Tashahhud, salawat, and taslim: every word of the sitting, in English.
In Lesson 8 we learned every word of the bow and the prostration. After the last sujud of a prayer, you sit.
Today we learn what you say in that sitting, line by line, and how the prayer ends.
Islamic Studies · Worship class · about 75 minutes · your notebook, your cards, and a pen
Swap decks with your partner. One reads the cue, the other says the Arabic and what it means, then switch. After that, try the cards on the screen together, Lesson 8's cards first.
سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ
Sami'Allahu liman hamidah
Allah (SWT) hears the one who praises Him.
Lesson 8 · Sahih al-Bukhari 789
رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ
Rabbana wa lakal-hamd
Our Lord, and to You belongs all praise.
Lesson 8 · Sahih al-Bukhari 799
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى
Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la
Glory be to my Lord, the Most High.
Lesson 8 · Sahih Muslim 772
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي
Rabbighfir li
My Lord, forgive me.
Lesson 8 · Sunan Ibn Majah 897
سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ
Subhana Rabbiyal-Adheem
Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great.
Lessons 2 and 5
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
Ihdinas-siratal-mustaqim
Guide us to the straight path.
Lesson 7 · Al-Fatihah 1:6
A card that is still shaky goes in your "Still learning" pile. Go through that pile every day this week.
The last lesson ended with this challenge: in sujud, after Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la, make one personal dua each day, following what your imam teaches about personal dua inside the fard prayers.
On your own paper or at the back of your notebook:
Your writing stays with you.
In Lesson 6 the conversation began with Allahu Akbar. Today we reach its end: the sitting, where you greet Allah (SWT), send peace on His Messenger (pbuh), testify, and leave the prayer with peace.
Salah is your daily meeting with the One (SWT) who loved you first. Today you will see that this meeting does not end with a quick goodbye. It ends with greetings, with peace for yourself and for others, and with the testimony.
Greetings to Allah (SWT), peace on the Prophet (pbuh), peace on us and on the righteous, and the testimony.
Asking Allah (SWT) to send prayers and blessings on the Prophet (pbuh), the way he taught us.
The two greetings of peace, to the right and to the left, that end the prayer.
Each of the five daily prayers ends in a sitting, and the prayers of three or four rak'ahs also have one in the middle. What is said in the middle sitting differs between the schools of fiqh, so ask your imam.
عَلَّمَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَكَفِّي بَيْنَ كَفَّيْهِ التَّشَهُّدَ، كَمَا يُعَلِّمُنِي السُّورَةَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ
Ibn Mas'ud (RA) said: "The Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) taught me the tashahhud, with my hand between his two hands, the way he would teach me a surah of the Quran..."
Tashahhud comes from the same root as ash-hadu, "I testify", because the testimony is at its heart.
The Prophet (pbuh) held Ibn Mas'ud's (RA) hand and taught him these words the way he taught the Quran. What does that tell you about how much these words matter?
Ibn Mas'ud (RA) tells what the companions used to say in the sitting, and what the Prophet (pbuh) taught them instead.
كُنَّا إِذَا صَلَّيْنَا خَلْفَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قُلْنَا: السَّلاَمُ عَلَى جِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَى فُلاَنٍ وَفُلاَنٍ. فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ السَّلاَمُ، فَإِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَقُلِ: التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ، وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ،
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (RA) said: "Whenever we prayed behind the Prophet (pbuh), we used to say: 'Peace be upon Jibril and Mika'il, peace be upon so-and-so and so-and-so.' Then the Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) turned to us and said: 'Allah (SWT) Himself is As-Salam (Peace). So when one of you prays, let him say: All greetings are for Allah (SWT), and the prayers and the good words,
السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ. فَإِنَّكُمْ إِذَا قُلْتُمُوهَا أَصَابَتْ كُلَّ عَبْدٍ لِلَّهِ صَالِحٍ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Peace be upon you, O Prophet (pbuh), and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah (SWT). For when you say it, it reaches every righteous servant of Allah (SWT) in the heavens and the earth. I testify that there is no god but Allah (SWT), and I testify that Muhammad (pbuh) is His servant and His Messenger.'"
The companions used to name people one by one. The Prophet (pbuh) gave them one line that reaches every righteous servant in the heavens and the earth. Who are some of the people your words reach the next time you say it?
In other narrations of this hadith, such as Sahih al-Bukhari 835 and Sahih Muslim 402, the companions also used to say peace upon Allah (SWT) Himself. The Prophet (pbuh) corrected them because Allah (SWT) is As-Salam. It is one of His names, in Surah Al-Hashr 59:23.
Scholars explain that a greeting of salam is a dua for safety and peace. Allah (SWT) is the One who is perfect and free of every flaw, and the One who gives peace. So peace is asked from Him, never wished upon Him. To Him we give the greetings, the prayers, and the good words.
