Sitting
Ṣalāt on the Prophet ﷺ
Asking Allah to honour him, in the words he was asked for.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad, kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm, innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd.
O Allah, honour Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You honoured Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm. You are truly Praiseworthy, Glorious.
Why it is said here
The Companions asked how to send peace on him, since Allah had already commanded it in the Qur'an (33:56). He taught them these words. When you say 'ṣalli ʿalā', you are not praying for him as though he needs it — you are asking Allah to raise his mention, and the reward returns to you: 'Whoever sends one prayer upon me, Allah sends ten upon him.'
ṣalliroot ص ل و
صَلِّ
honour him, praise him among the highest company
āl
آلِ
family and household
Ḥamīdroot ح م د
حَمِيدٌ
Praiseworthy — praised for what He is
Majīdroot م ج د
مَجِيدٌ
Glorious, of vast honour
- Al-Ḥamīd
- Al-Majīd
Required in the final sitting in the view of the Shāfiʿīs and Ḥanbalīs.
Where the schools differ: The Ḥanafīs and Mālikīs treat it as a strong sunnah in the prayer rather than a condition of its validity. Everyone agrees it is part of how the Prophet ﷺ prayed and should not be left.
al-Bukhārī 3370; Muslim 406 (ṣaḥīḥ)
Every statement of context, tafsīr and takeaway on this page traces back to one of these. Āyah references open here in AyaSeerah with the canonical text, translation and abridged tafsīr; ḥadīth numbers open on sunnah.com. Nothing here has to be taken on trust.