‘Allaah indeed informed us about Muhammad –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– that He Himself sends Salat upon him, and so do His Angels, due to Allaah’s saying:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِيِّۚ

<< Indeed Allaah and His Angels send Salat on the Prophet. O you who believe, Send Salat upon him, and send complete Salam upon him.>>[1]

The Prophet’s excellence is not just because the Ummah send Salat upon him, but rather that Allaah Ta’ala and His Angels specifically send Salat upon him. However, Allaah and His Angels send Salat upon the believers in general, as is mentioned in Allaah Ta’ala’s statement:

هُوَ ٱلَّذِي يُصَلِّي عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتُهُۥ لِيُخۡرِجَكُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِۚ

<< He it is Who sends Salat (His blessings) on you, and His Angels too (ask Allaah to bless & forgive you), that He may bring you out from darkness (of disbelief & polytheism) into light (of Belief and Islamic Monotheism)>> [2]

Furthermore, Allaah and His Angels send Salat upon those who teach the people goodness, as is in the Hadeeth:

((إن الله وملائكته ليصلون على معلم الناس الخير))

‘Indeed Allaah and His Angels send Salat upon those who teach the people goodness.’[3]

b) Shaykh ul-Islaam Ahmad bin AbdulHaleem Ibn Taymeeyah (d.728 A.H.) -Rahimullaah- said:

‘And regarding the Hadeeth: ‘Indeed Allaah and His Angels send Salat upon those who teach the people goodness.’ That this is because this person teaches goodness to take people out of darkness to light and reward is related to the action. This is why the Messenger was the most deserving of the people that he should have perfect Salat sent upon him, as Allaah Ta’ala said:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِيِّۚ

<< Indeed Allaah and His Angels send Salat on the Prophet. >>[4]

1 – The Excellence of Sending Salat wa Tasleem Upon the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam–

1 – From Abu Hurairah – Radi Allaahu anhu – who said: the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:

من صلَّى عليَّ صلاةً واحدةً؛ صلّى الله عليه عَشْراً

‘Whoever sends Salat upon me once, then Allaah sends Salam upon him ten-fold.’[5]

And in some of the different wordings collected by Tirmidhi:

من صلى عليَّ مرَّةً واحِدةً؛ كتبَ الله له بها عَشْرَ حَسَناتٍ

‘Whoever sends Salat upon me once, then Allaah writes ten good deeds for that person due to him sending Salat.’[6]

2 – From Anas bin Malik – Radi Allaahu anhu – that the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:

مَنْ ذُكِرْتُ عنده، فَلْيُصَلِّ عليَّ، ومَنْ صلَّى عليَّ مرةً؛ صلَّى الله عليه عشْراً

‘Whoever sends one Salat upon me; Allaah sends ten Salat upon him, and removes from him ten evil deeds due to it, and raises him ten grades due to it.’[7]

3 – From Abu Burdah bin Nayyar – Radi Allaahu anhu – who said: the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:

من صلّى عليَّ مِنْ أمتي صلاةً مخلصاً مِنْ قلبِه؛ صلَّى الله عليه بها عَشْر صلواتٍ، ورفعه بها عشْر درجاتٍ، وكتب له بها عشر حسناتٍ، ومحا عنه عشر سيِّئات

‘Whoever sends a Salat upon me from my Ummah sincerely from his heart, then Allaah sends ten Salat upon him due to it, and raises him ten grades due to it, and writes ten good deeds due to it. And removes ten bad deeds.’[8]

4 – From ‘Aamir bin Rabee’ah – Radi Allaahu anhu – who said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah giving a Khutbah and he said:

مَنْ صَلَّى عليَّ صلاةً؛ لم تَزَل الملائكةُ تُصَلِّي عليه ما صلى عليَّ، فليقلّ عبدٌ من ذلك، أو ليكثر

‘Whoever sends a Salat upon me, the Angels continue to send Salat upon him as long as he sends Salat upon me, so the slave of Allaah may send it a little or a lot.’[9]

5 – From Ubayy bin Ka’ab – Radi Allaahu anhu – who said: ‘The Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– used to, if a quarter of the night passed by, he would stand and say:

يا أيُّها الناسُ! اذْكُروا الله، جاءَتِ الراجِفَةُ، تَتْبَعُها الرادفة، جاء الموتُ بما فيه، جاء الموت بما فيه

‘O you people, remember Allaah, the first blowing of the horn (when all creation will die) has come, followed by the second blowing of the horn (when all of creation will be resurrected on the Day of Judgement), death came with what it contains, death came with what it contains.’

