Can We Write SAWS in Place of SallaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam? In the Name of Allaah, may the Blessings and Peace of Allaah be upon His Final Messenger, to proceed: Muslims are obliged to send Allaahs Blessings and Peace upon Muhammad (sallaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam) when his name is mentioned. Allaah has commanded us: Indeed, Allaah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allaah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allaah to grant him] peace. [Q33:56] And the Messenger of Allaah (sallaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: For each time someone invokes Blessings upon me, Allaah writes for him ten good rewards because of it. [Silsilatul-Ahaadeeth As-Saheehah (#3359, 7/1080).] And the Prophet (sallaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam) had described the one who does not send Blessings upon him when he is mentioned as the stingiest of people. [hasan hadeeth collected by Ibn Abee Aasim in As-Salaah Alan-Nabee (p.30-31) on the authority of Aboo Dharr (radhiyaLlaahu anhu] And he exclaimed Aameen! to Jibreels supplication, May Allaah repel the one who hears mention of you and does not invoke any Blessings upon you! [Saheeh in At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb (#1677, 2/298)] 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 Shaykh Abdul-Azeez ibn Baaz (RahimahuLlaah) issued the following verdict when asked about the validity of abbreviating the Blessings on the Prophet (sallaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam): The Sunnah is to write the entire phrase sallaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam, since it is a kind of supplication, and supplication is worship, (in ones writing) just as it is in ones 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 first three generations, those that the Prophet (sallaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam) testified to their goodness. [Fatwaawaa Al-Lajnatid-Daaimah #18770 (12/208-209)] 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 alayhi wa sallam. [From his book As-Salaatu wal-Bushr, as quoted in Mujam Al-Manaahee Al-Laf-thiyyah (p.351)] Ahmad Shaakir (RahimahuLlaah) said, It is the absurd tradition of some of the later generations that they abbreviate the writing of sallaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam. [Musnad of Imaam Ahmad (#5088, 9/105)] Wasee Allaah Abbaas said, It is not permissible to abbreviate the salaams in general in ones writing, just as it is not permissible to abbreviate the salaah and salaam on the Prophet (sallaLlaahu alayhi wa sallam). It is also not permissible to abbreviate either of these in ones speech. And Allaah knows best. May the most perfect and complete Blessings and Peace be upon our beloved Messenger, and upon his noble family and companions. [Written by Abul-Abbaas]
Posted on: Mon, 18 Aug 2014 12:06:10 +0000
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