What is the ruling on adding (and His blessings) when saying the salam in prayer to the right and left, given that we are accustomed to saying "Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy"?
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The questioner : The addition, meaning the addition to the salam in prayer, he says: We have an imam who prays with us, and during the salam he says: "Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and His blessings" to the right, and likewise to the left, and we are accustomed to the wording: "Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy"?
The Shaykh : If the one praying says: "Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy," that is sufficient. As for the addition of "and His blessings," the scholars of hadith have differed on whether it is preserved from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) or whether it is anomalous.
According to the opinion of those who hold that it is preserved and that its chain of narration is valid, it becomes a second form of the salam, meaning that he sometimes says: "Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy," and sometimes he says: "Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and His blessings."
According to the opinion of those who hold that it is anomalous or that its chain of narration is weak, it is not prescribed to say it. However, it is wrong for a person to persist in saying it, because the many hadiths reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) do not contain this addition. Therefore, for a person to insist on maintaining it always is contrary to the Sunnah. So, point out to your imam that he must investigate whether this addition is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or not. Then, if it becomes clear to him that it is established, he should not continue to say it always, because the many established and authentic hadiths do not contain this addition. But if it is established for him, let it be another form of the salam, doing this once and that once.
Furthermore, it is obligatory for every imam to do something from the recommended practices that are unknown to the general public and which they find objectionable, to explain to them that it is from the Sunnah, so that they are convinced of it and so that he is safe from people speaking ill of him. May Allah have mercy on a person who restrains backbiting from himself. As for some imams doing a recommended practice that people do not know and then not explaining to them that it is from the Sunnah, this is considered a deficiency on their part or a shortcoming.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If the one praying says: "Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy," that is sufficient. As for the addition of "and His blessings," the scholars of hadith have differed on whether it is preserved from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) or whether it is anomalous.
According to the opinion of those who hold that it is preserved and that its chain of narration is valid, it becomes a second form of the salam, meaning that he sometimes says: "Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy," and sometimes he says: "Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and His blessings."
According to the opinion of those who hold that it is anomalous or that its chain of narration is weak, it is not prescribed to say it. However, it is wrong for a person to persist in saying it, because the many hadiths reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) do not contain this addition. Therefore, for a person to insist on maintaining it always is contrary to the Sunnah. So, point out to your imam that he must investigate whether this addition is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or not. Then, if it becomes clear to him that it is established, he should not continue to say it always, because the many established and authentic hadiths do not contain this addition. But if it is established for him, let it be another form of the salam, doing this once and that once.
Furthermore, it is obligatory for every imam to do something from the recommended practices that are unknown to the general public and which they find objectionable, to explain to them that it is from the Sunnah, so that they are convinced of it and so that he is safe from people speaking ill of him. May Allah have mercy on a person who restrains backbiting from himself. As for some imams doing a recommended practice that people do not know and then not explaining to them that it is from the Sunnah, this is considered a deficiency on their part or a shortcoming.
The questioner : May Allah bless you, O honorable Shaykh.