Using Abbreviations for Salutations/Durood/Salawat

I have been exploring around Internet and found many websites and articles where people (Muslims) are doing a great mistake and disrespect in their ignorance. Internet aside, some people also do this while writing on papers. 

They abbreviate the Salutation (Durood Sharif) i.e. SAW, PBUH, RA, AS, صلعم , ص (Ma'azALLAH) instead of writing the complete Durood and Salam.

Imam al-Nawawi, the great Muhaddith and Shafi’i Faqih (Allah have mercy on him) states in his introduction to the commentary of Sahih Muslim: 

“It is praiseworthy (mustahab) for a person writing Hadith that…..at the mentioning of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he writes “ﷺ” (SwallAllahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) in full and not merely using abbreviations, and neither sufficing on one of the two, i.e. Salat & Salam.” 

[Sharh Sahih Muslim, Vol. 1, Page 39]

Thus, when one writes the name of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, one should avoid using abbreviations such as the ones mentioned above or something similar. 

It is inappropriate and disrespectful to do so. The love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ requires that one never tires, both verbally or in writing, from sending blessings and salutations upon him ﷺ.

Qadhi Iyadh al-Maliki (Allah Have Mercy on Him) mentions a Hadith wherein the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

 “Whosoever sends blessings upon me in a book, the angels seek forgiveness for him until my name remains in that book.

[Narrated by al-Tabrani in his al-Awsat, See: al-Shifa’ by Qadhi Iyadh, Page 557]

Hence, although the requirement would be fulfilled if one verbally sent blessings and salutations upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ but when one writes the name of the beloved of Allah, one should also send blessings upon him in writing.

Hence, to write "S.A.W" after the name of the Beloved Prophet Sayyiduna RasulAllah ﷺ or "A.S" in place of  Alaihis Salaam is really a sign of being deprived, because ﷺ or Alaihis Salaam is Durood and people decide to make abbreviations for Durood.

Hadrat Imam Jalaal al-Din as-Suyooti (Allah Have Mercy on Him) said:

"The person who first introduced the practice of using abbreviation for Durood had his hands cut off"

Allama Sayyad Tahtawi (Allah Have Mercy on Him), making a marginal note in "Durr-e-Mukhtar" states, and this quotation is also found in "Fatawa Tatar Khaniah":

"A person who writes such abbreviation with the name of any Prophet, becomes a Kafir." 
[Hashiyat al-Tahtawi, Dar al-Ma'rifah (Berut - Lebanon), Vol. 1, Page 6]

It means belittling, and this deals with the integrity of the Prophets; and to belittle the integrity of Prophets is indeed Kufr(Blasphemy). It is beyond doubt that to have the intention of belittling the status of the Prophet ﷺ is definitely Kufr and the above ruling pertains to such a condition or intention. The above ruling does not apply to those who, out of sheer laziness and ignorance, use such abbreviations. But, indeed, such persons are unfortunate, ill-fated and unlucky.


At this point, The Great Mujaddid, Imam and Wali, A'la Hazrat Imam Ahmed Raza Khan (Allah Have Mercy on him) comments by saying:

Obviously, the pen is also a language and to write any meaningless words instead is like hearing the sacred name of the glorious Prophet ﷺ and mumbling some meaningless thing. 

Allah, the Almighty and Powerful, states:

"But the unjust changed the word that had been ordered for another one, so We sent down a punishment on them from the skies, the recompense of their disobedience." [Surah al-Baqarah, Verse 59]

There Allah has ordered Bani Israel to say (Say our sins be decreased), they said (We got wheat). This word has a meaning and is still a Blessing of Allah (Wheat), but just because of changing the words, it caused the displeasure of Allah and His destruction by His Punishment.

Here the order is:

"Indeed Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ; O People who Believe! Send blessings and abundant salutations upon him."[Surah al-Ahzaab, Verse 56]

And this order is compulsory every time that you hear, say or write the sacred name of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. The fulfillment of the above command when writing the sacred name is to write , but, instead, this was changed to which has absolutely no meaning. 

Do you not fear the Adhaab of Allah descending upon you? 

May Allah save us from this Adhaab! Aameen!

I hope that the people will take a notice to my humble request and abstain from such acts. May ALLAH Almighty give us more strength to be firm on Maslak of Ahl-us-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah and propagate the true message of Islam and guide us all to the success...

 Aameen!!