An Exposition of its Virtue, Meaning, Method, and Some Writings on the Subject
By ‘Abdul-Muhsin ibn Hamad al-‘Abbaad
Translated by Aboo Shaybah
- This essay was originally a lecture delivered at the Islaamic University of Madeenah by ash-Shaykh ‘Abdul-Muhsin al-‘Abbaad, later transcribed and published in the university’s Journal in the Rajab, 1394H issue. It can also be found in the published collection of the Shaykh’s written works, Kutub wa Rasaa’il ‘Abdil-Muhsin ibn Hamad al-‘Abbaad al-Badr (6/57-79).
In it, he defined the meanings of both salaah and salaam, and cited several narrations which describe the virtues and methods of invoking them upon the Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam. He also briefly discussed some weak and fabricated narrations which are found in a book entitled Dalaa’il al-Khayraat which is in wide circulation in many parts of the world and has been translated into various languages as well. It is worthwhile to note that the aforementioned book has been translated into English several times and published under titles including: “Dala’il al-Khayrat,” “The Waymarks of Benefits,” “Guide to Goodness: Imam Jazuli’s Dala’il al-Khayrat,” and other titles as well. Hence, the discussion of the book is pertinent not only to the original Arabic, but also to its existing English translations.
In the name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy
All praise is due to Allaah, the Lord of all creation; the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy; Master and Owner of the Day of Judgement. O Allaah, send salaah upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, just as you have sent salaah upon Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem. Indeed, You are the Most Praiseworthy and Most Glorious. O Allaah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, just as You blessed Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem. Verily, You are the Most Praiseworthy and Most Glorious. O Allaah, be pleased with the noble Companions and those who followed them in good.
The blessings of Allaah upon His worshipping servants are certainly far too many to be enumerated. The most profound favor bestowed by Allaah upon the thaqalayn – jinn and humans – is that, in their midst, He sent His servant, Messenger, khaleel, beloved one, and the most elite of His creation – Muhammad Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam – in order to bring them out of darkness and into the light; to deliver them from the disgrace of worshipping the creation to the dignity of worshipping the Creator I; to guide them to the path of salvation and happiness, and caution them from the paths of destruction and distress. Allaah emphasized this tremendous blessing and momentous favor in His noble Book saying,
“Indeed, Allaah conferred a great favor upon the believers by sending among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting unto them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom, while they had been in manifest error before that.” [Soorah Aali ‘Imraan (3):164]. And He I said,
“He is the One that sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth so that it may be superior to all religions. And Allaah is sufficient as a witness.” [Soorah Al-Fath (48):28].
The Messenger of Allaah, may the best salaah and salaam be upon him, communicated the message, fulfilled the trust, and sincerely advised the Ummah, all in the most complete, perfect way. He gave glad tidings and also cautioned; directing to all things good, and warning against everything evil. While he Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam was at ‘Arafah – a short time before he passed away – Allaah I sent revelation to him Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam saying,
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and chosen Islaam as a religion for you.” [Soorah al-Maa’idah (5):3]. The Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam had utmost care and concern for the well-being of the Ummah as Allaah stated, emphasizing the admirable characteristics which He bestowed upon him,
“There has indeed come to you a Messenger from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should suffer. He is concerned about you, and is to the believers kind and merciful.” [Soorah at-Tawbah (9):128].
The duty of Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam to the Ummah is that he convey the message, fulfill the trust, and sincerely advise them, as Allaah I said,
“And the Messenger’s duty is only to convey the message clearly.” [Soorah al-Mu’minoon (24):54, Soorah al-‘Ankaboot (29):18]. And He I said,
“Is the duty of the Messengers anything but conveying the message clearly?” [Soorah an-Nahl (16):35].
Al-Bukhaaree reported in his Saheeh that az-Zuhree said, “The message is from Allaah, delivery is the role of the Messenger, and our duty is to comply.” The Muslim’s happiness undoubtedly lies in his compliance and submission to whatever the Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam brought, as Allaah I said,
“But no, by your Lord, they do not truly believe until they make you judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no hesitance about your decisions, and accept them with full submission.” [Soorah an-Nisaa’ (4):65]. He I further said,
“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into clear error.” [Soorah al-Ahzaab (33):36] And He I said,
“Do not make your calling the Messenger among yourselves the way you call one another. Allaah already knows those of you who slip away, concealed by others. So let those who oppose the Messenger’s commandment beware lest some affliction strike them or a painful torment be inflicted upon them.” [Soorah an-Noor (24):63].
When is Worship Valid?
Worship of Allaah is only acceptable to Him, and profitable for the worshipper before Him, when it comprises two essential conditions:
1) The act of worship be sincerely devoted to Allaah, and no share of it is given to anything else whatsoever; for just as Allaah has no partner in His dominion, He likewise has no partner in acts of worship. Allaah I has said,
“And the places of prostration belong to Allaah, so do not invoke anyone along with Allaah.” [Soorah al-Jinn (72):18]. He I also stated,
“Say: Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allaah, Lord of all creation; He has no partner. With this I have been commanded, and I am the first of those who submit as Muslims.” [Soorah al-An‘aam (6):162-163].
2) The act of worship must be in accordance with the Sharee‘ah (i.e. set of laws) brought by Muhammad, the Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam, as Allaah I stated,
“And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain from it.” [Soorah al-Hashr (59):7]. And Allaah I said,
“Say: If you truly love Allaah then follow me; Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is the Most Forgiving and Merciful.” [Soorah Aali ‘Imraan (3):31].
In a hadeeth collected by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim, ‘Aa’ishah z reported that the Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam said, “Whoever innovates in this matter of ours something that is not from it shall have it rejected,” and in a narration collected by Muslim, “Whoever does a deed which does not conform to our command shall have it rejected.” He Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam also said, “You must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafaa‘ (caliphs) after me. Bite onto it with your molar teeth, and beware of newly invented affairs. For indeed, every newly invented thing is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance.”
Since Allaah I sending His Messenger Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam is such a tremendous blessing for the believers, He ordered them in His noble Book to send salaah and abundant salaam upon him. Furthermore, this came after informing them that He and His angels send salaah upon him. Allaah I has said,
“Indeed, Allaah and His angels send salaah upon the Prophet. O you who believe! Invoke salaah and abundant salaam upon him.” [Soorah al-Ahzaab (33):56]. Also, in the pure Sunnah, the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam explained the excellence of sending salaah upon him, as well as the manner of doing so, and other related rulings.
I will now discuss the meaning and virtue of salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam, explain the manner of doing it, and then make mention of some works written about this act of worship. I ask Allaah I for success and correctness.
The Meaning of Salaah Upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam
The salaah of Allaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam refers to His praise of him in the presence of the angels, whereas salaah of the angels upon him refers to their supplication for him. This explanation was given by Abul-‘Aaliyah, as quoted by al-Bukhaaree in his Saheeh at the beginning of the chapter entitled “Indeed, Allaah and His angels send salaah upon the Prophet. O you who believe! Invoke salaah and abundant salaam upon him.” After citing the explanation of Abul-‘Aaliyah about the
salaah of the angels, al-Bukhaaree added that ibn ‘Abbaas explained, “‘Invoke salaah’ means:
supplicate for blessings upon [the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam].”
The salaah of Allaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam has also been explained by certain scholars as meaning forgiveness and mercy, as reported by al-Haafith ibn Hajar in al-Fath. However, he indicated that this was not entirely accurate and he then said
The most appropriate view is what preceded from Abul-‘Aaliyah: the salaah of Allaah upon His Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam means His praise and commendation of him, whereas the salaah upon [the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam] from the angels and anyone else refers to requesting that praise and commendation for him from Allaah I. However, what is intended by their request here is seeking an increase in the salaah sent upon him [by Allaah] and not actually initiating salaah.
Al-Haafith further noted
Al-Haleemee said in ash-Shu‘ab, ‘The meaning of salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam is to extol him. Hence, the meaning of our saying ‘O Allaah send salaah upon Muhammad’ is: extol Muhammad. This refers to extolling him in this world by raising his mention, making his religion manifest, and causing his legislation to remain. It also refers to extolling him in the hereafter by giving him bountiful reward, allowing his intercession for the Ummah, and showing his excellence by way of the praiseworthy place of standing (al-maqaam al-mahmood). Thus, the intent of Allaah saying ‘Invoke salaah upon him’ is: pray to your Lord to send salaah upon him.’
In his book Jalaa‘ al-Afhaam fis-Salaah was-Salaam ‘alaa Khayr al-Anaam, the tremendous erudite scholar, ibn al-Qayyim, discussed the meaning of the salaah of Allaah and the angels upon the Messenger Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam, as well as Allaah ordering His believing worshippers to send salaah upon him. After proving the falsity of the explanation which states that its meaning is mercy and forgiveness, he said Rather, the salaah commanded in it – i.e. the verse in Soorah al-Ahzaab – is asking Allaah for His salaah and the salaah of His angels which He mentioned. It refers to praising [the Messenger Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam], manifesting his excellence and nobility, honoring him and drawing him near. It comprises a notification (khabar) and a request (talab), and this request and invocation from us is called salaah upon him for two reasons: Firstly, when someone invokes salaah upon him, it comprises praising him and extolling his excellence and superiority, while also desiring and loving that Allaah do that as well. Thus, it contains a notification [when you mention his excellence] as well as a request [asking Allaah to praise him as well]. Secondly, it is named salaah from us because of our asking Allaah to send salaah upon [the Messenger Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam]. Therefore, the salaah of Allaah upon [the Messenger Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam] is praising him, raising his mention, and drawing him near, whereas our salaah upon him is our asking Allaah to do that for him.
