Using “ʿalayhi al-salam” for the Ahl al-Bayt

Question

Question: Zayd says “ʿalayhi al-salam” with (the name of) the exalted imam, Imam Husayn, but ʿAmr forbids it. Zayd says: the scholars of Ahl al-Sunna and the authors of fatwa collections place a restriction on salat — that salat may not be sent upon non-prophets independently (asalatan) — but they place no restriction on “ʿalayhi al-salam” (books of fiqh: Shami, ʿAlamgiri, etc.); moreover, there are many proofs for saying “ʿalayhi al-salam” for Hazrat Hasan and Hazrat Husayn. Thus, (1)

Answer

In itself, “al-salamu ʿalayhi” or “ʿalayhi al-salam” is not specific to a prophet; it is correct to use it for a non-prophet as well, and being infallible (maʿsum) is not a condition for it. Thus Hazrat Shah ʿAbd al-ʿAziz Muhaddith Dehlawi ﵀ permitted its use in several places; at the beginning of the textbook of usul al-fiqh, Usul al-Shashi, the author wrote: “And peace be…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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