Back to search

Is saying in the Tashahhud, "Peace be upon you, O Prophet," after the death of the Messenger, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, considered shirk (polytheism), and should it be replaced with "Peace be upon the Prophet"?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The correct wording for the Tashahhud is: "All greetings, prayers, and good things are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, taught this wording to his Companions and did not specify any change to it after his death. What was narrated from Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, regarding changing the wording after the Prophet's death, peace and blessings be upon him, was an ijtihad (independent reasoning) that did not contradict the authentic hadiths. He was disagreed with on this matter by those more knowledgeable than him, such as Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him. Furthermore, "Peace be upon you" is a supplication, not a direct address to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him; rather, it is to bring the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to mind.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy