The Order to Send Salah and Salam on Allah's Noble Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam.

 

Calls from the Most Merciful

 

Text: al-Jazairi, Jabir. Calls from the Most Merciful. Translated by Zahra Bainter. Karachi: Darul-Ishaat, 2003.

 

64th Call[1]

The Order to Send Salah and Salam on Allah’s Noble Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him. O believers! Invoke Allah’s blessings upon him, and salute him with worth greetings of peace.

Surah al-Ahzab 33:56

 

Disclaimer

Except where it is mentioned by Jazairi, this discussion will not focus on fiqh issues to do with the salah and salam upon the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, which have been examined in detail in Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi’s Tafhim al-Qur’an, Mufti Muhammad Shafi’s Ma’ariful Quran, and Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf’s Tafsir Ahsanul-Bayan. Moreover, the discussion also will not include exploring the many hadiths about the topic, as has been done in Ibn Kathir’s Tafsir and Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s The Study Quran.

 

The Salah and Salam Upon the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam.

 اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

O Allah, exalt the mention of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as you exalted the family of Ibrahim. You are Praised and Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed the family of Ibrahim. You are Praised and Glorious.[2]

 

Notes

o   Jazairi mentions this ayah as a command and says that it is peculiar since it mentions Allah’s action first, before the angels and the believers.[3] Qutb states that while the salah and salam of humans cannot compare to that of Allah and the angels, Allah gave us this command to honour the believers.[4] Usmani says that salah means mercy, so sending mercy on the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam,  entails “admiration and esteem with mercy and kindness.”[5]

o   The ayah demonstrates the lofty status of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam.[6] Qutb affirms that the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, has a sublime position, as “the whole universe echoes God’s praise of His Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam. No honour can be greater than this.”[7] Moreover, Abdullah Yusuf Ali says, “Allah and His angels honour and bless the Holy Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, as the greatest of men. We are asked to honour and bless him all the more because he took upon himself to suffer the sorrow and afflictions of this life in order to guide us to Allah’s Mercy and the highest inner Life.”[8]

o   There is a consensus among scholars that invoking salah on the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, is a sunnah in Islam;[9] and that “this deed is a source of everlasting goodness and felicity.”[10] Ahmad ibn Ajibah says, “[f]rom a spiritual perspective, invoking blessings upon the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, is essential for drawing closer to God. Increasing invocation of blessings upon the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, therefore engenders love for him, which in turn engenders love for God, and God’s Love for the human being attracts the human being to His Presence.”[11]

o   “How could we possibly fathom the depth of this ocean of goodness.”[12]

o   Allah’s salah and salam is His praising him and proclaiming His goodwill and pleasure on the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam.[13] Qutb says it means “God praises him to those on high.”[14] Moreover, As-Sa’di asserts that this is because Allah loves him.[15] While Usmani states that Allah’s salah means sending His mercy.[16]

o   Angels’ salah and salam invokes Allah to grant the prophet all good and to pardon him.[17] Qutb says that it means that the angels pray to God for him.[18] While Usmani says it means that they are asking for forgiveness for the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam.[19]

o   Sufyan ath-Thawri said, “The salah of the Lord is mercy, and the salah of the angels is their seeking forgiveness.”[20]

o   Believers’ salah and salam acknowledges the prophet’s greatness and requests Allah’s blessings upon him.[21] Usmani states that it means that the believers are praying for the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam.[22] Humans can only send salah and salam to the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, by calling upon Allah to help them do so; hence, al-Kashani explains that “from a metaphysical perspective, in all modes of asking blessing upon the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, it is only God Who invokes blessings upon him.”[23] Moreover, Usmani concurs saying that it is Allah’s mercy that He grants believers the ability to send salah and salam on the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, and he receives them, as in every condition the Sender of mercy is He alone.”[24]

o   It is obligatory for a believer to send salah and salam on the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, at least once in their lifetime.[25] As-Sa’di emphasises that “[t]his command to send blessings and salutations upon Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, is prescribed at all times.”[26]

o   The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, said: “But invoke blessings on me, for your blessings reach me wherever you may be.”[27] Professor Ahmad Hasan explains that it is not necessary to visit the grave of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, to give him salah and salam: “one should invoke blessings on him from one’s residence.”[28] The Study Qur’an states that “invoking sayings upon the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, is not a benefit for the Prophet, but for the believers themselves.”[29]

o   Finally, Jazairi mentions that the salah and salam should be recited at the beginning and the end of du’as, on Thursday nights and throughout Fridays, and in khutbahs like on Fridays and on both eids;[30] as well as, whenever the Prophet’s, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, name is mentioned.[31]

 

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[1] Jabir al-Jazairi, Calls from the Most Merciful (Karachi: Darul-Ishaat, 2003), 399-403.

 

[2] Muhammad ibn Ismail Al-Bukhari, The Translation of Sahih Al-Bukhari, trans. Muhammad Muhsin Khan (Riyadh: Maktaba Darussalam, 1997), 8:204, no. 6357; Muslim bin Al-Hajjaj, English Translation of Sahih Muslim, translated by Nasiruddin Al-Khattab, ed. Huda Khattab (Riyadh: Maktaba Darussalam, 2007), 1:517, no. 908 (406).

 

[3] al-Jazairi, Calls from the Most Merciful, 399.

 

[4] Sayyid Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, trans. Adil Salahi & Ashur Shamis (Leicester: The Islamic Foundation, 2001), 14:110.

 

[5] Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, The Noble Qur’an: Tafseer-e-Usmani, trans. Mohammad Ashfaq Ahmad (New Delhi: Islamic Book Service, 1999), 3:1859.

 

[6] al-Jazairi, Calls from the Most Merciful, 399.

 

[7] Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, 14:110.

 

[8] Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’an: Text, Translation and Commentary, New rev. ed. (Brentwood: Amana Corporation, 1989), 1076, fn. 3761.

 

[9] Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi, Towards Understanding the Qur’an, trans. Zafar Ishaq Ansari (Leicester: The Islamic Foundation, 2009), 9:97.

 

[10] al-Jazairi, Calls from the Most Merciful, 400.

 

[11] Seyyed Hossein Nasr, ed., The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary (New York: HarperOne, 2015), 1037.

 

[12] al-Jazairi, Calls from the Most Merciful, 400.

 

[13] Ibid.

 

[14] Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, 14:110.

 

[15] Abdur-Rahman Nasir as-Sa’di, Tafseer as-Sa’di, trans. Nasiruddin al-Khattab, ed. Huda Khattab (Riyadh: International Islamic Publishing House, 2018), 8:56.

 

[16] Usmani, Tafseer-e-Usmani, 3:1860.

 

[17] al-Jazairi, Calls from the Most Merciful, 401.

 

[18] Qutb, In the Shade of the Qur’an, 14:110.

 

[19] Usmani, Tafseer-e-Usmani, 3:1860.

 

[20] Abu al-Fida Ismail ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir Abridged, abr. Safiur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, 2nd ed. (Riyadh: Maktaba Dar-us-Salam, 2003), 8:31.

 

[21] al-Jazairi, Calls from the Most Merciful, 401.

 

[22] Usmani, Tafseer-e-Usmani, 3:1860.

 

[23] Nasr, The Study Quran, 1036.

 

[24] Usmani, Tafseer-e-Usmani, 3:1860.

 

[25] al-Jazairi, Calls from the Most Merciful, 401.

 

[26] as-Sa’di, Tafseer as-Sa’di, 8:56.

 

[27] Abu Dawud Sulaiman ibn Ash’ath, English Translation of Sunan Abu Dawud, trans. Yaser Qadhi (Riyadh: Maktaba Darussalam, 2008), 2:496, no. 2042. Graded isnad hasan by Hafiz Abu Tahir Zubair Ali Za’i and sahih by Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani.

 

[28] Ahmad Hasan, trans., Sunan Abu Dawud (New Delhi: Kitab Bhavan, 1990), 2:542-543, no. 2037, fn. 1357.

 

[29] Nasr, The Study Quran, 1037.

 

[30] al-Jazairi, Calls from the Most Merciful, 402.

 

[31] Ibid. 401.