The Tashahhud ( تَشَهُّد) is the testimony of faith which is to be recited during Salat while in the sitting position. It is derived from the shahadah ( ٱلشَّهَادَةُ), which occurs in various forms throughout the Quran approximately thirty-plus times.
3:18 GOD bears witness that there is no god except He, and so do the angels and those who possess knowledge. Truthfully and equitably, He is the absolute god; there is no god but He, the Almighty, Most Wise.
[Sura 47 “Muhammad”:19] You shall know that: “There is no other god beside GOD,” and ask forgiveness of your sins and the sins of all believing men and women. GOD is fully aware of your decisions and your ultimate destiny.
This statement predates Muhammad and even the creation of the human being and is the sole testimony that humans must adhere to if we want to have a chance of being redeemed in the Hereafter.
7:172 Recall that your Lord summoned all the descendants of Adam, and had them bear witness for themselves: “Am I not your Lord?” They all said, “Yes. We bear witness.” Thus, you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection, “We were not aware of this.”
Like all our religious practices, our Salat and the words we utter must be 100% dedicated to God alone and, therefore, not mention the name of any other entity besides God in this sacred act.
6:162 Say, “My Contact Prayers (Salat), my worship practices, my life and my death, are all devoted absolutely to GOD alone, the Lord of the universe.
39:45 When GOD ALONE is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink with aversion. But when others are mentioned beside Him, they become satisfied.*
Additionally, our Salat was originally taught and passed down from Abraham. Therefore anything we say should be in line with what we would expect Abraham to have said in his Salat.
16:123 Then we inspired you (Muhammad) to follow the religion of Abraham, the monotheist; he never was an idol worshiper.
Except if we consult the Hadith literature regarding this matter, it states that we are to mention the name of the prophet, Muhammad, in our Salat. The inclusion of any other entity in our Salat and specifically Tashahhud creates numerous conflicts with the verses of the Quran.
Our shahadah and the Salat must mention God alone and be dedicated to God alone (6:162, 39:45, 4:36)
It would have been impossible for Abraham to have mentioned Muhammad’s name in his Salat
We are prohibited to make any distinction among God’s messengers (2:136, 2:285, 3:84, 4:150-152)
But even if we consult the Hadith literature regarding what exactly it claims that the tashahhud is, we see that there is no consistency. Below are 16 different Sahih (authentic) sources, each stating a slightly different version of the Tashhud.
What is interesting is that many of these narrations state that “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to teach us tashahhud just as he used to teach us a Surah of the Qur’an.” If this was true, then we would expect to see every narration regarding how to state the tashahhud to be identical, as this is what we find in the Quran. However, this is not the case, as there are numerous variations of this statement.
Below are some of the multiple narrations regarding what should be specifically stated in the supposed tashahhud:
How is it possible that there are so many variations on such a common statement that is supposed to be recited every single time a believer does Salat? And the fact that numerous of these narrations claim that this was taught to them by the prophet himself and repeated just like the verses of the Quran sheds even more doubt on the overall reliability of Hadith and Hadith sciences.
Ibn `Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to teach us tashahhud just as he used to teach us a Surah of the Qur’an, and he would say: All services rendered by words, acts of worship, and all good things are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah’s mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and upon Allah’s upright servants. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. In the narration of Ibn Rumh (the words are): “As he would teach us the Qur’an.”
Sahih Muslim 403a
https://sunnah.com/muslim:403a
After Prophet’s Death
As if the lack of consistency in what should be such a straightforward statement does not garner enough doubt regarding the credibility of the Hadith besides the Quran, the tashahhud gets even stranger with the following Hadith, which states that it was changed after the prophet died.
Narrated Ibn Mas`ud: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) taught me the Tashah-hud as he taught me a Sura from the Qur’an, while my hand was between his hands. (Tashah-hud was) all the best compliments and the prayers and the good things are for Allah. Peace and Allah’s Mercy and Blessings be on you, O Prophet! Peace be on us and on the pious slaves of Allah, I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and I also testify that Muhammad is Allah’s slave and His Apostle. (We used to recite this in the prayer) during the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ), but when he had died, we used to say, “Peace be on the Prophet.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 6265
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6265
This shows that even among the fabricators of Hadith, they could not escape the grammatical problems their tashhahud caused once the prophet passed. This is because we cannot greet a dead person. Similarly, according to the Quran, a dead person cannot be a messenger or prophet. To say Muhammad “is” a messenger (rasool) or prophet (nabi) is incorrect. The proper expression would be to state he “was” ( kanna / كَانَ) a messenger or prophet.
19:41 Mention in the scripture Abraham; he was a saint, a prophet.
The tashahhud is probably single-handedly one of the most oft-repeated mutawatir, statements among believers, yet even for what should be such a cut-and-dry statement, there are numerous conflicting narratives as to what exactly this statement was at the time of the prophet, according to Hadith. So if the transmitters of Hadith could not preserve such a simple common statement, how much less reliable are all the other supposed statements from the prophet that believers are to form their religion upon?
This shows that the Hadith, besides the Quran, at a minimum, should not be treated as a reliable source if it can’t even provide a consistent answer to such a basic statement. But realistically, for anyone who is unbiased and wants to follow God alone, this should sever as an unquestionable clear proof that all Hadith besides the Quran should be rejected. The Quran is our only consistent source.
39:23 GOD has revealed herein the best Hadith; a book that is consistent, and points out both ways (to Heaven and Hell). The skins of those who reverence their Lord cringe therefrom, then their skins and their hearts soften up for GOD’s message. Such is GOD’s guidance; He bestows it upon whomever He wills. As for those sent astray by GOD, nothing can guide them.
39:29 GOD cites the example of a man who deals with disputing partners (Hadith), compared to a man who deals with only one consistent source (Quran). Are they the same? Praise be to GOD; most of them do not know.
Additionally, the Quran is the testimony that should supersede all other testimonies irrespective of how “authentic” the said other source claims to be.
6:19 Say, “Whose testimony is the greatest?” Say, “GOD’s. He is the witness between me and you that this Quran has been inspired to me, to preach it to you and whomever it reaches. Indeed, you bear witness that there are other gods beside GOD.” Say, “I do not testify as you do; there is only one god, and I disown your idolatry.”
Hattan b. Abdullah al-Raqashi reported: I observed prayer with Abu Musa al-Ashari and when he was in the qadah, one among the people said: The prayer has been made obligatory along with piety and Zakat. He (the narrator) said: When Abu Musa had finished the prayer after salutation he turned (towards the people) and said: Who amongst you said such and such a thing? A hush fell on the people. He again said: Who amongst you has said such and such a thing? A hush fell on the people. He (Abu Musa) said: Hattan, it is perhaps you that have uttered it. He (Hattan) said No. I have not uttered it. I was afraid that you might be annoyed with me on account of this. A person amongst the people said: It was I who said it, and in this I intended nothing but good. Abu Musa said: Don’t you know what you have to recite in your prayers? Verily the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) addressed us and explained to us all its aspects and taught us how to observe prayer (properly). He (the Holy Prophet) said: When you pray make your rows straight and let anyone amongst you act as your Imam. Recite the takbir when he recites it and when he recites: Not of those with whom Thou art angry, nor of those who go astray, say: Amin. Allah would respond you. And when he (the Imam) recites the takbir, you may also recite the takbir, for the Imam bows before you and raises himself before you. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The one is equivalent to the other. And when he says: Allah listens to him who praises Him, you should say: O Allah, our Lord, to Thee be the praise, for Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has vouchsafed (us) through the tongue of His Apostle (ﷺ) that Allah listens to him who praises Him. And when he (the Imam) recites the takbir and prostrates, you should also recite the takbir and prostrate, for the Imam prostrates before you and raises himself before you. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The one is equivalent to the other. And when he (the Imam) sits for Qada (for tashahhud) the first words of every one amongst you should be: All services rendered by words, acts of worship and all good things are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Apostle, and Allah’s mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the upright servants of Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger.
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us the tashahhud for prayer and the tashahhud for Al-Hajah. The tashahhud for prayer is: At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu ‘alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa baraktuhu. As-salamu ‘alaina wa ‘ala ‘ibad illahis-salihin, ashahdu an la illaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu (Allah compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah (SWT). I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).’ (to the end of the tashahhud)”
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to teach us the tashahhud as he taught us the Quran, and he used to say:: ‘At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu ‘alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa barakatuhu. As-salamu ‘alaina wa ‘ala ‘ibad illahis-salihin, ash-hadu an la ilaha ill-Allah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah (SWT). I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).’
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَنْبَأَنَا الثَّوْرِيُّ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، وَالأَعْمَشِ، وَحُصَيْنٍ، وَأَبِي، هَاشِمٍ وَحَمَّادٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، وَعَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ، وَأَبِي الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ نَحْوَهُ .
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَعْمَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا قَبِيصَةُ، أَنْبَأَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، وَمَنْصُورٍ، وَحُصَيْنٍ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، ح قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ، وَالأَسْوَدِ، وَأَبِي الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ كَانَ يُعَلِّمُهُمُ التَّشَهُّدَ. فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَهُ .
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud said: “When we performed prayer with the Prophet (ﷺ) we said: ‘Peace be upon Allah from His slaves, peace be upon Jibra’il and Mika’il and so-and-so and so-and- so.’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard us and said: ‘Do not say peace (Salam) be upon Allah, for He is As-Salam. When you sit (during prayer) say: At-Tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibatu; as- salamu ‘alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu; as- salamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahis-salihin (All compliments, prayers and good words are due to Allah; peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings; peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah).” For as you say that it will reach every righteous slave in the heavens and on earth. (Then say:) “Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa Rasuluhu (I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).”
(Another chain) with similar wording.
(Another chain) that Abdullah bin Masud said: “The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the Tashahhud.” And he mentioned similarly.
Sunan Ibn Majah 899
https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:899
‘Abdallah b. Mas’ud said: God’s Messenger taught us the tashahhud in the prayer and in case of some need, saying that the tashahhud in the prayer is, “The adorations of the tongue, acts of worship and all good things belong to God. Peace, and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you, O Prophet. Peace be upon us and upon God’s upright servants. I testify that there is no god but God, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.” The tashahhud in case of some need is, “Praise be to God from whom we ask help and pardon. We seek refuge in God from the evils within ourselves. He whom God guides if has no one who can lead him astray, and he whom He leads astray has no one to guide him. I testify that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.” And one should recite three verses: “You who believe, fear God as He should be feared, and die only as Muslims;” (Al-Qur’an 3: 102). “You who believe... fear God by whom you ask your mutual rights, and reverence the wombs. God has been watching over you;” (Al-Qur’an 4: 1 which has ‘O Mankind.’). “You who believe, if you fear God and say what is true He will make your deeds sound and forgive you your sins. He who obeys God and His Messenger has attained a mighty success” (Al-Qur’an 33: 70). Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it. In Tirmidhi’s Jami’ Sufyan ath-Thauri gave a commentary on the three verses. Ibn Majah added “whom we praise” after “praise be to God”, and “from our evil actions” after “from the evils within ourselves.” After “mighty success” Darimi added that one should then express what he needs. In Sharh as-sunna it is transmitted on the authority of Ibn Mas’ud concerning the form of words for some need, whether marriage or something else.
Jabir said: God’s Messenger used to teach us the tashahhud just as he would teach us a sura of the Qur’an, saying, “In the name of God and with His grace. The adorations of the tongue, acts of worship and all good things are due to God. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and God’s mercy and blessings. Peace be upon us and upon God’s upright servants. I testify that there is no god but God, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. I ask God for paradise, and I seek refuge in God from hell.”
