#538: Taslīm in Salāt: Its Types and Counts
QUESTION
” Assalaamu alaykum warahmatullāh… Can the Admin please shed light on the types of Taslim we have during salah”
ANSWER
Wa alaykum Salām Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh.
Alhamdulillāh.
We have explained that it is the position of the Mālikīs, the Shāfi’ī’s and the Hanbalis that the Taslīm is a Rukn (Pillar) among the Pillars of Salāt, without which the Salāt is void.
It should be known that the Hanafis disagree with that, and they take the Taslīm as a Wājib among the Wujūb of Salāt for which the Sujūd of Sahw can compensate.
As for the number of Taslīm, then the Ulamā differed on this.
That the preferred number is once. This is the position of Anas Ibn Mālik, Ibn Umar, Salamah Ibn Al-Akwa’, and Ā’isha – radiyallāhu anhum – among the companions. Al-Hasan, Ibn Sīrīn, Al-Awzā’ī, Umar Ibn Abdulazīz, and Mālik among the predecessors.
That the preferred number of Taslim is twice. This is the position held by Abubakr As-Siddīq, ‘Alī Ibn Abū Tālib, Ibn Mas’ūd, Ammār Ibn Yāsir, and Nāfi’ Ibn Abdul Hārith – radiyallāhu ‘anhum – among the Sahābah, and Atā, Ash-Sha’abī, ‘Alqamah, among the Tābi’īn, and Ath-Thawrī, Ishāq, Abū Thawr, Ash-Shāfi’ī, and Is’haaq among the Fuqahā, Rahimahumullāh.
The later is the position of the majority and it is that which is supported by the more many Ahādith from the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – and favoured by the Fuqahā.
However, the Ulamā of the three Madhāhib: the Hanafiyyah, the Malikiyyah, and the Shāfi’iyyah have agreed that the Salāt of the one who restricts himself to the first Taslīm and does not say the second is sound. Whereas some of the Hanbalis hold that his Salāt is not sound until he has said the second Taslim. They based their position on a statement attributed to Imām Ahmad, and on their ruling that the Hadīth of Ā’ishah that was recorded by Al-Hākim and At-Tirmidhī which is used as evidence for the soundness of limiting oneself to one Taslīm is weak.
The Master Scholar and Star of the Hanbali School, Ibn Qudāmah Al-Maqdisī – rahimahullāh – faulted this premise and argued that the statement attributed to Ahmad in this regard was misconstrued and could only imply his preference for two Taslim, not a nullification of the Salāt that was concluded with only one Taslim.
And that the Hadīth of Ā’ishah is Sahih was the position held by Imām Al-Hākim and Adh-Dhahabī – Rahimahumullāh.
This leaves the position of the majority the correct position, and Allāh knows best.
As for the third Taslim that was credited to the Mālikī Madh’hab, it was referred to in the Mālikī corpus Mawāhibu Al-Jalīl where it is mentioned to be a Sunnah for the follower behind the Imām as a way of responding to the Taslim of the Imām. Since there is no Hadīth to back this position up, the Mālikī Imām Qādī Abubakr Ibn Al-‘Arabī Al-Mālikī – rahimahullāh – considered it a Bid’ah.
Having said that, the following are the different wordings of the Taslīm.
1. Assalāmu Alaykum to the right alone.
This we have mentioned to be the Taslīm of Imām Mālik as was recorded also from Ibn ‘Umar – radiyallāhu ‘anhu – and some other Sahābah.
2. Assalāmu ‘Alaykum Warahmatullāh to both the right and the left.
This is recorded in Sahih Muslim from ‘Abdullah Ibn Mas’ūd and upon it threaded most of the ‘Ulamā.
3. Assalāmu ‘Alaykum to the right and to the left.
This is found in the Hadīth of Jābir Ibn Samurah recorded by Imām Muslim
4. Assalāmu Alaykum Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh to the right and Assalāmu Alaykum Warahmatullāh to the left.
This is found in the Hadīth of Wā’il bn Hujr as was recorded by Abū Dāwud. Some of the Ulamā declared it weak in Isnād while some of them considered it Sahih. That it is Sahih is the more correct of the two positions.
And Allāh knows best.
Jazākumullāhu Khayran
Bārakallāhu fīkum
12th Jumadal athThanni 1439AH
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