The Meaning of Salaam Upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam
As for the meaning of salaam upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam, al-Majd al-Fayroozaabaadee said in his book, As-Silaat wal-Bishr fis-Salaah ‘alaa Khayr al-Bashar,
Its meaning is: ‘may salaam – which is one of the names of Allaah I – be upon you.’ In other words: ‘may you not be deprived of goodness and blessings, and may you be protected from adversities and harms.’ A name of Allaah is only mentioned on something in the hopes of it having every form of good and blessing, as well as being free of deficiency and anything detrimental. Salaam also carries the meaning of safety and protection. In other words: ‘may Allaah decree safety for you,’ meaning that you be protected from any fault or defect. Thus, when you say, ‘O Allaah, send salaam upon Muhammad,’ the full intended meaning is, ‘O Allaah, grant Muhammad safety and protection from every type of shortcoming in his Da‘wah, his Ummah, and his mention.’ Hence, with the passage of time, his Da‘wah would increase in superiority, his Ummah would grow plentifully, and his mention would be exalted.
How to Send Salaah Upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam
As for the method of sending salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam, the Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam explained that to his Companions when they asked him about it. Thus, the method was narrated via numerous routes from a number of Companions y. Here, I will mention those in the two Saheeh collections or at least in one of them.
Al-Bukhaaree reported in Kitaab al-Anbiyaa’ of his Saheeh that ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Abee Laylaa said: Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah met me and said, “Shall I not present to you a gift which I heard from the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam?” I responded, “Of course. By all means, present it to me.” He then said, “We asked the Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam saying ‘O Messenger of Allaah! How is salaah to be sent upon you – the people of your household? Indeed, Allaah taught us how to send salaam.’ He replied, ‘Say:
O Allaah, send salaah upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, just as You have sent salaah upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of Ibraaheem. Indeed, You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allaah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, just as You have blessed Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem. Indeed, You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.’”
Al-Bukhaaree also collected the hadeeth of Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah, in Kitaab at-Tafseer of his Saheeh, in explaining Soorah al-Ahzaab with the wording: It was said, “O Messenger of Allaah! As for sending salaam upon you, we know how to do it. However how is salaah to be sent upon you?” He said, “Say:
O Allaah, send salaah upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, just as You have sent salaah upon the family of Ibraaheem. Indeed, You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allaah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, just as You have blessed the family of Ibraaheem. Indeed, You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.” Al-Bukhaaree also collected it in Kitaab ad-Da‘awaat of his Saheeh, and Muslim reported this hadeeth from Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah t from a number of routes.
Al-Bukhaaree further collected in Kitaab ad-Da‘awaat of his Saheeh that Aboo Sa‘eed al-Khudree said: We said, “O Messenger of Allaah! This is the salaam upon you. But how do we send salaah [upon you]?” He replied, “Say:
O Allaah, send salaah upon Muhammad, Your worshipping slave and Messenger, just as You sent salaah upon Ibraaheem. And bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, just as You blessed Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem.” Al-Bukhaaree also collected it from him in the Tafseer of Soorah al-Ahzaab.
Al-Bukhaaree collected in Kitaab al-Anbiyaa’ of his Saheeh from Aboo Humayd as-Saa‘idee t that they said, “O Messenger of Allaah! How do we send salaah upon you?” The Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam replied, “Say:
O Allaah, send salaah upon Muhammad, his wives and his offspring, just as You have sent salaah upon the family of Ibraaheem. And bless Muhammad, his wives and his offspring, just as You blessed the family of Ibraaheem. Indeed, You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.” He also reported it from him in Kitaab ad-Da‘awaat with a wording similar to this one, and Muslim collected this hadeeth from Aboo Humayd t in his Saheeh as well.
In addition, Muslim reported in his Saheeh that Aboo Mas‘ood al-Ansaaree t said, “The Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam came to us while we were in the gathering of Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubaadah. Then, Basheer ibn Sa‘d said to him, ‘Allaah ordered us to send salaah upon you. How do we do this?’ The Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam remained quiet, so much so that we wished that he had not asked him. Then, the Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam said, ‘Say:
O Allaah, send salaah upon Muhammad, and the family of Muhammad, just as You sent salaah upon Ibraaheem. And bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, just as You have blessed the family of Ibraaheem among the nations. Indeed, You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.’ And the salaam is as you already know.”
