You learn something everyday. Had an interesting discussion with somone who spoke about the Salawat on the Prophet being articulated these days in a very short or cut form, as in ‘Sa Salam’. So I did a little more research and this is what I found.
Salawat (sending peace and blessings) on the Prophet is based on a Qur’anic command (Al Ahzaab 33:56)
Salawat on the Prophet Muhammad.
Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi Hadith 3225: The Prophet ﷺ said: “Do not send incomplete salawat upon me.” The companions asked: “What is incomplete salawat?” He replied: “That you say: ‘O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad,’ and stop there. Rather say: ‘…and upon the family of Muhammad.’”
The narration does exist in the collections of hadith and is often cited to emphasize including the family of the Prophet ﷺ (Aal Muhammad) when sending salawat.
Here are some details:
Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi – Hadith 3225
(Also referenced in some hadith databases as Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3781, depending on numbering system.)
Arabic Text:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ:
“لَا تُصَلُّوا عَلَيَّ الصَّلَاةَ الْبَتْرَاءَ.”
فَقِيلَ: وَمَا الصَّلَاةُ الْبَتْرَاءُ؟
قَالَ:
“تَقُولُونَ: اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَتَدَعُونَ آلَ مُحَمَّدٍ، صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ.”
Translation:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Do not send upon me the salat al-batraa’ (incomplete salawat).”
The companions asked: “What is the incomplete salawat, O Messenger of Allah?”
He replied:
“That you say: ‘O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad,’ and you leave out his family. Rather, say: ‘Send blessings upon him and upon his family.’”
Grading of the Hadith:
- Tirmidhi recorded this hadith and noted some discussion about its chain.
- Scholars differ on the strength of the isnād (chain), but the meaning is widely accepted because it is supported by stronger hadiths like those in Bukhari and Muslim, which include “Aale Muhammad” in the Prophet’s teaching of the correct salawat.
Takeaway:
This hadith is used in many Sunni scholarly circles—to argue that omitting the Ahl al-Bayt from the salawat is an incomplete form, and that the Prophet ﷺ himself taught to include “Aale Muhammad” as a required part of proper salawat.said:
The hadith you’re referring to — about not sending the “incomplete salawat” (الصلاة البتراء) — is not classified as Sahih (authentic) by some hadith scholars, however, it is considered Hasan (acceptable/good).
Grading and Scholarly Opinions
Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 3225)
- This hadith is found in Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi and reported by:
- Sa’id ibn Jubayr
- From Ibn Abbas
- Tirmidhi recorded it but did not declare it Sahih.
- Some scholars like Al-Albani have graded it Da’if (weak) due to issues in the chain. But weak does not mean unacceptable or fabricated.
- The meaning is supported by authentic hadiths:
In Sahih al-Bukhari (Hadith 4797) and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ teaches the companions to say:
اللهم صل على محمد وعلى آل محمد…
“O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad…”
Narrated Ka`b bin Ujra:
It was said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! We know how to greet you, but how to invoke Allah for you?” The Prophet said, “Say: Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa’ala `Ali Muhammaddin, kama sallaita ‘ala all Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid.”
Conclusion:
- The hadith about avoiding “incomplete salawat” is not sahih but Hassan, and its core message is supported by sahih hadiths.
- Therefore, including “Aal Muhammad” in salawat is authentic (sahih), and well-established in various schools of Islamoic thought.
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