My query: is the words ‘wa maghfirah’ that is sometimes added to end of the salam from the sunnah. Should this addition be taught to children?
Answer
Due to the following narrations, ‘wa maghfirahtuhu’ should not be added to the salam:
1) Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah (radiyallahu anha) reports that Rasulullah (sallalahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) once conveyed to her salaam from Jibraeel (‘alayhis salam). Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah (radiyallahu anha) replied ‘wa alaykumus salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh’, she says she was about to add more words to her salam but Nabi (sallalahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said salam ends here. Then Nabi ( sallalahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said ‘Rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu ‘alaykum ahlal bayt’ (referring to the verse in Sura Hud where Allah Ta’ala stopped at Wa barakatuh).
(Tabarani in Al Mu’jamul Awsat Hadith: 782. Hafiz Haythami (rahimahullah) has graded this Hadith as authentic. Majma’uz Zawaid vol. 8 pg. 33)
2 & 3) There are numerous narrations wherein Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas and Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhum) became angry and prevented people from adding extra words to the end of the salam, they too recited the verse in Sura Hud where Allah Ta’ala himself stops at ‘Wa barakatuh’.
(See Muwatta of Imam Malik Hadith: 1728, Shu’abul Iman Hadith: 8487 and Al Futuhatur Rabbaniyyah vol. 3 pg. 28)
Imam Muhammad (rahimahullah), one of the senior students of Imam Abu Hanifah (rahimahullah) after quoting a narration where Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) said ‘Salam ends at wa barakatuh’, says: ‘We also take this view’ ie. A person should stop at wa barakatuh.
(Muwatta Imam Muhammad Hadith: 913, also see: Durrul Mukhtar vol. 6 pg. 414 & Durrul Mandud vol. 6 pg. 632)
Abul Walid Al Baji (rahimahullah), the commentator of Muwatta Imam Malik also states that salam should stop at ‘wa barakatuh’
(Al Muntaqa vol. 9 pg. 422)
The narrations above show that a person should stop at ‘wa barakatuh’.
Note
Imam Abu Dawud (rahimahullah) has recorded a narration in his Sunan wherein a person had added ‘wa maghfiratuh’ to his salaam and Nabi (sallalahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said he will get forty rewards because of this extra. However Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) has deemed this narration as weak. ‘Allamah Munziri (rahimahullah) also says that there are two narrators in the chain who are not suitable to be used as ‘hujjah’ ie. proof
(Fathul Bari vol. 11 pg. 8, Mukhtasar Sunan Abi Dawud vol. 8 pg. 69)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best,
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar