Principles & Benefits of Sending Salat and Salam on the Prophet
<< Indeed Allaah and His Angels send Salat on the Prophet. O you who believe, Send Salat upon him, and send complete Salam upon him.>>
Part Seventeen
Some Benefits from Salat upon the Prophet sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam
Translated & Compiled By Abbas Abu Yahya
Some Benefits from Salat upon the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam
Contents
Some Benefits from Salat upon the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.. 2
A Benefit of Repeating Salat 12
Benefits from the call of <<O you who believe>>. 13
The People of Hadeeth Send the Salat the Most 14
From the Manners of Reading the Salat 17
Some Benefits from Salat upon the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam
- a) Ibn Qayyim al-Jawzeeyah (d.751 A.H.) -Rahimahullaah- said:
‘Sending Salat is a means by which a person continuously has love for the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– as well as an increase of that love and it being multiplied. That is a connection of al-Eemaan whereby a person’s Eemaan cannot be complete without love for the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam–.
This is because the more the slave of Allaah remembers the beloved Messenger, the more that brings awareness to his heart, and an awareness of his beautiful qualities and the meanings, which attract him to love his beloved; then his love for him multiplies, and his desire to meet him increases and it takes over his whole heart.
If he turns away from remembering his beloved, having awareness and the awareness of his beautiful qualities in his heart, his love for him is decreased.
There is nothing that satisfies the eyes of the slave of Allaah who loves the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– more than seeing him. Nor is there anything more satisfying for his heart than remembering him and having awareness of his beautiful qualities. Therefore, if this love strengthens in his heart, his tongue moves with praise of his beloved, commending him and remembering his beautiful qualities. The increase and decrease of those things is relative to the increase and decrease of love he has in his heart. Insight testifies to this, so much so that some of the poets said:
‘I was surprised by the one who says I remembered my love * and can I forget and then remember the one I forgot’
This person who loved someone was astonished by the one who says:
This person who loved someone was astonished by the one who says, ‘I remembered my beloved’, because remembering comes after having forgotten, and if a love becomes complete, then he would not forget his beloved.
Another poet said:
‘Indeed I want to forget her however, it is as if * Layla resembles every pathway’
This poet tells us that his love for his beloved prevents him from forgetting her.
Another poet said:
‘It is wanted from the heart to forget you * but due to my nature it refused to forget’
He tells us that his love and remembrance for that person has become his second nature and his disposition, there were those who wanted him to stop that love, but he could not do so, since his own-self refused to move away from it.
The famous proverb states:
‘Whoever loves something remembers it often’
Regarding this issue of love, there is a noble excellence that has more of a right for poetry to be made about it:
‘If my heart was cut apart then in the centre * is Your [Allaah’s remembrance] and Tawheed is in its middle’
This is the heart of the believer; the Tawheed of Allaah and the remembrance of His Messenger are written in his heart, so nothing can come and knock them to wipe them away or get rid of them.
Since remembering something a lot means that love for it will be obligatory and continuous, forgetfulness is a cause of love not being continuous for it or weakness in it. Allaah –far is He from imperfection– is entitled to be the ultimate object of love, deserving of being the definitive goal in love and the ultimate as being regarded as great.
Therefore, Shirk – which Allaah Ta’ala does not forgive – is that other than Allaah is associated with Him in love and in being regarded as great. This is where a person loves other than Allaah and regards someone from the creation as great just as he loves Allaah Ta’ala and regards Him as great.
Allaah Ta’ala says:
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ أَنْدَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ
<< And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allaah as rivals (to Allaah). They love them as they love Allaah. But those who believe love Allaah more (than anything else). >>[1]
Allaah –far is He from imperfection– informed us that the Mushrik loves a partner associated with Allaah just like he loves Allaah Ta’ala, and that the believers have more of an intense love for Allaah than anything else.
The people of the Hell-fire say while in the Fire:
تَاللَّهِ إِنْ كُنَّا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ () إِذْ نُسَوِّيكُمْ بِرَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
<< By Allaah, we were truly in a manifest error, When We held you (false gods) as equals (in worship) with the Lord of the ‘Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists)>>[2]
What is well known is that they equated their false gods with Allaah –far is He from imperfection– in love, divinity and worship. No one ever said that, the idols or other things which are taken as partners for Allaah are equal to the Lord of all the worlds –far is He from imperfection and the most High- nor in His Characteristics in His Actions, nor in Him creating the Heavens and the earth, and also not in creating His slave, rather they equated Him in love and worship.
Those who are more misguided than these people and are in a worse state are those who equate everything that exists with Allaah –far is He from imperfection and the most High, and they regard that the existence of Allaah is in the existence of everything whether it is perfect or deficient.
Therefore, if Allaah judges that those who equate between Him and idols in love, are misguided and wretched – even though their beliefs fluctuate between Allaah and His creation in regards to the essence, characteristics and actions – then what about those who equate Allaah with everything that exists, in essence, characteristics and actions, and claim that worshipping these things does not constitute worshipping other than Allaah?
The purpose is: since the continuity of Dhikr (remembrance) is a means for the continuity of love, then Allaah –Subhanahu– has more of a right to have complete love, servitude, greatness and magnificence. Doing a lot of Dhikr of Allaah is most beneficial for the slave of Allaah, and the true enemy of a slave of Allaah is the hunter against Dhikr of his Lord – Azza wa Jal – and servitude to Him; This is why Allaah –Subhanahu- orders in the Qur’aan that He should be remembered a great deal and that is a means for success.
Allaah Ta’ala says:
وَاذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
<< and remember Allaah much, that you may be successful. >>[3]
Allaah also says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا
<<O you who believe! Remember Allaah with much remembrance>>[4]
And Allaah Ta’ala says:
وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ
<< and the men and the women who remember Allaah much>>[5]
And Allaah Ta’ala says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُلْهِكُمْ أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
<< O you who believe! Let not your properties or your children divert you from the remembrance of Allaah. And whosoever does that, then they are the losers >>[6]
And Allaah Ta’ala said:
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ
<< Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying, etc.). I will remember you >>[7]
The Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
سبق المفردون
‘The Muffaridoon have advanced.’
The Companions asked: ‘O Messenger of Allaah who are the Muffaridoon?’
The Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- replied:
الذاكرون الله كثيرا والذاكرات
‘Those men and women who remember Allaah a lot.’[8]
And in Tirmidhi from Abu Darda –Radi Allaahu anhu– from the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- that he said:
ألا أنبِّئكم بخير أعمالكم، وأزكاها عند مليككم، وأرفعها في درجاتكم، وخيرٍ لكم من إنفاق الذهب والورق، وخيرٍ لكم من أن تَلْقَوْا عدوَّكم؛ فتضربوا أعناقهم، ويضربوا أعناقكم؟
‘Shall I not indicate to you to the best of your actions, and more befitting to your King, what raises your grade the most, better for you than spending gold and silver, better for you than meeting your enemy and striking their necks and then striking your necks?’
They said: ‘Of course O Messenger of Allaah.’
He -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
ذكر الله
‘Remembrance (Dhikr) of Allaah.’[9]
And it was narrated in Muwatta attributed to Abu ad-Darda –Radi Allaahu anhu.
Mu’adh bin Jabal said:
‘A human being did not do an action which would save him from the punishment of Allaah except the Dhikr of Allaah.’[10]
The remembrance of His Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– follows on from the remembrance of Allaah.
What is meant is that the continuity of Dhikr is a means for the continuity of love – therefore, Dhikr to the heart is like water to plants. In fact, it is like water to fish; there is no life without it.
Dhikr is of different types: remembrance with Allaah’s Names, His Characteristics and praising Him by Dhikr.
The second type: Tasbeeh (saying Subhana Allaah)[11], Tahmeed (saying Alhamdu lillaah[12]), Takbeer (saying Allaahu akbar[13]), Tahleel (saying la illaah ila Allaah[14]) Tamjeed (regarding Allaah as Magnificent). These are the wordings, which are mostly used by those of the Muslims who came later.
The third type: Making Dhikr of Allaah by His rulings, His commands, prohibitions. This is the Dhikr that a scholar does. In fact, all three types are the Dhikr that the scholars do of their Lord.
One of the best forms of Dhikr of Allaah, is remembering Him by His speech.
Allaah said:
وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى
<< ‘But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Quran nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.’ >>[15]
Allaah’s Dhikr here is His Speech, which He revealed to His Messenger.
