إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَه يُصَلُّوْنَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ أمَنُوْا صَلُّوْا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِيْمًا
“The Lord and His angels send prayers upon the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye prayers upon him and salute him with all respect” (Al-Ahzab 33:56)
قَالَ رَسُولُ اَلَلّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِيْ يوم القيامة أَكْثَرُهُمْ عَلَىَّ صَلَاةً
Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam said: "The person most deserving of me on the day of resurrection is the one who asks for prayers upon me the most"
The foundation of Islam is built on praising, glorifying, and treating with dignity the leader of all the prophets, Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam. Such praise, glorification, and treating with dignity is praise for the entire religion; and its removal is the end of the religion. By not giving such respect to the prophet, all religion comes to an end. (Ibn Taymiyya in: “al-Sarim al maslul `ala shatim al-rasul” (The sword drawn against he who disrespects the messenger))
Throughout history Muslims have manifested their love for the prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam) by adhering to God’s command: “Send ye prayers upon him and greet him with all respect” (33:57) صَلُّوْا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِيْماً
We are ordered to ask for The Lord's prayers and blessings uponSayyidina Mohammed (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam) as an expression of our love for him, which is in turn an indication of our deep faith. The Lord commanded us to do so in order to reward us by praying upon us and blessing us in return if we follow His command.
There is no specific formula for asking for prayers upon Sayyidina Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam). Following The Lord's command, Muslim scholars and poets over the ages have produced prayer manuals of utmost beauty and eloquence, consisting of collections from the Qur’an and hadith, and scholars' original compositions.
| And more beautiful than you my eyes have never seen | وأَجْمَلُ مِنْكَ لَمْ تَرَ قَطُّ عَينِي |
| And more complete than you women have never born | وأَكمَلُ مِنْكَ لَمْ تَلِد النِسَاءٌ |
| You were created free of all flaws, | خُلِقتَ مُبَرّأً مِنْ كُلِ عَيبٍ |
| As if you were created as you please | فكَأنّكَ قَدْ خُلِقتَ كَمَا تَشَاءُ |
| (Hassan Ibn Thabet) | |
| He achieved supremacy by his completeness | بَلَغَ العُلَا بِكَمَالِهِ |
| He cleared all darkness by his beauty | كَشَفَ الدُجَى بِجَمَالِهِ |
| Honorable were all his characteristics | حَسُنَتْ جَمِيع خِصَالِهِ |
| Send prayers upon him and his family | صَلّوُا عَلَيِهِ وآلِهِ |
Loving Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam مَحَبّةُ
رَسُوُل الَلّهِ صَلَّىَ الَلّهُ
عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam said: "None of you truly
believes until he loves me more than his own self, wealth, children, parents
and all people".
عَنْ اَنَسٍ اَنَّه قَالَ:
قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ
عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: لاَ يُؤمِنُ اَحَدُكُمْ
حَتّى اَكُوْنَ اَحَبَّ اِلَيْهِ مِنْ
نَفْسِه وَمَالِه وَوَلَدِه وَوَالِدِه وَالنَّاسِ اَجْمَعِيْنَ
Omar Ibn Al-Khattab told Rasulullah, Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa
Sallam: "You are dearer to me, O Rasulullah, than everything I possess
except my own self which is within me". Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam
replied: "You will not be a believer until I am dearer to you than your
own self" Omar said: "By Him who revealed to you the Book, you are
dearer to me than my own self". Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam said to him:
"Now, Omar, your faith is complete".
وَفِىْ
حَدِيْثِ عُمَرَ رَضِىَ اللهُ
عَنْهُ: اَنْتَ اَحَبُّ اِلَىَّ
يَارَسُوْلَ اللهِ مِنْ كُلِّ
شَىْءٍ اِلاَّ نَفْسِى الَّتِىْ
بَيْنَ جَنْبَىّ،َ فَقَالَ لَه عَلَيْهِ
الصَّلاةُ وَالسَّلاَم:ُ لاَ تَكُوْنُ
مُؤمِنًا حَتّى اَكُوْنَ اَحَبَّ
اِلَيْكَ مِنْ نَّفْسِك،َ فَقَالَ
عُمَرُ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ
: وَالَّذِىْ اَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ لَاَنْتَ اَحَبُّ اِلَىَّ مِنْ
نَّفْسِى الَّتِىْ بَيْنَ جَنْبَىَّ، فَقَالَ
رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ
عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: اَلْانَ يَاعُمَرُ تَمَّ
اِيْمَانُكَ
And Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam was asked "When will I
attain faith?" (or "When will I attain true faith") He replied:
"When you love Allah". He was asked: "And when will I love
Allah?" Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam said:" When you love His
messenger." He was asked: "And when will I love His messenger?"
Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam said: "When you follow his path, adhere to
his way, love what he loves and hate what he hates, befriend whom he befriends
and oppose whom he opposes – and people will be distinguished one from another
in their disbelief according to their hate for me. He who has no love has no
faith. He who has no love has no faith. He who has no love has no faith.”
