Can We Write "SAWS" in Place of
"Sallallaahu 'Alayhe wa Sallam"? [1]
In the Name of Allaah, may the Salaah and Salaam of
Allaah be upon His Final Messenger, to proceed:
Muslims are obliged to send Allaah's Salaah [2] and
Salaam [3] upon Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) when his name is mentioned. Allaah has
commanded us [4]:
( Verily Allaah and His Angels send salaah on the
Prophet. O you who believe! Invoke salaah upon him, as
well as a complete salaam! )
And the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) said:
"For each time someone invokes salaah upon me, Allaah
writes for him ten good rewards because of it." [5]
And the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) had
described the one who does not send salaah upon him
when he is mentioned as "the stingiest of people." [6]
And he exclaimed "Aameen!" to Jibreel's supplication,
"May Allaah repel the one who hears mention of you and
does not invoke any salaah upon you!" [7]
So here is the issue that needs to be clarified: Many
people use the abbreviation "SAWS" or "PBUH" to
fulfill this obligation in their writing. Is this
something that fulfills the obligation of sending the
salaah and salaam on the Messenger? Let us look now to
some of the statements of the scholars regarding this
practice.
The Committee of Major Scholars in Saudi Arabia headed
by 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn 'Abdillaah ibn Baaz issued the
following verdict when asked about the validity of
abbreviating the salaah on the Prophet (sallallaahu
'alayhe wa sallam): "The Sunnah is to write the entire
phrase "sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam," since it is a
kind of supplication, and supplication is worship, (in
one's writing) just as it is in one's speech. So to
abbreviate it using the letter SAAD or the word
SAAD-LAAM-'AYN-MEEM is not a supplication nor it is
worship, whether it occurs in speech or writing. For
this reason, this abbreviation was not used by the the
first three generations, those that the Prophet
(sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) testified to their
goodness." [8]
"SAAD" and "SAAD-LAAM-'AYN-MEEM" are often used in
some 'Arabic books. The English equivalents of these
abbreviations would be: SAW, SAWS, SAAWS, PBUH, and
the likes.
Al-Fayrooza-abaadee said, "It is not appropriate to
use symbols or abbreviations to refer to salaah and
salaam, as some of the lazy ones do, as well as some
ignorant people and even some students of knowledge -
they write 'SAAD-LAAM-'AYN-MEEM' instead of writing
'sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam.'" [9]
Ahmad Shaakir said, "It is the absurd tradition of
some of the later generations that they abbreviate the
writing of 'sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam.'" [10]
Wasee Allaah 'Abbaas said, "It is not permissible to
abbreviate the salaams in general in one's writing,
just as it is not permissible to abbreviate the salaah
and salaam on the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam). It is also not permissible to abbreviate
either of these in one's speech." [11]
And Allaah knows best. May the most perfect and
complete salaah and salaam be upon our beloved
Messenger, and upon his noble family and companions.