Allaah says:
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
<< Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah – Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allaah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest. >>[16]
Dhikr of Allaah includes making Dua’ to Him, seeking forgiveness and humbling oneself to Him. So these are five types of Dhikr.’[17]
A Benefit of Repeating Salat
The call of <<O you who believe>> is not mentioned in the middle of any Ayaah except in one place, which is the one in which Allaah says:
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِيِّۚ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيۡهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسۡلِيمًا
<< Indeed Allaah and His Angels send Salat on the Prophet. O you who believe, Send Salat upon him, and send complete Salam upon him.>>[18]
Ibn A’ashoor -Rahimahullaah- said:
‘Therefore, the sentence as it is mentioned here ‘O you who believe’ has become a result which occurs after an introduction. Allaah and His Angels sending Salat comes in the present tense form [in the Arabic Language] which indicates renewing and reviving something and doing it repeatedly. Thus the order for the believers to send Salat and Salam, was mentioned at the end of this call indicating repetition in sending Salat by taking the Salat of Allaah and His Angels as an example to follow.’[19]
Benefits from the call of <<O you who believe>>
Shaykh Ubayd bin Abdullaah al-Jabiri said:
<<‘O you who believe>> is a call from Allaah to the people who have Eemaan in Allaah and with His Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- which has many points of wisdom:
One: that they are the people who benefit from the likes of this call. Ibn Masood -RadhiAllaahu anhu – said:
‘If you hear <<O you who believe>> from the Qur’aan then listen and pay attention to it. It is either goodness which it is enjoining, or forbidding evil.’
Two: that those who believe are the most responsive of the people in responding to Allaah and His Messenger – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.
They are the most obedient of people to the rulings of Allaah and the rulings of His Messenger – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam. Their hearts are content and tranquil.
Their hearts are delighted with the call of Allaah and the call of His Messenger – sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam because they know that guidance and light is in this call and not in any other which a human has originated for the people from statements and principles.
Third: that these believers are very careful with their Eemaan and from it being harmed, so-much-so that the perfection of Eemaan is not negated let alone the whole of their Eemaan being negated.’[20]
The People of Hadeeth Send the Salat the Most
- a) From Ibn Mas’ood – Radi Allaahu anhu – who said: the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:
إن أَوْلى الناسِ بي يوم القيامةِ أَكثرُهم عليَّ صلاةً
‘Indeed the foremost of the people to me on the Day of Judgement are those who send the most Salat upon me.’[21]
‘Ibn Hibban (2/190) collected it under the chapter heading: ‘The mention of the issue that the closest people to the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- on the Day of Judgement will be the one who sent the most Salat upon him in the Dunyaa’
Then Ibn Hibban comments after the hadeeth saying:
‘In this narration is evidence that the foremost people to be with the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- on the Day of Judgement will be the Companions of hadeeth (As’haabul hadeeth), since there is no group from this Ummah who send more Salat upon him than them.’[22]
- b) Albaani quotes Sadeeq Hasan Khan saying:
‘There is no doubt that the Muslims who send Salat upon the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– the most are the Ahl-ul-Hadeeth and the narrators of the pure Sunnah, because one of their duties to this noble knowledge is sending Salat upon him –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– in front of every hadeeth, and their tongues continue to be moist with remembrance of the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam.
There is no book of Sunnah, nor a collection of hadeeths – with all of their different types, from the Jawama’[23], al-Masaneed[24], al-Mu’ajim[25], al-Ajza[26] and other types – except that combined, they contain thousands of Ahadeeth. Even the most concise of them in size, like the book ‘al-Jamia’ as-Sagheer’ by Suyootee, contains tens of thousands of Ahadeeth. And you can measure against that, all of the other Prophetic collections, so this saved group and Jama’ah of Hadeeth are foremost of the people to be with the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– on the Day of Judgement, and the most delighted with his –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– intercession – may my father and mother be sacrificed for him.
There is none from the people who can be equaled in this excellence of the people of Hadeeth except the one who sends Salat more than they did ………… ’[27]
- c) Shaykh AbdulMuhsin al-Abbad al-Badr said:
‘Chapter: Two concise forms of sending Salat wa Salam upon the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam–
The Salaf as-Salih come close to the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam, including the Muhadithhoon (Scholars of Hadeeth) with the remembrance of sending Salat and Salam upon the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– when he is mentioned, by using two concise forms:
One of which is: ‘–sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam’
And the second is: ‘Alayhi as-Salat wa Salam.’
These two forms fill – and all praise belongs to Allaah – the books of hadeeth. So much so that the Muhadithhoon (Scholars of Hadeeth) have inscribed in their works the advice of preserving that it is written completely combining together both between Salat and Tasleem upon the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam–.’[28]
- d) Imam Nawawi (d.676 A.H.) -Rahimahullaah- said:
‘If one sends Sallam upon the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– one should send both ‘Salat’ and ‘Tasleem’ and not to restrict it to one of these. So, one should not say only: ‘SallAllaahu alayhi’ nor just ‘Alayhi as-Sallam’ by itself.’[29]
From the Manners of Reading the Salat
Imam Nawawi (d.676 A.H.) -Rahimahullaah- said:
‘It is recommended for the one who reads out the hadeeth and other works to the people to raise his voice while sending the Salat and Sallam. But he should not exaggerate in raising his voice in an absurd manner. Those who mentioned this point include Imam al-Hafidh Abu Bakr al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi and others.’[30]
Is the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– in need of us, in that we send Salat and Salam upon him?
