If names such as Ali, Fatima, Hassan, Hussain etc (i.e family of the prophet) are mentioned, and (a.s) - alaihi salam" is used after them (for male member of prophet's family) and "alaiha salam" (for female member of prophet's family), some people do feel uncomfortable and thought it to be an innovation, and distance themselves from it.

Imam Bukhari in his Sahih teaches:
" 'Ali, 'alaihi al-salam,' said: "Al-Dhariyat are the winds".
* al-Bukhari al-jufi, 'Jami al-Sahih al-Mukhtasar' vol. 4, p. 1836 {Beirut: Dar Ibn Kathir; 3rd edition}

As per Fatima, the leader of all women, Bukhari equally teaches:
"Fatima, 'alaiha al-salam', said...
*^vol.4, p. 1619, hadith no.4193

Imam Hassan was no different:
"Al-Hassan ibn Ali, 'alaihi al-salam', waived the debt of a man"
*^Vol. 2 p. 918

About Imam Hussain, the martyr of karbala,
"Hussain ibn Ali, 'alaihi al-salam', informed him
*^vol. 3 p. 1125, no.1125 and vol.6 p.2716 hadith no. 7027

"The head of al-Hussain ibn Ali, 'alaihi al-salam', was brought to 'Ubayd Allah b. Ziyad"
*^vol. 3 p. 1370 hadith no. 3538

About Imam Zaynul Abideen, Bukhari records:
"Ali ibn Hussain, 'alaihi al-salam', said...
*^ vol. 5 p. 1959

THE GENESIS
Scholars and believers alike do hypocritically or ignorantly (sometimes) omit 'the family of Muhammad' when sending salat or salam to the prophet (saws) and rather send the 'salam or salat' on him ALONE.

When the verse 56 of Surah Ahzab was revealed:
"God and His Angels send blessings on the prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and (ask on him) peace, with all respect."

The companions asked... With this noble ayah it is OBLIGATORY upon every believer to send salat and salam as instructed by the prophet (saws) thus to his companions:

Imam Bukhari (d. 256H) writes:
Ka'b b. 'Ujrah...said, "We asked the messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and said, "O Messenger of Allah! What is the manner of the salat upon you, Ahl al-bayt, for Allah has taught us how to send salam unto you (Ahl al-bayt)? He replied, 'Say: 'O Allah! Send salat upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, in exactly the same manner as You sent salat upon Ibrahim and upon the family of Ibrahim. You are the Most Praiseworthy, the Most Glorious. O Allah! Bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, in exactly the same manner as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. You are the Most Praiseworthy, the Most Glorious."
Al-bukhari, Al-Jami Sahih al-Mukhtasar, vol.3 p. 1233, hadith no. 3190

There are plenty versions of this hadith through different isnad, we only quote one but 'Allamah al-Albani (d. 1420H) save us time and writes:
"You have known from our previous discussions that in ALL METHODS of making salat upon the prophet, peace be upon him, there is mention of his Ahl al-bayt and his family. This is why it is incorrect to make salat upon him,peace be upon him, ALONE. Rather, one must attach the family to him..."
* Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, 'As Sifat al-Salat al-Nabi, vol. 3 p. 933

It is very unfortunate that modern day scholars (even Albanni himself as seen in the underlined above) and many muslims choose to omit the family of Muhammad i.e

* "Allahuma salli ala Muhammad wa salim" - O Allah send 'salat' upon Muhammad, and peace" - INCORRECT

* "Sal'Allahu alayhi wa salam" - Salat of Allah on him, and peace"- INCORRECT

Even when the prophet's family is included, many add what is never instructed "wa ala ashabihi (ajma'in) - 'and (all) his companions" to it i.e @underlined below:
* "Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ahlihiwa as'habihi (ajma'in) - "O Allah send 'salat' on Muhammad and his family and his companions (altogether)" - Correct but underline addition is INNOVATION.

'Allama al-Albani expressed his concern:
"One of the strange things of this time is how a person denies what is authentically transmitted from him, peace be upon him, through several, sahih chains - that is, the salat upon the prophet and his family together with him, despite having seen and read in the books of the sunnah{from a number of the sahabah..."
* Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, 'As Sifat al-Salat al-Nabi, Vol. 3 p. 934

What is Sending 'SALAT' upon Someone?
Al-Hafiz Ibn kathir writes:
'Al-Bukhari said: Abu al-'Aliyah said: "The Salat of Allah is His praise of him among the angels, and the salat of the angels is al-du'a (supplication)"

Peace and blessing upon Muhammad and his progeny (Allahuma sali ala Muhammad wa ahli Muhammad).

Jazaakallahu khairaa for educating us on the Sunnah and exposing the bidya.

kazlaw2000: Jazaakallahu khairaa for educating us on the Sunnah and exposing the bidya.

Truly I can never call it "bid'ah" because "ALL bid'ah leads to hell" according to the prophet (peace be on him and his family). It is simply incorrect if done ignorantly or unintentionally. However, if it is done intentionally due to an atom of hatred against the "family of the prophet", it is hypocrisy and misguidance.

Imam Shafi'i writes in regard to the hadith of Salat/Salam upon Muhammad and his ahl al-bayt:
"O Ahle Bait of the Prophet of Allah! Love for you has been made obligatory for us by Allah, as revealed in the Holy Qur'an. It is sufficient for your dignity that if one does not send salutations to you in the ritual prayers, his prayers will not be accepted."

