1. It is completely within the Shari'ah to recite Salutations and
Blessings upon Allah's Messenger (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) as is evident in the following Quranic verse:
"Undoubtedly, Allah and His Angels send blessings on
the Prophet (the Communicator of Unseen News), O you who believe!
Send upon him blessings and salute him
fully well in abundance". (Surah al-Ahzab, Verse 56)
2. Here, in the above verse, Allah Ta’ala at the very outset
attributed Salawat (recital of blessings) on our Beloved
Nabi Hazrat Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), first to
Himself (Sunnat-i-Ilaahi), then to His Angels
(Sunnat-i-Malaa'ika), and after this enjoined on the Muslims
(Sunnat-i-Mu'mineen) to do the same.
3. It is stated in the commentary of the Qur'aan,
"Tafseer-i-Rooh al-Bayaan": "Some 'Ulama are of the opinion that
the meaning of Allah's blessing is to raise Hazrat Muhammad
Mustapha (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to
Maqaam-i-Mahmood (Glorious Station), the place from where he will
intercede to Almighty Allah on behalf of his
Ummat; the Angels' blessing means their prayer for enhancing the
position of Hazrat Muhammad Mustapha
(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) and beseeching forgiveness for his
followers. Blessings on the path of the believers
means to obey, love and eulogize him."
4. The honour and reverance shown to Hazrat Muhammad (sallal laahu
alaihi wasallam) is of a much greater
degree than shown to Hazrat Adam (alaihis salaam) to whom only
Angels were made to bow down (in honour).
For in honouring Hazrat Muhammad Mustapha (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) Allah Ta’ala has also attributed it to
Himself, whereas in the case of Hazrat Adam (alaihis salaam) Allah
Ta’ala asked only the Angels to show
honour.
5. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said:
"Increase your recitation of DUROOD on me on Friday
because on this day Angels present themselves to me. There is no
servant of Allah who recites SALUTATIONS
upon me, except that his voice reaches me from wherever he
is". The Companions asked even after your
departure? He replied, "Yes after my departure too, because
Allah has made it Haraam upon the earth to
consume the bodies of the Prophets". (Jila-ul Ifhaam)
6. "On Fridays recite the Salawat for me repeatedly! The
Salawat will be conveyed to me." (Ibn Habbaan, Ibn
Majah) When it was asked whether the Salawat would be conveyed to
him after his Wisaal also, the Prophet
(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) answered, "Soil does not rot
Prophets' bodies. Whenever a Muslim says the
Salawat for me, an Angel informs me of it and says, 'So-and-so's
son, so-and-so of your Ummah sent his
Salaam and prayed for you.'"
7. Allah's Messenger (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) came out and
met Hazrat Abu Talha (radi Allahu anhu). The
latter rose and went to him saying: "My father and mother be
sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah! I see joy
and delight in your countenance?" The Prophet (sallallahu
'alaihi wasallam) said: "Yes, for Gabriel has just come
to me saying: ‘O Muhammad, whoever among your Community
invokes blessings upon you once, Allah records
for Him ten meritorious deeds, erases from his register ten evil
deeds, and raises him ten degrees because of
it’." (al-Sakhawi, al-Qawl al-Badi)
8. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said:
"Invoke blessings upon me abundantly on Friday because it
is a day that is (particularly) witnessed and the Angels witness
it (abundantly). As soon as a person invokes
blessings on me his invocation is shown to me until he ends
it." Hazrat Abu al-Darda' (radi Allahu anhu) said:
"Even after (your) death?" The Prophet (sallal laahu
alaihi wasallam) replied: "Verily, Allah has forbidden the
earth to consume the bodies of Prophets." (Ibn Majah)
9. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) says in a
Hadith, "Definitely there are many Angels of Allah that
sojourn the earth and bring the Salaam of my Ummat to me".
(Nisaai; Ibn Habban)
10. Hazrat 'Abd ar-Rahman bin 'Auf (radi Allahu anhu) says that
one day the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) came and entered a date garden. There he performed a
very long prostration. Hazrat 'Abd ar-
Rahman (radi Allahu anhu) feared that Allah Ta’ala had caused him
to leave this world. He drew close to him
and began to look at him. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) raised his holy head from the
prostration and asked what had happened to him. He disclosed his
fear to him. At this, the Holy Prophet (sallal
laahu alaihi wasallam) said that Hazrat Jibra'il (alaihis salaam)
asked whether he should not give him glad
tidings that Allah Ta’ala said that He would send blessings to the
person who recited the Holy Qur'an on him
and peace and security to the person who bade Salutations to him.
(Ahmad)
11. These are just a few Ahaadith. It is established beyond any
doubt that the recitation of Salawat and Salaam has
its origin in the Quran and Hadith.
12. Some people say that it is wrong to send Salaam to the Prophet
(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) in the form of a
Naat (Verses in Praise of the Prophet).
13. Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) had amongst his
Ashaab, poets who used to refute the slanders of the
enemies and eulogize (praise) the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu
alaihi wasallam). Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) liked the poetry of Hazrat Hassan ibn Thabit (radi
Allahu anhu) the most. He offered the Mimbar to
Hazrat Hassan (radi Allahu anhu), who would censure the enemies
and praise Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) on the Mimbar. Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) on hearing the poetry of Hazrat Hassan
(radi Allahu anhu) prayed, "Allahumma ayyidhu bi rooh hil
Qudus!" (O Allah, let the holy spirit (Jibrael) be his
helper (in recitation) (Mishkaat)
14. When Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) made Hijra and
entered Madina, the people sang out, "Tala`a
al-badru `alayna, Min thaniyyat al-wada`, Wajaba al-shukru
`alayna, Ma da`a lillahi da`". Ulama from time immemorial have been
writing and reciting Naat and Qasaa'id in Praise of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu
alaihi wasallam) in a variety of languages.
15. Some people say that it is wrong to send Salawat and Salaam
because those who read Salaam put a chair in the gathering and say that the
Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is sitting on the chair whilst the
Salaam is being read. The curse of Allah is on those liars! No true Muslim has
ever done such a thing.
