Imam al-Shafi‘i adopted this opinion, as did Ahmad—according to the later of the two reports from him—and Ishaq ibn Rahwayh in one narration. The obligation has likewise been attributed to a number of Companions, Successors, and later scholars; indeed, al-Ajurri states in al-Shari‘ah (p. 415): “Whoever fails to invoke blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ in his final tashahhud must repeat the prayer.” This invalidates the allegation of those—such as al-Tahawi—who branded al-Shafi‘i’s position as anomalous (shadhdh). Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar (11/137) writes: “The soundest report on the matter from the Companions and the Successors is what al-Hakim transmitted with a strong chain from Ibn Mas‘ud: ‘A person should recite the tashahhud, then send blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, and only then make supplication for himself.’” This is the strongest proof marshalled for al-Shafi‘i, for Ibn Mas‘ud related that the Prophet ﷺ taught them the tashahhud in prayer and then said, “Thereafter let him choose whatever supplication he wishes.” Once Ibn Mas‘ud’s instruction to invoke blessings before supplication is established, it shows that he was aware of an addition between the tashahhud and the du‘a, and the argument of those who relied on Ibn Mas‘ud’s hadith to oppose al-Shafi‘i—such as Qadi ‘Iyad—is thereby removed; ‘Iyad had said: “This is the tashahhud that the Prophet ﷺ taught Ibn Mas‘ud, and it contains no mention of invoking blessings upon him.” The same applies to al-Khattabi’s remark that the end of Ibn Mas‘ud’s narration states, “When you have said this, your prayer is complete.” (1) As clarified by the jurist al-Haytami in al-Durr al-Manzud fi al-Salat wa-l-Salam ‘ala Sahib al-Maqam al-Mahmud (ff. 13–16).