The Tashahhud and Final Salutation

The tashahhud and final salutation (taslim) represent the conclusion of the salah and carry enormous weight in Hanbali fiqh as obligatory pillars of the prayer. Ibn Uthaymin treats them with particular care in al-Sharh al-Mumti', examining not only the rulings but the profound spiritual significance of the words the worshipper addresses directly to Allah, His Prophet, and the angels and righteous at the end of prayer.

The tashahhud consists of a specific declaration that the Prophet taught his Companions and which has been transmitted through multiple chains. The wording most commonly narrated by Ibn Masud, and the one preferred in the Hanbali school, is: "At-tahiyyatu lillahi wa al-salawatu wa al-tayyibat, al-salamu alayka ayyuha al-nabiyyu wa rahmatu allahi wa barakatuh, al-salamu alayna wa ala ibad allahi al-salihin, ashhadu an la ilaha ill-allah wa ashhadu anna muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh." Ibn Uthaymin explains the meaning of each phrase, emphasizing that the greeting "al-salamu alayka ayyuha al-nabiyyu" is an address to the Prophet in his presence with Allah — a reminder of his station — and not merely a historical recitation.

The Hanbali school requires the tashahhud in both the middle sitting (if the prayer has three or four rak'ahs) and the final sitting. The middle tashahhud is wajib (obligatory but not a pillar) while the final tashahhud is a full rukn (pillar) of the prayer. If the middle tashahhud is forgotten and one rises fully to the third rak'ah, one does not return but performs two prostrations of forgetfulness at the end. If the final tashahhud is omitted entirely, the prayer is invalid and must be repeated.

After the final tashahhud, the worshipper sends salutations upon the Prophet (al-salah al-ibrahimiyyah), which are obligatory according to the Hanbali school. The minimum wording is "Allahumma salli ala Muhammad." The full Abrahamic salutation — "Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta ala Ibrahim wa ala ali Ibrahim, wa barik ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammad kama barakta ala Ibrahim wa ala ali Ibrahim innaka hamidun majid" — is described in the Sunnah and is the recommended complete form. Ibn Uthaymin notes the scholarly discussion on exactly how many formulae are required as opposed to recommended.

The final salutation consists of saying "al-Salamu alaykum wa rahmatullah" while turning the head to the right, and then again while turning to the left. This is a pillar of the prayer. Ibn Uthaymin addresses whether the second salutation is obligatory or merely recommended, noting that the Hanbali school considers both obligatory. He also discusses what is meant by greeting — is one greeting the angels, the fellow worshippers, or announcing the conclusion of prayer to the world? He presents the scholarly perspectives and their implications, noting that the salutation serves all these purposes simultaneously.

A practical issue Ibn Uthaymin addresses is what happens when one gives the salutation of completion before having fulfilled all the pillars of prayer — such as giving salam after only three rak'ahs of a four-rak'ah prayer. If done deliberately, the prayer is invalidated. If done out of forgetfulness and one remembers quickly, one resumes the prayer, completes the missing rak'ah, and then performs the prostrations of forgetfulness before the final salam.