The ideal way to send blessings upon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him
Question

                I am one of those who send blessings upon the Prophet between 50 and 100 times a day, according to circumstances. I say: “Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa aali Muhammad (O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad).” There are some people who tell me that my sending blessings upon the Messenger of Allah is lacking. Can you tell us – may Allah reward you with good – what is the ideal way to send blessings upon the master of mankind, and is the way I am doing it really lacking?
Praise be to Allah.
    
    Sending blessings upon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon 
    him) is one of the greatest acts of worship encouraged in Islam, and it is 
    one of the most beneficial supplications for a person in this world and the 
    hereafter, and it is one of the requirements of loving, venerating and 
    respecting the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and giving 
    him his rights. 

    
    With regard to the ideal way of sending blessings upon the master of mankind 
    (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), there are a number of ways of 
    doing that, which you can find in the book Sifat Salaat an-Nabi (sall-Allahu 
    ‘alayhi wa sallam) by al-‘Allaamah al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on 
    him), p. 165 of the edition published by Maktabat al-Ma ‘aarif in Riyaadh 
    [this book is available in English as The Prophet’s Prayer Described]. 
    Among the soundest and most well-known of these ways are the two ways that 
    the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught his Companions 
    (may Allah be pleased with them) when they asked him how they should send 
    blessings upon him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). These two 
    ways are as follows: 

    
    ~1~

    
    “Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama salayta ‘ala 
    Ibraaheem wa ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed. Allaahumma baarik 
    ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta ‘ala Ibraaheem wa ‘ala 
    aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send prayers upon 
    Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibraaheem 
    and upon the family of Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of 
    Glory. O Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of 
    Muhammad as You sent blessings upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of 
    Ibraaheem; You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory).”

    
    Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3700) and Muslim (406) from the hadeeth of Ka‘b ibn 
    ‘Ajrah (may Allah be pleased with him). 

    
    ~2~

    
    “Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala azwaajihi wa dhurriyyatihi kama 
    salayta ‘ala Ibraaheem, wa baarik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala azwaajihi wa 
    dhurriyyatihi kama baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, innaka hameedun majeed 
    (O Allaah, send Your salaah (grace, honour and mercy) upon Muhammad 
    and upon his wives and offspring, as You sent Your salaah upon 
    Ibraaheem, and send Your blessings upon Muhammad and upon his wives and 
    offspring, as You sent Your blessings upon the family of Ibraaheem. You are 
    indeed Praiseworthy, Most Glorious).” 

    
    Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3369) and Muslim (407) from the hadeeth of Abu 
    Humayd as-Saa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him). 

    
    The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not choose 
    anything but that which is noblest and best. 

    
    See: Rawdat at-Taalibeen by an-Nawawi (11/66); Fath al-Baari 
    by Ibn Hajar (11/166); Sifat Salaat an-Nabi (sall-Allahu ‘alayhi wa 
    sallam) by al-Albaani, p. 175; al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah, 
    27/97 

    
    It is better to vary the phrases used, switching between the versions that 
    have been narrated, sometimes reciting one and sometimes reciting another, 
    so as to follow the Sunnah and sharee‘ah, and so that always reciting one 
    version does not lead to neglecting another which is also proven, and 
    because there are many other benefits in doing so which will not be attained 
    by always reciting only one and not the other. 

    
    But we should point out that it is not prescribed to combine and mix these 
    phrases so as to produce a combination of all of them in one; rather that is 
    contrary to the Sunnah, as was stated by a number of scholars.

    
    See: Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa by Ibn Taymiyyah (22/335, 458; 24/242, 247);
    Jala’ al-Ifhaam by Ibn al-Qayyim (p. 373 ); Qawaa‘id Ibn Rajab 
    (p. 14); ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (2/56, 65; 3/29, 98). 

    
    All of this has to do with sending blessings upon him (blessings and peace 
    of Allah be upon him) after the Tashahhud in the prayer. 

    
    With regard to sending blessings upon him (blessings and peace of Allah be 
    upon him)) by saying “Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa aali Muhammad 
    (O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad) outside 
    of the prayer, if what your friend means is that it is lacking in comparison 
    to the complete wording that has been narrated, then this is correct. But if 
    what he meant was that it is not valid or that it does not count as sending 
    blessings upon the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), 
    then that is not the case; rather it is sending blessings upon the Prophet 
    (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and its wording is correct and 
    fulfills the purpose. The scholars still say, “Allahumma salli ‘ala 
    Muhammad” or “sall-Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam (may Allah send 
    blessings and peace upon him)” and the like. The matter is broad in scope, 
    in sha Allah. 

    
    Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar stated in Fath al-Baari (11/166) that the 
    majority of scholars think that any wording that fulfills the purpose of 
    sending blessings upon him is acceptable, but in the prayer one should keep 
    to the wording that has been narrated and not omit any part of it, so as to 
    be sure of following the Sunnah and what is narrated from the Prophet 
    (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). 

    
    With regard to this wording also, it is restricted to sending blessings (salaah) 
    and not salaam, whereas Allah, may He be glorified, has instructed us to 
    send both blessings and greeting of peace upon him, as He says 
    (interpretation of the meaning):

    
    
    “Allah sends His Salat (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy, etc.) on the 
    Prophet (Muhammad SAW) and also His angels too (ask Allah to bless and 
    forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salat on (ask Allah to bless) him 
    (Muhammad SAW), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of 
    greeting (salutation i.e. As-Salamu Alaikum)”

    
    
    [al-Ahzaab 33:56]. 

    
    The scholars have stated that it is makrooh for a person to always mention 
    salaah (blessings) without salaam (greeting of peace), or to always mention 
    salaam without salaah. But if he mentions both of them, or mentions salaah 
    on its own sometimes, or salaam on its own sometimes, then he is fallowing 
    the verse. And Allah knows best.

    
    See: Fath al-Baari, 11/167 

    
    And Allah knows best.