بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Tashahhud is recited while sitting in salah. The Prophet ﷺ taught his Companions its wording with particular care. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud رضي الله عنه reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to teach them the tashahhud just as he would teach them a surah from the Qur’an. This illustrates both the importance of the tashahhud and the precision with which the Companions preserved its wording.
The tashahhud is reported from several Companions, with authentic narrations containing slightly different wordings. Among them are the narrations of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, Ibn ‘Abbas, Ibn ‘Umar and others رضي الله عنهم. These variations are part of the established Sunnah
The Tashahhud
Narration of Ibn Mas‘ūd رضي الله عنه
This is particularly preferred by the scholars:
Tashahhud in Arabic: التَّحِيّاتُ للهِ وَالصَّلَواتُ والطَّيِّبات، السَّلامُ عَلَيكَ أَيُّها النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكاتُه، السَّلامُ عَلَيْنا وَعَلى عِبادِ اللهِ الصَّالِحين، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلهَ إِلاّ الله، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسولُه
Tashahhud in English Transliteration: Attaḥiyyātu lillāhi waṣ-ṣalawātu, waṭ-ṭayyibāt. Assalāmu ‘alayka ‘ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh. Assalāmu ‘alaynā wa ‘alā ‘ibādillāhiṣ-ṣāliḥīn. ‘Ash-hadu ‘an lā ‘ilāha ‘illallāh wa ‘ash-hadu ‘anna Muḥammadan ‘abduhu wa rasūluh
Translation: “All greetings of humility are for Allah, and all prayers and goodness. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.”
Reference: Hisn al-Muslim 52; recorded in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim 1/301.
Tashahhud Meaning in English
التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ
“All greetings, honours and expressions of reverence belong to Allah.”
The word taḥiyyāt is the plural of taḥiyyah and refers to expressions of honour, reverence and greetings. The scholars have explained it as encompassing the forms of honour and glorification that are befitting of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
By beginning the tashahhud with التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ, the worshipper affirms that every form of ultimate honour and reverence belongs to Allah alone. He is the One deserving of absolute glorification and worship.
وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ
“And the prayers and all that is good and pure.”
The scholars have given several explanations for ṣalawāt. It has been understood to refer to the prescribed prayers, to acts of worship generally, and to other forms of devotion offered to Allah.
Al-ṭayyibāt refers to that which is good, pure and wholesome.
Thus, the worshipper acknowledges that all sincere acts of worship and every form of goodness belong to Allah and are offered for His sake.
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
“Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.”
The worshipper then sends salām upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and asks Allah’s mercy and blessings for him.
The word salām carries the meaning of peace and safety. Raḥmah is the mercy of Allah, while barakah refers to an increase and abundance of goodness.
This part of the tashahhud expresses the honour and love due to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, while recognising that peace, mercy and blessing are all from Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
The wording of the tashahhud is authentically transmitted through several Companions, and some narrations contain slight differences. In the narration of Ibn ‘Umar رضي الله عنهما, he is reported to have added وَبَرَكَاتُهُ (“and His blessings”) to the salutation.
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ
“Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah.”
The supplication then extends to the worshipper himself and to all the righteous servants of Allah.
The expression عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ refers to those servants of Allah who believe in Him and fulfil His rights through obedience and righteous action.
This wording also demonstrates the comprehensive nature of the supplication taught by the Prophet ﷺ. The worshipper asks Allah’s peace not only for himself, but for the righteous servants of Allah generally.
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ
“I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.”
The tashahhud then reaches the first testimony of faith.
To bear witness that لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ is to affirm that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
This is the essence of tawḥīd: worship belongs exclusively to Allah. He has no partner, and nothing else is entitled to the worship that is due to Him alone.
The worshipper therefore renews the foundation of his faith while sitting in prayer before his Lord.
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
“And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.”
The second testimony affirms the prophethood and messengership of Muhammad ﷺ.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى describes him first as عَبْدُهُ — His servant — and then as رَسُولُهُ — His Messenger.
This combination is significant. The Prophet ﷺ possesses the highest rank among mankind as the Messenger of Allah, yet he remains the servant of Allah. True honour and excellence are found in servitude to Allah, not independence from Him.
Thus, the tashahhud concludes with the two testimonies upon which Islam is founded: the exclusive worship of Allah and the acceptance of Muhammad ﷺ as His servant and Messenger.