وَقِيْلَ
لِرَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ
عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَتى اَكُوْنُ مُؤمِنًا
وَفِىْ لَفْظٍ اخَرَ مُؤمِنًا
صَادِقًا؟ قَالَ اِذَا اَحْبَبْتَ
اللهَ، فَقِيْلَ مَتى اُحِبُّ اللهَ؟
قَالَ: اِذَا اَحْبَبْتَ رَسُوْلَه،
فَقِيْلَ: وَمَتى اُحِبُّ رَسُوْلُه؟
قَالَ: اِذَا اتَّبَعْتَ طَرَيْقَتَه
وَاسْتَعْمَلْتَ سُنَّتَه وَاَحْبَبْتَ بِحُبِّه وَاَبْغَضْتَ بِبُغْضِه وَوَالَيْتَ بِوَلاَيَتِه وَعَادَيْتَ بِعَدَاوَتِه وَيَتَفَاتُ وَالنَّاسُ فِى الْاِيْمَانِ عَلى
قَدْرِ تَفَاوُتِهِمْ فِىْ مَحَبَّتِىْ وَيَتَفَاوَتُوْنَ
فِى الْكُفْر عَلى قَدْرِ تَفَاُوِتِهْم
فِىْ بُغْضِىْ، اَلاَ لاَ اِيْمَانَ
لِمَنْ لاَ مَحَبَّةَ لَه،
اَلاَ لاَ اِيْمَانَ لِمَنْ
لاَ مَحَبَّةَ لَه، اَلاَ لاَ
اِيْمَانَ لِمَنْ لاَ مَحَبَّةَ
لَه
And Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam was told: "We see a
believer in humility and a believer devoid of humility. What is the reason for
this?" Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam said: "He who finds pleasure in
belief is humbled, and who does not find it is not humbled". Sallallahu
‘alaihi wa Sallam was asked: "How can we find such faith, or obtain it or
earn it?" Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam replied: "By truth in loving
The Lord". Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam was asked: "How can the love
of The Lord be found or earned?" Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam said:
"By loving His messenger.”
So seek pleasing The Lord and pleasing His messenger in
loving Them.
وَقِيْلَ
لِرَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ
عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: نَرى مُؤمِنًا يَخْشَعُ
وَمُؤمِنًا لاَّ يَخْشَعُ مَا
السَّبَبُ فِىْ ذلِك؟َ فَقَال:َ مَنْ وَّجَدَ
لِاِيْمَانِه حَلاَوَةً خَشَعَ وَمَنْ لَّمْ
يَجِدْهَا لَمْ يَخْشَع،ْ فَقِيْل:َ بِمَ تُوْجَدُ
اَوْبِمَ تُنَال وَتُكْسَب؟ُ قَال:َ بِصِدْقِ الْحُبِّ
فِى اللهِ، فَقِيْل:َ
وَبِمَ يُوْجَدُ حُبُّ اللهِ اَوْ
بِمَ يُكْتَسَبُ؟ فَقَالَ بِحُبِّ رَسُوْلِه.
فَالْتَمِسُوْا رِضَاءَ اللهِ وَرِضَاءَ
رَسُوْلِه فِىْ حُبِّهِمَا
And Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam was asked "Who are the
family of Muhammad whom we are ordered to love and honor and treat with
reverence?" Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam replied: "The people of
purity and fidelity, who believe in me sincerely". Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa
Sallam was asked: "What are their signs?" He said: "They prefer
loving me over every loved one, and their inner-self is busy mentioning me
after mentioning The Lord" (In another version: "Their signs are:
being addicted to mentioning me and plentifully asking for prayers upon
me".
وَقِيْلَ لِرَسُوْلِ
اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ
وَسَلَّمَ: مَنْ الُ سَيِّدِنَا
مُحَمَّدِ الَّذِيْنَ اُمِرْنَا بِحُبِّهِمْ وَاِكْرَامِهِمْ وَالْبُرُوْرِ بِهِمْ؟ فَقَالَ: اَهْلُ
الصَّفَاءِ وَالْوَفَاءِ مَنْ امَنَ بِىْ
وَاَخْلَصَ، فَقِيْلَ لَه: وَمَا عَلاَمَاتُهُم؟ْ
فَقَال:َ اِيْثَارُ مَحَبَّتِىْ
عَلى كُلِّ مَحْبُوْبٍ وَّاشْتِغَالُ
الْبَاطِنِ بِذِكْرِىْ بَعْدَ ذِكْرِ اللهِ
وَفِى اُخْرى عَلاَمَتُهُمْ اِدْمَانُ
ذِكْرِىْ وَالْاِكْثَارُ مِنَ الصَّلاةِ عَلَىَّ
And Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam was asked: Who is the one
whose belief in you is strong? Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam replied: "The
one who believes in me without seeing me for he believes and yearns for me and
is sincere in his love for me. A sign of this is that he desires a vision of me
more than anything he owns. (in another version the words are: "…more than
the fill of the world in gold") This is the true believer in me and the
one true and sincere in loving me".
وَقِيْلَ لِرَسُوْلِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ
عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: مَنِ الْقَوِىُّ فِى
الْاِيْمَانِ بِكَ؟ فَقَالَ: مَنْ
امَنَ بِىْ وَلَمْ يَرَنِىْ
فَاِنَّه مُؤمِنٌ بِىْ عَلى
شَوْقٍ مِّنِّىْ وَصِدْقٍ فِىْ مَحَبَّتِىْ وَعَلاَمَةُ
ذلِكَ مِنْهُ اَنَّه يَوَدُّ
رُؤيَتِىْ بِجَمِيْعِ مَا يَمْلِك وَفِى
اُخْرى مِلْاَ الْاَرْضِ ذَهَبًا
ذلِكَ الْمُؤمِنُ بِىْ حَقًّا وَّالْمُخْلِصُ
فِىْ مَحَبَّتِىْ صِدْقًا
