in the place where he prayed, so long as he does not break his ablution.” In the hadith concerning the taking of the soul, it is said:

“May Allah bestow blessings upon you and upon the body you used to inhabit.”

The scholars do not disagree that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, may invoke blessings upon others, as in his words:

“O Allah, bestow blessings upon the family of Abū Awfā.”

Nor do they disagree that blessings may be invoked upon others along with him, as in his words:

“O Allah, bestow blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad.”

And Allah knows best.

Shaykh al-Islām, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

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The well-known, explicitly stated position of Imam Ahmad is that one should supplicate during prayer only with prescribed supplications transmitted in the reports. Al-Athram said:

I asked Ahmad, “What should I supplicate with after the tashahhud?”

He replied, “What has been transmitted in the reports.”

I said to him, “Did the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, not say, ‘Then let him choose whatever supplication he wishes’?”

He replied, “He should choose from what has been transmitted in the reports.”

I asked him again, and he said, “What is in the reports.”

This is the sense of Ahmad’s words.

I say: I have already explained part of the basis for this in light of His words:

“Indeed, He does not love the transgressors.”

Not every supplication is permissible; rather, some supplications involve forbidden transgression, whereas what is prescribed