.What is the ruling concerning reciting the tashahhud after the first two cycles of prayer in a three or four-cycle prayer (such as Maghrib or 'Isha)? Must the whole of the tashahhud be recited and what are its words?

 

.'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, may God be pleased with them both, said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us the tashahud [testification of faith] as follows: 'Blessed greetings and the best of prayers to God. Peace be upon you O Prophet and the mercy of God and His blessings (as well). Peace be upon us and upon the righteous slaves of God. I testify that there is no deity save God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God" (Muslim).

In another wording of the hadith, 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may God be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you sit after every two cycles [rak'as] of prayer, say: 'Greetings, prayers and blessings to God. Peace be upon you O Prophet and the mercy of God and His blessings. Peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants of God. I testify that there is no deity save God and that Mohammed is His slave and Messenger.' Then you should supplicate for anything you wish and then close the prayer with greetings to God" (Ahmed and al-Nisa`i).

This section of the prayer is known as tashahhud, and this is its complete wording. Anything beyond this is not part of it, but is prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). The tashahhud ends with 'You are truly the most praiseworthy and glorious'.

What is permissible to say in the first tashahhud (while sitting at the end of the second cycle of prayer) is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught his Companions, though scholars differed on whether it is obligatory or recommended. One who observes prayer is not to recite prayers upon Ibrahim, "as You blessed Ibrahim and the folk of Ibrahim," in the first tashahhud, but it suffices him to recite what the Prophet taught his Companions.

None of the scholars who succeeded the Companions maintained that reciting prayers upon Ibrahim in the first tashahhud is obligatory. On the contrary, it was the manner of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to make matters easy [upon Muslims]. 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may God be pleased with him, said: "When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sat after the first two cycles of prayer to make tashahhud, it seemed as if he was [sitting] on hot coals" (Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, and al-Nisa`i).
Due to the ease illustrated by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), scholars from the various Sunni schools of jurisprudence did not mention sending prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the first tashahhud except for some who maintained its obligatoriness whenever his name is mentioned. Shafi'i scholars contend that it is recommended to send prayers upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) though not upon his family because the first tashahhud necessitates ease [cited from al-Bajuri's meta-commentary on Sharh ibn Qasim on the commentary of Abu Shuja']. All of this demonstrates the clear difference between the first and second tashahhud.

The ruling
It is not obligatory to send prayers upon Ibrahim in the first tashahhud, but one should recite the tashahhud mentioned in the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn Mas'ud or 'Umar (may God be pleased with them) and those who narrated the words of the tashahhud from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

God the Almighty knows best.