Tasyahhud

First (the tashahhud of Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him). The majority of scholars hold that the most authentic wording of the tashahhud is the tashahhud narrated by Ibn Mas'ud. (See Al-Ausath Li Ibn Abdil Barr 2/306, Subulus Salam Li As-Shan'ani 1/284, and Al-Minhal Al-'Adzbu Al-Maurud Syarh Sunan Abu Dawud 6/74) Then, according to Imam Ash-Shafi'i, the next in rank among the authentic and preferred wordings of the tashahhud, after the one narrated by Ibn Mas'ud, is the narration of Ibn Abbas, who said: عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعَلِّمُنَا التَّشَهُّدَ كَمَا يُعَلِّمُنَا السُّورَةَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ فَكَانَ يَقُولُ: التَّحِيَّاتُ الْمُبَارَكَاتُ، الصَّلَوَاتُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلَّهِ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ ابْنِ رُمْحٍ كَمَا يُعَلِّمُنَا الْقُرْآنَ [translation not shown] In the wording narrated by Ibn Rumh it says: [translation not shown] (Narrated by Muslim, no. 403; see the second reading) Imam Ash-Shafi'i said: "There are a great many hadiths explaining the tashahhud, with differing wordings. The wording I like most is this one (the narration of Ibn Abbas), because that wording is more complete." (Al-Umm Li As-Syafi'i 1/140) Among the reasons he preferred this tashahhud are: the additional word in its narration (المبُاَرَكَاتُ). Likewise, the way the Prophet taught it to Ibn Abbas, just as he taught him the Qur'an. Besides that, the tashahhud narrated by Ibn Abbas is the last of the narrations in time, and the last narration of a hadith takes precedence over the others. In the same way, this tashahhud accords with the word of Allah: تَحِيَّةً مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ مُبَارَكَةً طَيِّبَةً [translation not shown] (An-Nur: 61) And anything, especially in worship, that accords with the word of Allah is the more virtuous. (Al-Hawi Al-Kabir Syarh Mukhtashar Al-Muzanniy Li Al-Mawardiy 2/156 and Al-Majmu' Li An-Nawawi 3/457) Al-Hafidz Ibn Hajar said: Imam Ash-Shafi'i was once asked about the tashahhud narrated by Ibn Abbas, and he said: because of the breadth of its meaning; the hadith he narrated has an authentic transmission, and the meaning in that wording is fuller and broader than in the others. (Fathul Bari Li Ibn Hajr 2/316.) Imam Malik differed: he preferred the wording of the tashahhud narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab, as in the hadith narrated by Abdurrahman ibn Abdul Qari: أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ، يُعَلِّمُ النَّاسَ التَّشَهُّدَ. يَقُولُ: قُولُوا: التَّحِيَّاتُ للهِ، الزَّاكِيَاتُ للهِ، الطَّيِّبَاتُ الصَّلَوَاتُ للهِ؛ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ. السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللهِ الصَّالِحِينَ. أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ. وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُ اللهِ وَرَسُولُهُ [translation not shown] (Narrated by Malik in Al-Muwattha', no. 300, and Al-Baihaqi, no. 2838) Note: However, according to Ibn Mas'ud, after the Prophet died, the tashahhud wording Assalamu 'alaika ayyuha an-nabiyyu was changed to Assalamu 'ala An-Nabi. It is narrated from Abdullah ibn Sakhbarah Abu Ma'mar, who said: I heard Ibn Mas'ud say: يَقُولُ: عَلَّمَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَكَفِّي بَيْنَ كَفَّيْهِ، التَّشَهُّدَ، كَمَا يُعَلِّمُنِي السُّورَةَ مِنَ القُرْآنِ: التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ، وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَهُوَ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْنَا، فَلَمَّا قُبِضَ قُلْنَا: السَّلاَمُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ [translation not shown] (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, no. 6265.) This chain of the hadith mentions a change in the wording of the tashahhud recited in the prayer. In the Prophet's time it was said as As-salamu 'alaika ([translation not shown]), addressed to the Prophet in the second person. But after he passed away, that wording was changed to As-salaamu 'ala An-Nabiy ([translation not shown]), still addressed to the Prophet but in the third person. Al-Hafidz Ibn Hajar states that this addition most likely comes from Ibn Mas'ud, who said after giving the wording of the tashahhud: فَلَمَّا قُبِضَ قُلْنَا السَّلَامُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ [translation not shown] (See: Fathul Bari Li Ibn Hajar 2/314.) It follows that the tashahhud may be said with Assalamu 'alaika ayyuha an-nabiyyu and may also be said with Assalamu 'ala An-Nabi (See al-Muhimmaat fi Syarh ar-Roudhoh, Al-Isnawi 3/110, Asnaa al-Mathoolib, Zakariya al-Anshoori 1/164, and an-Najm al-Wahhaaj fi Syarh al-Minhaaj, Kamaalud diin Abul Baqoo' Ad-Damiirii, Asy-Syafií 2/164) Second (the tashahhud of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him) Third (the tashahhud of Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him) Fourth (the tashahhud of Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both) Fifth (the tashahhud of Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him) Sixth (the tashahhud of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her) What it contains: Imam An-Nawawi explains the meanings contained in the tashahhud wordings above: "At-Tahiyyāt is the plural of tahiyyah, which means dominion; some also render it as permanence, majesty, and life. It is said that attahiyyat was put in the plural because the Arab kings were each greeted by their followers with a particular (different) greeting. It is also said that tahiyyat is put in the plural for Allah because Allah is the most deserving of it. Al-Mubārakāt and Az-Zākiyāt, mentioned in the hadith of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), have one (and the same) meaning. Al-Barakah means abundant good, and some say it means growth; likewise Az-Zakah, whose root meaning is An-Nama' (growth). As for As-Shalawāt, it means the well-known prayers. Some say it means supplications and humble submission, and it is also said to mean mercy (compassion), that is, Allah is the One who bestows that mercy. And At-Thayyibāt means good words." (Al-Minhaj Syarh Shiohih Muslim bin Al Hajjaj 4/116) Some scholars hold that the meaning of Az-Zākiyāt is good righteous deeds and also good words, meaning that none of these is fit to be directed to anyone but Allah alone. (See Tanwiir al-Hawaalik, Syarh Muwattho' Malik 1/87)