Adapted from:
al-Qawl al-Mubeen (pp.158-160)
of As-Shaykh Mashoor Hasan Aal Salmaan
[may Allah preserve him]
Ash-Shaykh Mashoor Hassan Aal Salmaan writes in Al Qawl Al Mubeen:
Al Imaam An Nawawee said:
'The obligation according to our comrades (Shaafi’iyyah) is to say: Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad, any other increment is meritorious, and there is a strange view that obligates seeking blessing and forgiveness upon the household, it does not hold water, Allah knows best.' (Sharh Saheeh Muslim 4/123 and Fath Al Baree 11/163).
Al Ameer As Sana’aanee said:
'The claim of AnNawawee and others that there is consensus of the scholars on the recommendation of seeking blessing and forgiveness for his household is not free from reservations. Rather we say; seeking blessing for him –sallaLlaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam- is incomplete, and the slave has not followed its wording, until he utters the prophetic wordings that contains the household (al-aal). Because the questioner said: how should we seek blessing upon you? Then he responded to him with the method of seeking blessing upon him (self) and his household, whosoever does not include his household has neither sought blessing for him as the way he ordered nor followed his command, and he could not be considered as who seeks blessing upon him –sallaLlaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.'(Subul As Salaam 1/193. Al Haadee, Al Qaasim, Ahmad bn Hanbal.
Some of the people of Madhhab of Ash Shaafi’i opine that seeking of blessing and forgiveness upon the household is obligatory after after at-tashshaahud as was mentioned in Nayl Al Awtaar 2/324).
Ibn ‘Arabee indeed gave preponderance to the obligation of seeking blessing upon him in the prayer, and he –rahimahuLlaahu- said; seeking blessing upon the Prophet – sallaLlaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam - is an obligation in a lifetime without any difference of opinion, but in prayer (after at tashshahuud), Muhammad bn Al-Mawwaaz and Ash Shaaf’ee said: It is an obligation, whosoever abandons it, his prayer is invalid. While other scholars said it is Sunnah in the prayer. The authentic (opinion) is what Al Mawaaz said because of the sound narration; Allaah commanded us to seek blessing upon you, how should we seek it? Then he –sallaLlaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam - taught the way to seek blessing, and fixed the way and when to say it.(Akhaam Al Quraan 3/1057 and Al Fatih Ar Rabaanee 4/28).
Also, our teacher, Al-Albaanee, opined that it is an obligation.(See Sifatus salaatin Nabiyy pp.197-198) he mentioned it under the heading “Obligation of seeking blessing upon the Prophet –sallaLlaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam-“ the narration of Fudhaalah bn ‘Ubayd that was mentioned by An Nawawee and he said; Ahmad, Aboo Dawood, Ibn Khuzaymah, Al Haakim and he authenticated while Adh Dhahabee agreed with him).
It is not from the Sunnah and an individual has not implemented the prophetic order, if he summarised his saying; Allahumma salli ‘alal Muhammad and stops, rather it is an obligation to utter one of the legalised formats, and we have mentioned the statement of Al-Ameer As Sana’aanee on this.
(The above is also the opinion of Al Etiyobee in Sharh Sunan An Nasaee and Al-Bazmool in Sharh As Sifah - the compiler),