Ubayy bin Ka’ab said: I asked: O Messenger of Allaah indeed I send a lot of Salat upon you, so how much of my Dua’ should I make Salat upon you?’

The Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said: ‘However much you like.’

Ubayy said: ‘I asked: a quarter?’

He –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:

ما شئت، إن زدت فهو خيرٌ لك

‘Whatever you like, and if you do more, then that is good for you.’

I asked: ‘a half?’

He –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:

ما شِئْت، فإن زدتَ خيرٌ لك

‘Whatever you like, and if you do more, then that is good for you.’

I asked: ‘two thirds?’

He –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:

ما شِئت، وإن زدتَ فهو خيرٌ لك

‘Whatever you like, and if you do more, then that is good for you.’

I said: ‘I will make all my Dua’ for you.’

The Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:

إذاً تُكفى همَّك، ويغفر لك ذنبك

‘Then that what you desire of the Dunya and Hereafter is sufficient for you, and this Dua’ forgives for you your sins.’[10]

And in another narration:

‘A man said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what do you think if I made the whole of my Dua’ for you?’

The Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:

إذاً يكفيكَ الله تبارك وتعالى ما أهمك من دنياك وآخرتك

‘Then Allaah –Tabarak wa Ta’ala- will make sufficient for you what you desire from your Dunya and your Hereafter.’[11]

Explanation of the Hadeeth of Ubayy bin Ka’ab

Shamsuddeen Muhammad bin Abee Bakr Ibn Qayyim aj-Jawzeeyah (d.751 A.H.) -Rahimullaah- mentioned the hadeeth of Ubayy then he said:

‘Our Shaykh Abul Abbas [Ibn Taymeeyah] was asked about the Tafseer of this hadeeth and he said: ‘Ubayy bin Ka’ab used to have a supplication with which he would supplicate for himself, so he asked the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam–: ‘Shall I make a quarter of the Dua’ as Salat upon you?’

The Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said: ‘If you do more than that, then this is better for you.’

Ubayy asked the Prophet: ‘a half?’

The Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said: ‘If you do more than that, then this is better for you.’

Until Ubayy said: ‘Shall I make all my Salat for you?’ which means: shall I make all my Dua’ as Salat upon you?

So the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said: ‘Then your worries will be taken care of, and your sins will be forgiven.’

Because whoever sends Salat upon the Prophet, then Allaah sends ten times the Salat upon him due to that, and for whomsoever Allaah sends Salat upon him, then his worries will be taken care of, and his sins will be forgiven. That is the meaning of this hadeeth of the Prophet.’[12]

Ibn Taymeeyah commented on the Hadeeth of Ubayy bin Ka’ab

Shaykh ul-Islaam Ahmad bin AbdulHaleem Ibn Taymeeyah (d.728 A.H.) -Rahimullaah- mentions this hadeeth in ‘Majmoo al-Fatawa’ (1/349-350):

‘As for Ubayy bin Ka’ab saying: ‘shall I make some of my Salat for you.’ i.e. from Dua’, this is because Salat linguistically means Dua’.

Allaah Ta’ala said:

وَصَلِّ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ صَلَاتَكَ سَكَنٌ لَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

<<and invoke Allaah for them. Verily! Your invocations are a source of security for them, and Allaah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.>>[13]

The Prophet said: ‘O Allaah send Salat upon the family of Abee Awfaa.’

A woman said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah send Salat upon me and my husband.’ So the Messenger of Allaah said: ‘May Allaah send Salat upon you and upon your husband.’

Ibn Taymeeyah continues:

‘Hence, what Ubayy meant was: O Messenger of Allaah, indeed there is a Dua’ which I make, and I attain goodness due to it, and I repel evil due to it, so how much of this Dua’ should I make for you? He –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– answered: ‘However much you want.’ So when Ubayy said: I will make all my supplication for you.’ He –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said: ‘Then your worries will be taken care of, and your sins will be forgiven.’ and in another narration: ‘Then Allaah will take care of that what worries you from your worldly matters and your Hereafter.’

This is the goal that the human wants to attain when he supplicates for himself, in terms of gaining goodness, and repelling harm, because making Dua’ with this indeed makes you achieve what you want, and drives away dreadful things.’[14]

6 – From Ka’ab bin Ujrah – Radi Allaahu anhu – who said: the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said: ‘Bring the Mimber’[15] So we brought it, when the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– took one step he said: ‘Ameen.’

Then when he took the second step he said: ‘Ameen.’

When the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– came down, we said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, we heard something from you today which we never used to hear.’

The Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:

إنَّ جبريلَ عَرَضَ لي فقال: بَعُدَ من أدْرك رمضان، فلم يُغفر له، قلت: (آمين)، فلما رقيتُ الثانية قال: بَعُدَ من ذُكِرْتَ عنده، فلم يُصَلِّ عليكَ. فقلت: (آمين)، فلما رَقيتُ الثالث قال: بَعُدَ من أدرك أبويه الكبرُ عنده أو أحدَهما، فلم يدخلاه الجنَّة، قلت: (آمين)

‘Indeed Jibra’eel presented himself to me and said: ‘Whoever comes across Ramadan and is not forgiven due to it. So I said Ameen. When I stepped up on to the second step Jibra’eel said: May whoever when you are mentioned and Salat is not sent upon you be rejected. So I said Ameen. When I stepped on the third step, Jibra’eel said: Whoever has two old parents or one of them, and does not enter Paradise due to them is rejected. So I said Ameen.’[16]

2 – Amount of Reward for Sending Salat

1 – Abu Talha said: ‘Indeed the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– came out to the people one day, and they recognized the happiness on his face, so they said: ‘Indeed we know that now there is happiness on your face O Messenger of Allaah.’

He –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:

أجل أتاني الآن آت من ربي فأخبرني أنه لن يصلي علي أحد من أمتي إلا ردها الله عليه عشر أمثالها

‘Yes, someone just came to me from my Lord and informed me that there is none from my Ummah who sends Salat upon me once except that Allaah returns to him the like of it by ten times.’[17]

2 – AbdurRahmaan ibn Auf – Radi Allaahu anhu – said: ‘There were four or five from the Companions of the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– who would not separate themselves from the shadow of the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– whether in the day or night because they used to take it in turn to serve his needs. I came to see him and found that he had already left, so I followed him. He –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– entered one of the gardens of Madeenah and began praying and he made a very long Sajdah. I became sad, cried and said: ‘I see that Allaah has taken the soul of the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam–, then he –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– raised his head, so I could see him, and he called me and said: ‘What is wrong?’

I said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah you had made a very long Sajdah, and I became sad, cried and said I see that Allaah has taken his soul.’

The Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:

هذه سجدة سجدتها شكرا لربي فيما آتاني في أمتي من صلى علي صلاة كتب الله له عشر حسنات

‘This Sajdah that I made was a Sajdah for Shukr (thankfulness) to my Lord for what He gave for my Ummah, so whoever sends a Salat upon me, Allaah writes ten good deeds for him.’[18]

The wording in [Saheeh Targheeb no. 1658 / p.289-290] is:

From AbdurRahman bin Auf – Radi Allaahu anhu – who said: the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– went out so I followed him until he went into some date palm trees and made Sajdah, which he lengthened so much so that I became afraid or was terrified that Allaah had caused him to die – that Allaah had taken him – so I came to see and the Messenger –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– raised his head and said: ‘What is wrong with you O AbdurRahman?’ So I mentioned to him what I thought and he said:

إنَّ جبريلَ قال لي: ألا أبشِّرك أنّ الله عزَّ وجلَّ يقول: مَنْ صلّى عليْك صلَّيت عليه، ومن سلَّم عليك سلَّمت عليه، -زاد في رواية- فسجدت لله شكراً

‘Indeed Jibra’eel said to me: ‘Shall I not give you good news, that Allaah –Azza wa Jall- says: ‘Whoever sends praise upon you, I send praise upon him, and whoever sends sallams upon you, then I send sallams upon him, – and in extra wording – ‘I prostrated in thankfulness to Allaah.’[19]

3 – From Abu Hurairah who said that the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam– said:

(صلُّوا عليَّ؛ فإنَّ صلاتكم عليَّ زكاةٌ لكُم، وسلُوا الله لي الوسيلة)

‘Send Salat upon me, since indeed your salat upon me is Zakat for you, and ask Allaah for intercession for me.’[20]

[1] Soorah Ahzab: 56

[2] Soorah Ahzab: 43

[3] Minhaj as-Sunnah 4/604 – Tafseer 5/p.258

[4] Soorah Ahzab: 56

[5] [Collected by Muslim, Abu Dawood, Nisa’ee, Tirmidhi & Ibn Hibban. Albaani graded it Saheeh in ‘Saheeh Targheeb wa Tarheeb’ 2/288/1656]

[6] [Albaani graded it Hasan Saheeh in ‘Saheeh Targheeb wa Tarheeb’ 2/288/1656]

[7] [Collected by Ahmad, Nisa’ee and Ibn Hibban. Albaani graded it Saheeh in ‘Saheeh Targheeb wa Tarheeb’ 2/288/1657]

[8] [Collected by Nisa’ee, Tabraani and Bazaar. Albaani graded it Hasan Saheeh in ‘Saheeh Targheeb wa Tarheeb’ 2/290/1659]

[9] [Collected by Ahmad, Ibn Abi Shayba & Ibn Majah – Albaani graded it Hasan lighayrihi in ‘Saheeh Targheeb wa Tarheeb’ 2/294/1669]

[10] [Collected by Ahmad, Tirmidhi & Hakim – Albaani graded it Hasan Saheeh in ‘Saheeh Targheeb wa Tarheeb’ 2/294/1670]

[11] [‘Saheeh Targheeb wa Tarheeb’ 2/295]

[12] Jala –al-Ifhaam (p.78-79)

[13] [Tawbah: 103]

[14] From ‘Samma’aat Ibn al-Qayyim min Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah’ p.158-160

[15] A raised platform from where the Imam gives a Khutbah.

[16] Collected by Hakim – Albaani graded it Saheeh lighayrihi in ‘Saheeh Targheeb wa Tarheeb’ 2/298/1677

[17] [Collected by Ahmad, Nisa’ee and Ibn Hibban. Albaani said: ‘Hadeeth is Saheeh due to the collective narrations.’ ‘Fadl as-Salat ala Nabi –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam’ (p.22 (1)]

[18] [Collected by Ahmad & Hakim. Albaani said: ‘Hadeeth is Saheeh due its narrations and supporting hadeeth.’ ‘Fadl as-Salat ala Nabi –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam’ (p.27 (10)]

[19] [Collected by Ahmad, al-Hakim & he said: ‘It has an authentic Isnaad.’]

[20] Collected by Imam Isma’eel bin Ishaq al-Qaadi in ‘Fadl as-Salat ala Nabi’ and declared Hasan by Albaani in Saheehah no. 3268

Part 2 – The Excellence of the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa Salam

The Excellence of the Prophet

Explanation of the Hadeeth of Ubayy bin Ka’ab

Ibn Taymeeyah commented on the Hadeeth of Ubayy bin Ka’ab

2 – Amount of Reward for Sending Salat