Did the Prophet himself read Salli and Barik supplications in prayer?

- Did he say his own name in prayer?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The one that taught us the supplications to be read in prayer and other deeds of worship by reading and advising them to us was the Prophet (pbuh). Therefore, he definitely read the salawat supplications in prayer.

To say salawat for the Prophet (pbuh) and his family in the last sitting of the prayer:

According to Hanafis (1), it is sunnah to say salawat containing Ibrahim for the Prophet (pbuh). According to Malikis (2), it is also sunnah to say salawat for the Prophet (pbuh) after the last sitting. Similarly, every sitting (tashahhud), whether it is the first sitting or the last sitting, is a sunnah on its own.

According to Shafiis and Hanbalis (3), it is wajib to say salawat for the Prophet (pbuh) in the last sitting. To say salawat for the family of the Prophet (pbuh) is sunnah according to Shafiis and wajib according to Hanbalis.

According to Hanbalis, the evidence for being wajib is the narration by Ka'b Ibn Ujra: "The Prophet (pbuh) came to us. We said," O Messenger of Allah! Allah informed us how to greet you. Teach us how to say salawat for you." The Prophet (pbuh) stated the following: (4) "

"O my Allah, incline to Muhammad and to those who adhered to him as You inclined to Abraham and to those who adhered to him. Verily you are all Praiseworthy all Glorious. O my Allah, bless Muhammad and those who adhered him, as you blessed Abraham and those who adhered to him. Verily, you are all Praiseworthy all Glorious."

According to what Athram reported from Faddala b. Ubayd, "The Prophet (pbuh) heard someone who prayed in prayer but did not praise his Lord and did not say salawat for the Prophet (pbuh). He said, "That man hurried." Then, he called the man and said to him,

"When one of you performs a prayer, he should start by praising his Lord, continue by saying salawat for the Prophet and then pray to his Lord as he wishes."

The order in this hadith necessitates its being wajib. The way of saying salawat for the Prophet (pbuh) is the one mentioned in the hadith reported by Ka’b.

Shafiis use the order of the Quran to show that it is wajib to say salawat for the Prophet (pbuh). This order is based on the verse "O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him (the Prophet), and salute him with all respect" (al-Ahzab, 33/56), the hadith mentioned above, the hadith mentioned in Daraqutni, Ibn Hibban's Sahih and Hakim's Mustadrak, which is said to be sound based on Muslim’s condition, and the hadith that Ahmad, Muslim Nasai and Tirmidhi narrate and Tirmidhi describes as sound. The minimum criterion for saying salawat for the Prophet (pbuh) and his family is the expression "Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa alihi". The additions including the word "Majid" are sunnah.  

Saying salawat for the family of the Prophet (pbuh) being sunnah is based on the hadith that Abu Zur'a narrated: "Saying salawat for the Prophet (pbuh) is an order. Those who abandon this order have to perform their prayers again."(5) He did not mention saying salawat for the family of the Prophet (pbuh).

The evidence that Hanafis and Malikis base their view, which says that it is absolutely sunnah to say salawat for the Prophet (pbuh), is as follows: The mentioned orders in the hadiths show us how to say salawat. This state does not make salawat wajib. Shawkani states the following regarding the issue:(6) The evidences on which those who decree that it is wajib to say salawat base their view are not definite in my opinion. Even if we assume that they are definite, that the Prophet did not teach this to a Bedouin who performed his prayer badly and that he said to him, "When you do such and such things, your prayer is complete” is a sign indicating that saying salawat is mandub. After teaching Ibn Mas’ud tashahhud, the Prophet (pbuh) said to him, "When you say it or when you finish it, you will have finished your prayer. If you want to stand up, stand up; if you want to continue sitting, sit."(7)

Saying salawat for the Prophet (pbuh) outside the prayer:

It is mandub, not wajib, to say salawat for the Prophet (pbuh) outside the prayer. Tabari states that there is consensus about the decree of the verse being interpreted as mandub. According to Hanafis (8), it is fard for a person to say salawat for the Prophet (pbuh) once in his life. According to the madhhab, it is mustahab to repeat salawat as the Prophet’s name is mentioned in an assembly. Fatwa is based on this view. 

Using the word "Sayyidina" before the word Muhammad (pbuh):

According to Hanafis and Shafiis (9), it is mandub to use the word "sayyidina" before the word Muhammad in the prayers in which salawat containing Ibrahim is read. It is more virtuous to say it than not to say it. The hadith narrated as "Do not describe me as sayyid in prayer" is fabricated. (10)

Footnotes:

1. ad-Durrul-Muhtar, 1,478.
2. ash-Sharhus-Saghir, 1,319.
3. Mughnil-Muhtaj, 1,173 ff. al-Mughni: I, 541.
4. Bukhari and Muslim narrated it.
5. Naylul-Awtar, II, 284.
6. Naylul-Awtar, II,288.
7. Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Daraqutni narrated this hadith.
8. ad-Durrul-Muhtar, 1,480; Tabyinul-Haqa’iq, I, 108.
9. ad-Durrul-Muhtar. 1,479; Hashiyatul-Bajuri, I,162; Sharhul-Hadramiyya, 478.
10. Asnal-Metalib, 253.

(İslam Fıkhı Ansiklopedisi, Prof. Dr. Vehbe Zuhayli)

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