S.A.W short for Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam with the symbol of “ﷺ” is a prayer that Muslims say after they mention the Prophet Muhammad’s “ﷺ” name and only for him. Muslims around the world use this phrase as a sign of love and respect for the Prophet Muhammad.
It also brings blessings to the person who says it. We will discuss in detail how it is written in Arabic, its Meaning, and why we say it.
Table of Contents
Pronunciation
The following video we have made will help you learn the proper pronunciation of the phrase word by word:
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in Arabic
The phrase consists of 4 words that are written in Arabic as
صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
and Without the Diacritical:
صلى الله عليه وسلم
And they are broken down as the following table:
| Salla | صَلَّى | Blessing of |
| Allahu | اللّٰهُ | Allah |
| Alaihi | عَلَيْهِ | On him |
| Wa sallam | وَسَلَّمَ | And peace |
Common Spellings / Abbreviations:
- Salla Allahu Alaihi Wasallam
- Salallahu Alayhi Wasalam
- sal lal lahu alaihi wasallam
- S.A.W
- SAAW
- S.A.W.S
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam Meaning
The phrase Literally means ‘Allah sent prayer upon him and peace’ but in general means blessings of God be upon him and grant him peace. It’s basically a prayer for him and a way to express respect and gratitude toward him.
What to say when you hear it
If someone says “Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam” after mentioning the name of the Prophet, the appropriate response is to say “Alaihi El Salah we el Salam” عليه الصلاة والسلام which means “‘Upon him prayer and peace”
Related:
This response is a way to show respect and honor for the Prophet Muhammad“ﷺ” and to acknowledge the prayer or blessing that has been offered for him.
Why we say Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
Following the teaching of the Quran as it says
“Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace.”
[Quran 33: 56]
Also Following the teaching of Sunnah as it says:
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Whenever someone greets me, Allah returns the soul to my body (in the grave) and I return his greeting.”
[Riyad As-Salihin]
