AL-MUSTAPHA INSTITUTE OF BRISBANE

Compiled by Br. Abdul-Halīm Khalīl (04-04-14)

The Virtue (Indeed, Preference) of Sending Prayers upon the Blessed Prophet

May Allāh Bless him and grant him unending Peace

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahīm

The Glorious Qur’ān, in Surat Al-'Aĥzāb (‘The Chapter of the Combined Forces’) 33:56,

Allāh, Al-Mujīb,1 Reveals:

Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet ( ). O ye that believe!

Send ye blessings upon him, and salute him with all respect.2

Sending prayers upon the Beautiful Prophet ( ) is not an action any of us should

consider insignificant, nor deem perfunctory (i.e. some action done purely for the purpose of

mechanically completing it).3 Indeed, as Muslims, sending peace, praise, and prayers upon

the Blessed Prophet ( ) is certainly one of the most venerable,4 virtuous deeds we can

perform, and—therefore, as an immensely humble and loving action—should be performed

frequently.

Importantly, if ever one may contend that there exists no Revelatory daleel5 for the

auspicious practice of sending peace, praise, and prayers upon our Esteemed Habib

( ), then it is essential that one peruse the aforementioned verse, from Surat Al-'Aĥzāb

(33:56) – particularly the third sentence, which appears underlined. Verily, when Allâh, Al-

Hakīm, pronounces: ‘O al-ladhīna āmanū!’ (O Ye that believe!), our Lord is addressing the

true believers (the mu’minūn [Insha’Allâh Ta’âla, all of us]). Then, Allâh, Al-Alīm, Al-Malik,

continues, asserting: ‘ṣallū ʿalayhi wa-sallimū taslīman’ (‘Send ye blessings upon him, and

salute him with all respect’), our Rabb is explicitly illuminating the etiquette with which we

must address and approach the Beloved Prophet ( ). Specifically, this Sublime

1 ‘The Responder to Prayer’. Refer to the Glorious Quran, Surat Hūd (‘The Chapter of the Prophet Hūd’

[ ]). 2 This transliteration of the Glorious Quran (Surah Al-'Aĥzāb) ascribes the learned words of Dr. Muhsin Khan

(Islâmic University, Al-Madīna Al-Munawwara), Yusuf Ali, and Sahih International.

3 Refer to Sheikh Dr. ‘Âid ibn ‘Abdullah al-Qarni, Muhammad ( ) – As if you can see him

(International Islamic Publishing House, 2008) 158. 4 Reverent or respectable. 5 Evidence, indication, or proof.

Illumination shines by virtue of an amr,6 meaning that such Divine assertion is an obligation

upon this blessed Ummah (a fard al-kifayah, I propose).

In reflecting upon the Inexhaustible Blessings of Allāh Azza Wa-Jal, one should not

necessarily attempt to reflect upon the Inestimable Magnificence of Allāh, Al-Adheem, but

His greatest, purest, most wonderful blessing: His Servant and Messenger, His Blessed Habib

(Sall Allahu Alayhi Wa-Alihi Wa-Suhbihi Wa-salam).7 Importantly, then, cultivating sincere

gratitude to Allāh, Ash-Shakur (‘The Rewarder of Thankfulness’) may be best exhibited by

humbly imploring Allāh to bestow His Blessings, Honour, and Peace of Rasūl Allāh (May

Allāh, Ar-Raĥman, Ar-Raĥīm, As-Salām send His Blessings, Mercy and Peace upon our

Beloved Habib forevermore, Insha’Allāh Ta’āla) in the Hereafter. One such invocation is the

Salāt ‘ala ’n-nabiyy (a prayer sending ‘blessings upon the Prophet’ [ ]).

Salāt ‘ala ’n-nabiyy (The Prayer of Blessings Upon Rasūl Allāh )

Beyond imploring Allāh for the blessings and peace of the Beautiful Prophet ( ) –

whenever he ( ) is lovingly mentioned – the best manner for otherwise sending

prayers upon the Blessed Habib ( ), is that reported upon the authority of Ibn Abl

Laila said: ‘Ka'b bin 'Ujrah (radi Allâhu anhu) met me and said: “Shall I not give you a gift?

The Blessed Messenger of Allâh came out to us, and we said: ‘We know what it means to

send Salâm (‘peace’) upon you, but what does it mean to send Salât (‘prayers’) upon you?"

He (Sall Allâhu alayhi wa-alihi wa-suhbihi wa-salam) said:

"Say: 'Allâhumma salli 'ala Muhammadin wâ 'ala âli Muhammadin kamâ sallaita 'ala âli

Ibrâhīma, wâ ‘ala âli Ibrâhīma, innaka hamīdun majīd.

