What are the rules of saying "peace be upon him"?
The phrase "peace be upon him" (often abbreviated as PBUH) is used as a sign of respect when mentioning the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The rules surrounding this phrase are derived from both the Qur'an and the teachings of the Prophet.
The Qur'an explicitly instructs believers to send blessings upon the Prophet. It states: Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.
33:56. This verse emphasizes the importance of invoking peace and blessings upon the Prophet as a communal practice among Muslims.
Additionally, the hadith literature provides further guidance on this matter. For instance, it is narrated in Al-Kafi that saying "peace be upon you" earns ten good deeds, while saying "peace be upon you and the mercy of God" earns twenty good deeds, and saying peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings
earns thirty good deeds Al-Kafi 4:45. This shows the increasing reward associated with the variations of the greeting.
In another narration, Sahih Muslim mentions that during prayer, one should say: Peace and blessings be to Allah, prayers and good things. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and mercy and blessings of Allah. Peace be upon us and on the righteous servants of Allah
Sahih Muslim 4:59. This highlights the specific phrasing that believers are encouraged to use when mentioning the Prophet, ensuring that it is done respectfully and appropriately.
These rules collectively guide Muslims on how to honor the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through their words and actions.
Sources
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33:56 · Al-Ahzaab
33:56 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ ۚ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا
Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.
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Al-Kafi 4:45
Al-Kafi · Book 4, Hadith 45
Ibnu Kawa came to the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) and said: O Commander, on the heights there are men who recognize each other by their marks. He said: We are upon the heights; we recognize our supporters by their marks. We are the heights by which God Almighty is recognized, and we are the heights whom God will recognize on the Day of Judgment on the bridge. No one will enter Paradise except those who recognize us and whom we recognize, and no one will enter Hellfire except those who deny us and we deny them. If God had willed, He could have revealed Himself to the servants directly, but He made us His doors, His path, His way, and the face from which He is approached. Whoever deviates from our guardianship or prefers others over us will stray from the path. It makes no difference who clings to it or where people go. Some went to murky springs which pour into each other, and some came to us to pure springs running by the command of their Lord without exhaustion or interruption. — OR — Whoever says, 'Peace be upon you,' it is ten good deeds; whoever says, 'Peace be upon you and the mercy of God,' it is twenty good deeds; and whoever says, 'Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings,' it is thirty good deeds. — OR — Know that the earliest time is always the best, so hasten to do good as much as you can. And the most beloved deeds to God Almighty are those that a servant perseveres in, even if they are few. — OR — I asked Abu Abdullah about a man who shoots a hunted animal from a mountain, and the arrow pierces through it until it comes out the other side. He said: "Eat it." I said: "But if it falls into water or rolls down from the mountain and dies, then do not eat it." — OR — Concerning two men who killed a man: If the heirs of the killed person want to execute both, they pay full blood money and execute them both, with the blood money being shared among the heirs of the two killed men. If they want to execute only one of them, they kill that one and the other pay half the blood money to the heirs of the killed man. If he does not pay blood money for either and none of them is executed, the owner accepts the blood money on behalf of both.
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Sahih Muslim 4:59
Sahih Muslim · Book 4, Hadith 59 · Narrated by Abdullah
We used to say during the prayer behind the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): 'Peace be upon Allah' or 'Peace be upon so-and-so.' One day, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to us: Allah is Peace. So when one of you sits during the prayer, let him say: Peace and blessings be to Allah, prayers and good things. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and mercy and blessings of Allah. Peace be upon us and on the righteous servants of Allah. When he says that, it reaches every righteous servant of Allah in the heavens and earth. Then he should bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Then he may choose supplications as he wishes.
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