بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

Hanafi Imams did not allow people to add words to Salam. Rather the maximum Salam is السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ. They considered it wrong to go beyond this. However, they did not label it a Bidah. Therefore, the standard rules of Bidah should be applied to see if it is to be considered Bidah or not. 

Explanation

عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ، قَالَ: جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ، فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامَ، ثُمَّ جَلَسَ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: عَشْرٌ. ثُمَّ جَاءَ آخَرُ فَقَالَ: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ، فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ، فَجَلَسَ، فَقَالَ: عِشْرُونَ. ثُمَّ جَاءَ آخَرُ فَقَالَ: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ، فَجَلَسَ، فَقَالَ: ثَلَاثُونَ

Imran bin Husayn narrated: A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said, Peace be upon you (السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ). He ﷺ responded to his greeting then sat down. The Prophet ﷺ said: Ten. Another man came and said: Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah (السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ). He ﷺ responded to his salutation when he sat down. He said: Twenty. Another man came and said: Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings (السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ). He ﷺ responded to him and sat. Then he said: Thirty. (Abu Dawood, 5195). 

The Hadith above suggests that the longest Salam in the Sunnah isالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ. Therefore, one should not add words to Salam beyond what has been soundly narrated. This is the position of the Hanafi Madhab. Since leading Imams warned against adding to the established Sunnah wording. 

Authenticity 

The above narration is sound. It was narrated by Imam al-Tirmidhi in his Sunnah (2689) and he declared it a Hasan narration. However, there is another narration in Abi Dawood (5196) which has words beyond السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ.  That narration is weak. 

وَأَخْرَجَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ مِنْ حَدِيثِ سَهْلِ بْنِ مُعَاذِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ بِسَنَدٍ ضَعِيفٍ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ عِمْرَانَ وَزَادَ فِي آخِرِهِ ثُمَّ جَاءَ آخَرُ فَزَادَ وَمَغْفِرَتُهُ فَقَالَ أَرْبَعُونَ

Abu Dawud narrated from the Hadith of Sahl bin Muadh bin Anas al-Juhani, from his father, with a weak chain of transmission, something similar to the Hadith of Imran. But he added to the end of it: Then another came and added, ‘And His forgiveness,’ so he said, ‘Forty.’ (Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani 852H, Fath al-Bari). 

Hanafi Imams 

Several Imams of the Hanafi Madhab clarified that it is not acceptable to add words to Salam. Rather the maximum is السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ. This is similarly applicable to the one responding to Salam.

وَلَا يَزِيدُ الرَّادُّ عَلَى وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

(قَوْلُهُ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الرَّادُّ عَلَى وَبَرَكَاتُهُ) قَالَ فِي التَّتَارْخَانِيَّة: وَالْأَفْضَلُ لِلْمُسَلِّمِ أَنْ يَقُولَ: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ وَالْمُجِيبُ كَذَلِكَ يَرُدُّ، وَلَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُزَادَ عَلَى الْبَرَكَاتِ شَيْءٌ اهـ. (ردالمحتارعلىالدرالمختار)

Imam al-Haskafi: And the one replying must not go beyond ‘and his blessings’ (وَبَرَكَاتُهُ).

Imam Ibn Abideen: His statement, And the one replying must not go beyond ‘and his blessings’ (وَبَرَكَاتُهُ). He said in Al-Tataarkhaniyah: It is better for the one greeting to say, ‘Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings,’ (السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ).And the one responding should do the same. It is not acceptable to add anything to ‘blessings’ (الْبَرَكَاتِ). (Radd al-Muhtar).

والأفضل للمسلم أن يقول: السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته، والمجيب كذلك يرد، ولا ينبغي أن يزاد على البركات شيء، قال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما: لكل شيء منتهى، ومنتهى السلام البركات. (المحيط البرهاني)

It is best for the one greeting to say: Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. (السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ).The respondent should respond in the same way. Nothing should be added to the blessings (الْبَرَكَاتِ). Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) said: Everything has an end. And the end of greetings is blessings. (Imam Burhan al-Deen al-Bukhari 616H, al-Muheet al-Burhani).

وَالْأَفْضَلُ لَلْمُسَلِّمِ أَنْ يَقُولَ: السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ، وَالْمُجِيبُ كَذَلِكَ يَرُدُّ، وَلَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُزَادَ عَلَى الْبَرَكَاتِ شَيْءٌ، قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا – لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُنْتَهَى وَمُنْتَهَى السَّلَامِ الْبَرَكَاتُ، كَذَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ. (الفتاوى الهندية)

It is best for the one greeting to say: Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. (السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ).The respondent should respond in the same way. Nothing should be added to the blessings (الْبَرَكَاتِ). Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) said: Everything has an end. And the end of greetings is blessings. This is stated in al-Muheet. (al-Fataawa al-Hindiyah).

Inauthentic narration

The narration in al-Fataawa al-Hindiyah (above) is not authentic. Therefore, we should not use it to prove the Hanafi position that it is not permitted to add words to Salam. Rather the better proof is the Hadith above.

حَبِيبٍ، عَمَّنْ سَمِعَ، ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، يَقُولُ: ” إِنَّ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُنْتَهًى، وَإِنَّ مُنْتَهَى السَّلَامِ: وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

Habib narrated from someone who heard, Ibn Abbas, who said: Everything has an end, and the end of Salam is His blessings (وَبَرَكَاتُهُ). (Shuab al-Iman, al-Bayhaqi, 8489).

Is it Bidah? 

We should be cautious with the term Bidah. Which means religious innovation. Since, it refers to something being emphatically prohibited. We observe such caution in the texts of the Hanafi Imams above. Since they did recognise that the Sunnah does not permit one to add words to Salam. Thus, they deemed it unacceptable. However, they did not call it a Bidah.

The Hanafi Imams have also negated a widespread misconception with their above position and statement. Namely, the notion that a Muslim is free to do and say what he wants if it is intrinsically ‘good.’ For example, many people will say this when we tell them praying Salatul Tasbih in congregation is not permitted in the Hanafi Madhab.

Therefore, using the argument that adding extra Duas to Salam is fine since it is intrinsically good will not work. The Hanafi Madhab does not recognise that as valid consideration. Rather the Madhab does not permit adding to the established Sunnah regarding Salam.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (01.11.25)