[!!Aaroncheg]

I heard from a Barelvi (on their TV station) using abbreviations after Allah, the Prophet, et al such as SWT, PBUH, SAW, RA and others is wrong and should be written in full. Is this a Barelvi understanding or more universal? Or nonsense?

[PypeMaypetasy]

I do not know the answer to your question, but on a related issue, on another forum someone was discussing people who use "AOA" at the top of their posts instead of writing it out.

[avappyboalt]

I heard from a Barelvi (on their TV station) using abbreviations after Allah, the Prophet, et al such as SWT, PBUH, SAW, RA and others is wrong and should be written in full. Is this a Barelvi understanding or more universal? Or nonsense?

This abbreviation is "khilafiyah" matter which ulama are not in one stance.

Beside Barelvi, there are ulama group who also forbid this abbreviation. Mufti council of Saudi Arabia (Lajnah ad-Daimah), in example. The reason is, Shallallahu Alayhi wasalam, or Radiallahu Anhu, are form of du'a that cannot be shortened.

But there are other group of ulama that allow using abbreviation like this. Indonesian Ministry of Religion, in example. The reason is, there's no prohibition in Qur'an and in hadith to shortening those words.

[KacypeJeope]

I do not know the answer to your question, but on a related issue, on another forum someone was discussing people who use "AOA" at the top of their posts instead of writing it out.

Like I've said in that forum, "AOA" remind me to Tarzan yell.

[RCQDnMp5]

Like I've said in that forum, "AOA" remind me to Tarzan yell.

I confess that the first time I ever saw it used it took me a bit to realize what it stood for! (I am now wondering if Muslims use it when they text each other?)

[Optipitle]

It lacks adab, it is not haram, it just does not portray the love and respect that we should have.

I heard from a Barelvi (on their TV station) using abbreviations after Allah, the Prophet, et al such as SWT, PBUH, SAW, RA and others is wrong and should be written in full. Is this a Barelvi understanding or more universal? Or nonsense?

[TubOppomo]

I confess that the first time I ever saw it used it took me a bit to realize what it stood for! (I am now wondering if Muslims use it when they text each other?)

muslims also use things like aa wr wb. Theyll chat for hours but cant write the full salam!

[objennasweene]

I heard from a Barelvi (on their TV station) using abbreviations after Allah, the Prophet, et al such as SWT, PBUH, SAW, RA and others is wrong and should be written in full. Is this a Barelvi understanding or more universal? Or nonsense?

they have said this to me

what is their reason/logic in it?

[snunsebrugs]

Before the Internet and SMS and still now books are published with SWT, RA, SAW, SAWS, PBUH. But at the beginning they state for brevity we have used these abbreviations in the book. It's not just electronic messaging whether that be e-mails, message board posts or SMS texts.

But.... I've never seen it in books for Assalaamu 'alaikum or other greetings when you sign off. In that case just greeting "Salaam" or "Salaams" is wrong you should at least say "Assalaamu 'alaikum" or one of its two longer versions.

This is going to open a can of worms... same logic... 786 for Bismillah (and 92 for Muhammad) should never be used. But then 786 and 92 aren't intended to be abbreviations but "numerical equivalents" when you assign numbers to the Arabic alphabet. Whether 786 = Bismillah is Islamic is debatable but as far as I know there is nothing in the Qur'an or a single hadith to suggest this?

[DoroKickcrofe]

I've used and I do use abbreviations. Also, alhamdulillah, I read abbreviations in full (as long as I know what the abbreviation is). Curiously, I find it easier to read abbreviations (as in, I read it fully where, for example, iA stands for insha'Allah) than to switch to the Arabic salutation in the middle of text... I still read the Arabic as best I can but it requires a switch in the brain and definitely cuts up the text when reading in English - I find this is the case when text running left-to-right is cut up by text running right-to-left, but not a problem if the Arabic is separate from the body of the text. The letters symbolize a word and regardless of whether the person writes out the full transliteration or uses the abbreviation, I find I still read it fully and smoothly when in abbreviated form (more fluently than a transliteration or Arabic).

[Edit: also, as a person learns the various salutations etc. they are able to say them automatically after a while - regardless of whether the other person writes it out or not... we end up saying it and in chat, we sometimes complete it for the other person (at least I have found this to be the case)]

[feroiodpiop]

I commented on reading abbreviations, but writing salutations, du'aas and praises is another part to this. An SF sister once wrote a thoughtful blog post on this subject and perhaps it is worth thinking about why we write... just for the reader, for both the reader and ourselves, for us all but for Allah's (SWT) sake. To quote the sister: "If we can find the time to write long pieces of works with complicated words in English, then surely we can write down a few praises of Allah Ta'aala and His Nabi Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam."

[Edit: in context of the OP - regardless of what we read, how fluent we are in reading it, and what we write, perhaps we can focus more on ourselves and less on others and insha'Allah we can take example from those who do write full praises and insha'Allah we can learn to make an intention to recite (and write) more praises, du'aas and salutations, read more fluently, anticipate the praises and engrave them in our hearts so that they come regardless of whether the words are there or not... whether we are reading or not...]

[verizon]

on a practical level I suspect that many people would write them less as a result of not abbreviating them and thus make the intention of them less too, which would be a sad thing.

for me those abbreviations are well known between Muslims, so everyone knows what they mean, letters are just symbols for spoken words, if you carried this to its conclusion you would not only forbid these abbreviations, but also forbid to write transliterations in the roman alphabet as it is not a proper set of symbols to convey the Arabic unless it is written in real phonetics and few could understand that if it was.

[reachmanxx]

I confess that the first time I ever saw it used it took me a bit to realize what it stood for! (I am now wondering if Muslims use it when they text each other?)

yes, sadly they do!

[Tam04xa]

Shaykh al-Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya rahimahullah has written that it is wrong to abbreviate salat and salam upon the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and that it should be written in full.

[VladFal]

I write it in full in Arabic but in English I usually write (SAWS) or (pbuh)

As for the Sahaba (ra) it's not even required to write (ra), we do so out of respect sometimes.

wal-Salamu `Aleykum,

[Maymayfor]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.

Assalaamu 'alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,

I say that it is wrong to abbreviate them as they are du'as. Read an article at the following link regarding abbreviating Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam:

http://www.albalagh.net/prophethood/durood.shtml

As for '786' for Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim, I say this is also wrong. Not only because it is just the numbers, but also because this number is used for other things. There was an article by Mufti Ebrahim Desai (Damat Barakatuhum) regarding this, but unfortunately, I can't find it now.

[whatisthebluepill]

السلام عليكم,

For urdu speekers, this dars of Mufti Muddassir Owais is very beneficial on the subject: http://www.bayaans.org/dars_zad_alta...bin_010812.mp3

Highly recommended!!

It's also a very passionate speech on durood in general, how much we should read it and in what manner.. About abbreviating when writing with a ص or some other acronym, he mentions that you absolutely shouldn't do that and mentioned several of the akaabireen who spoke against it. He mentioned something like allaama yusuf binnori mentions in one of his books that the first person who started that abbreviation thing had his hand cut off by the haakim of his time for starting such a horrible innovation!

It's actually much easier for us to type out صلى الله عليه و سلم than it was for people writing it with quills and ink, yet we have a strange laziness in this matter. Just oppose that laziness for the sake of the love of Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه و سلم.

[Uninkipsyncp]

muslims also use things like aa wr wb. Theyll chat for hours but cant write the full salam!

Lol, first time seeing this abbreviation.

[Nekas48]

I heard from a Barelvi (on their TV station) using abbreviations after Allah, the Prophet, et al such as SWT, PBUH, SAW, RA and others is wrong and should be written in full. Is this a Barelvi understanding or more universal? Or nonsense?

Dear Sister, Assalaamoalikum

There is no harm in writing the abbreviations. You will find in all my posts, I use (SWT) after Allah(SWT) and (SAW) after writing Holy Messenger (SAW). Whilst writing the abbreviations, one is actually pronouncing the whole phrase - at least, I do.

Brotherly yours
farook

[xT0U3UGh]

Dear Sister, Assalaamoalikum

There is no harm in writing the abbreviations. You will find in all my posts, I use (SWT) after Allah(SWT) and (SAW) after writing Holy Messenger (SAW). Whilst writing the abbreviations, one is actually pronouncing the whole phrase - at least, I do.

Brotherly yours
farook

The Shar'i ruling of a particular action is determined by referring back to the correct sources. The practice of people posting on Sunniforum is not a Shar'i evidence.