Salām
After reciting ṣalāwāt, we give three types of salām [salutation]: first to the Messenger of Allah (ṣ), second to the saints of God, and finally to the believers and our co-religionists.
In the verse, ﴾ تَسْلِيمًا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَيْهِ صَلُّوا ءَامَنُوا الَّذِينَ يأَيُّها ﴿, God commands us to send salutations [salām] upon the Prophet (ṣ) after the ṣalāwāt. In prayer, therefore, after the ṣalāwat we extend salāms to him:
“بَرَكاتُه وَ اللهِ رَحْمَةُ وَ ٱلنَّبِىُّ اَيُّها عَلَيْكَ اَلسَّلامُ”
“May Allah’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you, O Prophet!”
[Assalāmu ‘alayka ayyuhā’n-nabiyyu wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakuh]
Through the takbīrah al-iḥrām, we detached ourselves from creation [khalq] and attached ourselves to the Creator [khāliq]. At the end of the prayer we also first convey salutation to the gem of creation, viz. the Holy Prophet (ṣ). Then, we extend our salutation to the righteous servants of God:
“الصّالِحِينَ اللهِ عِبادِ عَلىٰ وَ عَلَينا اَلسَّلامُ”
“May peace be upon us and the righteous servants of Allah!”
[As-salāmu ‘alaynā wa ‘alā ‘ibādillāhi’ṣ-ṣāliḥīn]
This salām includes all the past prophets, their successors and the infallible Imāms.
God also sends blessings and benediction upon His prophets (‘a): ﴾ سلاَمٌ عَلى الْمُرْسلِينَ ﴿ “Peace be to the apostles!”[1] ﴾ سلاَمٌ عَلى نُوحٍ ﴿ “Peace be to Noah!”[2] ﴾ سلاَمٌ عَلى إِبْرَهِيمَ ﴿ “Peace be to Abraham!”[3] ﴾ سلاَمٌ عَلى مُوسى وَ هَرُونَ ﴿ “Peace be to Moses and Aaron!”[4]
Through the salām, we attach ourselves to the righteous servants of God—an attachment and relationship which are beyond the bounds of time and space, with all the purified and righteous ones throughout history, in all epochs and generations.
Then, it is the turn of our fellow believers at the present time. We send our salāms upon those who have participated in the congregation of Muslims who have been standing with us in ranks as well as upon the angels who are present in the congregation of Muslims and the two angels who are assigned to each of us:
“بَرَكاتُه وَ اللهِ رَحْمَةُ وَ عَلَيْكُمْ اَلسَّلامُ”
“May Allah’s peace, mercy and blessings be upon you!”
[Assalāmu ‘alaykum wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakuh]
We commence the prayer with the Name of God and end it with salām to the creatures of Allah.
In these salutations, the hierarchy is observed. We send our salām first upon the Messenger of Allah, then upon the prophets, the saints and the righteous, and then the believers and followers.