Nasa’i transmitted it.
Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az- Zubayr from Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abd al-Qari that he heard Umar ibn al- Khattab say, while he was teaching people the tashahhud from the mimbar, “Say, Greetings belong to Allah. Pure actions belong to Allah. Good words and prayers belong to Allah. Peace on you, Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and on the slaves of Allah who are salihun. I testify that there is no god except Allah. And I testify that Muhammad is His slave and His messenger.”
‘At-tahiyatu lillah, az-zakiyatu lillah, at-tayibatu wa’s-salawatu lillah. As-salamu alayka ayyuha’nnabiyyu wa rahmatu’llahi wa barakatuhu. As-salamu alayna wa ala ibadi’llahi s-salihin. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa ‘llah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh.”
Ibn ‘Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah( may peace be upon him) used to teach us the tashahhud as he would teach us the Qur’an, and would say: The blessed adoration of the tongue, acts of worship (and) all good things are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allah’s mercy and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon Allah’s upright servants. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is Allah’s apostle (peace be upon him).
Sunan Abi Dawud 974
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:974
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah that: The Prophet (ﷺ) said in the tashahhud: “At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu ‘alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa baraktuhu. As-salamu ‘alaina wa ‘ala ‘ibad illahis-salihin, ashahdu an la illaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu (Allah compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah (SWT). I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).”
Abdullah said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us the tashahhud just as he taught us a surah from the Quran: “At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu ‘alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa baraktuhu. As-salamu ‘alaina wa ‘ala ‘ibad illahis-salihin, ashahdu an la illaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu (Allah compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah (SWT). I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).”
It was narrated that Jabir said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to teach us the tashahhud just as he would teach us a surah of the Quran: “Bismillah, wa billahi. At-tahiyyatu lillahi was-salawatu wat-tayyibat, as-salamu ‘alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa baraktuhu. As-salamu ‘alaina wa ‘ala ‘ibad illahis-salihin, ashahdu an la illaha ill-Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu. A’sal Allahal-jannah wa a’udhu Billahi min an-nar (Allah compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah (SWT) and his blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah (SWT). I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. I ask Allah for Paradise and I seek refuge with Allah from the Fire).’
It was narrated that Ibn Mas’ud said: “Before the tashahhud was enjoined, when we prayed we used to say: ‘Peace (As-Salam) be upon Allah (SWT), pace be upon Jibril, peace be upon Mika’il.’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Do not say this, for indeed Allah (SWT), the Mighty and Sublime, is As-Salam. Rather say: “At-tahiyyatu lillahi wasalawatu wat-tayibaat, as-salamu ‘alaika ayah-Nabiyyu wa rahmatAllahi wa baraktuhu. As-salamu ‘alaina a ‘ala ibad illahis-salihin, ashadu an la ilaha ill Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu. (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.)”
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to teach us the Tashah-hud as he used to teach us a Surah of the Qur’an. He used to say: ‘At-Tahiyyatul-Mubarakatus salawatut-tayyibatu lillah; As-salamu ‘alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu; as-salamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahis-salihin. Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa Rasuluhu (All blessed compliments and good prayers are due to Allah; peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings; peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).’”
Sunan Ibn Majah 900
https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah:900
Ibn Abbas narrated: “Allah’s Messenger would teach us the Tashah-hud just as he would teach us the Qur’an. He would say: (At-Tahiyyatu, al mubarakatu, as-salawatu at-tayyibatulillah. Salamun alaika ayyuhan-naibiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu, salamun alaina wa ala ibadalillahis-salihin. Ashhadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa Raduluh.) ‘All greetings, goodness, prayers, and pure words are for Allah. Peace be upon you O Prophet, and Allah’s mercy and His blessings, Peace be upon us and all of the righteous worshippers of Allah. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is Allah’s worshipper and Messenger.'”