The Most Powerful Supplication (Salawat)
allahumma salli `ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin
O Allah: (please do) bless Muhammad and the Household of Muhammad
Quran and Salwaat Surah 33 (Al‑Ahzaab), Ayah 56 sends blessings to the Prophet (pbuh)
Verily Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O you who believe! send blessings on him [Muhammad] and greet him with the fitting salutation.
Allah sends His blessings “salawaat”صلوات on the Prophet (pbuh), and the angels implore Allah to send His blessings on him [the Prophet]. The believers are also commanded to invoke Allah to send His blessings on him too.
The Muslims asked the Prophet (pbuh): “How are we to seek blessings on you?” The Prophet (pbuh) answered, “Say: 'O Allah, send blessings on Muhammad and upon Aali Muhammad,” thus he included Ahlul Bayt within the Salawaat for him.
Bukhari, Vol. 3, Page 127, quotes Muhammad (pbuh) prohibiting to say an incomplete Salawaat. When asked, the Prophet replied,
“Do not just say: `O' Allah! Send blessings on Muhammad' and stop there, instead say, `Allahumma Salli ala Muhammad wa Aali Muhammad'”
meaning always to include Aali Muhammad with the Salawaat.
Ibn Hajar, (Al‑Sawaa'iq, Page 88) quotes the well‑known poem composed by Al‑Shafi'i (head of Shafi'i Madh'hab), and so does Sayooti, in his interpretation of Ayah of Tat'heer, as follows:Roughly translated Al‑Shafi'i says: Oh loving you Ahlul Bayt is such , That it is a duty the Quran had established , Suffice it that so privileged your distinction is , That Salat becomes invalid if Salawaat is not invoked for you.
Blessings on Muhammad (S) and His Progeny (‘a) Book Extract
Of the most important point during supplication, after praising and extolling Allah, is to send blessings on Muhammad (S) and his Progeny, Guardians of the affairs of the Muslims. Sending blessings on the Holy Prophet (S) and his Progeny occupies a large part of the supplications (ad’iyah) that have reached us.
There has been great emphasis and insistence in the Islamic traditions on blessing (salawat) the Prophet (S) and his Progeny (‘a). There is a clear reason for this; for Allah, the Exalted, wants us to take supplication as a means of communication between the Muslims and the Guardians of their affairs, and as a means of their holding fast to the rope of Guardianship (wala’) which Allah has made a protection for the Muslims.
Now, salawat is one of the significant ways of establishing this spiritual connection; for the links (halaqat) of Guardianship are extended between Allah and His servants, and the Guardianship of the Holy Prophet (S) and his Progeny (‘a) is among the most important of these links.
The Guardianship (wala’) of the Holy Prophet (S) is in extension to the Guardianship of Allah, the Exalted, whilst the Guardianship of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) is in extension to that of the Holy Prophet (S) . To consolidate and deepen one’s relation with this Guardianship is to strengthen and deepen the bond with the Guardianship of Allah. This on its own is a wide doorway of knowledge (ma’rifah) which we can neither discuss it here briefly, nor talk about it in detail as worthy of it.
There is great emphasis in the Islamic narrations on invoking blessings on the Prophet (S) and his Progeny (‘a).
In the following lines, some Islamic texts related to this topic are cited.
i. The most significant of these texts is the Book of Allah. He, the Exalted, says: “Indeed Allah and His angels bless the Prophet. O You who have faith! Invoke blessings on him and invoke peace upon him in a worthy manner.”1 Qur’an,33:56.
ii.The Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said, “Invoking blessings on me is a light on the bridge (sirat).”2. Kanz al-‘Ummal, hadith no.2149.
iii.Again he (S) has said, “The most stingy of the people is he who when I am mentioned before him does not invoke blessings on me.”3 Ibid, hadith no.2144.
.iv‘Abdullah bin Na’im says: “I said to Abu ‘Abdillah as-Sadiq (‘a), ‘I entered the sacred House (al-bayt), but no prayer came to my mind except invoking blessings on Muhammad and his Progeny.’ He said, ‘Indeed no one has come out {of the House} with something better than what you have come out with.”
v.Imam al-Baqir and as-Sadiq (‘a) are narrated to have said, “The weightiest of the things to be placed on the scale (mizan) on the Day of Judgement is the blessings on Muhammad and his Progeny.”4.Bihar al-Anwar, vol.71, pg.374.
vi.Imam ‘Ali (‘a) says in Nahj al-Balaghah, “If you had a need from Allah, the Glorious, then begin with sending blessings on His Prophet (S) , then ask your need; for Allah is more generous than to accept one of the two requests made to Him and deny the other.”5.Nahj al-Balaghah, saying no.361.
Imam Jafar e Sadiq (a.s.) has said, “ If you wish your prayers to be answered, you should first praise Allah, then say durood ( benediction) for the Prophet and his Holy Progeny (a.s.) that your prayers are answered soon.. It is like when one wants to approach a king, he makes presents to those who are close to him. Therefore it is essential that one offers benediction to the Prophet (a.s.) and his family. This benediction should always be repeated before and after any prayer is made. It is natural that when what is accepted before and after the prayer, the prayer too will be accepted!
The Prophet of Allah (a.s.) has said, “ Say benediction on me and my Ahl al Bayt so that the angels will say benediction for you. Benediction removes dissensions amongst people.
It is said: When you hear the Prophet (a.s.)’s name, offer benediction again and again. Because when a person says the benediction once, all the creatures would praise the person. Ignorant and unfortunate is the person who is not aware of this requirement. Allah, the Prophet (a.s.) and the Ahl al Bayt will be annoyed with such persons.
It is mentioned in a tradition that in the balance of actions, no act has so much weight as the benediction of the Prophet (a.s.) and the Ahl al Bayt. On the Day of Judgement, the actions of the men would be put in the balance, but since they will be light, the scale would tilt to the other side. Then the Prophet (a.s.) would put the benedictions uttered by the person on the side of the scale where his actions are there. Thus the balance will tilt in favor of the person!
There is another tradition that if one wishes to save his face from the Hellfire, then say the benediction ( Salawat) a hundred times after the morning prayer.
A person who says the benediction a hundred times after the Friday prayer, Allah will fulfill his sixty wishes--- thirty in this life and thirty in the Hereafter.
Imam Jafar e Sadiq (a.s.) says that on the eve of Friday the angels descend from the firmament and their number is equivalent to the particles in the atmosphere or the ants on the earth.These angels will have golden pens and tablets in their hands. . They will not record the actions of the persons who were not attended by the benediction to the Prophet till Saturday of the week. It is therefore advised that on the eve and the day of Friday, the benediction is repeatedly uttered. The Imam (a.s.) also said that it was the Prophet (a.s.)'s exhortation ( Sunnat e Muwakkidah) that one should repeat the benediction a thousand times on fridays and a hundred times on the week days.
Imam Reza (a.s.) has said,” If a person doesn’t have the means to pay expiation (Kaffarah) for his sins, he should utter benediction to the Prophet and his Ahl al Bayt (a.s.) that it will reduce the burden of his sins.
Imam Ali Naqi (a.s.) says, “ Allah has deemed Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s.) His friend because he used to excessively utter benediction to Mohammed (a.s.) and his Ahl al Bayt.
Imam Jafar e Sadiq (a.s.) says that one who says the benediction like this,
Salawatullahi alaihi was salawatu malaekatehi wa anbiaehi wa rusulehi wa jamie kalqehi ala Mohammadin wa aale Mohammedin wassalamu alaihi wa alaihim wa rehmatullahi wa barkatahu,
his sins would be obliterated and he would be as clean as he way at his birth.
Imam Mohammed Baqir (a.s.) is quoted by an authentic source as having said, “ When one gets a sneeze, he should say:
Alhamdu lillahi rabil aalameena was salallahu Mohammedin wa ahl e baytehi
A person who says the benediction when he gets a sneeze, will never suffer from any ailment of the eyes or the teeth..
In another tradition it is said that when one hears the sound of sneezing by someone else, he should say the benediction mentioned above. He will never, then, get pain of the teeth or the eyes.
The Prophet of Islam (a.s.) has said,” One who does not say benediction on me and my progeny, will never get the fragrance of the Heaven although this smell reaches as far as the distance that can be traveled over a period of five hundred years.
Then the Prophet (a.s.) said,” One who says the benediction on me and my Ahl al Bayt, the doors to the Heaven will open for him and the angels say benediction on him a seventy times. If he has sinned, the sins will be obliterated like the leaves in the season of fall.
Allah says,’ O creature! Saadaeka—I have accepted your prayers and I shall give you succor!’ Then Allah will order the angels to say benediction for the person a seventy times.”
Then the Prophet (a.s.) says,” If someone sends benediction for me and not for my Ahl al Bayt, then seven curtains will obstruct it in the Firmament and Allah says,’ La labbaek wa la saadeeka—neither your prayer is acceptable nor shall succor come to you’” Allah further says,’ O My angels! Don’t allow his prayers to reach the sky. Till he includes the Ahl al Bayt in his benediction for the Prophet (a.s.)’
