Ruling on adding (and His blessings) to the closing salam of the prayer

Q: When the worshipper finishes his prayer and intends to say the closing salam, should he say: "Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and His blessings," to the right and then to the left, or should he say: "Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy" only? What is the ruling on the prayer of one who adds "and His blessings"?

A: What is preserved in the Sunnah is "and Allah's mercy" only, and this is what is prescribed: that one should say: . As for adding "(and His blessings)," there is disagreement among the scholars. 'Uqbah ibn Wā'il narrated from his father that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said it this way: . However, there is disagreement among the scholars regarding the validity of 'Uqbah hearing it from his father or not, and some of them said that it is a broken chain. Therefore, what is prescribed for the believer is not to add it, but to restrict himself to: . If one adds it thinking it is correct, or out of ignorance of the ruling, there is no blame on him and his prayer is valid. However, it is better and more cautious not to add it, in order to avoid the disagreement of the scholars and to act according to the most authentic and most cautious matter.