Other authentic wordings of the tashahhud exist too, such as the one Ibn Abbas (RA) reported in Sahih Muslim 403, and the schools of fiqh use different ones. If you learned slightly different words at home or at your masjid, ask your imam which wording your school uses.
You ask for peace again and again in this sitting. Who are you asking it from, and what does that say about Him (SWT)?
| Arabic | Say it | In English |
|---|---|---|
| التَّحِيَّاتُ | At-tahiyyatu | All greetings |
| لِلَّهِ | lillahi | are for Allah (SWT) |
| وَالصَّلَوَاتُ | was-salawatu | and the prayers |
| وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ | wat-tayyibat | and the good words |
At-tahiyyat: every greeting and word of honor, which truly belongs to Allah (SWT). As-salawat: the prayers, explained as every prayer, and by some as every act of worship or every dua. At-tayyibat: the good and pure things, explained as good words, and by some as good deeds too.
Start a new page: "Lesson 9: The Sitting". Write line 1 in "The words" and "All greetings, prayers and good words are for Allah (SWT)" in "What they mean".
| Arabic | Say it | In English |
|---|---|---|
| السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ | As-salamu 'alayka | Peace be upon you |
| أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ | ayyuhan-nabiyyu | O Prophet (pbuh) |
| وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ | wa rahmatullahi | and the mercy of Allah (SWT) |
| وَبَرَكَاتُهُ | wa barakatuh | and His blessings |
First you give your greetings to Allah (SWT). Then you turn to the one who taught you how to pray, and you ask for three things for him: peace, mercy, and blessings.
In every prayer you say, "Peace be upon you, O Prophet (pbuh)." What do you know about him (pbuh) that makes you want to send him peace?
| Arabic | Say it | In English |
|---|---|---|
| السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا | As-salamu 'alayna | Peace be upon us |
| وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ | wa 'ala 'ibadillahi | and upon the servants of Allah (SWT) |
| الصَّالِحِينَ | as-salihin | the righteous |
Now you ask peace for yourself and for others. This is the line that, in the hadith's words, "reaches every righteous servant of Allah (SWT) in the heavens and the earth."
Write lines 2 and 3 of the tashahhud in "The words", and what each one means in "What they mean".
| Arabic | Say it | In English |
|---|---|---|
| أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ | Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah | I testify that there is no god but Allah (SWT) |
| وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا | wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan | and I testify that Muhammad (pbuh) |
| عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ | 'abduhu wa rasuluh | is His servant and His Messenger |
You have met the testimony before: in the adhan in Lesson 4, and in the words after wudu in Lesson 5, each time with slightly different wording. Now it comes in every sitting of every prayer.
"His servant" comes before "His Messenger". Why might it matter to say first that he (pbuh) is a servant of Allah (SWT)?
Write line 4 and its meaning. Then say all four lines of the tashahhud together, slowly, once.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
"Indeed, Allah (SWT) confers blessing upon the Prophet (pbuh), and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah (SWT) to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah (SWT) to grant him] peace."
The ayah asks the believers for two things: salah and salam. In the next hadith, the companions say that Allah (SWT) has already taught them how to send salam, and they ask the Prophet (pbuh) about the salah.
Where in the prayer have you just learned a salam on the Prophet (pbuh)? And why would Allah (SWT) invite you to join in something He (SWT) and His angels already do?
Abdur-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, a student of the companions, tells what Ka'b ibn Ujrah (RA) said to him.
لَقِيَنِي كَعْبُ بْنُ عُجْرَةَ فَقَالَ: أَلاَ أُهْدِي لَكَ هَدِيَّةً سَمِعْتُهَا مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ فَقُلْتُ: بَلَى، فَأَهْدِهَا لِي. فَقَالَ: سَأَلْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْنَا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، كَيْفَ الصَّلاَةُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ عَلَّمَنَا كَيْفَ نُسَلِّمُ؟
"Ka'b ibn Ujrah (RA) met me and said: 'Shall I not give you a gift that I heard from the Prophet (pbuh)?' I said: 'Yes, give it to me.' He said: 'We asked the Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh): O Messenger of Allah (SWT), how should we send salah upon you, the people of the household? For Allah (SWT) has taught us how to send salam.
قَالَ: قُولُوا: اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
He said: Say: O Allah (SWT), send prayers upon Muhammad (pbuh) and upon the family of Muhammad (pbuh), as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim (AS) and upon the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah (SWT), send blessings upon Muhammad (pbuh) and upon the family of Muhammad (pbuh), as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim (AS) and upon the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious.'"
