Chapter: The Tashahhud
• I said to Abu Abd Allah Ahmad ibn Hanbal: "Do you follow the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) regarding the Tashahhud?" He said: "Yes." I said: "And the supplication at the end of the Tashahhud; do you prefer what has been reported from Ibn Mas'ud in the hadith of Umayr ibn Sa'd?" He said: "Yes, I prefer it."
• And I heard Ishaq saying: "The Tashahhud is to say: 'In the name of Allah, the greetings to Allah, and prayers, and good deeds. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger.'"
He said: "And if one performs the Tashahhud with other than this, such as what has been reported from Abu Musa al-Ash'ari, Jabir ibn Abd Allah, and Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), then it is permissible. And by what Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) taught the people upon the pulpit, or what Aisha, or Ibn Umar, or others among the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited for the Tashahhud, then it is permissible. But what we have described from the Tashahhud of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is more beloved to us. Then he rises, and supports himself with his hands, whether he has an ailment or not. When he sits at the end of his prayer, he performs the Tashahhud, then praises Allah (the Exalted), then invokes blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)."
Chapter: Supplication After the Tashahhud
• And I heard Abu Ya'qub saying: "They used to recommend saying after the Tashahhud: 'O Allah, I ask You for all the good, what I have known of it and what I have not known. I seek refuge in You from all the evil, what I have known of it and what I have not known. O Allah, I ask You for the good of what Your righteous servants have asked You for, and I seek refuge in You from the evil of what Your righteous servants have sought refuge from. Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. Our Lord, indeed we have believed, so forgive us our sins, remove from us our misdeeds, and cause us to die with the righteous. Our Lord, and grant us what You promised us through Your messengers and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You do not fail in Your promise.'"