In another tradition of the Prophet (a.s.) it is recorded,” When I am mentioned before a person, and he doesn’t say benediction for me and my Ahl al Bayt , his sins will not be pardoned and he will be denied Allah’s Rewards. At another place the Prophet (a.s.) has said,” The most miserly and evil is the person who has not uttered my benediction when my name is mentioned to him.” Then the Prophet (a.s.) added,” One who forgets to send benediction for me has forgotten the way to the Heaven.”
Maalik Jehni narrates that he presented a flower to Imam Jafar e Sadiq (a.s.). The Imam (a.s.) took it, smelled it, touched it to his eyes and said, “ When a person smells a flower, touches it with his eyes and says benediction to Mohammed (a.s.) and his Ahl al Bayt, before the flower leaves his hands, his deliverance would have been granted!”
Imam Jafar e Sadiq (a.s.) has said,” A person who says the benediction a hundred times, his wishes will definitely be fulfilled!”
1. The Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “The meanest person is he who does not invoke SALAWAAT upon me when my name is mentioned in his presence”. (Kanzul Ummal Vol 1 p 489)
2. Abu Amamah reports that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “ Invoke more SALAWAAT upon me on every Friday, the SALAWAAT from my ummah is presented to me on every Friday. Whoever had invoked more SALAWAAT upon me will be closest to me”. (Kanzul Ummal Vol 1 p 488)
3. Anas reported that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “O people, the most secured among you on the Day of Judgment against its horrors and menacing situations will be those who invoked SALAWAAT most upon me in this world. In fact, it was sufficient from Allah and his Angles, as He said: “Allah and his Angles send blessings on the prophet” (33:56), but He also commanded the believers to do so, so that they may be rewarded. (Kanzul Ummal Vol 1 p 504)
4. Ibn Asakri has transmitted from al-Hasan bin Ali that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “Invoke more SALAWAAT upon me, for your invocation is conducive to your sins being forgiven. And pray for me a high status and intercession, for surely my intercession will plead in your favour before Allah”. (Kanzul Ummal Vol 1 p 489)
5. The Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “Say: “O Allah, send Your grace upon Muhammed and upon Muhammed’s progeny, the same way as You sent Your grace to Ibrahim, and bless Muhammed and Muhammed’s progeny the same way as You blessed Ibrahim among the nations. You are indeed worthy of all praise. Full of all glory ! And greet (me) as you have been taught. (Kanzul Ummal Vol 1 p 496)
6. Abu Saeed says he said to the Prophet (S.A.W.) : “O Messenger of Allah, this greeting is (to say) peace be upon you, but how do we invoke SALAWAAT upon you? “ He said: “Say O Allah, send your grace to Muhammed, your slave and your messenger the same way as you sent your grace to Ibrahim, and bless Muhammed and Muhammed’s progeny as you blessed Ibrahim and Ibrahim’s progeny. (Transmitted by al Bukhari) (al – Taj Vol 5 p 144)
7. Reported by Abdul Rehman bin Abu Layle who said that Ka’b bin Ujaira once met me and said: “May I bestow a gift upon you?” The Prophet (S.A.W.) came to us and we said: “O Messenger of Allah! We know how to greet you, but how do we invoke SALAWAAT upon you?” He said: “ Say O Allah! Send your grace to Muhammed and Muhammed’s progeny just as you sent Your grace to the progeny of Ibrahim. Surely You are worthy of all praise, full of glory”. (al - Taj Vol 5 p 144)
8. Ali bin Ibrahim reported from his fathers who reported from Ibn Abu Umayr who reported from Abdulla bin Sinan who reported from Imam adiq (A.S.) that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “ Invoking SALALWAAT upon me and my Ahlul Bayt carries away hypocrisy”. (Al – Kafi Vol 4 p 250)
9. A number of our colleagues have reported from Sahl bin Ziyad who reported from Jaffer bin Muhammed al Ash’ari, who reported from Ibn at – Qaddah who reported from Abu Abdillah (al Sadiq) A.S. that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “Do not treat me like a rider’s bowl of water; the rider fills it and then drink’s from it when he pleases. Keep me at the opening of you supplication, and at the end of it, and (also) at the middle”. (Al – Kafi Vol 4 p 248)
10. Ibn Abu Umair reports from Abdulla bin Sinan who reports from Abu Abdillah (al Sadiq) A.S. that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: “Raise your voices when you invoke SALAWAAT upon me, for it surely carries away hypocrisy”. (Al – Kafi Vol 4 p 251) 11. The Prophet said: “Do not invoke incomplete SALAWAAT upon me”. They said: “What is incomplete SALAWAAT? He said: “When you say: O Allah! Send Your grace to Muhammed and then stop at that. Rather say: O Allah! Send Your grace to Muhammed and Muhammed’s progeny”. (Al–Sawaiq al–Muhriqah chap II p 164)
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