The way of saying Tashahhud

Q 1: in the Tashahhud (testification recited in the sitting position in the second/last unit of Prayer), should a person say: "asalamu `alayka ayyuha al-naby (peace be upon you, O Prophet)" or "assalamu `ala al-naby (peace be upon the Prophet)", because `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'Before the Prophet (peace be upon him) died we used to say: "assalamu `alayka ayyuha al-naby (peace be upon you, O Prophet)" but after he died we said: "assalamu `ala al-naby (peace be upon the Prophet)"?

A 1: The correct view is that in the Tashahhud the prayer should be said: "assalamu `alayka ayyuha al-naby wa rahmat-u-Allah wa barakatuh (peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings), because this is what is proven in the Hadith. (Part No. 7; Page No. 11) With regard to what is reported on the authority of Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him), if it is a sound narration, this is his Ijtihad (juristic effort to infer expert legal rulings) and it does not contradict the proven Hadith. If the ruling after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were different than the ruling when he was still alive, he would have told us that.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.