Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
I used to say at the end of Salah only ‘As Salam Alaykum’ instead of the full ‘As Salam Alaykum wa Rahmatullah’. I sometimes do it nowadays by habit. Now, does this invalidate my salah? Moreover, is it allowed to recite at the end of salah the full ‘As Salam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu’?
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
I pray this finds you in the best of health and spirits.
1. Saying “As-Salam” only in one’s closing salams does not invalidate the prayer nor does it require repeating it. However, it is blameworthy to omit saying, “As-Salamu `Alaikum wa Rahmatullah” completely. [ Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar; Shurunbulali, Maraqi al-Falah ]
2. It is necessary (wajib) to give two salams to close the prayer. This is minimally fulfilled by saying “As-Salam.”
3. However, the emphasized sunna is to say “As-Salamu `Alaikum wa Rahmatullah” twice, turning the head to the right with the first salams and to the left with the second. [ Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar ]
4. It is not sunna to add “wa Barakatuhu” to the salams in closing one’s prayer. [ibid; Shaykh Zada, Majma` al-Anhur; al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, quoting al-Muhit; Maydani, al-Lubab, quoting al-Haddadi who said that adding this is disliked] This wasn’t from the regular or occasional practice of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and Imam Nawawi and other hadith masters deemed the hadith that mentions this addition to be aberrent (shadhdh).
And Allah alone gives success.
Faraz Rabbani