The greeting to end ṣalāh

KNOW THAT THE salām to end ṣalāh is an obligatory element of the ṣalāh, without which it is not valid. Such is the opinion of ash-Shāfi‘ī, Mālik, Aḥmad, and the majority of scholars of the past and the present. Authentic hadiths are unequivocal about this.

It is not mustaḥabb to add: ‘and His blessings’ as this is contrary to what is well-known from the Messenger of Allah even if it does occur in a narration by Abū Dāwūd. A number of our [Shāfi‘ī] colleagues have mentioned it, among them Imām al-Ḥaramayn, Ẓāhir as-Sarakhsī and ar-Rūyānī in al-Ḥilyah, but it is an irregular narration (shādhdh) and what we have presented is the well-known position. And Allah knows best.

This applies whether one is the Imam or follower or is praying alone, whether in a small or large congregation, and whether in a compulsory or nāfil ṣalāh. In all of these there are two greetings in which one turns to both sides. One salām is wājib. The second is Sunnah, and if one omits it it will not harm him. That which is wājib to utter is ‘As-salāmu ‘alaykum’—Peace be upon you. If one says: ‘Salāmun ‘alaykum’—Some peace be upon you—it does not suffice according to the most correct view. If one says ‘‘Alaykum as-salām’—Upon you be peace—it suffices according to the most correct view. If one says ‘As-salāmu ‘alayka’—Peace be upon you (singular) or ‘Salāmī ‘alayka’—My peace be upon you (singular) or ‘Salāmī ‘alaykum’—My peace be upon you (plural) or ‘Salāmu-llāhi ‘alaykum’—The peace of Allah be upon you or ‘Salāmu ‘alaykum’—Peace be upon you without nunation (i.e., instead of saying ‘Salāmun’) or he says ‘As-salāmu ‘alayhim’—Peace be upon them, then none of that suffices and there is no disagreement about that. It invalidates the prayer if it is said deliberately and knowingly in all of that apart from ‘As-salāmu ‘alayhim’—Peace be upon them, which does not invalidate the prayer because it is a du‘ā’. If it is said out of forgetfulness that does not invalidate the prayer, but one has not said what is necessary to finish the prayer: one is then required to do a new greeting of salām and to do it correctly. If the Imam confines himself to a single salām, those following him should say two.

One of our [Shāfi‘ī] colleagues, the Qāḍī Abū ’ṭ-Ṭayyib aṭ-Ṭabarī, and others hold that when the Imam has said the salām, the follower has a choice: he may say the salām immediately or he may continue sitting for du‘ā’ and prolong it for as long as he wishes. And Allah knows best.