"O Allah! Bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, in exactly the same manner as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. You are the Most Praiseworthy, the Most Glorious"
~Sahih al-Bukhari vol.3 p. 1233, no.3190

How Was Prophet Ibrahim (as) Blessed that Prophet Muhammad sought the same?

With regards to Nabi Ibrahim (as), Allah says:
"And We bestowed upon him Ishaq and Ya'qub. Each one We made righteous. And We appointed them IMAMS, guiding by Our command"~Quran21:72-73.

"And We bestow on him Ishaq and Ya'qub, and We placed prophethood and the Book in his offspring, and We granted him his reward in this world, and verily, in the Hereafter he is indeed among the righteous."
~Quran 29:27

"Or do they envy the people for what Allah has given them of His grace? But indeed We have given the offspring of Ibrahim the book and the wisdom, and We have given them a grand kingdom." ~sura Nisa: 54

Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir writes on the exegesis of this verse: "...therefore, all prophets sent after him (Ibrahim) were from his offspring. Also, every scripture revealed from heaven to any prophet after him was sent to someone from his offspring and progeny"
~Tafsir Ibn kathir vol.1 p.172

Nabi Yaqub (as) who was the grandson of Nabi Ibrahim (as) founded another branch of Ibrahimic tree. Quran states:

"And indeed We gave the offspring of Israil the Book, and the authority, and prophethood; and We provided them with things, and preferred them above the worlds."
~Quran 45:16

Imam Bukhari (d. 256H) writes:
"{Verily, Allah chose Adam, Nuh, the family of Ibrahim and the family of Imran above the worlds...Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit}. Ibn Abbas said: "{and the family of Imran} They are the believers from the family of Ibrahim, the family of 'Imran, the family of Yasin AND THE FAMILY OF MUHAMMAD..." ~Vol. 3 p. 1263

In short, blessings Allah conferred on prophet Ibrahim (as)'s progeny:

1. Prophethood - stationed in the family tree

2. Divine book - stationed in the family tree

3. Appointment of the status of IMAM over mankind, guiding by Allah's command - stationed in the family tree

4. Authority and wisdom (Hikmah) - stationed in the family tree

5. Preference over mankind, and provision of hiding (secret) things.

These were blessings conferred upon the family of Ibrahim ALONE; and it was "in exact manner" the holy prophet (peace be on him and his family) prayed to Allah upon him and his family, the ahl al-bayt.

Allah granted the prayer. Muhammad (peace be on him and his family) was appointed the last messenger and prophet of God. He (peace be on him and his family) was given the best Book, al-Quran.

However, the status of Imamah, authority (khilafah), Hikmah, preference over ALL etc were bestowed upon his ahl al-Bayt.

The holy prophet (peace be on him and his family) gathered his Ummah in his last Hajj at Arafat, Ghadir Khum and on his death-bed, he proclaimed:

"I am leaving behind over you TWO WEIGHTY THINGS so long you adhere to them, you will NEVER go astray; the Book of Allah - a rope stretching between the heaven and the earth - and my offspring, my Ahl al-Bayt. Verily, both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount"
~Sahih Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Abu Dawud, Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbali, et al.

Allamah Nasir Deen al-Albani in his "Sahih al-Jami' al-Saghir wa Ziyadatuhu (Al-Maktab al-Islami), vol. 1 p. 482, hadith no. 2457 records the holy prophet (peace be on him and his family) to have said yet in another version of hadith thaqalain called 'hadith Khalifatain':

"I am leaving behind over you TWO KHALIFAHS; the Book of Allah - a rope stretching between the heaven and the earth - and my offspring, my Ahl al-Bayt. Verily, both shall never separate from each other until they meet me at the Lake-Fount"

Then, Sheik (al-Albani) comments: *Sahih.

“Thousand times was I to wash my mouth with rose water it would still be insolence to utter your beautiful name.”

"He attained exaltation by his perfection.

He dispelled darkness by his beauty.

Beauteous are all his qualities.

Benediction be on him and on his family."

~Sheik Saadi Shirazi on the personality of Muhammad (saws)

"O God bless our Master Muhammad (pbuh) who opened what had been closed, and who is the Seal of what had gone before, he who makes the Truth Victorious by the Truth, the guide to thy straight path, and bless his household as is the due of his immense position and grandeur".

28th SAFAR

[size=28pt]"PEACE BE UPON YOU OH MESSENGER OF GOD"[/size]
ﺍﻟﺴﻼﻡ ﻋﻠﻴﻚ ﻳﺎ ﺭﺳﻮﻝ
We send our condolences to the entire Muslim Ummah (community) on this sad occasion of marking and commemorating the passing away of the greatest man to have ever stepped foot on our planet - the final messenger of Allah (swt) - our beloved prophet of Islam, Abū al-Qāsim Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allāh.

The Holy Prophet of Islam was sent as a mercy to mankind. Where Allah says in the Holy Qur'an in Surah 21 verse 107 - "And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds".

One of the many sayings by our Holy Prophet Muhammad is as follows:
"Show mercy to those on earth, and God will show mercy to you".
May we all strive to follow in the footsteps of our beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his Holy progeny).

May Allaah bless you abundantly bro Albaqir for this composition in honour of the Prophet. Its so emotional. Condolence to all Muslims.

kazlaw2000:
May Allaah bless you abundantly bro Albaqir for this composition in honour of the Prophet. Its so emotional. Condolence to all Muslims.

May Allah bless you abundantly too, my brother.