There are other authentic wordings of the salawat too, and some schools use them. Ask your imam which one your school uses.
| Arabic | Say it | In English |
|---|---|---|
| اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ | Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin | O Allah (SWT), send prayers upon Muhammad (pbuh) |
| وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ | wa 'ala ali Muhammad | and upon the family of Muhammad (pbuh) |
| كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ | kama sallayta 'ala Ibrahima | as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim (AS) |
| وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ | wa 'ala ali Ibrahim | and upon the family of Ibrahim |
| إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ | innaka Hamidun Majid | Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious |
Allah's (SWT) salah is not prayer like ours. Abu al-'Aliyah, one of the early scholars, explained that Allah's (SWT) salah upon the Prophet (pbuh) is His praise of him before the angels, and the angels' salah is their dua for him. Al-Bukhari mentions this explanation in his Sahih. So you are asking Allah (SWT) to praise and honor His Messenger (pbuh).
| Arabic | Say it | In English |
|---|---|---|
| اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ | Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammadin | O Allah (SWT), send blessings upon Muhammad (pbuh) |
| وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ | wa 'ala ali Muhammad | and upon the family of Muhammad (pbuh) |
| كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ | kama barakta 'ala Ibrahima | as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim (AS) |
| وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ | wa 'ala ali Ibrahim | and upon the family of Ibrahim |
| إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ | innaka Hamidun Majid | Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious |
Barakah is good that stays and keeps growing. Hamid is the One who is praised and deserves all praise, and Majid is the One full of glory and honor: two names of Allah (SWT). The angels used the same two names when they spoke to the family of Ibrahim (AS), in Surah Hud 11:73.
Write both parts of the salawat with their meanings. They are long, so give each one two or three lines.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَىَّ وَاحِدَةً صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ عَشْرًا
Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) said: "Whoever sends prayers upon me once, Allah (SWT) sends prayers upon him ten times."
You say the salawat in the sitting at the end of the prayer. You can also say it any time of the day: on the bus, while you wait, or before you sleep.
You send one, and Allah (SWT) sends ten. What does that tell you about how He (SWT) treats the people who love His Messenger (pbuh)?
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: مِفْتَاحُ الصَّلاَةِ الطُّهُورُ، وَتَحْرِيمُهَا التَّكْبِيرُ، وَتَحْلِيلُهَا التَّسْلِيمُ
Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) said: "The key to the prayer is purification, its tahrim is the takbir, and its tahlil is the taslim."
Tahrim comes from the word for "forbidden", and tahlil from the word for "permitted". The takbir opens the prayer and sets ordinary life aside. The taslim closes it and gives ordinary life back.
You met this hadith in Lesson 6. You have now walked the whole way: the key in Lessons 4 and 5, the takbir in Lesson 6, and today the taslim.
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُسَلِّمُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَعَنْ شِمَالِهِ حَتَّى يُرَى بَيَاضُ خَدِّهِ: السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ، السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (RA) reported that the Prophet (pbuh) used to give the salam to his right and to his left, until the whiteness of his cheek could be seen: "Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah (SWT). Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah (SWT)."
Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (RA) describes the same turning, until he could see the whiteness of the Prophet's (pbuh) cheek, in Sahih Muslim 582. The schools differ on some details of the taslim, so ask your imam.
Write "As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah" and its meaning. Then, at the bottom of the page under "In my own words", write one sentence about what the sitting means to you.
There are no graded answers here. Talking about the sitting in your own words is the point.
Front: where it is said, the Arabic, and how to say it. Back: what it means, and where it comes from.
التَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ
At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat
All greetings, prayers and good words are for Allah (SWT).
Lesson 9 · Sahih al-Bukhari 831
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
As-salamu 'alayka ayyuhan-nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
Peace be upon you, O Prophet (pbuh), and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and His blessings.
Lesson 9 · Sahih al-Bukhari 831
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ
As-salamu 'alayna wa 'ala 'ibadillahis-salihin
Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah (SWT).
Lesson 9 · Sahih al-Bukhari 831
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh
I testify that there is no god but Allah (SWT), and I testify that Muhammad (pbuh) is His servant and His Messenger.
Lesson 9 · Sahih al-Bukhari 831
Your cards stay with you. Nobody collects them.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid
O Allah (SWT), send prayers upon Muhammad (pbuh) and upon the family of Muhammad (pbuh), as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim (AS) and upon the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious.
Lesson 9 · Sahih al-Bukhari 3370
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta 'ala Ibrahima wa 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid
O Allah (SWT), send blessings upon Muhammad (pbuh) and upon the family of Muhammad (pbuh), as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim (AS) and upon the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious.
Lesson 9 · Sahih al-Bukhari 3370
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ
As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah
Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah (SWT).
Lesson 9 · Sunan Abi Dawud 996
Your cards stay with you. Nobody collects them. If time runs out, finish the two salawat cards at home.
Your writing stays with you.
Once a day, say the tashahhud slowly in one prayer, with its meaning in your head. And send salawat on the Prophet (pbuh) through the day, remembering the hadith in Sahih Muslim 408.
Study your cards one or two minutes a day, for example after a prayer. If you are not praying all five yet, you can still say the tashahhud slowly once a day and send salawat.
Today's cards come first in the card drill at the start of the next lesson.
The Full Prayer, Assembled. Two rak'ahs prayed slowly together, from Allahu Akbar to the taslim, with every word understood in English.