The Fundamentalist Approach to Preferring Between the Forms of the Tashahhud

Abstract

Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, and may blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, the master of all messengers…

The present research, entitled “The Usul-Based Criteria for Preferring Between the Variants of the Tashahhud Formula”, examines the foundational principles employed by our distinguished jurists when giving preference to one of the Tashahhud formulations transmitted from the Prophet (ﷺ). This study begins with a presentation of the narrations related to the various forms of the Tashahhud, followed by the opinions of the jurists and the evidences upon which they based their legal preferences in this matter.

The discussion focuses on six partial, probabilistic usul-based indicators—i.e., the criteria of preference—which are:

    1. Preference based on conformity with the Qur’an;

    2. Preference based on the chain of transmission being of Hijazi origin;

    3. Preference based on the narrator having embraced Islam later;

    4. Preference based on the larger number of narrators;

    5. Preference based on the soundness of the chain of transmission;

    6. Preference based on the absence of contradiction among the narrations.

Whoever thoroughly understands these usul-based criteria will be able to discern the strongest opinion among the various views concerning the most preferable formula of the Tashahhud.

I seek the help of God Almighty in all of this, and my success is only through Him; in Him I place my trust, and to Him I turn in repentance…