Forty Benefits arising from sending Salat upon Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) – Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim رحمه الله*
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Sending Salat* Upon The Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم)
[* i.e. saying “Allaahumma salli ‘alaa Muhammad…”)
Imaam an-Nasaa·ee –rahimahullaah- reported in his “Sunan” (no.1297):
“Ishaaq ibn Mansoor related to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Yoosuf narrated to us, saying: Yoonus ibn Abee Ishaaq narrated to us: from Burayd ibn Abee Maryam who said: Anas ibn Maalik narrated to us, saying: Allaah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said:
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Shaikh al-Albaanee-rahimahullaah- declared it “Saheeh”.
Shaikh al-Albaanee said in “Sifatus-Salat” (p.165): ‘‘The most correct saying about the meaning of salat upon the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is the saying of Abul-‘Aaliyah:
“Allaah’s salat upon His Prophet is His extolling him [[to the Angels]] and exalting him; and the salat of the Angels and others upon him is to request this from Allah -the Most High”; and what is meant is seeking increase, not the initiation of salaat al-Haafiz [Ibn Hajr] mentioned it in “al-Fath”.”
Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim -rahimahullaah, in his book “Jalaa·ul-Afhaam fee Fadlis-Salaati was-Salaam ‘alaa khayril anaam (صلى الله عليه و سلم)”, mentions forty benefits arising from sending salat upon Allaah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم):
1. Compliance with the Command of Allah-the Perfect and Most High. [i.e. in Aayah 65 of Sooratul-Ahzaab].
2. Conformity with Him- He the Perfect- in sending salat upon him, even though the two forms of salat are different. So our salat upon him is a supplication and a request, whereas the salat of Allah-the Most High-upon him is extolling and ennobling….
3. Conformity with the Angels in it.
4. Attaining ten salawaat [[plural of salat]] from Allah by the person who sends salaat upon him once.
5. That he is raised by ten levels.
6. That he has ten good deeds written for him.
7. That ten sins are erased from him.
8. That it is to be hoped that his supplication will be responded to if he precedes it with that. So it causes the supplication to ascend to the Lord of creation, when prior to this it was suspended between the heavens and the earth.
9. It is a means to attain his (صلى الله عليه و سلم) Intercession, if it is accompanied by a request for alwaseelah (a singular station in Paradise) for him, or even if it is on its own…
10. It is a means for forgiveness of sins …
11. It is a cause for Allaah to suffice the servant with regard to whatever concerns him.
12. It is a means for the person to gain nearness to him (صلى الله عليه و سلم) on the Day of Resurrection…
13.( It has the position of being like an act of charity upon a needy person.)**
14. It is a cause for the fulfillment of your needs.
15. It is a cause for Allaah to send salaat upon the person, and for the salaat of His Angels upon him.
16. It is a cleansing (zakaat) and purification for the person.
17. (It is a cause for the servant to receive glad tidings of Paradise before his death…) **
18. (It is a means for salvation from the terrors of the Day of Resurrection…) **
19. It is a cause for the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) to respond to the one who sends salaat and salaam upon him.
20. (It is a cause for the servant to remember that which he has forgotten.) **
21. It is a cause of good for the gathering, and for its not becoming a source of regret for its people on the Day of Resurrection.
22. (It is a means to repel poverty…) **
23. It repels from the person the description of being a miser, if he sends salaat upon him whenever he (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is mentioned.
24. He becomes saved from being supplicated against that his nose should be cleaved in dust, for abandoning it when he (صلى الله عليه و سلم) was mentioned.
25. It puts its companion upon the path to Paradise, and it causes the one who abandons it to err with regard to it.
26. It saves from the stench of a gathering wherein Allaah and His Messenger are not mentioned, and where Allaah-the Most High- is not praised and extolled, and where salaat is not sent upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).
27. It is a means for the completion of the speech which was begun with praise of Allaah and salaat upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم).
28. (It is a cause for the servant”s light to be increased upon the Bridge (as-Siraat).) **
29. It takes the servant away from coarseness.
30. It is a cause for Allaah –the Perfect- to bestow favourable praise upon the one who sends salaat upon him, praising him to the inhabitants of the Heavens and the earth. This is because the one who sends salaat upon him is asking Allaah to extol His Messenger, and to honour, and ennoble him. So recompense conforms to the type of deed, so the one who sends salaat must in turn receive some form of this.
31. It is a cause of blessing for the one who sends salaat, in his self, his deeds, and his life, and the means of his welfare. This is because the one who sends salaat is supplicating to his Lord that He should bless him and his true followers; and this supplication will be answered; and recompense conforms to the deed.
32. It is a means for his attaining the Mercy of Allaah, since mercy is either the meaning of the salaat –upon the saying of some; or it is otherwise something necessitated by it, and required from it-upon the correct saying. So the one who sends salaat upon him must certainly receive Mercy.
33. It is a means to perpetuate his love of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم),and to increase it, and to multiply it; and that is one of the essential fundamentals of Eemaan, which it will not be complete without; since the more a servant mentions the one he loves, and remembers him in his heart, and remembers his fine qualities, and those things which instill love of him, then his love of him will increase, and yearning for him will grow, and this will overcome his whole heart. But if he turns away from mentioning him and from thinking of him and of his fine qualities in his heart, then love of him will be reduced in his heart. So there is nothing more pleasing to the one who loves than seeing the one whom he loves, and nothing gives greater pleasure to his heart than mentioning him, and thinking of him and of his fine qualities. So when this becomes strong in his heart, then his tongue will praise and extol him…
34. That salaat upon him (صلى الله عليه و سلم) is a cause of his loving that person. So because it is a cause for the one who sends salaat upon him to increase in love of him, likewise it is a cause for him to love the one who sends salaat upon him (صلى الله عليه و سلم).
35. It is a means for the guidance of the person and for his heart to have life…
36. (It is a cause for the one who sends salaat upon him (صلى الله عليه و سلم) to have his name presented to him, and for his being mentioned to him…) **
37. (It is a cause for the feet to be planted firmly upon the Siraat, and for the person”s passing over it…) **
38. That sending salaat upon him fulfils the slightest part of his right…
39. That it comprises remembrance of Allaah and thankfulness to Him, and recognition of His Favour upon His servants in sending him. So the one who sends salaat upon him (صلى الله عليه و سلم) includes in his salat upon him remembrance of Allah and remembrance of His Messenger…
40. That salat upon him from the person is supplication (du’aa), and the persons du’aa. to his Lord and his requests to his Lord are of two types:
(i) His requesting his own needs and concerns, and whatever he requires throughout the night and the day. So this is supplication and request, and is to give precedence to that which the servant loves and seeks;
(ii) His requesting that He should extol His chosen and beloved servant, and increase him in nobility and honour, and make mention of him, and elevate him. So there is no doubt that Allah-the Most High-loves that, and his Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) loves it. So the one who sends salat upon him (صلى الله عليه و سلم) has turned his requests, that which he desires, and that which he seeks towards that which is loved by Allah-the Most High- and His Messenger; and he has given preference to that over his own needs and requirements. Indeed this that he seeks has become the most beloved of things to him, and that which he most prefers. So he has given preference to that which Allah and His Messenger love over that which he himself loves. So he has given preference to Allah and to what He loves over everything else, and recompense conforms to the action. So whoever gives preference to Allah over everything else, then Allah will give preference to him over others…””
[(**) The verifier of the book (Zaa·id an-Nushayree) indicates that these points (nos.13, 17, 18, 20, 22, 28, 36, & 37) are based upon weak ahaadeeth.]
[Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank]