ‘Alayhis Salaam’ comes from the root word ‘Salaam’ (peace) a term which the believers use when greeting one and another. If one wishes to use ‘Alayhis Salaam’ upon the Messengers of Allah (saw) or the Ahlulbayt (a.s), according to the 'Tashayyu' (Those who follow the 12 successors after the Prophet (saw)), it is deemed permissible. This slogan has also been used by the scholars of the opponents and in Hadeeth literature. But we also find in some of the manuscripts the term has been removed but later appears elsewhere in the very same book.

Imam Alee (a.s)

Imam Alee (عليه السلام) said.....

Source: Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal. Authenticated by Muhammed Atta. Vol. 4, Pg. # 605. H # 9797. 

Imam Alee (عليه السلام)...

Source: Sunan Al-Tirmidhi. Authenticated By Baitul Afkar. Pg. # 17. H # 969.

Imam Alee (عليه السلام)...

 

Source: Sunan Al-Tirmidhi. Authenticated By Allamah Hafiz Muhammad. Vol. 1, Pg. # 497. H # 969.

Now let us look at two older edition of Saheeh Bukhari in which 'Imam Alee (عليه السلام)' is mentioned in the text:-

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Authenticated By Aboo Shoaib Al-Karmi. Pg. # 4949. H # 4947. 

'Imam Alee (عليه السلام)' 

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Authenticated by Muhammad Zuhair bin Nasir. Vol. 4, Pg. # 171. 

'Imam Alee (عليه السلام)' 

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Dar Ibn Kathir (Damascus and Beirut) Book of Tafsir. Pg. # 1225, Book 65, H # 51.

'Imam Alee (عليه السلام)' 

Source: Saheeh Sunan Aboo Dawood. Authenticated By Al-Albani. Vol. 1, Pg. # 349, H # 1272.

'Imam Alee (عليه السلام)' 

Source: Sunan Aboo Dawood. Authenticated By Al-Albani. Vol. 2, Pg. # 303, H # 3214. 

Imam Hussain (a.s)

Note: Both editions contain '(عليه السلام)' for Imam Hussain (a.s).

Source: Saheeh Bukhari. Authorised by Aboo Suhaib Al-Karmi. Book 22, Pg. # 715, H # 3748.

Imam Hussain  '(عليه السلام)' 

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Authorised By Muhammad Zuhair bin Nasir Al-Nasir. Vol. 5, Pg. # 26.

Hussain bin Alee  '(عليه السلام)'  

Source: Saheeh Bukhari. Dar Ibn Kathir (Damascus and Beirut). Pg. # 972 - 973, Book 63, H # 4002.

Hussain bin Alee  '(عليه السلام)'  

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Dar Ibn Kathir (Damascus and Beirut). Pg. # 1844, Book 97, H # 7465.

Bibi Faatimah '(a.s)'  

Bibi Faatimah (عليه السلام)...

Source: Saheeh Al-Bukhari. Dar Ibn Kathir (Damascus and Beirut). Pg. # 132, Book 109, H # 520.

The Opinion Of Contemporary Scholars

Abdullah Al-Shawkani:

One of the beloved scholars of Salafis also used, 'Alayhis Salam'  for Bibi  Faatimah (s.a) & Imam Alee (a.s) respectively:-

إن في لبس الثوب الأحمر سبعة مذاهب : الأول الجواز مطلقا جاء عن علي عليه السلام وطلحة وعبد الله بن جعفر والبراء وغير واحد من الصحابة

There are seven opinions about wearing red cloth: The first (opinion) is that it is absolute lawful and this is the opinion of Alee 'peace be upon him,' Talha, Abdullah bin Ja'far, Al-Bara and other companions.

Source: Nayl Al-Awtar. Maktabat Al-Babi Al-Halab. Vol. 2, Pg. # 109. 

Aboo al-Faraj Ibn al-Jawzi:

وسيأتي حديث فاطمة عليها السلام

"I will soon bring the words of Faatimah (a.s)."

Source: Nayl Al-Awtar. Published Dar Ibn Jau'zi. Vol. 3, Pg. # 570.

Mahmud Al-Alusi:

"Sending blessings on other than the Prophets & Angels. On this matter the views of the Scholars are different. In the view of Qazi Ayad and most of the Scholars, it is lawful. They have permitted this based on the following verse:

نَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَـئِكَـتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِىِّ يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً

Allah sends His blessings on the Prophet (saw), and also His angels (do so). O you who believe! Send your blessings on him, and greet him with Taslim 

Holy Qur'aan {33.56}

Also the Saheeh (Authentic) Hadeeth:

1. The Prophet (saw) said, "O Allah! Send your blessings upon the offspring of Aboo Aufa." 

2.  The Prophet (saw) opened his hands and said: 'O Allah send your blessing & mercies upon the family of Sa'ad ibn Ubadah'

3. Ibn Hibban in a corrected narration that a woman approached the Prophet (saw) and requested, 'O Allah (swt)! Send blessings on me and my husband.' The Prophet (saw) sent blessings in this manner.

4. According to Imam Muslim's report, the Angels recite for every momin 'Sala Allah alayka wa ala jasdhaak.'

Source: Ruh Al-Ma'ani Fi Tafsir Al-Qur'aan. Vol. 22, Pg. # 75. 

Al-Albani:

شكوى ابنته فاطمة عليها السلام

"The complaint of his daughter Faatima (a.s)...."

Source: Adab Al-Zafaf. Pg. # 279.

Ibn Taymiyyah:

As for sending Salat upon him individually, this is based upon the question: 'Can one send Salat individually upon anyone apart from the Prophet, peace be upon him?' An example is saying, "O Allah! Send your Salat upon 'Umar or Alee.' The Ulema have disagreed on this. Maalik, Al-Shafi and a group of the Hanbalis say that one cannot say Salat individually upon anyone apart from the Prophet, peace be upon him. This has also been narrated from ibn Abbas, that he said: "I do not know Salat as befitting anyone apart from the Prophet, peace be upon him." Imam Ahmad and the majority of his companions said that there is NO problem with it (i.e. sending Salah individually upon anyone other than the Prophet). This is because Alee bin Abi Taalib, may Allah be pleased with him, said to Umar bin Al-Khattab: "May Allaah send Salaah upon you." And this statement is more correct. But to limit the saying Salat to anyone of the Sahabah and the relatives (of the Prophet) like Alee or others, without connecting him with the Prophet (saw), thereby making it a trademark with his name, this is a bid'ah.

Source: Majmu' Al-Fatawa. Vol. 4, Pg. # 303.

A difference in opinion regarding the phrase '(A.S)' exists according to the so-called 'Ahl ul Sunnah.' For the followers of the Ahlul-Bayt (a.s) there is no possibility of dispute. So the question remains on where the evidence lies.