اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ عَلٰى اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلٰى اِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلٰى اٰلِ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ اِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَّجِيْدٌ اَللّٰهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَّ عَلٰى اٰلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلٰى اِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَعَلٰى اٰلِ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ اِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَّجِيْدٌ
O Allah, bestow Your favour on Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and on the family of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) as You have bestowed Your favour on Ibrahim and on the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) and the family of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) as You have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.
Praise be to Allah.
Sending blessings upon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is one of the greatest acts of worship encouraged in Islam, and it is one of the most beneficial supplications for a person in this world and the hereafter, and it is one of the requirements of loving, venerating and respecting the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and giving him his rights.
With regard to the ideal way of sending blessings upon the master of mankind (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), there are a number of ways of doing that, which you can find in the book Sifat Salaat an-Nabi (sall-Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) by al-‘Allaamah al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him), p. 165 of the edition published by Maktabat al-Ma ‘aarif in Riyaadh [this book is available in English as The Prophet’s Prayer Described]. Among the soundest and most well-known of these ways are the two ways that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) when they asked him how they should send blessings upon him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). These two ways are as follows:
~1~
“Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama salayta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed. Allaahumma baarik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory. O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory).”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3700) and Muslim (406) from the hadeeth of Ka‘b ibn ‘Ajrah (may Allah be pleased with him).
~2~
“Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala azwaajihi wa dhurriyyatihi kama salayta ‘ala Ibraaheem, wa baarik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala azwaajihi wa dhurriyyatihi kama baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send Your salaah (grace, honour and mercy) upon Muhammad and upon his wives and offspring, as You sent Your salaah upon Ibraaheem, and send Your blessings upon Muhammad and upon his wives and offspring, as You sent Your blessings upon the family of Ibraaheem. You are indeed Praiseworthy, Most Glorious).”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3369) and Muslim (407) from the hadeeth of Abu Humayd as-Saa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him).
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not choose anything but that which is noblest and best.
See: Rawdat at-Taalibeen by an-Nawawi (11/66); Fath al-Baari by Ibn Hajar (11/166); Sifat Salaat an-Nabi (sall-Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) by al-Albaani, p. 175; al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, 27/97
It is better to vary the phrases used, switching between the versions that have been narrated, sometimes reciting one and sometimes reciting another, so as to follow the Sunnah and sharee‘ah, and so that always reciting one version does not lead to neglecting another which is also proven, and because there are many other benefits in doing so which will not be attained by always reciting only one and not the other.
But we should point out that it is not prescribed to combine and mix these phrases so as to produce a combination of all of them in one; rather that is contrary to the Sunnah, as was stated by a number of scholars.
See: Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa by Ibn Taymiyyah (22/335, 458; 24/242, 247); Jala’ al-Ifhaam by Ibn al-Qayyim (p. 373 ); Qawaa‘id Ibn Rajab (p. 14); ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (2/56, 65; 3/29, 98).
Courtesy IslamiQa