Durood Ibrahim (Abraham)
Salat al-Ibrahimiya (Arabic: صلاة الابراهيمية; The Prayer of Ibrahim), commonly known as Durood Ibrahim in South Asia is a prayer upon the Prophet ﷺ that was revealed by the Prophet ﷺ himself. It has been related in various hadith books such as Bukhari and Muslim where it is mentioned that it is the best and most complete form of salutation upon the Prophet ﷺ and encouraged upon Muslims at all times. It is usually recited in salah after reciting tashahhud whilst in the sitting position.
Sunnah Al Awwalin (Sunnah/ways of our Ancestors)
As we emphasize, the prophet of Islam ﷺ via the Glorious Qur’an came to remind us of the sunnah (ways) of our ancestors. The preeminence of this dua/prayer can actually be found in the Old Testament, Genesis 12:1-3:
There are a number of different wordings of the prayer; we have related three of the most common ones.
Arabic, Transliteration and Translation
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ❁ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ❁ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ ❁ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ❁ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ❁ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad(in), kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm(a), innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd. Allāhumma bārik ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad(in), kamā bārakta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm(a), innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd.
O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad just as You have sent prayers upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim, verily You are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad just as You have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, verily You are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.
Version 2
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ❁ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ❁ وَبَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ❁ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي الْعَالَمِينَ ❁ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad(in), kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm(a), wa bārik ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad(in), kamā bārakta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm(a) fi l-ʿālamīn(a), innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd.
O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad just You as have sent prayers upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim, and bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad just as You have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim in all the worlds, verily You are the Praiseworthy the Glorious.
| Reference | Muslim (405) |
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَرَسُولِكَ النَّبِّيِّ الأُمِّيِّ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَزْوَاجِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ ❁ كَمَا صَلَّيتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ❁ وَبَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ النَّبِّيِّ الأُمِّيِّ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَزْوَاجِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ ❁ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي الْعَالَمِينَ ❁ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin ʿabdika wa rasūlika n-nabīyyi l-ummīyyi wa ʿalā āli Muḥammadin wa azwājihi wa dhurrīyatih(i), kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm(a), wa bārik ʿalā Muḥammadi n-nabīyyi l-ummīyyi wa ʿalā āli Muḥammadin wa azwājihi wa dhurrīyatih(i), kamā bārakta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīma fi l-ʿālamīn(a), innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd.
O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad, Your servant and Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, and send prayers upon the family of Muhammad and his wives and progeny, just as You have sent prayers upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim; and bless Muhammad the unlettered Prophet and the family of Muhammad and his wives and progeny, just as you have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim in all the worlds, verily You are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.
Durood Ibrahim Benefits
The great Maliki scholar Shaykh Ahmad al-Sawi (d. 1241 AH/1825 CE) said:
Al-Bukhari narrated in some of his books that the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Whosoever utters this prayer, it shall be a witness for him on the Day of Resurrection and I shall intercede for him.’
This hadith is sound (hasan) and its narrators are all found in Sahih al-Bukhari.
Others have mentioned that reading this prayer 1000 times will result in one seeing the Prophet ﷺ in a dream.
This prayer mentioned in the hadith doesn’t include the word “master” (Sayyid) before the name of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Regarding this, Imam Shams al-Din al-Ramli al-Shafi (d.1004 AH/1595 CE) said in his commentary in al-Minhaj:
It is best to mention the word “master” (Sayyid) because it consists of mentioning what we have been ordered to say with an additional statement of fact, which is proper etiquette (adab). Mentioning it is therefore superior to omitting it…
Imam Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Haytami said in al-Jawhar al-Munazzam, ‘There is no harm in adding the phrase ‘our master’ (Sayyiduna) before the name Muhammad; indeed, it is proper etiquette toward him ﷺ, even if mentioned within the obligatory prayer.’
The great Imam Shihab al-Din al-Qastallani (d. 923 AH/1517 CE) said the following regarding Durood Ibrahim in al-Mawahib al-Ladunniyyah:
The scholars have inferred from the Prophet ﷺ that this prayer is the best, since he taught his Companions its wording after they asked him about it. The path of excellence, therefore, is to invoke with it.
References
- The Muhammadan Litanies: Prayers upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for Invocation and Reflection — From the works of Shaykh Yusuf al-Nabahani. Translation and Notes by Abdul Aziz Suraqah.
Line by Line
Durood Ibrahim line by line for memorisation purposes.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad(in)
O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad
كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
kamā ṣallayta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm(a)
just as You have sent prayers upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim
إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd
verily You are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ
Allāhumma bārik ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad(in)
O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad
كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
kamā bārakta ʿalā Ibrāhīma wa ʿalā āli Ibrāhīm(a)
just as You have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim
إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
innaka Ḥamīdun Majīd
verily You are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.
