Islamic honorifics
Islamic honorifics are Arabic phrases, abbreviations, and titles that mostly appear as prefixes before or suffixes after the names of people who have had a special mission from God in the Islamic world or have done important work towards these missions. In Islamic writings, these honorific prefixes and suffixes come before and after the names of all the prophets and messengers, the Imams, the infallibles in Shia Islam and the prominent individuals who followed them. In the Islamic world, giving these respectful prefixes and suffixes is a tradition.
Among the most important honorific prefixes used are Hadhrat. and Imam
Among the most important honorific suffixes used are «صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْه» and «صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِه», which these two suffix phrases used specifically for the Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islamic world, its abbreviation is also given in parentheses as «ص» in Arabic and "PBUH" in English after the name of the Prophet Muhammad. And the two suffix phrases «عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَام» and «عَلَيْهَا ٱلسَّلَام» are used when the name of each of the fourteen infallibles saints is mentioned or written in Islamic world and the most especially in the Shia Islam world, its abbreviation is also given in parentheses as «ع» in Arabic and "AS" in English after the name of the fourteen infallibles. And also the two suffix phrases «رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ» and «رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا» are used when the name of each of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad is mentioned or written in Islamic world and the most especially in the Sunni Islam world, its abbreviation is also given in parentheses as «ر» in Arabic and "RA" in English after the name of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad.
These glorifying expressions are also used for God Himself and His angels. Generally, for His angels, the phrase «عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَام» is commonly used, and for God, usually His perfection attributes are used, such as the suffix «جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ».
Islam uses a number of conventionally complimentary phrases wishing-well or praising religiously-esteemed figures including God, Muhammad, Muhammad's companions, family, other Islamic prophets and messengers, angels, and revered persons. In Twelver Shi'ism, honorifics are used with the Twelve Imams.
Also, Islamic honorifics are referred to as Salawāt in the shape of «اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّد» and also in Shia Islam in the shape of «اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّد و عَجِّل فَرَجَهُم», in Arabic too, which their meaning is equal to the phrase «خداوندا بر محمد و خاندانش رحمت فرست و فرجشان را نزدیک بفرما» in Persian language which meaning requesting from God for Muhammad and his household in Urdu language too.
File:Salavat by Shams ud-Din.jpg|thumb|Calligraphic Arabic text of the common kind of "Salawat":, meaning "Blessings and peace be upon Muhammad and his family", in the handwriting of Shamsuddin Asaf Jahi
Formatting
Islamic honorifics are not abbreviated in Arabic-script languages given the rarity of acronyms and abbreviations in those languages, however, these honorifics are often abbreviated in other languages such as English, Spanish, and French. Common examples of these abbreviations include PBUH and SWT. Though these honorifics may be abbreviated in writing, they are never abbreviated in speech. Abbreviations often vary in letter case and use of periods.Honorifics, in Arabic or non-Arabic languages, can be written in multiple formats:
- Arabic text with Islamic honorifics
- * Example: "لقد شارك رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كلام الله سبحانه وتعالى كما أنزله عليه الملك جبريل عليه السلام مع صاحبه الوفي أبو بكر الصديق رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ"
- English text with Islamic honorifics in romanized Arabic
- * Example: "The Messenger of God shared the word of Allah as revealed to him by the angel Jibril with his loyal companion, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq."
- English text with unabbreviated Islamic honorifics
- * Example: "The Messenger of God shared the word of Allah as revealed to him by the angel Jibril with his loyal companion, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq."
- English text with abbreviated Islamic honorifics
- * Example: "The Messenger of God shared the word of Allah as revealed to him by the angel Jibril with his loyal companion, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq."