These are the places where this hadeeth has been reported in either one of both of the two Saheeh collections. It is reported through four companions: Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah, Aboo Sa‘eed al-Khudree, Aboo Humayd as-Saa‘idee, and Aboo Mas‘ood al-Ansaaree. Both al-Bukhaaree and Muslim collected the hadeeth of Ka‘b and Aboo Humayd. Only Al-Bukhaaree collected the hadeeth of Aboo Sa‘eed, while only Muslim collected the hadeeth of Aboo Mas‘ood al-Ansaaree. The narrations from these four Companions have also been collected by other than al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. Aboo Daawood, at-Tirmithee, an-Nasaa’ee, ibn Maajah, al-Imaam Ahmad, and ad-Daarimee all collected it from Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah. An-Nasaa’ee and ibn Maajah collected it from Aboo Sa‘eed al-Khudree. Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa’ee, and ibn Maajah collected it from Aboo Humayd. Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa’ee, and ad-Daarimee collected it from Aboo Mas‘ood al-Ansaaree.
Another group of Companions, apart from the preceding four, also narrated the method of sending salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam. Among them are Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydillaah, Aboo Hurayrah, Buraydah ibn al-Haseeb, and ibn Mas‘ood, may Allaah be pleased with them all.
The Most Superior Manner of Sending Salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam
This manner which he Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam taught his Companions when they asked him about how to send salaah upon him is the most excellent and complete form, as it combines salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam and his family along with salaah upon Ibraaheem Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam and his family. Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar is one of the scholars who stated that the best method was the one contained in the reply given by the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam. He stated in Fath al-Baaree (11/166)
Based on the fact that [the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam] taught this method to his Companions when they inquired, it can be concluded that it is the best method of sending salaah upon him because he would not choose for himself anything less than the best and most virtuous. Hence, if someone swore an oath that he would send the best possible form of salaah upon [the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam], then the way to fulfilling the oath is to do so [using that method].
He mentioned that an-Nawawee supported that fact in ar-Rawdah, and he cited other methods which would fulfill such an oath. He then continued
The evidences indicate that [such an oath] would be fulfilled by what is in the hadeeth reported by Aboo Hurayrah t, ‘Whoever would be happy to give full measure when he sends salaah upon us, let him say: O Allaah send salaah upon Muhammad, the Prophet; and his wives, the mothers of the believers; and his children, and the members of his household, just as You sent salaah upon Ibraaheem…’ and Allaah knows best.
Two Abbreviated Forms of Salaah and Salaam
It was the practice of the righteous Salaf, the scholars of hadeeth being among them, to include salaah and salaam whenever the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam was mentioned by using two short forms: sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and ‘alayhis-salaatu wassalaam. The books of hadeeth literature abound with these two forms, and all praise is due to Allaah. In fact, in their books, they advised that this always be done in the most complete way by combining both salaah and salam upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam. Al-Imaam ibn as-Salaah in his book ‘Uloom al-Hadeeth commented,
[Anyone who records hadeeth] must be sure to write the salaah and salaam upon the Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam whenever mentioning him. He should not tire from its repetition, because it is one of the greatest immediate benefits obtained by the students and compilers of hadeeth, and anyone who neglects it has been greatly deprived…and when writing it he must avoid two deficiencies – a deficiency in the actual form of its writing, such as using abbreviations of two letters or the like, and a deficiency in its meaning, by neglecting to write wa sallam – despite its occurrence [without wa sallam] in the works of some early scholars.
An-Nawawee said in the book al-Athkaar, “When sending salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam, one must combine between salaah and salaam and not omit either of them. Thus, one should not say just sallallaahu ‘alaihi, or just ‘alayhissalaam.” Ibn Katheer reported this from him at the end of his tafseer for the verse from Soorah al-Ahzaab and then said, “What [an-Nawawee] stated is extracted from this noble verse, that being [Allaah’s] statement,
‘O you who believe! Invoke salaah and abundant salaam upon him.’ Hence, it is most fitting to say sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallama tasleeman.”
Al-Fayroozaabaadee said in his book As-Silaat wal-Bishr, “It is not proper to abbreviate salaah as done by some lazy, ignorant people or the lay students where they write (sal‘am) instead of sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.”
The Excellence of Sending Salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam
There are very many ahaadeeth about the merit of sending salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam. Al-Haafith Ismaa‘eel ibn Ishaaq al-Qaadee gathered them in a book devoted to that topic. Al-Haafith ibn Hajar, in Fath al-Baaree (11/167), cited the sound narrations regarding the virtue of sending salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam when he explained the hadeeth – collected by al-Bukhaaree in Kitaab ad-Da‘awaat of his Saheeh – about the manner of doing so. Al-Haafith ibn Hajar is one of the scholars who scrutinized thoroughly and had extensive insight into the books of the Prophetic Sunnah. Hence, I will quote here what he said on this subject.
