The majority of scholars from the Hanafi, Maliki, Hanbali, and Shafi’i schools of law agreed on the old opinion of not adding anything to the Tashahhud. Their evidence is the hadith narrated by Abdullah bin Masud, may Allah be pleased with him, in which he said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught me the Tashahhud, holding my hand between his hands, just as he would teach me a Surah from the Quran: ‘At-tahiyyatu Lillahi wa’s-salawatu wa’t-tayyibat, as-salamu ‘alayka ayyuha’n-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allahi wa barakatuhu. As-salamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibad-Illah is-saliheen. Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill-Allah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us, and on the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).’
• The Shafi’i school of law, however, considers it recommended to add the Ibrahimic prayer in the first sitting.
Therefore, whoever adds the Ibrahimic prayer in the first Tashahhud, his prayer is valid. And according to the Hanafis, he should perform Sujud al-Sahw for delaying the obligatory action, which is standing up for the third rak’ah. But according to other schools of law, he does not need to perform Sujud al-Sahw.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr