Fatwa ID: 04525
Answered by: Maulana Javed ibn Nazir Kachhalia
Question
As-Salamu Alaikum. Hope all of you are OK.
I have got some questions about durood sharif because some people made me confuse. All of we know that we should read Durood e Ibrahim in salah but out of salah is it allowed to read any other sahih forms of Durood or not? Normally we say Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam when we hear the name of our beloved prophet Muhammad. Some scholar says that's a Duroodas well. I have seen one in Sunan Nasai that is 'Allahumma Salli ala Muhammad Wa Aala Aali Muhammad'—- That's a Hasan Hadith….so please let me know if I read this one is it sahih to send Durood on our Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam. In addition, some scholars says always we should read durood e Ibrahim, on the contrary, some say no other forms are Ok. What's the reason for this contrary. Please let me know. Thanks for your patience.
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
Before explaining your query, lets first look at some points in regards to Durood Shareef and the command given by Allah SWT in the Qur'an:
“Indeed Allah and His angels bless the Prophet; O you who have faith! Invoke blessings on him and invoke Peace upon him in a worthy manner.” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33, Verse 56)
In the above verse, Allah SWT speaks about two things: Salaah (Blessings) and Salaam (Peace)
Let’s look at those two words with their linguistic meaning:
- Salaah: is utilized in Arabic for ‘Mercy’ (Rahman), ‘Prayer’ (dua), and ‘Praise’ (Madah, Thana)
- Salaam: Staying in Peace
After understanding the linguistic side we know that two things are required: Salaah and Salaam.
The method of Salaah and Salaam
There appears a Hadith in the Sahih of Bukhari and Muslim, as well as in other books of Hadith, where Sayyidna Ka'b Ibn 'Ujrah 
has been reported to have said: '(When this verse was revealed) someone asked the holy Prophet 
"(The verse orders us to do two things, Salaah and Salaam.)We already know the method of saying salaam, now tell us the method of Salaah also." He said: Say these words:
قُولُوا اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ
حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ وَبَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ
وَآلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Some other words in this respect have also been reported in other narrations of ahadith.
As for the reason why the noble Sahabah asked this question, perhaps it is that they had already been taught the method of offering their Salaam in the tashahhud.
Therefore, they did not like to determine, on their own, the precise words in the case of the saying of Salaah. Instead of that, they wanted the exact words of saying the Salaah to be determined by the Holy Prophet 
himself.
It is for this reason that Salaah has generally been adopted in these very words as part of the prescribed prayers, Namaz or Salaah. But, it does not mean that the obligation of sending Salaah (durud) is restricted to the specific words because many different forms of Salaah (durud) have been authentically reported from the Holy Prophet himself. The requirement of sending Salaah and Salaam can be fulfilled by every such sentence that has the words of Salaah and Salaam in it.
Then, it is also not necessary that those words should have been reported exactly as said by the Holy Prophet. In fact, the obligation may be discharged and the reward of sending Salaah may be achieved by any style of address that conveys the words of Salaah and Salaam. But, it is obvious that the exact words reported from the Holy Prophet are certainly much more blessed and are the cause of bringing many more rewards. It was for this very reason that the noble Sahabah had asked the Holy Prophet himself to determine the words of Salaah.
(Ma’ariful Qura’an Vol 7, Pg 230, Surah Ahzab, English Translation)
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Javed ibn Nazir Kachhalia
Checked and Approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
