Assalaamu 'Alaykum wa RahmatuLlaah wa Barakaatuh brothers and sisters in Islaam,
I would like everyone to read these Fataawa below on the importance of sending the proper Swalaat and Salaam to our Prophet (Swalla Allaahu 'alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam) instead of using the abbreviation (SAW) or (PBUH).
Jazaakum Allaahu khayra
AUDIO LECTURE
106 Abbreviating the Salaam and Salah on the Prophet (Sallallaahu Alayhi wa Sallam)
FATWA NO. 1:
Can We Write "SAWS" in Place of
"Sallallaahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam"? [1]
www.bakkah.net
In the Name of Allaah, may the Salaah and Salaam of Allaah be upon His Final Messenger, to proceed:
Muslims are obliged to send Allaah's Salaah [2] and Salaam [3] upon Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) when his name is mentioned. Allaah has commanded us [4]:
( Verily Allaah and His Angels send salaah on the Prophet. O you who believe! Invoke salaah upon him, as well as a complete salaam! )
And the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:
"For each time someone invokes salaah upon me, Allaah writes for him ten good rewards because of it." [5]
And the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) had described the one who does not send salaah upon him when he is mentioned as "the stingiest of people." [6] And he exclaimed "Aameen!" to Jibreel's supplication, "May Allaah repel the one who hears mention of you and does not invoke any salaah upon you!" [7]
So here is the issue that needs to be clarified: Many people use the abbreviation "SAWS" or "PBUH" to fulfill this obligation in their writing. Is this something that fulfills the obligation of sending the salaah and salaam on the Messenger? Let us look now to some of the statements of the scholars regarding this practice.
The Committee of Major Scholars in Saudi Arabia headed by 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn 'Abdillaah ibn Baaz issued the following verdict when asked about the validity of abbreviating the salaah on the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam): "The Sunnah is to write the entire phrase "sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam," since it is a kind of supplication, and supplication is worship, (in one's writing) just as it is in one's speech. So to abbreviate it using the letter SAAD or the word SAAD-LAAM-'AYN-MEEM is not a supplication nor it is worship, whether it occurs in speech or writing. For this reason, this abbreviation was not used by the the first three generations, those that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) testified to their goodness." [8]
"SAAD" and "SAAD-LAAM-'AYN-MEEM" are often used in some 'Arabic books. The English equivalents of these abbreviations would be: SAW, SAWS, SAAWS, PBUH, and the likes.
Al-Fayrooza-abaadee said, "It is not appropriate to use symbols or abbreviations to refer to salaah and salaam, as some of the lazy ones do, as well as some ignorant people and even some students of knowledge - they write 'SAAD-LAAM-'AYN-MEEM' instead of writing 'sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam.'" [9]
Ahmad Shaakir said, "It is the absurd tradition of some of the later generations that they abbreviate the writing of 'sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam.'" [10]
Wasee Allaah 'Abbaas said, "It is not permissible to abbreviate the salaams in general in one's writing, just as it is not permissible to abbreviate the salaah and salaam on the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam). It is also not permissible to abbreviate either of these in one's speech." [11]
And Allaah knows best. May the most perfect and complete salaah and salaam be upon our beloved Messenger, and upon his noble family and companions.
FOOTNOTES
[1] written by Abul-'Abbaas
[2] Sending salaah on the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) means that one invokes Allaah to praise him and mention his high status to the angels. See Jalaa' Al-Afhaam (p.253) of Ibn Al-Qayyim, Fat-hul-Baaree (11/179-197) of Ibn Hajr, or Ibn Katheer's tafseer to verse 33:56.
[3] salaam: security
[4] the meaning of Soorah Al-Ahzaab (33):56
[5] an authentic hadeeth collected by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh (#906, 3/187) on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him). Al-Albaanee declared it to be saheeh in Silsilatul-Ahaadeeth As-Saheehah (#3359, 7/1080).
[6] from a hasan hadeeth collected by Ibn Abee 'Aasim in As-Salaah 'Alan-Nabee (p.30-31) on the authority of Aboo Tharr (may Allaah be pleased with him). Hamdee As-Salafee called it hasan in his checking of the book.