The virtue of sending salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam can be concluded based on the fact that there is a command to do so, as well as the diligence of the Companions in inquiring about how to perform it. Furthermore, its excellence is explicitly defined by sound narrations, none of which were collected by al-Bukhaaree:
- • The hadeeth collected by Muslim from Aboo Hurayrah, “Whoever invokes salaah upon me once, Allaah will send salaah upon him ten times.” It has a supporting narration from Anas collected by Ahmad and an-Nasaa’ee, and ibn Hibbaan graded it saheeh. It also has [supporting narrations] from Aboo Burdah ibn Niyaar and Aboo Talhah, which were collected by an-Nasaa’ee with reliable narrators. The wording from Aboo Burdah is, “Whoever from my Ummah invokes one salaah upon me, sincerely from his heart, Allaah will send salaah upon him ten times due to it, raise him ten ranks, record ten good deeds for him, and remove ten sins from him.” The wording of Aboo Talhah collected by [an-Nasaa’ee] is similar, and ibn Hibbaan graded it saheeh.
- • The hadeeth of ibn Mas‘ood: “The most deserving of people of me on the Day of Resurrection are those who invoked salaah upon me most often.” At-Tirmithee graded it hasan and ibn Hibbaan graded it saheeh. It has a supporting narration collected by al-Bayhaqee from Aboo Umaamah with the wording, “The salaah of my Ummah is presented to me every Friday. Thus, whoever invokes salaah upon me most, he will be closest to me in rank,” and there is nothing objectionable in its chain of narration. The command to invoke plentiful salaah upon him on Friday was stated in the hadeeth of Aws ibn Aws, collected by Ahmad and Aboo Daawood, and graded saheeh by ibn Hibbaan and Al-Haakim.
- • The hadeeth stating, “The miserly person is he who does not invoke salaah upon me when I am mentioned in his presence.” It was reported by ‘Alee and also by his son, al-Husayn, and it is no less than a hasan narration. It was collected by at-Tirmithee, an-Nasaa’ee, ibn Hibbaan, al-Haakim, and Ismaa‘eel al-Qaadee, [the last of whom] elaborated at great length about its various routes of narration, and clarified any contention about it.
- • The hadeeth stating, “Whoever forgets to invoke salaah upon me, he has strayed from the path to Jannah.” Collected by ibn Maajah from ibn ‘Abbaas; al-Bayhaqee in ash-Shu‘ab from the hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah; ibn Abee Haatim from the hadeeth of Jaabir; at-Tabaraanee from the
hadeeth of Husayn ibn Alee; and all these routes support one another.
- • The hadeeth, “Woe to the humiliated one whom, when I am mentioned to him, he does not invoke salaah upon me.” It was also collected by at-Tirmithee from the hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah with the wording, “Whoever did not invoke salaah upon me when I used to be mentioned to him and he dies and enters the fire, then may Allaah distance him.” He also collected another narration supporting it and al-Haakim graded it saheeh. It has other supporting narrations collected by at-Tabaraanee from the hadeeth of Aboo Tharr; ibn Abee Shaybah from Anas; and a mursal narration from al-Hasan collected by Sa‘eed ibn Mansoor. It was also collected by ibn Hibbaan from Aboo Hurayrah and Maalik ibn al-Huwayrith; at-Tabaraanee from ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas; al-Faryaabee from ‘Abdullaah ibn Ja‘far; and al-Haakim from Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah with the wording, “May he be distanced – the one who does not invoke salaah upon me when I am mentioned to him.” At-Tabaraanee also collected it from Jaabir with the wording, “May he be miserable – the one who does not invoke salaah upon me when I am mentioned to him.” ‘Abdur-Razzaaq collected a mursal narration from Qataadah, “An indication of antipathy is that I am mentioned to a man and he does not invoke salaah upon me.”
- • The hadeeth of Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, that a man said, “O Messenger of Allaah! I invoke [Allaah] much, so what portion of it should I allocate for [invoking salaah] upon you?” He replied, “As you wish.” The man said, “One third.” He replied, “As you wish, though if you did more it would also be good”…The man said, “I shall allocate all of my supplications for you,” to which he replied, “In that case, you shall be protected from worry.” It was collected by Ahmad and others with a hasan chain of narration.
These are the sound narrations about the topic and there are also many inauthentic and extremely weak reports as well. As for the narrations which the storytellers have fabricated about this topic, they are too plentiful to be enumerated. However, the authentic narrations are
sufficient and do not need [such spurious reports].
