In Tashahud we read Assalam o alaikum ayyuhannabi. Is it amended by assalam alannabi? Which one is correct? What does sharia says about the person who is having this opinion?

 In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

Answer

With regards to your question, there are two hadiths, one in Musannaf Abdur Razaq on page 203 volume 2 and another one in Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaibah on page 327 volume 1 where “Asalamu Alan Nabi” is narrated instead of “Asalamu Alaika”.

Shaikh Muhammad Zakariyah (RA) in his “Awjazul Masalik”, a commentary of Muwatta Imam Malik has said the following:

“It is clearly evident that the words of tashahud have been narrated with “khitab” (i.e. Asalamu Alaika), except a few narrations which have been narrated with “ghaib” (i.e. Asalamu Alan Nabi). The majority of the companions and jurists are in favour of those narrations which have been narrated with “khitab”. They have not categorized the hadiths depending on the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalams death i.e. read with khitab during his life and with ghaib after his death.

Shaikh Muhammad Zakariyah (RA) has given other answers on why we say “Asalamu Alaika” instead of “Asalamu Alan Nabi”.

1. The Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam thought the companions this very tashahud and did not categorize whether to read  “Asalamu Alaika” in his presence and “Asalamu Alaika” in his absence, bearing in mind that some companions were not present in the company of the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam, but either were travelling or were in battle.
2. When a person reads the tashahud with devotion and concentration that the Musalle thinks he is in front of Allah. Therefore, saying it with khitab makes sense and is more appropriate. (Extracted from Awjazul Masalik p.225 v.2 and Bazlul Majhuud p.117 v.2)

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham.