The Meaning of the Final Tashahhud.

Question:
We seek clarification on the meaning of the final tashahhud and the prayer upon the Prophet?

Answer:
Answer: The meaning of the final tashahhud is the two testimonies: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger." The meaning of the testimony that there is no god but Allah is: I affirm and acknowledge that there is no deity worthy of worship in truth except Allah, and that everything other than Him is false, and that whatever is worshipped besides Him is false. This is the meaning of the testimony that there is no god but Allah. The testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is: acknowledging his messengership (peace and blessings be upon him), affirming it, obeying him, following him, loving him, and believing in him. The Shaykh, Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, summarized this in these phrases: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah: obeying Him in what He has commanded, believing in what He has informed, avoiding what He has forbidden and warned against, and not worshipping Allah except with what He has prescribed." One avoids religious innovations. Thus, the testimony that there is no god but Allah negates shirk (associating partners with Allah), and the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah negates bid'ah (religious innovation). The prayer: "O Allah, send blessings and peace upon Muhammad" means: the blessing from Allah, His praise of His slave in the highest assembly. "O Allah, send blessings upon him" means: praise him. You ask Allah to send blessings upon him, and upon his family: this includes his followers and his relatives. "Al-Aal" (family) includes both groups, his relatives and his followers (peace and blessings be upon him). All of them are included in his family.