What has been Written about Sending Salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam
The scholars have given much attention to this noble act of worship and they have devoted writings to it specifically. The first of those whom I know to have compiled on the topic is al-Imaam Ismaa‘eel ibn Ishaaq al-Qaadee, (d. 282H). The name of his book is Fadl as-Salaah ‘alaa an-Nabee Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam, and it has been published with the annotation of ash-Shaykh Muhammad Naasir ad-Deen al-Albaanee. It contains one hundred and seven hadeeth, all of them with chains of narration.
Also among the published books in wide circulation about the topic are Jalaa‘ al-Afhaam fis-Salaah was-Salaam ‘alaa Khayr al-Anaam by the tremendous scholar, ibn al-Qayyim; As-Silaat wal-Bishr fis-Salaah ‘alaa Khayr al-Bashar by al-Fayroozabaadee, author of al-Qaamoos; Al-Qawl al-Badee‘ fis-Salaah ‘alaa al-Habeeb ash-Shafee‘, by as-Sakhaawee (d. 902H) who concluded this book of his with a listing of the works compiled about invoking salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam. He mentioned very many such works and the fifth of them in the listing was the book Jalaa‘ al-Afhaam of ibn al-Qayyim. He pointed out the merits of each work, then said, “On the whole, the best and most beneficial of them is the fifth one – the book of ibn al-Qayyim.”
It is truly a precious book. In it, the author cited the various narrations from the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam about this tremendous act of worship and he also evaluated them according their level of authenticity, and discussed what was to be understood and derived from them. He said of it in his introduction,
‘It is a unique book containing an unprecedented multitude of benefit. In it, we have clarified the ahaadeeth reported about sending salaah and salaam upon [the Prophet] Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam, and whether they saheeh, hasan, or ma‘lool (defective), and in case of the latter we conclusively explained their defects. Furthermore, [this book discusses] the deeper meanings of this supplication, its lofty status, the wisdom it contains; the times to invoke salaah upon [the Prophet] Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam, a word about the obligatory amount of it, as well as the difference of the scholars about it, and a critical analysis of the correct and false viewpoints. There is, in fact, even more contained in the book than what has preceded, and all praise is due to Allaah, the Lord of all Creation.’
There are also writings about sending salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam which are not based on any solid knowledge and they contain unfounded discussion about virtues and various methods of sending salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam. One such book is Dalaa‘il al-Khayraat by al-Juzoolee (d.854H) and it is in widespread circulation in many parts of the world. The author of Kashf ath-Thunoon (1/495) said about it
Dalaa‘il al-Khayraat wa Shawaariq al-Anwaar fee Thikr as-Salaah ‘alaa an-Nabee al-Mukhtaar Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam, beginning: ‘All praise is due to Allaah who guided us to Eemaan…’ by ash-Shaykh Aboo ‘Abdillaah Muhammad ibn Abee Bakr al-Juzoolee as-Samlaalee ash-Shareef al-Hasanee (d.854) is
amongst the signs of Allaah concerning salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam, continuously being read in the east and the west, especially in the Byzantine lands.
Thereafter, he listed some explanations of this book. Although many people accept and have great interest in its reading, this is not based upon any solid grounds. Indeed, it is merely due to some of them having ignorantly and unwittingly followed others. The reality was summed up by ash-Shaykh Muhammad al-Khadir ibn Maayaabee ash-Shinqeetee in his book Mushtahaa al-Khaarif al-Jaanee fee Radd Zalaqaat at-Tijaanee al-Jaanee. Whilst refuting at-Tijaanee he stated
Indeed, people are infatuated with the new and unusual. Thus, you always see them eagerly inclining towards the forms of invoking salaah reported in Dalaa’il al-Khayraat and similar works – although much of it is not confirmed by a saheeh chain of narration – while they turn away from the forms of invoking salaah reported from the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree. Rarely will you ever find any eminent scholar consistently using any such forms. All this is due to an infatuation with the new and unusual. Furthermore, if the virtue was considered, no rational person – let alone an eminent scholar – would turn away from invoking salaah in the way reported from the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam after having been asked, “How do we send salaah on you, Messenger of Allaah?” and him replying, “Say…”, while knowing that he does not speak out of his own desire, verily it is only revelation revealed to him. [He would not turn away from that] to a form not supported by any saheeh hadeeth or a form originating in a vision of some outwardly righteous person.
Undoubtedly, the correct path and sound methodology is defined by the Sunnah and the actions of the Companions and those who followed them in goodness; whoever takes hold of it shall surely profit and be protected from harm. In a hadeeth whose authenticity is agreed upon, ‘Aa’ishah reported that she heard the Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam said, “Whoever innovates into this affair of ours something which is not from it shall have it rejected,” and in a narration collected by Muslim,
“Whoever does an action not from our affair, he shall have it rejected.” He Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam further said, “You must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided khulafaa’ after me. Bite onto it with your molars, and beware of newly invented matters. For indeed, every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is a misguidance.”
He Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam warned his Ummah about exaggeration in praising him as he said in a saheeh hadeeth, “Do not excessively praise me as the Christians praised ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam. I am indeed only a worshipping servant. Therefore, say: the worshipping servant of Allaah and His Messenger.” Also, when a man said to him, “It is as Allaah wills and as you will,” he Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam replied, “Have you made me partner with Allaah? Rather it is only as Allaah alone has willed.”
The book Dalaa’il al-Khayraat contains both good and bad, contaminates the permissible with the forbidden, cites fabricated and weak narrations. Furthermore, it has contents which exceed the bounds and fall into perilous things which please neither Allaah nor His Messenger Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam. It is, in fact, an anomaly which does not conform to the practice of the righteous among the early generations.
Innovated Methods in the Book Dalaa’il al-Khayraat
It will suffice here to cite some instances from the book showing the concocted ways of sending salaah and salaam upon the Noble Prophet, may Allaah send salaah, salaam, and blessings upon him, his family, Companions and all who follow them in good till the Day of Recompense. After that, I will mention some of the fabricated narrations in it concerning the excellence of sending salaah on him Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam – things which his honorable tongue never uttered.
Among the innovated ways mentioned: “O Allaah, send salaah upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad until nothing of salaah remains; and have mercy upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad until nothing of mercy remains; and bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad until nothing of blessing remains; and send salaam upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad until nothing of salaam remains.”
His saying, “until nothing of salaah…mercy…blessing…peace…remains” is most certainly from the most corrupt of speech and falsest of falsehood because those actions do not end. In addition, how could al-Juzoolee say “until nothing of mercy remains” while Allaah I said,
“And My Mercy encompasses everything.”? [Soorah al-A‘raaf (7):156]
He also said (pg. 71): “O Allaah, send salaah upon our master, Muhammad – the ocean of Your Light; the source of Your secrets; the tongue of Your proof; the groom of Your kingdom; the leader in Your assembly; the embellishment of Your dominion; the repository of Your mercy…a
man who is the epitome of existence, and the cause behind all existing things…”
He also said (pg. 64): “O Allaah, send salaah upon the one from whose light the flowers split open…O Allaah, send salaah upon the one whose remnants of wudoo’ turns the trees green…O Allaah, send salaah upon the one from whose light issue all other lights.”
Indeed, these forms have exaggeration which the Chosen Messenger I is not pleased with. On the contrary, he is the one who said, “Do not excessively praise me as the Christians praised ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam. I am indeed only a worshipping servant. Therefore, say: the worshipping servant of Allaah and His Messenger,” as collected by al-Bukhaaree in his Saheeh.
He also said (pg. 144-145): “O Allaah, send salaah upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as long as the pigeons coo, and the thirsty animals revolve around their water holes, and the cattle roam about freely, and amulets bring benefit, and turbans are fastened tightly, and the sleeping creatures sleep.”
His saying “and the amulets bring benefit” is recommendation and encouragement of using amulets. However, the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam forbade doing so by saying, “Whoever hangs an amulet, may Allaah not let it accomplish anything for him.”
Some Fabricated Narrations in the book Dalaa’il al-Khayraat
I will mention here a few instances of the fabricated or very weak narrations it contains, along with comments of some of the scholars about them. This is only by way of example, and not an exhaustive treatment.
Pg. 15: It was narrated from [the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam] that he said, “Whoever sends a salaah upon me out of honoring what I deserve, Allaah U will create for him, by that statement, an angel having one wing stretching to the east and the other to the west; its two legs fixed in the lowest part of the seventh earth, and its neck winding under the throne. Allaah U will say to it, ‘Send salaah on my slave, just as he sent salaah on my Prophet.’ As a result, he will send salaah upon him till the Day of Resurrection.”
Pg. 16: the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam said, “There is no servant who sends salaah upon me except that the salaah will issue swiftly from his mouth. There will not remain any land or sea, nor east or west, except that it will pass it and say, ‘I am the salaah of so-and-so. He sent salaah on Muhammad, the chosen one and the best creation of Allaah,’ and there will remain nothing else except that it shall send salaah upon him. From that salaah, a bird will be created having seventy thousand wings. In each wing there will be seventy thousand feathers. In each feather there will be seventy thousand faces. In each face there will be seventy thousand mouths. In each mouth there will be seventy thousand tongues glorifying Allaah in seventy thousand languages, and Allaah will write for him the reward for all of that.”
These are two narrations from Dalaa’il al-Khayraat which fall under what the great scholar, ibn al-Qayyim, said in his book al-Manaar al-Muneef when he commented, “Fabricated narrations are covered by darkness, feebleness, and rash nonsense which expose them as fabrications.” He then cited some examples and continued
Section: We draw attention to some general guidelines by which the fabricated hadeeth is identified. One of them is having certain nonsensical statements, the likes of which would never be spoken by the Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam. They are very many, such as his saying in the falsified hadeeth: ‘Whoever says laa ilaahah illallaah, Allaah will create for him from that statement a bird having seventy thousand tongues; each tongue having seventy thousand languages in which they seek forgiveness from Allaah for him,’ and ‘whoever does…will be given seventy thousand cities in Jannah. In each city there will be seventy thousand palaces. In each palace, there will be seventy thousand beautiful-eyed maidens…” and other such rash nonsense. Whoever fabricated them is one of two things: either he is incredibly ignorant and foolish, or he is a heretic intending to disparage the Messenger Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam by attributing such statements to him.
Among the contemporary scholars who have declared the falsity of such narrations is Abul-Fadl ‘Abdullaah as-Siddeeq al-Ghimaaree, who said in his notes for the book Bishaarah al-Mahboob bi Takfeer ath-Thunoob of al-Athra‘ee (pg.125): “There are many narrations which say: ‘Whoever does…Allaah will create for him from that action an angel, glorifying or praising Allaah,’ and all of them are false narrations.” However, despite having said this, he still praised the book Dalaa’il al-Khayraat tremendously in his book Khawaatir Deeniyyah where he described it as having “run the course of the sun.”
The Esteem in which the Salaf held the Sunnah, and the Secret Behind their Victory Over Their Enemies which is Contrary to the Present State of Muslims
I wish to conclude this lecture by presenting a piece of what I wrote in the explanation of the hadeeth of Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah t about the method of sending salaah upon the Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam. It is the nineteenth hadeeth out of the twenty which I selected from Saheeh Muslim and published under the title ‘Ishroon Hadeethan min Saheeh Muslim Diraasah Asaaneedihaa wa Sharh Mutoonihaa (Twenty Hadeeth from Saheeh Muslim: A study of their chains of narration and explanation of their texts).
The statement of Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam to ibn Abee Laylaa, “Should I not present to you a gift…” indicates that the ahaadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam and knowledge of his Sunnah and its implementation were the most precious of things to them and the most beloved to their souls. That is why Ka‘b said what he said, drawing attention to the importance of what he was about to present to ibn Abee Laylaa so that he could prepare himself to receive it, understand it, and comprehend it thoroughly from all angles. Since the Salaf gave great care and keen interest to the Sunnah of their Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam and it was the most precious of gifts to them due to their heartfelt love for it and zeal to implement it, they were the most dominant of nations and the world’s centre of attention, and victory was their ally over their enemies. Might and triumph were for Islaam and its people, as Allaah I said,
“If you aid Allaah, He will aid you and plant your feet firmly.” However, what we witness today is contrary to that: the agonizingly distressing state of the Muslims plagued by feebleness and disjointedness, renouncing the directives of the Sharee‘ah and remaining distant from them, except those whom Allaah grants His Mercy – and how few they are! In such a state, their enemies do not consider them to be anything to reckon with and do not attach the least significance to them. They are fearful whereas their predecessors used to be awe-inspiring. They have been invaded and attacked in their own lands by their foes, and by their sons who have been raised at the hands of their enemies. If any intelligent person contemplates what this noble hadeeth contains – the value and lofty rank of the Prophetic Sunnah in the souls of the righteous Salaf, and the fact that it was the most invaluable gift to them – and then compares that to the
state of many who ascribe themselves to Islaam today and what they have been stricken with of abstinence from the Sharee‘ah and, instead, governing themselves by something else; when the prudent person reflects upon the circumstances of the former and the conditions of the latter, he comes to know the secret which allowed the former to triumph over their foes – even with their lack of numbers – whereas the latter have been routed, while being very many in the face of their enemies. The Muslims will have no true worth unless they return to the noble Book and the pure Sunnah and they discard the worthless man-made laws and the other vile commodities imported from abroad, and they cleanse themselves and their lands from them.
I ask Allaah, the Most Generous, Lord of the Great Throne, to grant all Muslims success – the rulers and the ruled – and guide them to return to the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their Prophet Muhammad Sallallaahu Alayhi Wassallam, so they might be triumphant by the true means to attaining victory and overcoming their enemies. Certainly, Allaah hears all and answers. All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all Creation. O Allaah, send salaah upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, just as You sent salaah upon Ibraaheem and upon the family of Ibraaheem. Indeed, You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allaah, Bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, just as You blessed Ibraaheem and the family of Ibraaheem. Indeed, You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.
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