[7] from an authentic hadeeth collected by At-Tabaraanee in Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabeer on the authority of Jaabir ibn Samurah (may Allaah be pleased with him). Al-Albaanee authenticated it in his checking of Al-Munthiree's At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb (#1677, 2/298).
[8] Fatwaawaa Al-Lajnatid-Daa'imah #18770 (12/208-209)
[9] From his book As-Salaatu wal-Bushr, as quoted in Mu'jam Al-Manaahee Al-Laf-thiyyah (p.351)
[10] the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad (#5088, 9/105)
TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING
What is the reward for invoking salaah upon the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)?
What have the scholars said about abbreviating the phrase "sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam" in writing?
RELATED ARTICLES
REFERENCES
As'ilah Amreekiyyah Ajaaba 'Anhaa Shuyookh Makkah, file no. AAWA004 (not published yet).
As-Salaah 'Alan-Nabee (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) of Ibn Abee Ad-Dunyaa, checking by Hamdee As-Salafee, Daar Al-Ma'moon lit-Turaath in Damascus, first printing, 1415.
Fadhlus-Salaati 'alan-Nabee (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) of Ismaa'eel ibn Ishaaq Al-Qhaadee Al-Maalikee, with checking and comments by Al-Albaanee, Al-Maktabatul-Islaamiyyah in Beirut, third printing, 1397.
Fataawaa Al-Lajnatid-Daa'imah lil-Buhooth wal-Iftaa', Daar Al-Balansiyyah in Ar-Riyaadh, second printing, 1421.
Fat-hul-Baaree of Ibn Hajr, with checking by Bin Baaz, Daar Al-Hadeeth in Cairo, first printing, 1419.
Jalaa' Al-Afhaam fee Fadhlis-Salaati was-Salaami 'alaa Muhammadin Khayril-Anaam of Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jowziyyah, with checking and comments by Mash-hoor Hasan Salmaan, Daar Ibn Al-Jowzee in Dammaam, second printing, 1420.
Mu'jam Al-Manaahee Al-Lafthiyyah, Daar Al-'Aasimah in Ar-Riyaadh, second printing, 1417.
Musnadul-Imaam Ahmad, Mu'assastur-Risaalah in Beirut, first printing, 1415.
Saheeh At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb (2/288-303: The Chapter of Sending Salaah on the Prophet) of Al-Albaanee, Maktabatul-Ma'aarif in Ar-Riyaadh, first printing, 1421.
Saheeh Ibn Hibbaan bi Tarteeb Ibn Balbaan, Mu'assasatur-Risaalah, third printing, 1418.
Silsilatul-Ahaadeethis-Saheehah of Al-Albaanee, Maktabatul-Ma'aarif in Ar-Riyaadh, first (complete) printing, 1422.
Tafseer Al-Qur'aan Al-'Atheem (the verse 33:56) of Ibn Katheer, Daar Taybah in Ar-Riyaadh, first printing of the second edition, 1422.
FATWA NO. 2:
Many of the Islamic scholars have instructed Muslims not to abbreviate sending the Salah on Muhammad. Shaykh Abd al-Azeez ibn Baaz said regarding the issue:
"As it is prescribed to send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in prayer when saying the tashahhud, and it is prescribed when giving khutbahs, saying Du’a and praying for forgiveness, and after the Adhan, and when entering and exiting the mosque, and when mentioning him in other circumstances, so it is more important to do so when writing his name in a book, letter, article and so on. So it is prescribed to write the blessing in full so as to fulfil the command that Allah has given to Muslims, and so that the reader will remember to say the blessing when he reads it. So one should not write the blessing on the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in short form such as writing (S) or (SAWS) etc, or other forms that some writers use, because that is going against the command of Allah in His Book, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Send your Salaah on (ask Allah to bless) him (Muhammad), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation, i.e. As‑Salaamu ‘Alaykum)" [ al-Ahzab (33:56) ]
And that (writing it in abbreviated form) does not serve that purpose and is devoid of the virtue of writing 'salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wa salaam (May Allah send blessings and peace upon him)' in full. Moreover the reader may not take notice of it and may not understand what is meant by it. It should also be noted that the symbol used for it is regarded as disapproved by the scholars, who warned against it."
