when he ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) was still alife. But after his death we say ‘As Sal?mu [peace be] that is ‘Al? An-Naby [upon the prophet]’. This narration was also narrated by Ab? ‘Uw?nah in his “Sah?h”, As-Sir?j, Al-Jawzaq?, Ab? Nu’aim, Al-’Asbah?n? and Al-Baihaq? through many narrations traced back to Ab? Nu’aim -one of Al-Bukh?r?’s Shaikhs- who narrated the had?th in the following wording: ‘when the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) passed away, we used to say [in Tashahhud] “As-Sal?m? ‘Al? An-Naby” without the word “that is”. The same wording was narrated by Ibn Ab? Shaibah from Ab? Nu‘aim.

After relating this narration traced back to Ab? ‘Uw?nah; As-Subk? commented in his “Sharhul Minh?j”: ‘If this narration is proved to be authentic, it clearly states that after the prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) death, it is not an obligation on a muslim to use the second person pronoun [‘Alaika, i.e. on you] in his Tashahhud; instead one should say: “‘Al? An-Naby” [on the prophet]’. I (1) believe that the narration is indeed authentic for which I found a strong supporting narration which runs as follows: Abdir Razz?q said that Ibn Juraij told him from ‘At?’ that the Sah?bah used to say -during the prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) life- “As-Sal?m? ‘Alaika Ayyuhan Naby”; but after his ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) death, they used to say: “As-Sal?mu ‘Alan Naby”. This narration has an authentic chain of narrators’. (2)

Ibn Hajar then continued: ‘The apparent meaning of the narration is that the Sah?bah used to use the second person pronoun during the prophet’s ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) life but after his ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) death, they used to use the third person pronoun “As-Sal?mu ‘Alan Naby”. (3)

[2/ 22] Adding the word “Sayyiduna” [our master] to Tashahhud or when sending Sal?t on the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -):

Sahikh Muhammad Jam?lud D?n Al-Q?sim? said: