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On the Internet you will find many websites and articles where people are involved in a great
mistake and disrespect in their ignorance. They use the Abbreviation of Durood Sharif i.e.
SAW, PBUH, RA, AS
(ma'azALLAH) instead of writing the complete Durood and Salam.
Abbreviating the Salutation with Suad
()ﺹ ,
Sal'am()ﺻﻠﻌﻢ
is strictly forbidden. In this century,
leaving aside the ordinary person, even the socalled "learned" and "intellectuals" are guilty of
such. Some people, in place of SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam (ﻭﺳﻠﻢ ﻋﻠﯽﮦ ﺍﻟﻞﮦ )ﺻﻠﯽ, write
Sal'am
()ﺻﻠﻌﻢ or just
Suad ()ﺹ to save a drop of Ink, fraction of paper or a second of time, people are
depriving themselves in reaping great excellence and reward. They have instead chosen
misfortune.
Imam alNawawi, the great Muhaddith and Shafi’i Faqih (rahmatullah alaih) states in his
introduction to the commentary of Sahih Muslim:
“It is praiseworthy (mustahab) for a person writing Hadith that…..at the mentioning of
the Messenger of Allah (SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam), he writes “SallAllahu
Alaihi wa Sallam” in full and not merely using abbreviations, and neither sufficing on
one of the two, i.e. Salat & Salam.” [Sharh Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, Page 39]
Thus, when one writes the name of the Messenger of Allah (SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa
Sallam) , one should avoid using abbreviations such as SAW, PBUH or something similar. It
is inappropriate and disrespectful to do so. The love for the Messenger of Allah (SallAllaho
Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam) requires that one never tires, both verbally or in writing, from
sending blessings and salutations upon him (SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam) .
Qadhi Iyadh alMaliki (rahmatullah alaih) mentions a Hadith wherein the Messenger of
Allah (SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam) said:
“Whosoever sends blessings upon me in a book, the angels seek forgiveness for him
until my name remains in that book.” [Narrated by alTabrani in his alAwsat, See:
alShifa’ by Qadhi Iyadh, Page 557]
Hence, although the requirement would be fulfilled if one verbally sent blessings and
salutations upon the Messenger of Allah (SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam) , but when
one writes the name of the beloved of Allah, one should also send blessings upon him in
writing. It is important for Muslims to be aware of the Laws of Shari'ah regarding writing
abbreviations of Durood Shareef i.e. S.A.W ... Suad ... Sal'am... etc.
Hence, to write S.A.W after the name of the Beloved Prophet Sayyiduna Rasoolullah
(Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) or
A.S
in place of Alaihis Salaam is really a sign of being
deprived, because Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam or Alaihis Salaam are Durood and we
should not decide to make abbreviations for Durood.
Hadrat Imam Jalaal alDin asSuyooti (rahmatullah alaih) said,
"The person who first introduced the practice of using abbreviation for Durood had his
hands cut off"
Allama Sayyad Tahtawi (rahmatullah alaih), making a marginal note in "DurreMukhtar"
states, and this quotation is also found in "Fatawa Tatar Khaniah", Hashiyat alTahtawi,
Dar alMa'rifah (Berut Lebanon), Vol. 1, Page 6]
One who writes Durood and Salaam in such an abbreviated way for any Nabi (Prophet)
is an infidel (Kafir) as it is to make small (shorten) and to do so for the Ambia
(Prophets) is Kufr.
It is mentioned in Fatawa Africa that this law of kufr only applies to those who
intentionally do this with the intent of belittling the Ambia (Alaihimus salaam) and it is
mentioned that those who write abbreviations today generally do this out of laziness or
just to abbreviate and thus the law of kufr does not apply to them but it is an action
that causes one to lose great blessings and is a sign of deprivation.
At this point, the great Mujaddid, Imam and Wali, A'la Hazrat Imam Ahmed Rida
alQadiri (Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anhu) comments by saying:
Obviously, the pen is also a language and to write any meaningless words in place of
Durood Sharif is like hearing the sacred name of the glorious Prophet SallAllahu Alaihi
wa Sallam and mumbling some meaningless thing. Allah, the Almighty and Powerful,
states:
َ َﻳ ْﻔ ُﺴ ُﻘ َﻛﺎُﻧﻮْﺍ ﺑﻤَﺎ َﺎء َ َ ﺍﱠﻟﺬ ﻋَﻠﻰ
َ ﻓَﺄَﻧ َﺰْﻟ َﻨﺎ َﻟ ُﻬ ْﻢ ِﻴﻞ َ ًﻗَ ْﻮﻻ ﻇَﻠ ُﻤﻮْﺍ
َ ﻳﻦ
َ ﺍﱠﻟ ِﺬ ﻓَ َﺒ ﱠﺪ َﻝ
ﻮﻥ ِ ﻇَﻠ ُﻤﻮْﺍ ِﻳﻦ
ﱢﻣ َﻦ ﱠ ﺭ ْﺟ ًﺰﺍ
ِ ﺍﻟﺴﻤ َ ﻗ ﺍﱠﻟ ِﺬﻱ ﻏ ْﻴ َﺮ
"But the unjust changed the word that had been ordered for another one, so We sent
down a punishment on them from the skies, the recompense of their disobedience."
[Surah alBaqarah, Verse 59]
There Allah has ordered Bani Israel to say (Say our sins be decreased), they said (We got
wheat). This word has a meaning and is still a Blessing of Allah (Wheat), but just because of
changing the words, it caused the displeasure of Allah and their punishment.
It is thus of utmost importance that we refrain from writing abbreviations for Durood Shareef
and make the effort to write the Durood Shareef in full. Why should we deprive ourselves from
the Mercy of Allah and earn the wrath of Allah?
Here the order is:
َﺗ ْﺴﻠِﻴﻤًﺎ ﻭ َﺳﱢﻠ ُﻤﻮﺍ
َ ﻋَﻠ ْﻴ ِﻪ ﻮﺍ
َ ﺻﱡﻠ ﻮﺍ َ ﺍﱠﻟ ِﺬ ُّ َﻫﺎ ﺃَﻱ ﻳَﺎ ﺍﻟﱠﻨ ِﺒ ﱢﻲ ﻋَﻠﻰ
َ ﺁ َﻣُﻨ ﻳﻦ َ ُﺼﱡﻠ
َ ﻮﻥ َ َﺍﷲﱠ ﺇِ ﱠﻥ
َ ﻳ ﻭ َﻣﻼ ِﺋ َﻜ َﺘ ُﻪ
"Indeed Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet; O People who Believe!
Send blessings and abundant salutations upon him." [Surah alAhzaab, Verse 56]
And this order is compulsory every time that you hear, say or write the sacred name of the
Holy Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam) . The fulfillment of the above command when
writing the sacred name is to write , but, instead, this has been changed by some lazy
individuals to that which has absolutely no meaning. Such individuals should repent & seek
refuge from the wrath of Allah.
In regard to the blessed Sahaba and Awliya Allah (Radi Allahu Anhum Ajma'een) . After
writing their names, instead of correctly writing (radi Allahu anhu) &
(rahmatullah alaih),
people write meaningless letters like R.A . This too is nonsensical and unfortunate. This is
condemned by the Learned Ulama as Makrooh and a reason of misfortune.
Sayyid Allamah Tahtawi (rahmatullah alaih) states:
"It is Makrooh to abbreviate when writing . Write it in full." [Hashiyat alTahtawi, Dar
alMa'rifah (Berut Lebanon), Vol. 1, Page 6]
Imam Nawawi (rahmatullah alaih) in his commentary of "Muslim Sharif" states:
"One who indulges in this act is stripped from a very great benefit (Khair) and has lost
a great reward."
May Allah protect us from all our shortcomings and allow us the Taufeeq to accept our
weaknesses and shortcomings. May we be blessed with hearts that accept the truth and may
we be blessed with the gift of sincere repentance. Aameen