Do Muslims say "peace be upon him" for Jesus?
Yes, Muslims say "peace be upon him" after Jesus' name, just as they do for every prophet. In Arabic it is 'alayhis-salam, often shortened to "(AS)" in writing. It's a sign of deep love and respect for Jesus as one of the greatest messengers of God.
Peace upon all the prophets
Muslims believe in every prophet God sent and make no distinction between them in faith (Quran 2:285). The Quran itself sends peace upon them: "And peace upon the messengers" (Quran 37:181). So whenever a Muslim mentions Noah, Abraham, Moses or Jesus, they add 'alayhis-salam, "peace be upon him". See Do Muslims and Christians share the same prophets?
Jesus himself spoke of peace upon him
When baby Jesus spoke from the cradle to defend his mother Mary, the Quran records him saying:
So asking for peace upon Jesus echoes his own words in the Quran.
A special closeness to Jesus
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, "I am the closest of people to Jesus, son of Mary, in this world and the Hereafter. The prophets are brothers from one father; their mothers are different, but their religion is one" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3443). Muslims love Jesus because Muhammad ﷺ loved him, and the blessing they say after his name reflects that.
How to say and write it
- Spoken: "Isa, 'alayhis-salam" or "Jesus, peace be upon him".
- Written: "Jesus (peace be upon him)", "Jesus (AS)" or "Jesus (pbuh)". Many scholars encourage writing it in full when you can. See Can I write 'AS' or 'pbuh' instead of the full words in messages?
- For Mary: Muslims say 'alayhas-salam, "peace be upon her".
For the Prophet Muhammad, Muslims usually say the fuller blessing salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam (ﷺ). Scholars allow sending blessings and peace on other prophets too, but the common custom is 'alayhis-salam for them. See How do I send salawat on the Prophet?
- Muslims say "peace be upon him" ('alayhis-salam) for Jesus.
- The same blessing is said for every prophet.
- The Quran sends peace upon the messengers (Quran 37:181).
- It reflects love for Jesus as a great messenger, not divinity.
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