Continued from the previous article…
Supplicating for the Prophet of Allah
Allah sent His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ to all of creation as a witness, a bringer of glad tidings of Paradise to those who accept the Path he calls to and a warner against the wrath of Allah. He sent him to invite to the religion of Allah, by His permission, and as an illuminating lamp to light the Path of survival, the Path of Allah.
Allah sent him with guidance and mercy and the true religion, and to guide people to what results in their happiness in this world and the Hereafter. This is the reward for those who believe in him, love him and follow his path ﷺ.
The Prophet of Allah ﷺ conveyed the message and advised the nation, and struggled and sacrificed for the sake of Allah. We ask Allah to reward him for having conveyed the message that guided us to the Path of Allah.
When reading this book, one will frequently come across the term “sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam”, and we feel obliged to clarify a few matters pertaining to this term.
Its meaning:
The term consists of two parts, one part is Salaah which is in the part “sallAllahu” and the second part is “Salaam” which is in the part “wa sallam”.
These two terms are a form of supplication and prayer for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
According to the predominant opinion, the first part means: To ask Allah to exalt his mention. In other words we ask Allah to honor, glorify and raise his rank and exalt his mention because we (as humans) cannot praise him enough to fulfill his due right upon us (for having conveyed the message that guided us to the Path of Allah).
In the second term we pray that Allah renders the Prophet ﷺ free from any dispraised matter with regards to his mission and Nation and make his Nation blessed and increase those who call towards the Path he called for.
Its ruling:
According to the predominant opinion, saying (or writing) the term “sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam” when the name of the Prophet is mentioned or written is an obligation. The evidence for this is the narration in which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,
| The miser is the one before whom my name is mentioned [or written] and he does not say Salaah for me [i.e. sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam]. |
In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ said,
| Allah will humiliate [and disgrace] whoever hears [or reads] my name and he does not say Salaah for me [i.e. sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam]. |
Undoubtedly, not uttering Salaah for the Prophet ﷺ when his name is mentioned (or written) is a form of impoliteness and disrespect towards the Prophet ﷺ. Therefore, a Muslim must be keen on saying this prayer whenever he hears or reads the name of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ in order to obtain the great reward resulting from this, and in order to be of those who adhere to the command of Allah in His saying:
| Indeed, Allah exalts the mention of the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed [ask Allah] to exalt his mention and [ask Allah to grant him] Salaam [Quran 33:56] |
Its virtue:
There are many narrations highlighting the virtue of exalting the mention of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ. The following are some of these narrations:
‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr narrated that the Prophet of Allah ﷺ said,
| Everyone who says Salaah for me [i.e. asks Allah to exalt my mention] will receive in return [for every time he utters it] ten rewards from Allah. |
Ibn Mas`ood narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
| The people who will be most entitled to my intercession on the Day of Resurrection are those who supplicate Allah most often to exalt my mention.’ |
Ubayy ibn Ka`b narrated,
| “When one-third of the night would pass, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would get up and call out: “O people! Remember Allah. The Raajifah [i.e. the first Blowing of the Trumpet which will shake the whole universe and thus cause all life to cease] has come, followed by Ar-Raadifah [i.e. the second Blowing of the Trumpet which will restore life and thus mark the Resurrection Day]. Death has approached with all that it comprises. Death has approached with all that it comprises.” |
I said: “O Messenger of Allah! I frequently invoke Allah to elevate your rank. How much of my supplications should I devote to you?” He ﷺ said, “You may devote as much as you wish.” When I suggested a quarter, He ﷺ said, “Do whatever you wish, but it will be better for you if you increase it.” I suggested half, and He ﷺ said, “Do whatever you wish, but it will be better for you if you increase.” I suggested two-thirds, and He ﷺ said, “Do whatever you wish but it will be better for you if you increase it.” I said, “Shall I devote all my supplications invoking Allah to elevate your rank?” He ﷺ said, “Then you will be freed from your worries and your sins will be forgiven.”
Why should we say it?
There are many reasons why one should say sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam upon hearing or reading his name.
The following are some of these reasons:
1. To obtain the great rewards mentioned in the narration mentioned previously.
2. To adhere to the command of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ in saying it.
3. To adhere to the command of Allah in saying it.
4. To fulfill one of his rights upon his Nation.
5. To express gratitude for the great blessing he conveyed to us (i.e. the religion of Islam).
6. To increase our love for Him ﷺ. The more one mentions his name and supplicates for him, the more his love for him increases, and this helps the person to fully adhere to his commands and refrain from the prohibitions he warned against.
How to say it?
There are many ways to say this supplication and the easiest and most summarized is to say (or write) “sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam”.
How often should we say it?
Ibn Salaah said,
| “Some scholars stated that one should say it every time he hears (or reads) the name of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ. When writing, one should write it whenever the name is mentioned. One should not become bored of repeating it regardless of how many times it is written or said, and anyone who neglects this has indeed deprived himself from a great deal of reward.” |
أسعدك المولى وجعل ما تقدمه في ميزان حسناتك