“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
addressed us and explained the Sunnah for us, and he taught us our
prayer. He said: ‘When you perform prayer, and you are sitting, let
the first thing you say be: At-Tahiyyatut-tayyibatus-salawatu lillah;
as-salamu ‘alayka ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu;
as-salamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibadillahis-salihin. Ashhadu an la
ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa Rasuluhu (All
compliments, good words and prayers are due to Allah; peace be upon
you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings; peace be
upon us and upon the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that
none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and I bear witness that
Muhammad is His slave and Messenger). Seven phrases which are the
greeting of the prayer.’”
Sunan Ibn Majah Book 5, Hadith 99