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The Prophet himself taught his community the formula to say. When the Companions told him: "We know how to greet you; but how do we send blessings upon you?", he dictated to them the formula known since as the Ibrahimite salat, for it asks Allah to bless the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) as He blessed Ibrahim (Abraham).
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Updated on 27 September 2026 at 3:04 AM
📖 2 min readThe minimal form that satisfies the general command is:
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad: "O Allah, bestow blessings upon Muhammad." It is often completed with wa sallim ("and greet him with peace"). It is in this short form that the texts announce the tenfold reward (Muslim, 408).
Ka'b ibn Ujra reports: the Prophet came out to them and they said: "We know how to greet you (the salam); how do we send blessings upon you?" He answered:
Say: "O Allah, bestow blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You bestowed blessings upon the family of Ibrahim; and bestow grace upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You bestowed grace upon the family of Ibrahim; indeed You are Praiseworthy, Glorious."
Muslim in his Sahih (406); same meaning in al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Humayd as-Sa'idi (405)
The Arabic text of the complete formula:
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ. اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Transliteration: Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid.
A version transmitted by Muslim (405) adds at the end: wa as-salamu kama qad alimtum ("and the greeting of peace: you already know how to say it"), for the Prophet had already taught the tashahhud's salam. It is reported from al-Bukhari and Muslim in the Riyadh as-Salihin (1405, 1406).
The Companions transmitted the formula with slight differences, all authentic:
These variants show that what matters is asking Allah to bestow blessings on Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and his family as He did for Ibrahim and his family; the detailed wordings are all valid.
This blessing has its fixed place in the tashahhud. The scholars agree on its lawfulness within the tashahhud; they differ on its rank: ash-Shafi'i holds it obligatory (wajib) in the final sitting, while the Hanafis, Malikis and Ahmad in one narration hold it a sunna of the prayer, not an obligation; their proof is that the hadith teaching the tashahhud says "you will then have completed your prayer" without making the Ibrahimite salat a condition (reported by Abu Dawud, 968, and Ahmad, 4006). In both cases it is recited after the second sentence of the tashahhud, before the final salam. See the page on the tashahhoud for the full text.
Beyond the tashahhud, the formula is said after the adhan (with the request of the Wasila), abundantly on Friday, and at the opening and closing of supplications. The Prophet taught Fudala ibn Ubayd:
When one of you supplicates, let him begin by praising his Lord and extolling Him, then send blessings on the Prophet, then supplicate thereafter as he wishes.
Abu Dawud (1481) and at-Tirmidhi, graded "hasan sahih"; Riyadh as-Salihin (1404)
The details of the moments and their proofs are in our page when to send blessings on the Prophet.
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"Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid; Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta 'ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidun Majid." Taught by the Prophet to Ka'b ibn Ujra, reported by Muslim (406).
Outside the ritual prayer the supplication may be made in one's language ("O Allah, bestow blessings upon Muhammad and grant him grace"); within the tashahhud the formula is learned in Arabic, like the other parts of the ritual prayer.
Ash-Shafi'i holds it obligatory in the final tashahhud; the Hanafis, Malikis and Ahmad in one narration make it a sunna. All agree on its lawfulness and differ on its rank.
One repeats the call, then sends blessings on the Prophet, then asks for the Wasila: "whoever asks for the Wasila on my behalf will attain my intercession" (Muslim, 384).