Allâhumma barīk 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala âli Muhammadin kamâ bârakta 'ala

Ibrâhīma, wâ ‘ala âli Ibrâhīma, innaka hamīdun majīd.”’

(‘O Allâh, please send Your Salât (Grace and Honour) upon the Beloved Prophet (Sall Allâhu

alayhi wa-salam), and upon the noble family of Muhammad (Sall Allâhu alayhi wa-salam),

6 `A command; an order; a bidding; an injunction; a decree; an ordinance; a prescript'. The plural term of amr is

awámir, and the antonym is nahy (prohibition, or negative command): see Edward William Lane, Arabi-English

Lexicon (Williams & Norgate, 1863). 7 See Sheikh Hamza Yusuf and Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allâh, ‘The Attributes of God in Islâm’ [Alhambra

Productions, Nawawi Foundation (2004).

just as You have sent Your Grace and Honour upon the Prophet IbrâhIm (Alayhis salam), and

his family and his followers, and (indeed) You are the Praiseworthy, the Most Glorious.

O Allâh, please send Your Blessings upon the Beautiful Prophet (Sall Allâhu alayhi wa-alihi

wa-suhbihi wa-salam), and the noble family of Muhammad (Sall Allâhu alayhi wa-salam),

just as You have sent Your Blessings upon the Prophet IbrâhIm (Alayhis salam), and (indeed)

You are the Praiseworthy, the Most Glorious’).8

In conclusion, Allāh (Subḥānahu Wa Ta'âla) is Al-Jameel (‘The Beautiful; The Graceful’),

and He Loves beauty9 – for He is Al-Musawwir (‘The Shaper of Beauty’). Thus, as the

Beloved Prophet ( ) was, and is, the most beautiful creation of Al-Khalīq (The

Creator), one may reasonably deduce (without the assistance of any comprehensive

theological discourse) that Allāh, Al-Wadūd, Loves Rasūl Allāh ( ) the most.

8 Sahīh Muslim (translated by Nasiruddin Al-Khattab, Darussalam, 1st ed, 2007 [Vol. 1, ahadīth

narrations from number 1-1160]) Chapter 17 (‘Sending Salât Upon The Prophet After The Tashah-

hud’), hadīth number [908] 66 - (406) (see, generally, pages 516-519). Also, refer to ahadīth

narrations [907] 65 - (405), [910] 68, [911] 69 - (407), and [912] 70 - (408). 9 Ibid [265] 147 - (91).

‘Should we not dearly love to reflect his etiquette,

To earnestly praise his pure heart (which never slept),10

To yearn for his love – and, as Ubay ibn Ka’b passionately said:

“To you I pledge my every du’a, O Sweet Prophet” ( )11 –

So that Allāh may Love us and render our sins forgiven?’12

Br. Abdul Halim Khalil – 2014

10 Indeed, it is understood that the heart, the soul (or rūh, in Arabic), of the Blessed Messenger

( ) – the source of his consciousness of, and connection with, his Lord – ‘never slept’, even

when his eyes were surrendered to slumber. Indeed, (from an excerpt of a narration of Ibn Abbas

[May Allâh be pleased with him], reported on the authority of Kuraib [May Allâh be pleased with

him], in Sahīh Al-Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 4, Hadīth Number 140 [cf. Volume 1, Book 12, Hadīth

Number 818] and Volume 2, Book 21, Hadīth Number 248) ‘Sufyan said to 'Amr that some people

said, "The eyes of the Apostle of Allâh sleep but his heart does not sleep." 'Amr replied, "I heard

'Ubaid bin 'Umar saying that the dreams of Prophets were Divine Inspiration, and then he recited the

verse: 'I (Abraham) see in a dream, (O my son) that I offer you in sacrifice (to Allâh)."’ (37.102) (See

Hadīth No. 183). 11 Related in the text of Tirmidhi (2,457), who stated: ‘This hadith is hasan sahīh.’

12 It is related the Beautiful Prophet ( ) said: ‘Verily, Allah has angels that travel throughout

the earth and convey to me greetings of peace from the people of my Nation.’ (Reported in the text of

Ahmad [3,657, 4,198]), Nasâ’i [1,282], Ad-Dârimi [2,774], and Al-Hakim [3,576], related on the

authority of Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood [radi Allâhu anhu]). At this, Ubay ibn Ka‘b (radi Allâhu anhu)

exclaimed: ‘I shall make my entire prayer (viz., duʿāʾ or supplication) for you’ (Tirmidhi [2,457]).

When shown such adoration and love, Rasūl Allâh ( ) replied: ‘Then your sin(s) shall be

forgiven, and your worries shall be taken care of’ (Tirmidhi [2,457]).