Shaykh ul-Islaam Ahmad bin AbdulHaleem Ibn Taymeeyah (d.728 A.H.) -Rahimahullaah- was asked:
‘Regarding a man who recites the Qur’aan and says: ‘This is a gift from me to the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam–, is this allowed or not? Is the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– in need of us, in that we send Salat and Salam upon him?
Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah -Rahimahullaah- replied:
‘All praise be to Allaah. It was not from the practice of the Salaf that they would gift their prayers, fasting and recitation of the Qur’aan to the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam. Likewise, they would not give Sadaqa on his behalf, or do an ‘Aqeeqa[31] on his behalf. They would do these actions [for themselves], because for everything Muslims do, the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– gets the same reward for their actions, without anything at all being decreased from their reward. As has been established in the Saheeh of Bukhari from the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– that he said: ‘Whoever calls to guidance, will have the same reward as the reward of the one who follows him, without anything decreased at all from their reward.’
This is in contrast to the parents being rewarded for every action, since the father will not get the like of everything his son does, even though the father benefits from the actions of his son.
As for our Salat and Salam upon him, and the request for Waseelah (intercession) for the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam, in this is a Dua’ for us, and Allaah will reward us for it. This Dua’ is recommended as a right of the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam. Allaah increases the excellence of the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– due to this Dua’ and he rewards the one making the Dua’.
Allaah has been benevolent to the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam. The rest of the creation is in need of Allaah Ta’ala. The Ummah is in need of what Allaah Ta’ala sent its Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– with, since Allaah Ta’ala guided them through him. And Allaah knows best.’[32]
[1] [Baqarah:165]
[2] [as-Shu’ara : 97-98]
[3] [Juma: 10]
[4] [Ahzab: 41]
[5] [Ahzab: 35]
[6] [Munafiqoon: 9]
[7] [Baqarah: 152]
[8] Collected by Muslim narrated by Abu Hurairah – Radi Allaahu anhu
[9] Collected by Tirmidhi & – Albaani graded it Saheeh in ‘Saheeh Targheeb wa Tarheeb’ 2/204/1493
[10] Collected in ‘Saheeh Targheeb wa Tarheeb’ 2/204/1493 with similar wording.
[11] Far is Allaah from imperfection
[12] All praise be to Allaah
[13] Allaah is the Greatest
[14] There is none worthy of worship in truth except Allaah
[15] [Taha: 124]
[16] [Ra’ad: 28]
[17] [From Jelaal Afham p.616 – 620 No.33]
[18] Soorah Ahzab: 56
[19] [At-Tahreer wa Tanweer 23/97]
[20] [Taken from ‘Risaalat Nawaqid al – Islaam’ Dars 05] http://miraath.net/~miraath/sounds.php?cat=43&id=731]
[21] [Collected by Tirmidhi & Ibn Hibban – Albaani graded it Hasan lighayrihi in ‘Saheeh Targheeb wa Tarheeb’ 2/294/1668]
[22] From ‘Qaida Jaleelah fee Tawassul wal-Waseelah’ by Shaykhul Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah researched by Rabee’ al-Madhkhali p.155 footnote
[23] Jawama is the plural for Jama’, which is a collection of hadeeth arranged according to the chapters of the Deen. The most famous are the collections of Bukhari, Muslim and Tirmidhi.
[24] Masaneed is the plural for Musnad, which is a collection of hadeeth arranged according to the names of the Companions. The most famous of which is ‘al-Musnad’ by Imam Ahmad.
[25] Mu’ajim is the plural for Mujum, which is a collection of hadeeth arranged according to the alphabetic order of the shaykhs of the compiler of a Mujum. The most famous is the mujum of at-Tabraani (d.360 A.H.)
[26] Ajza is the plural for Juz, which is usually a small collection of hadeeth arranged either, according to the narrator from the Companions, or just one subject heading, or due to certain benefits from Ahadeeth.
[These definitions were taken from ‘Mujum Mustalah hadeeth’ by M. Diyaa Athamee]
[27] [Taken from: ‘Original Sifat as-Salah’ (3/p.948)]
[28] [Taken from: ‘Kutub wa Rasail AbdulMuhsin Abbad’ 6/p.67]
[29] [ ‘Kitab al-Adhkar’ by Nawawi, p.152]
[30] [ ‘Kitab al-Adhkar’ by Nawawi, p.152]
[32] [From ‘Jamia al-Masaail Ibn Taymeeyah 4/385]