List of honorifics
God (Allah)
Following the mention of God, including by pronoun, or by one of the names bestowed upon him, one of the below honorifics are said or written:| Arabic | Single character in Unicode | Romanization | Abbreviation | Translation |
| سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ | ﷾ | Glorified and exalted | ||
| تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَىٰ | ﵎ | Blessed and exalted | ||
| عَزَّ وَجَلَّ | ﷿ | Prestigious and majestic / Mighty and sublime | ||
| جَلَّ جَلَالُهُ | ﷻ | Most exalted |
Muhammad
Muhammad's name, reference to him through a pronoun, or the use of one of his titles is followed by one of the below honorifics. The honorific "Blessings of Allah be upon him as well as peace" is the most widely used. The use of the word "blessings" can be used for all Islamic prophets equally, however it is almost exclusively used with Muhammad.| Arabic | Single character in Unicode | Romanization | Abbreviation | Translation |
| صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ | ﷺ U+FDFA | ,, | May blessings of Allah be upon him as well as peace. English short: Peace be upon him | |
| صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَآلِهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ | Default universal character ﵌ U+FD4C | ṣallā -llāhu ʿalayhī wa-ʾālihī wa-sallama | ,,, | May blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny and grant him peace. English short: Peace be upon him and his progeny |
| صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَآلِهِ | ﵆ U+FD46 | ṣallā -llāhu ʿalayhī wa-ʾālihī | ,, | May blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny |
Muhammad's companions
Honorifics used for Muhammad's companions ask for Allah's pleasure with them. Muhammad's companions include men and women, and are accorded the properly gendered honorifics.| Arabic | Single character in Unicode | Romanization | Abbreviation | Translation |
| رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ | ﵁ؓ U+0613 | raḍiya -llāhu ʿanh | May Allah be pleased with him | |
| رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا | ﵁ؓ U+0613 | raḍiya -llāhu ʿanhā | May Allah be pleased with her | |
| رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا | ﵁ؓ U+0613 | raḍiya -llāhu ʿanhumā | May Allah be pleased with them | |
| رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ | ﵁ؓ U+0613 | raḍiya -llāhu ʿanhum | May Allah be pleased with them | |
| رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُنَّ | ﵁ؓ U+0613 | raḍiya -llāhu ʿanhunn | May Allah be pleased with them |
Prophets, messengers, and Ahl al-Bayt
Some honorifics apply to the archangels as well as any other Islamic prophets preceding Muhammad. A group of modern scholars from Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Yemen, and Mauritania has issued fatwa that the angels should be invoked with blessing of, which also applied to human prophets and messengers. This fatwa was based on the ruling from Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya.Some major hadith collections such as Sahih al-Bukhari, Sunan Abi Dawud, and Sunan al-Tirmidhi include narrations where members of the Ahl al-Bayt, including Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn, are mentioned with ʿalayhi/ʿalayhā/ʿalayhim al-salām.
| Arabic | Single character in Unicode | Romanization | Abbreviation | Translation |
| عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ | ﵇ | ʿalayhi -s-salāmu | Peace be upon him | |
| عَلَيْهَا ٱلسَّلَامُ | ﵍ | ʿalayhā -s-salāmu | Peace be upon her | |
| عَلَيْهِمَا ٱلسَّلَامُ | ﵉ | ʿalayhimā -s-salāmu | Peace be upon them | |
| عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلسَّلَامُ | ﵈ | ʿalayhimu -s-salāmu | Peace be upon them | |
| عَلَيْهِنَّ ٱلسَّلَامُ | ʿalayhinna -s-salāmu | Peace be upon them | ||
| عَلَيْهِ ٱلصَّلَاةُ وَٱلسَّلَامُ | ﵊ | ʿalayhi -ṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu | Blessings and peace be upon him | |
| عَلَيْهَا ٱلصَّلَاةُ وَٱلسَّلَامُ | ʿalayhā -ṣ-ṣalātu -s-salāmu | Blessings and peace be upon her | ||
| عَلَيْهِمَا ٱلصَّلَاةُ وَٱلسَّلَامُ | ʿalayhimā -ṣ-ṣalātu -s-salāmu | Blessings and peace be upon them | ||
| عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلصَّلَاةُ وَٱلسَّلَامُ | ʿalayhimu -ṣ-ṣalātu -s-salāmu | Blessings and peace be upon them | ||
| عَلَيْهِنَّ ٱلسَّلَامُ | ʿalayhinna -ṣ-ṣalātu -s-salāmu | Blessings and peace be upon them | ||
| سَلَامُ ٱللَّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ | salāmu -llāhi ʿalayhī | Allah's peace upon him | ||
| سَلَامُ ٱللَّٰهِ عَلَيْهَا | salāmu -llāhi ʿalayhā | Allah's peace upon her | ||
| سَلَامُ ٱللَّٰهِ عَلَيْهِمَا | salāmu -llāhi ʿalayhimā | Allah's peace upon them | ||
| سَلَامُ ٱللَّٰهِ عَلَيْهِمُ | salāmu -llāhi ʿalayhim | Allah's peace upon them | ||
| سَلَامُ ٱللَّٰهِ عَلَيْهِنَّ | salāmu -llāhi ʿalayhinna | Allah's peace upon them |
In Shia Islam, Muhammad's progeny, referred to as , are addressed with the same honorifics as messengers.