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Writer's pictureAsma Bint Shameem

Using short forms and abbreviations for “Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam” or “Assalaamu Alaikum” or other Islaamic phrases

Updated: Dec 30, 2023

by Asma bint Shameem 

 It’s not right to abbreviate ANY of the Arabic phrases, whether it is “Assalaamu Alaikum”, or “Jazaak Allaah Khair” or “Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam” or anything else for that matter. 


That’s because the abbreviation does NOT represent what you’re trying to say. 

Saying salaam is a form of dhikr and a duaa that you’re making for the person you’re greeting. 

So you get rewards for saying “Assalaamu Alaikum”. 


But replacing a beautiful greeting by an abbreviation, like ASWRB or ASA, or any of the abbreviations that stretch your imagination, just because we’re too lazy to write out the whole phrase, does NOT justify it, NOR replace it. 


🍃Shaikh Moosa Richardson said 


“Remember that salaams are a form of Dhikr which are legislated to be done in a certain way. 

They are not to be abbreviated, as mentioned by our senior scholars.”


Similarly people write SAWS or S or ص when they are supposed to send salutations on the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam. 

That’s not appropriate either. 


🍃The scholars of the Permanent Standing Committee said:


“The Sunnah is to write the entire (arabic) phrase “sal Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,”


since it is a kind of supplication (du’a),

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 is it worship, whether it occurs in speech or writing.


For this reason, this abbreviation was not used by the first three generations, those that the Prophet (Sal Allaahu ‘Alayhi wa sallam) testified to their goodness.”

(Fatwaa al-Lajna ad-Daa’imah, 18770, 12/208 to 209)


🍃Shaykh Muqbil said:


“To shorten the Durood from “Ṣallallaahu-'Alaihi Wa Sallam” to “SAW” is a proof of one's laziness.”

(al-Ajwibah)


🍃Imaam as-Suyuti said:


“The first person to use symbol of 'ص' for shortening “Sallallaahu-'Alaihi Wa Sallam”, his hands were CUT.”

(at-Tadreeb pg. 507)


🍃Similarly Shaykh Wasee Allaah 'Abbaas, an instructor at Umm Al-Quraa University in Makkah 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 Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam. 

It is also not permissible to abbreviate either of these in one's speech.” 


🍃Shaikh Bakr Aboo Zayd said:


"The safe practice, the way of true love, (seeking) reward (from Allaah), respect and honor for the Prophet of this nation is to send the salaah and salaam upon him when he is mentioned, Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam, carrying out the order of Allaah and the guidance of his Prophet Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam. 

For this reason, written abbreviations or symbols used to represent salaah and salaam upon the Messenger Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam are PROHIBITED. 

Some examples of these are: SAAD, SAAD-'AYN-MEEM, SAAD-LAAM-'AYN-MEEM, SAAD-LAAM-MEEM, SAAD-LAAM-YAA'-WAAW, and SAAD-LAAM-'AYN." 

[Mu'jam Al-Manaahee Al-Laf-thiyyah (p.188)] 


These are some example used in Arabic and Urdu books. 

The English equivalents of these abbreviations would be: SAAWS, PBUH, S, and other similar abbreviations. 


And the same goes for writing JZK, JAK, etc instead of “Jazak Allaah Khair”


And aH for “Alhamdulillaah”, 

iA for “In shaa’ Allaah”, 

MA for Maa shaa’ Allaah, etc. 


Are we really that lazy that we cannot type out a few more letters or words to earn rewards and the Pleasure of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala?

Most of us have smart phones these days. 


We can easily go into the phone settings and use “text replacement” where you type only a few letters that represent an entire phrase and the phone will automatically type out the whole phrase for you. 

It’s just that simple. 


So there’s no need to write short forms any more. 


Let us STOP being LAZY and START earning REWARDS by writing the FULL forms of ALL phrases, duaas and adhkaar that are part of our beautiful Deen. 


And Allaah knows best

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