The Durood Muslims say whenever the Prophet’s name is mentioned, is sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, “may Allah send blessings and peace upon him”.
Durood Shareef, also called Salawat, is the prayer a Muslim says, asking Allah to send blessings and peace on the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). The Quran commands it directly, and the specific wordings come from the Sunnah.
This page gives each durood in Arabic, in transliteration, and in English, with the Quran verse or hadith behind it, and says where the grading of a narration is disputed. It covers the short forms, Durood Ibrahimi as recited in the prayer, and what the sources do and do not promise.
Quick Overview
A guide to Durood Shareef (Salawat), the practice of sending blessings on Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It is rooted in the Quran’s command in Surah al-Ahzab 33:56 and in a number of hadith. This page covers the short form Durood, Durood Ibrahimi, which is the Durood the Prophet (SAW) taught, and the one recited in the sitting of the prayer, the status of the Durood Taj, and the rewards the authentic narrations actually describe.
Every Durood on This Page, and Where It Comes From
| Durood | When it is said | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam | Whenever the Prophet’s name is mentioned or heard | The everyday phrase. Its use rests on the command in Quran 33:56 and on the hadith below. |
| Durood Ibrahimi | In the sitting of the prayer, and any time | Sahih al-Bukhari 3370 |
| The Durood Taj | See the section below before reciting it. | Not in the Quran and not narrated in the hadith collections. A later composition |
If you only learn one, learn Durood Ibrahimi. It is the one the Prophet (SAW) gave when he was asked this exact question.
Durood in the Quran
Yes, durood is in the Quran. The command is in Surah al-Ahzab, verse 56.
English Translation: Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him. O believers! Invoke Allah’s blessings upon him and salute him with worthy greetings of peace. (Quran, 33: 56)
There is something worth noticing in the order of that verse. Allah states that He and His angels already send blessings on the Prophet (SAW), and only then instructs the believers to do the same. The command comes after the example.
One thing the Quran does not do is prescribe the words. Verse 56 tells believers to send blessings and peace; it does not give a fixed formula. That is why the Companions asked the Prophet (SAW) how to do it, and his answer is the durood in the next section. So if you are searching for “the durood in the Quran”, the honest answer is that the Quran gives the command and the Sunnah gives the wording.
What Durood Shareef Means
“Durood” comes into Urdu and Persian from the same idea as the Arabic salat in this context: prayer, praise, and invocation. “Shareef” means noble or honoured. Together they name the act of asking Allah to honour and bless the Prophet (SAW). The Arabic term for the same thing is salawat, which is simply the plural of salat in the sense of blessing rather than the five daily prayers. You will see all of these words used for one practice: ‘durood’, ‘darood’, ‘salawat’, and ‘durood-o-salam’.
What the act is, though, matters more than the vocabulary. You are not praising him on your own authority. You are asking Allah to do it. That distinction runs through every narrated wording: each one begins by addressing Allah.
Muslims send durood abundantly on certain occasions, including Friday prayers, Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha, and in gatherings where his name and life are discussed.
What is Durood Ibrahimi?
Durood Ibrahimi is the durood the Prophet (SAW) taught when His companions asked him how to send blessings on him. That is what gives it its standing: it is not a composition about Him; it is his own answer.
Ka’b ibn ‘Ujrah (RA) reported that the Companions said to him, in effect, “We know how to greet you, but how do we send blessings upon you?” He told them to say:
English Translation: “O Allah, send Your favour upon Muhammad (SAW) and upon the family of Muhammad (PBUM), as You sent favor upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim. You are indeed praiseworthy, glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad (PBUM) and the family of Muhammad (SAW), as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. (Sahih al-Bukhari 3370)
Two words are worth explaining. “Aal” means “family” or “household”, which is why every version mentions “the family of Muhammad” alongside him. And Hamidun Majid, “Praiseworthy, Glorious”, closes both halves: the durood ends by praising Allah, not by listing requests.
This is the durood recited in the tashahhud, the sitting position of the five daily prayers, which means most Muslims say it several times a day already. If you have prayed today, you have recited it.
Short Durood Shareef in Arabic
You do not need a long Durood. Short forms are what most Muslims use most of the time, and the sources are clear that sending blessings is what matters rather than the length of what you say.
The everyday phrase
صلى الله عليه وسلم
Transliteration: Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
English: “May Allah send blessings and peace upon him.”
This is the phrase you will see written after the Prophet’s name throughout Islamic books, usually abbreviated to (SAW) or (PBUH) in English. It is what Muslims say aloud or silently on hearing his name, and it is short enough to become automatic. Some Muslims add wa alihi, “and his family”, after alayhi.
The Prophet (SAW) warned against hearing his name and staying silent. He said that the stingiest person is the one in whose presence he is mentioned and who does not send salat upon him. Source: Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 3546.
Shorter forms of Durood Ibrahimi
The narrations themselves contain shorter variants. Some versions of the hadith of Ka’b ibn ‘Ujrah give only the first clause, “Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammad”, without the second half. Because these are variants of a narrated text rather than compositions, they are a safe choice when you want something short: open the Bukhari narration and use the wording you find there.
How many times should you say it? No fixed daily number is prescribed in the sources, and you should be careful with pages that give you one. What the narrations encourage is sending durood abundantly and regularly, which in practice means building it into the day rather than counting to a target. Saying it once with attention is worth more than reaching a number.
What is the Durood Taj?
The Durood Taj is a well-known devotional salawat, especially in South Asia, and it needs to be described accurately rather than simply listed alongside the duroods above.
Durood Taj is not in the Quran, and it is not narrated in any of the hadith collections. It is not reported from the Companions or from the early generations either. It was composed centuries after the Prophet (SAW), and its authorship is uncertain: one account attributes it to a scholar of Tarim in Yemen, while scholars who have examined the question have said its origins are not known.
Scholars differ on reciting it. A number of recognized scholars have held that some of its wording is objectionable and have advised Muslims to avoid it. Others, including the tradition it is associated with, have recited and taught it, holding it permissible on the basis that the Quran and the Sunnah encourage sending salawat generally. This is a real disagreement among scholars rather than a settled question, and it is not the place of this page to decide it for you. If you want a ruling for your own practice, ask a qualified scholar you trust.
What can be said without controversy is this. The duroods narrated in the hadith, Durood Ibrahimi above all, are what the sources themselves give us, their wording is not disputed by anyone, and the rewards attached to sending salawat in the authentic narrations are attached to the act rather than to any particular later composition. Nobody has ever needed to defend Durood Ibrahimi.
What the sources promise and what they do not
A great deal is written about the benefits of durood, much of it without a source. The authentic narrations are specific, and they are more striking than the vague versions.
Ten blessings in return
The Prophet (SAW) said that whoever sends blessings upon him once, Allah sends blessings upon him ten times.
Source: Sahih Muslim 408, narrated from Abu Hurayrah (RA). Narration grade: Sahih. A fuller wording is narrated from Anas ibn Malik (RA), adding that ten sins are erased and the person is raised ten degrees in status.
Who will be closest to the Prophet?
Hazrat Abdullah bin Masud (RA) narrated that the Prophet (SAW) said,
“The person closest to me on the Day of Judgement is the one who sent the most Salat upon me.”
[Sunan al-Tirmidhī 484]
Narrated by Hazrat Ibn Abbas (RA):
“The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: ‘Whoever forgets to send peace and blessings upon me, then he has missed the road to Paradise.'”
(Sunan Ibn Majah 908)
Sending durood on Friday
Aws ibn Aws (RA) narrated that the Prophet (SAW) described Friday as the best of days and told the believers to send blessings on him abundantly on that day, “for your blessings are presented to me”.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 1047. Narration grade: its chain was declared sahih by al-Nawawi, and the hadith was authenticated by Ibn Khuzaymah, Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim. This is a well-established reason for the Friday practice, and it is one of the simplest things to add to the day.
Durood before and after dua
Muslims commonly send durood at the beginning and end of their supplications, and this is a long-established practice taught by scholars as part of the manners of asking. If you want the fuller picture of how a du’a is structured, see our guide to the importance of dua in Islam.
What no source promises
You will find pages attaching outcomes to durood that no narration supports: that reciting it a set number of times will purify your soul, bring spiritual enlightenment, guarantee forgiveness, or produce a particular worldly result. Those claims do not come from the Quran or the hadith, and repeating them does the practice no favours. The authentic narrations are generous enough without additions, and a Muslim sending durood is doing something commanded in the Quran whether or not they feel anything in the moment.
When to send durood
The short answer is: whenever his name comes up, and as often as you can otherwise.
On whether it is strictly obligatory, scholars differ. Some hold that salawat is obligatory each time the Prophet’s name is mentioned; others hold that it is obligatory once in a gathering, or that it is strongly recommended rather than obligatory. There is also a well-known difference between the schools of jurisprudence about salawat in the sitting of the prayer. What is not in dispute is that it is commanded in the Quran, that sending it abundantly is encouraged, and that neglecting it is discouraged. For a ruling that applies to your own practice, ask a qualified scholar in your school.
Times Muslims particularly observe it:
- In the sitting of each prayer, as part of the tashahhud
- On Friday, following the narration of Aws ibn Aws (RA) above
- At the start and end of a du’a
- On hearing or reading his name, including while reading about the life and legacy of the Prophet (SAW)
- When writing his name
Durood is one of the easiest acts of worship to keep up, because it takes four words and needs no particular state or place. Building it into the Islamic way of life is mostly a matter of noticing the moments that are already there.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Durood Shareef mean?
It is the prayer asking Allah to send blessings and peace on the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). “Durood” means prayer or invocation and “Shareef” means noble. The Arabic term for the same practice is salawat, and the Quran commands it in Surah al-Ahzab 33:56.
What is the shortest durood shareef in Arabic?
The phrase Muslims use in everyday speech is sallallahu alayhi wa sallam (صلى الله عليه وسلم), “may Allah send blessings and peace upon him”. If you want a short durood that comes from a narration rather than from common usage, use the first clause of Durood Ibrahimi as it appears in Sahih al-Bukhari 3370.
How often should I recite salawat daily?
No fixed number is prescribed in the sources. The narrations encourage sending it abundantly and regularly rather than reaching a target, so a habit you can keep is better than a count you cannot. Be cautious of pages that prescribe a specific number of recitations for a specific result; those prescriptions are not in the Quran or the hadith.
Is durood shareef in the Quran?
Yes. Surah al-Ahzab 33:56 commands believers to send blessings and peace on the Prophet (SAW). The Quran gives the command but does not prescribe fixed wording, which is why the Companions asked the Prophet (SAW) how to do it. The wordings come from the Sunnah.
Can I send durood in English?
Yes. Supplication made in your own language is real supplication, and the meaning of the durood is what you are asking for. The Arabic wordings are worth learning because they are what the Prophet (SAW) taught, but if the Arabic will not come, say it in English. Status: this touches a question on which scholars have written in detail; for the fixed words recited inside the prayer itself, follow a qualified scholar in your school.
Is the Durood Taj authentic?
The Durood Taj is not in the Quran and is not narrated in the hadith collections. It is a devotional composition written centuries after the Prophet (SAW), and scholars differ on whether it should be recited. The duroods narrated in the hadith, above all Durood Ibrahimi, are not disputed by anyone. See the section above for the detail.
