Is it proper to say Sayyidina Muhammad?

Is it proper to say in our Solāh the wording of Sayyidina Muhammad (Master Muhammad)?

Can we say the tashahhud in solāh the wording “Ashhadu anna Sayyidina Muhammadan Rasulullāh (I bear witness that our master Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah)” and “Allāhumma salli ‘ala Sayyidina Muhammad (O Allah, send blessing upon our master Muhammad)”, or it suffice to say “Muhammad” without saying “Sayyidina (master)”?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

All the Praise is to Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala. Peace and Blessings be upon Prophet Muhammad His Messenger.

Firstly: Undoubtedly referring to the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) as “sayyid (master)” is quite valid, for he (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam) is our master, and indeed the master of all of mankind.

Abu Hurayrah (radiallahu’ anhu) said: The Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: “I will be the master (or leader) of the sons of Adam on the Day of Resurrection.” Muslim (2278)]

Abu Sa’id (radiallahu’ anhu) said: The Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: “I will be the master (or leader) of the sons of Adam on the Day of Resurrection and I am not boasting. In my hand will be a banner of praise and I am not boasting. There will be no Prophet that day, Adam or anyone else, but he will be beneath my banner. I am the first one for whom the earth will be split open and I am not boasting.” [Sahih Al-Tirmidzi: sahih].

Secondly: It must be noted that acts of worship are based on what has been enjoined and nothing can be added to any act of worship as it was prescribed by the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam).

This is one of the signs of a person’s love for Allāh, may He be glorified and exalted. Allāh, may He be exalted, says:

“Say (O Muhammad (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) to mankind): ‘If you (really) loves Allāh, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah), Allāh will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allāh is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful’”

[Al-‘Imrān, 3:31]

Following means doing it as he did it, and saying it as he said it, refraining from that which he refrained from, and not adding anything to it or subtracting anything from what he did.

The Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:  “Whoever does an action that is not part of this matter of ours (Islam) will have it rejected.”  [Narrated by al-Bukhari (2697) and Muslim (1718)]

1: In his Tafsir of ayat, Al-Ahzab, 33: 56, Al-Bakhari recorded Ka‘ab bin ‘Ujrah (radiallāhu`anhu) reported, “It was said, “O Messenger of Allāh, we already knows how to greet you [i.e ‘As-salāmu ‘alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allāhi wa barakātuh’ as in the Tashahhud], but how should we but how about Salāh [Supplicate; Ask blessings  for you]?'' He (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

«قُولُوا: اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيد»

 "Say: `Allāhumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala āli Muhammad kama sallaita ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm; Innaka Hamīdum Majīd; Allāhumma bārik ‘ala Muhammad, wa ‘ala ‘āli Muhammad, kama bārakta ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm; Innaka Hamīdum Majīd.’

(O Allāh! Send Prayers on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent Prayers on the family of Ibrāhīm, Verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Full of Glory; O Allāh! Send Your Blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent your Blessings on the family of Ibrāhīm, Verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Full of Glory.)''’

[Al-Bukhari ( Fath Al-Bari 8:392) ; Ahmad; Nasā'ie and Abu Ya’la in his Musnad (44/2) with a sahih: (reaffirmed the narration thru Ibn Abi Layla’ informed by Ka’ab) ; Muslim (804-805); Humaidi (138/1) and Ibn Mandah (68/2): Sahih: Reported by Sa‘īd bin Mansūr, ‘Abd bin Hamīd, Ibn Abi Hātim and Ibn Mardawiyah  and ‘Abd ar-Razzāq, Ibn Abi Shaybah, Ahmad ‘Abd-Hamīd, the Sihah Sittah all from Ka‘ab bin ‘Ajrah.; this narration uses ‘Kama Sallaita ‘ala [Ibrāhīm, wa ‘ala] āli Ibrāhīm’; ‘Allāhumma Bārik’ in second part and ‘Innaka Hamīdum Majīd’ in both part.]

2:  Muslim recorded in his Sahih under ‘The Book on Blessings on the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) after Tashahhud’ that Abdullāh bin Zaid, one who was shown the adzān (the call for prayer) in a dream, narrated it on the authority of Abu Mas`ud Al-Ansari (radiallāhu‘anhu) said: "We came to the Messenger of Allāh and we were with Sa`ad bin `Ubadah. Bashir bin Sa`ad said to him, `Allāh has commanded us to send Salāh upon you, O Messenger of Allāh. How can we send Salāh upon you' The Messenger of Allāh remained quiet for so long that we wished that he had not asked him, then the Messenger of Allāh said [ For blessing me]:

«قُولُوا: اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، وَبَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي الْعَالَمِينَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ ,وَالسَّلَامُ كَمَا قَدْ عَلِمْتُم»

“Say: “Allāhumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala āli Muhammad kamā sallaita ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm; Wa bārik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala āli Muhammad kama bārakta ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm fil-‘ālamīn; Innaka Hamīdun Majīd”

(O Allāh! Send Prayers upon Muhammad and the members of his household as You Sent Prayers upon the members of Ibrahim's household; And Send Blessings to Muhammad and the members of his household as You  granted Blessings upon the members of the household of Ibrahim, among all the nations’ Verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Full of Glory)”,

“And the Salutation [i.e ‘As-salāmu ‘alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allāhi wa barakātuh’] as you about knows it.”

[Muslim (803): Book on Blessings on the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) after Tashahhud; this narration uses the phrase: ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm, fil-‘ālamīn; Innaka Hamīdun Majīd”]); this narration is Linguistically sound; more comprehensive] This was also recorded by Abu Dawud, An-Nasa'i, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Jarir. At-Tirmidhi said, "It is Hasan Sahih.''

3: Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Humaid As-Sa‘idi (radiallāhu‘anhu) that they said: "O Messenger of Allāh, how can we send Salāh upon you'' He (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said,

«قُولُوا: اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَزْوَاجِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَبَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَزْوَاجِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيد»

"Say: ‘Allāhumma salli ‘ala Muhammad, wa  [‘ala] azwajihi wa dzurriyatihi kama sallaita ‘ala  Ibrāhīm; Wa bārik ‘ala Muhammad, wa [‘ala] azwajihi wa dzurriyatihi kama bārakta ‘ala[ali] Ibrāhīm, Innaka Hamidum-Majīd’

(O Allāh Send Prayers on Muhammad and [on] his wives and progeny, as You Sent Prayers on [the family of] Ibrāhīm; And Send Blessings on Muhammad, and [on] his wives and progeny, as You Sent Blessings on [the family of] Ibrāhīm; Verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Full of Glory).

[Ahmad, It was also recorded by the rest of the Jama’ah, apart Muslim (807), Abu Dawud; at-Tirmidzi and Nasa'ie from Abu Humaid As-Sa`idi; but this narration uses : kama sallaita ‘ala  Ibrāhīm; only once ‘ Innaka Hamidum-Majīd’; No.2 almost similar to No.3.1 recorded by Imam Ahmad and Tahawi]

3.1: Imam Ahmad and Tahawi with a sahih sanad recorded another narration:

“Allāhumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala ahli bait, wa ‘ala azwajihi wa dzurriyyatihi, kama sallaita ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm; Innaka Hamīdum Majīd; Wa bārik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala ahli bait, wa ‘ala azwajihi wa dzurriyyatihi kama bārakta ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm; Innaka Hamīdum-Majīd”

(O Allāh! Send prayers on Muhammad, and on his household, and on his wives and progeny, as you sent prayers on the family of Ibrāhīm; Verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Full of Glory; And send blessings on Muhammad, and his household, and his wives and progeny, as you sent blessings on the family of Ibrāhīm; Verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Full of Glory).

This narration of the salawat reportedly used by the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) himself after the Tashahhud. [Ahmad and Tahawi with a sahih sanad]

[Recorded by Ahmad and Tahawi: sahih; uses phrase: wa `ala ahli bait, wa`ala azwajihi wa dzurriyyatihi, `ala āli Ibrāhīm, Innaka Hamīdum Majīd twice; Similar to No.3 recorded by Bukhari, Muslim (807), Abu Dawud and Nasa'ie from Abu Humaid As-Sa`idi when Sahabi enquired Rasulullah as how to send Salawat to him; but this narration is without ‘wa `ala ahli bait’, and uses ‘Innaka Hamidum-Majīd’ once at the end]

Commentary:

1. The narration no 3.1 is almost similar to No.3 the salawat reportedly used by the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) himself after the Tashahhud. [Ahmad and Tahawi with a sahih sanad]

2."Azwaj’’ is the plural of "Zauj'' that is a pair. This is the reason that in Arabic it applies to both, masculine as well as feminine. Man is the Zauj of woman and woman is the Zauj of a man. In any case, here it means the Prophet's wives who are eleven in number. Two of them had died during the lifetime of the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and nine survived after him. Islam does not permit more than four wives to a Muslim but the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wassallam) was given the exclusive permission for numerous considerations which have been discussed by religious scholars at length.

3. Barakah: growth, increase. Hence this supplication secures for Muhammad the good which Allāh granted to the family of Ibrāhīm, continual, established good, as well as its multiplying and increase.

4. This Hadith also refutes the opinion of those who do not include his pious wives in the category of his "Al''. His "Al'' includes his wives and progeny - his male and female children and their descendants. But after his death none except Fatimah (radiallāhu` anha) and her children remained alive. Some scholars are of the opinion that it is general and applies to all his followers. [Riyad-us-Saliheen]

5. The Phrase “wa `ala ahli bait, wa`ala azwajihi wa dzurriyyatihi” has the same meaning to “ala āli”

6. The phrase of `ala āli Ibrāhīm (the family of Ibrāhīm) includes Ibrāhīm himself.

There were no authentic reports narrated in the Sahihain that he (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) taught us to say the wording “Sayyidina”. It derived from a weak hadith of Ibn Majah. Hence we should not add to what the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) had taught us enjoined to say. This is undoubtedly better and correct.

Muslims should not transgress against the teaching of the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to remind every Friday in his khutbah, from the minbar:

“The best of speech is the Book of Allāh and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam).”

[Narrated by Muslim (867)]

In another narration: “The best of speech is the Book of Allāh, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The most evil of things are those which are newly-invented (in religion), and every innovation is a going astray.” [Reported by Al-Nasa’ie in Al-Sunan, Kitab Salat Al-‘Eidayn, no. 1560]

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullāh) was asked: Is it correct to send blessings upon the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), saying “Sayyidina” because it is an apt description of him, or not to say that because it is not narrated in the reports?

Ibn Hajar replied:  It would be much better following the phrases that have been narrated  and it should not be said which he (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) refrained from saying it out of humility but his ummah is recommended to say that every time he is mentioned, because we say: If that was correct, it would have been narrated from the Sahābah then from the Tabi’een, and we have not found anything in the hadiths from any of the Sahabah or Tabi’een to suggest that he said that, even though there are so many reports on this topic.

Then he quoted some reports from some of the Sahābah and Tabi’een, and from Imām al-Shāfi’e in which the word “Sayyiduna” is not mentioned.

Then Ibn Hajar also said: This issue is well known in the books of fiqh. The point is that none of the fuqaha’ who discussed this issue used the word “Sayyidina”. If this addition had been recommended, it would not have been unknown to them and they would not have ignored it. All goodness is in following the wording taught to the ummah.

