Reality of At-Tahiyyat Mi’raj Story New

Debunking the At-Tahiyyat Tashahhud Story Linked to Mi’raj

A story is circulating on social media in which the background of At-Tahiyyat recited in Tashahhud has been given the form of a tale by attributing it to the Mi’raj of the Prophet ﷺ. What is the reality of this story?

Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjid has presented its reality in great detail. According to this story:

The word “At-Tahiyyat” was used when you ﷺ ascended to the heavens for Mi’raj, and when you reached Sidratul Muntaha, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “اَلتَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ”.

Upon this, Allah, the Lord of Honor, said: ” اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ”

Then the angels said: ” اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِيْنَ”

– This story is told to children in schools and madrasas to help them memorize “At-Tahiyyat”.

The Sheikh, may Allah preserve him, says:

“This incident has no basis and no chain of narration. We did not find any trace of it in the authentic hadiths, but the incident of Mi’raj is proven with complete details in Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and other books. Despite this, no such matter related to the Tashahhud of prayer is mentioned in them. Moreover, when the Prophet ﷺ taught this Tashahhud to the noble Companions, he did not mention its details at that time either.

Thus, in Sahih Bukhari: (6328) and Muslim: (402), it is narrated from Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him: ‘We used to say behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in prayer: Peace be upon Allah, peace be upon so-and-so. Then one time, he ﷺ told us that Allah Himself is As-Salam, so when any of you sits in Tashahhud, he should say: ( اَلتَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ) [All verbal, physical, and financial acts of worship are for Allah. O Prophet! May peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you. May peace be upon us and upon all the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger] (When he says this, the prayer of the one praying will reach all the righteous servants of Allah in the heavens and the earth. After saying this, he may ask for whatever he wishes.)’

The most we found about this incident is under the verse ( سَلامٌ قَوْلاً مِنْ رَبٍّ رَحِيمٍ ) ‘Peace as a word from a Merciful Lord’ [Ya-Sin:58] in some books of Tafsir, where it is stated that:

‘The commentators say: This is an indication towards that greeting of Allah which He bestowed upon the Prophet ﷺ on the night of Mi’raj: ” السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ ” [O Prophet! May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you], so the Prophet ﷺ, accepting this greeting, replied: ” اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِيْنَ ” [May peace be upon us and upon all the righteous servants of Allah].’ End quote.

‘Ruh al-Ma’ani’ by Allama Al-Alusi (3/38)

Similarly, in some explanations by Hadith commentators where they explain the supplication of Tashahhud, something similar is found, such as what Badr al-Din Ayni mentioned in ‘Sharh Sunan Abi Dawud’ (4/238), and Mulla Ali Qari quoted it from Ibn al-Malik in ‘Mirqat al-Mafatih’.

Similarly, this incident is also found in some books of Fiqh, for example: ‘Tabyeen al-Haqa’iq Sharh Kanz al-Daqa’iq’ (1/121). Likewise, it is mentioned in the books of Sufis like Qastallani and Sha’rani.

But no one has mentioned this incident with a chain of narration, so attributing this incident to the Prophet ﷺ is not correct. Similarly, this incident should not be taught to children either, because there is no evidence of it being proven from the Prophet ﷺ, and all the scholars agree that narrating such hadiths is forbidden, except in one case when the purpose is to reveal their reality and to warn people about them.

The scholars of the Permanent Fatwa Committee were asked:

‘The Tashahhud that we recite in prayer, is it the same Tashahhud that you ﷺ recited in the state of prostration near Sidratul Muntaha on the night of Mi’raj?’

They replied:

‘It is narrated from Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him: ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me Tashahhud while my hand was between both palms of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, just as he would teach me a Surah of the Qur’an: ” اَلتَّحِيَّاتُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَوَاتُ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ السَّلَامُ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ” [All verbal, physical, and financial acts of worship are for Allah. O Prophet! May peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you. May peace be upon us and upon all the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger].’ This hadith has been narrated by several Muhaddithin.

And in one narration, the words are that: The Prophet ﷺ said: (When any of you sits for Qa’dah in prayer, he should recite: ” اَلتَّحِيَّاتُ …. ” and then mentioned the previous supplication of complete Tashahhud, and added that when the one praying recites: ” وَعَلَى عِبَادِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِينَ ” [and upon the righteous servants of Allah], the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: (If you have recited this, you have sent peace upon all the righteous servants of Allah in the heavens and the earth), and at the end of this narration, he said: (Then ask Allah for whatever you wish). Agreed upon.

Moreover, Imam Ahmad narrated this hadith from Abu Ubaidah, from his father, and from Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught them Tashahhud and commanded the people to learn the complete Tashahhud.

Imam Tirmidhi says: The hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, is the most authentic hadith regarding Tashahhud. Most of the Companions, Tabi’in, and people of knowledge act upon it.

And Imam Abu Bakr al-Bazzar says: The most authentic hadith in the chapter of Tashahhud is this one. He further said: This hadith has been narrated through more than twenty chains, and Imam Baghawi has supported this in his book ‘Sharh al-Sunnah’.’ End quote.

From the above details, it is known that the Tashahhud proven from the narrations of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is this most authentic one.

But to say that: You ﷺ recited this Tashahhud in the state of prostration near Sidratul Muntaha on the night of Mi’raj—I have no knowledge about this. This is a completely baseless statement that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prostrated near Sidratul Muntaha on the night of Mi’raj.” End quote.

Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Baz, Sheikh Abdul Razzaq Afifi, Sheikh Abdullah bin Ghudayyan, Sheikh Abdullah bin Qa’ud.

“Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Da’imah” (7/6-7)

From all these matters, it is evident that it is not correct from a Shariah perspective to publish articles and messages containing unproven, or innovative ideas and opinions, etc. Rather, before forwarding any message, ensure that all the things mentioned in it are proven and correct.

In this regard, Hafs bin Asim, may Allah be pleased with him, says that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: (It is enough for a person to be a liar that he narrates every heard thing forward) Muslim: