Question:
Is it okay to use PBUH or other initials or letter besides writing out the whole thing?
Please answer with proof, proof from what the fuqaha have said will suffice
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
A Muslim obliged to send Darood and Salaam upon our Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam) when his name is mentioned. Allaah has commanded us in the Quraan;
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا –
Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace. (33:56)
The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam) said:
May his nose soil with dust (be disgraced) in whose presence mention is made of me and he does not supplicate for me.
Hence, it is inappropriate to use only abbreviations or acronyms instead of writing the entire phrase “Sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam”. By writing the Salaam fully one will avail the great rewards of sending Salaams on The Messenger (Sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam).
The Prophet (Sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam) said: (If anyone invokes blessings on me once, Allah will bless him ten times.)
The great scholar Ibnus Salah wrote in his book Uloom al-Hadith which is known by the name Muqaddimatu Ibnus Salah: ‘One should keep on writing the words of blessing on the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) and should not get tired of repeating them whenever the name of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) comes. This is one of the best benefits gained by those who study Hadith and its sciences. Whoever neglects it fails to achieve these huge benefits. We have seen many good dreams about such people who used to repeat writing blessings on the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam). Writing blessings on the Prophet is a Du’a, hence one should write it while copying a Hadith or a book of Hadith, even if it is not found in the original text.‘
The same ruling applies to the words of glorification that are written with the names of Allah, such as Subhaanahu Wa Ta’ala etc.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Arshad Ali
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)
www.fatwa-tt.com /www.jaamia.net
