الصلاة والسلام على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين
al-Ṣalātu wa-l-salāmu ʿalā sayyidinā Muḥammad wa ʿalā ālihi wa ṣaḥbihi ajmaʿīn
“Blessings and peace on our master Muhammad, on his family and on all his companions”: it opens speeches and writings and may be said at any time.
What it means
The formula asks God’s blessing and peace for Muhammad (peace be upon him), his family and all his companions. The Quran says, “God and His angels send blessings on the Prophet; O you who believe, send blessings on him and greet him with peace” (33:56). A hadith in Sahih Muslim, reported by Abu Hurayra, says that whoever asks for one blessing on him receives ten from God. Together with the ḥamdala it opens a speech, an essay or a book, and Muslims may say it on any occasion.
Often misunderstood as
The word sayyid is sometimes read as raising Muhammad above his human rank, whereas it means master or leader and the formula obeys a command of the Quran.
Term and Arabic as listed in Ismail al Faruqi, Toward Islamic English (International Institute of Islamic Thought, 1995), p. 57, listed as AL ṢALĀTU WAL SALĀMU ‘ALĀ SAYYIDINĀ MUḤAMMAD WA ‘ALĀ ĀLIHI WA ṢAḤBIHI AJMA‘ĪN.. The definition is restated here.