islamonline
FATWA NO. 3:
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Response: The Sunnah is to write the entire phrase ((sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam)) - since it is a supplication; And the supplication is a (form of) worship, such as verbally saying it (the phrase), and the abbreviation for it using the letter (S) [Saad] or (SAW) [Saad 'Ayn Waaw] (or (SAAW) or the like) is not (constitute) a supplication, and nor a (form of) worship, whether it be by speech or writing. And because of this, this abbreviation was not used by those of the first three generations about whom the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) bore witness to their excellence.
And with Allaah lies all success and may Allaah send prayers and salutations upon our Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) and his family and his companions.
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FATWA NO. 4:
To write, “SAW” in the place of “(Salla Allahu Ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam) ” is Prohibited
Today it is very common that people don’t write in the Durood Shareef in Full after the name of the Beloved Prophet (Peace & blessings be with Him). My dear brothers and Sisters when we do this we lose a lot of reward in writing the Durood Shareef. We should not write abbreviations like SAW, PBUH and SWT as this is Haraam (Prohibited) . Khalifa-e-Sayyidee A’alahazrat Sadrush-e-Shariah, Hazrat Maulana Mufti Hakeem Muhammad Amjad Ali Khan Azami (May Allah bless Him) who has been a big cause of Pride religious scholar of the Present century. He has done a very Big favour to the Whole Muslim Ummah by writing in the Urdu Language “Bahaar-e-Shariat” (Book) on many issues relating to the Islamic Law according to the Qur’an al-Kareem and Hadiths on the Topics of Tauheed, the Status of the Beloved Prophet (Peace & blessings be with Him), Faith, Ablution, five times prayer, Fasting, Charity, Hajj, Ziyyarah and the daily practice of the Muslims.
In the third part of this Book Bahaar-e-Shariat with the Reference to Durre Mukhtarr and Radde Mukhtaar he mentions “Whenever one writes or has to write the Blessed Name of the Prophet (Peace & blessings be with Him) one must write the words of the Durood Shareef and also recite with tongue thereafter, as according to some Scholars writing down of the word of the Durood Shareef at that time is Waajib and it must also be recited.”
It is Prohibited (Haraam) write Abbreviations like, - Sal’am” “Am” “Saad” “Ayn” - Many people also these days write - Salam - Am - Ayn - as a repleacement to the word of the Durood Shareef on to the Most Beloved Prophet (Peace & blessings be with Him). This is Prohibited (Haraam).
Likewise people write “Ra Dhwad” in the place of “Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anhu (a)” “Ra Ha” in the place of - Rehmatullahi Ta’ala Alaih (ah)”. This too should not be done. For those who happen to have the name - Muhammad” “Ahmad” “Ali” “Hassan” “Hussain” etc people form “Saad” “Ayn” over these name, this practice too is forbidden as it is that meant. What sense the hint of Durood Shareef over these names could carry here. (Bahaar-e-Shariat with the reference to Tahtavi etc).
Also to write “Jallaah Jalaalahu” in full with the Name of the Most High Allah (the Glorified). Don’t be contented with writing just a half a “Jeem”. Hazrat Allama Jallaal Uddin ash-Shafee (May Allah bless Him) has stated the first person that did this had his Hand Amputated. We should not write “S.A.W” in the place of “Salla Allahu ta'ala alayhi wa Sallam”, “SWT” in the place of - Subhanhu wa Ta’ala”, “A.S” in the place of “Alaihis Salaam”.
We should refrain from using these abbreviations just because some respected Scholars do and that was because that was according to there Laziness and it doesn’t make lawful if they did, we should however try our utmost best to write the Durood Shareef in Full and not in a short form.
Source : Waqar Ahmad Qadri Attari
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