Taken together, the words of the tashahhud encompass the glorification of Allah, prayer and goodness, salām upon His Messenger ﷺ, supplication for the righteous, and renewal of the two testimonies of faith. What may appear to be a familiar passage recited in every prayer is therefore a concise expression of the central beliefs and devotion of a Muslim.
This version, narrated by Ibn Mas’ud (RA), is the most widely taught across the Hanafi madhab, though other authentically narrated versions exist from other Companions and are used in other schools — a point worth knowing for anyone who encounters a slightly different wording and wonders whether it is a corruption; it is more often simply a different, equally authentic narration. The direct second-person address to the Prophet ﷺ (“Peace be upon you, O Prophet”) is itself notable — grammatically, this remains addressed to him directly even though he is not physically present, which several scholars discuss in the context of the Prophet’s ﷺ awareness of the salutations sent to him by his ummah.
The tashahhud of Ibn ‘Abbās رضي الله عنهما
The Prophet ﷺ taught Ibn ‘Abbās رضي الله عنهما the following wording:
التَّحِيَّاتُ الْمُبَارَكَاتُ، الصَّلَوَاتُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلَّهِ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ.
Transliteration:
At-taḥiyyātu al-mubārakātu, aṣ-ṣalawātu aṭ-ṭayyibātu lillāh. As-salāmu ‘alayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh. As-salāmu ‘alaynā wa ‘alā ‘ibādillāhiṣ-ṣāliḥīn. Ashhadu an lā ilāha illallāh, wa ashhadu anna Muḥammadan rasūlullāh.
The important differences from the Ibn Mas‘ūd رضي الله عنه wording are:
- الْمُبَارَكَاتُ — “the blessed things” is added.
- The opening is التَّحِيَّاتُ الْمُبَارَكَاتُ الصَّلَوَاتُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلَّهِ.
- It concludes مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ, whereas the Ibn Mas‘ūd narration says مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ.
Ibn ‘Abbās رضي الله عنهما explicitly said that the Prophet ﷺ used to teach them the tashahhud just as he taught them a sūrah of the Qur’an. This narration is in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 403a.
Salat upon the Prophet ﷺ: Two Authenticated Versions
Following the tashahhud, sending salat upon the Prophet ﷺ is a distinct, additional obligation before completing the final tashahhud of a prayer — most scholars hold it to be a required (wajib or rukn, depending on the madhab) component specifically in the last sitting, though recommended in every sitting.
1. As-Salatul-Ibrahimiyyah
Arabic: اللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحمَّد، وَعَلى آلِ مُحمَّد، كَما صَلَّيتَ عَلى إبْراهيمَ وَعَلى آلِ إبْراهيم، إِنَّكَ حَميدٌ مَجيد، اللّهُمَّ بارِكْ عَلى مُحمَّد، وَعَلى آلِ مُحمَّد، كَما بارَكْتَ عَلى إبْراهيمَ وَعَلى آلِ إبْراهيم، إِنَّكَ حَميدٌ مَجيد
Translation: “O Allah, bestow Your favour on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad as You have bestowed Your favour on Ibrahim and on the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.”
Reference: Hisn al-Muslim 53; Sahih al-Bukhari 6/408.
Known as As-Salatul-Ibrahimiyyah for its comparison to Ibrahim (AS), this is the version taught most widely and used by the overwhelming majority of Muslims in prayer. Commentators have long discussed why Ibrahim (AS) specifically is invoked as the point of comparison rather than another prophet; the more common explanation is that Ibrahim (AS) is the patriarchal figure common to the Abrahamic prophetic line the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ culminates, and that his family (al Ibrahim) was likewise blessed with continued prophethood, a blessing this dua asks be extended in its own form to Muhammad ﷺ and his family.
2. The Version Including Wives and Progeny
Arabic: اللّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلى مُحمَّدٍ وَعَلى أَزْواجِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِه، كَما صَلَّيتَ عَلى آلِ إبْراهيم…
Translation: “O Allah, bestow Your favour on Muhammad and upon his wives and progeny as You have bestowed Your favour upon the family of Ibrahim…”
Reference: Hisn al-Muslim 54; Sahih al-Bukhari 6/407; Sahih Muslim 1/306.
This second, less commonly used version explicitly names the Prophet’s ﷺ wives (azwaj) and progeny (dhurriyyah) rather than the broader term “family” (aal) used in the first — both are authentically recorded, and a worshipper may use either.