Ibn Hajar’s view of the unacceptability of describing the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) as sayyid during the salawāt on him in accordance with the Qur'anic order is also that of the Hanafi scholars. It is the view which must be adhered to, for it is a true indication of love for him, (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam); "Say: If you do love Allāh, then follow me: Allāh will love you." (Al-’Imrān, 3:31)  

[Al-Albani in his book Sifat al-Salāh p. 153-155]

Tashahhud, adzān and iqāmah

 The scholars of the Scholars Standing Committee were asked: Is it permissible for us to say when speaking of the Messenger of Allāh (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam): “Sayyiduna Muhammad (our master Muhammad)” in contexts other than those which are narrated in texts such as Al-Salāh Al-Ibrāhīmiyyah in the prayer etc?

They  Standing Committee replied: With regard to sending blessings on the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) in the tashahhud, there is no report – as far as we know – in which the word “sayyidina” is mentioned, i.e., “Allāhumma salli ‘ala sayyidina Muhammad (O Allāh, send blessing upon our master Muhammad)” etc.  The same applies to the adzān and iqāmah, in which the word “sayyidina” is not used because it is not mentioned in the sahih ahādith in which the Prophet(Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam)  taught his companions how to send blessings upon him, and how to say the adzān and iqāmah.

 ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiallāhu`anhu) narrated that the Rasullullah (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:

“If the muezzin says, ‘Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar (Allāh is most great, Allāh is most great),’ and one of you says, ‘Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar (Allāh is most great, Allāh is most great)’;

Then he says, ‘Ashhadu an lā ilāha ill-Allāh (I bear witness that there is no god except Allāh),’ and you say, ‘Ashhadu an lā ilāha ill-Allāh (I bear witness that there is no god except Allāh)’;

Then he says, ‘Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullāh (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh),’ and you say, ‘Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullāh (I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allāh)’;

Then he says, ‘Hayya ‘alal-solāh (Come to prayer),’ and you say, ‘La hawla wa lā quwwata illa Billāh (There is no power and no strength except with Allāh)’;

Then he says, ‘Hayya ‘alal-falāh (Come to prosperity),’ and you say, ‘Lā hawla wa lā quwwata illa Billāh (There is no power and no strength except with Allāh)’;

Then he says, ‘Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar (Allāh is most great, Allāh is most great),’ and you say, ‘Allāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbar (Allāh is most great, Allāh is most great)’;

Then he says, ‘Lā ilāha illallāh (There is no god but Allāh),’ and one you says, ‘Lā ilāha illallāh (There is no god but Allāh),’

From the heart, he will enter Paradise.”

[Narrated by Muslim (385)]

Jabir Ibn ‘Abdallāh (radiallāhu`anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allāh (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) said: “Whoever says when he hears the adzan:

‘Allāhumma Rabba hādzihi’l-da’wat il-tāmmah wa’l-solātil-qā’imah, āti Muhammadan il wasīlata wal-fadīlah, wab’athhu maqāman mahmūdan illadzi wa’ad tah”

(O Allāh, Lord of this perfect call and the prayer to be offered, grant Muhammad the privilege (of intercession) and also the eminence, and resurrect him to the praised position that You have promised),’

My intercession for him will be permitted on the Day of Resurrection.

[Al-Bukhari, 589]

The acts of worship are tawqeefi (i.e., they are to be done exactly as described in the texts) and nothing is to be added to them that has not been prescribed by Allāh. The addition of Saiyyidina in the acts of worship is without doubt an addition to what the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) brought. As for saying it in other contexts, there is nothing wrong with it, because the Prophet (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa salam) said: “I will be the master of the sons of Adam on the Day of Resurrection and I am not boasting.”The Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) also said: “Do not exaggerate about me as the Christians exaggerated about the son of Maryam. I am only a slave, so say, ‘The slave of Allāh and His Messenger.’” [Reported by al-Bukhāri]

[Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Da’imah (7/65)]

[Adapted from Islam Q&A (Fatwa No: 85116)]