
When invoking blessings {salawat} on Muhammad (S), why do you also associate his progeny {a} to him by saying, âAllahumma salli âala Muhammad wa Aale Muhammadâ {âO Allah! Bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammadâ}?
Reply: It has been established that the Prophet (S) himself had taught the Muslims how to invoke blessings on him. When the following noble verse,
﴿ إÙÙÙÙ’ اÙÙÙÙ’ÙÙ ÙÙÙ…ÙÙÙØ§Ø¦ÙÙÙØªÙÙÙ ÙÙØµÙÙÙÙ’ÙÙ٠عÙÙÙ٠اÙÙÙْبÙÙÙÙ’ ÙÙØ§ Ø£ÙÙÙÙ’ÙÙØ§ اÙÙْذÙÙÙ٠آمÙÙÙÙØ§ صÙÙÙÙ’ÙØ§ عÙÙÙÙÙ’ÙÙ ÙÙØ³ÙÙÙْمÙÙØ§ ØªÙØ³Ù’ÙÙÙÙ…ÙØ§Â ï´¾
âIndeed 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,â[51]
was revealed, the Muslims asked the Prophet (S): âHow should we invoke blessings (on you)?â The Prophet (S) said:
â.Ø§ÙØ¨ØªØ±Ø§Ø¡ Ø§ÙØµÙ’ÙÙØ© عÙÙÙ’ تصÙÙ’ÙØ§ ÙØ§â
âDo not invoke âincompleteâ blessings on me.â
They again asked: âHow should we invoke blessings on you?âHe (S) replied: âSay:
Ù…ÙØÙÙ…Ùْد٠آÙ٠عÙÙÙÙ° ÙÙ Ù…ÙØÙÙ…Ùْد٠عÙÙÙÙ° صÙÙÙÙ’ Ø£ÙÙÙÙ’ÙÙÙ…ÙÙ’
Allahumma salli âala Muhammad wa Aale Muhammad.
âO Allah! Bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.â[52]
The exceptionally high station of the Prophetâs family {al} (âa) led Imam ash-Shafiâi to compose the following famous poem:
ØØ¨Ù’ÙÙ… اÙÙ٠رسÙÙ Ø¨ÙØª Ø£ÙÙ ÙØ§
Ø£ÙØ²Ù٠اÙÙØ±Ø¢Ù Ù٠اÙÙÙ Ù…Ù ÙØ±Ø¶Ù
اÙÙÙ’ÙÙ… اÙÙØ¯Ø± عظÙÙ… Ù…Ù ÙÙØ§ÙÙ…
Ù٠صÙÙØ© ÙØ§ عÙÙÙÙ… ÙØµÙÙÙ’ ÙÙ… Ù…ÙÙ
O members of the Household {Ahl al-Bayt} of the Messenger of Allah! (Our) love for you is an obligation, which God has revealed in the Qurâan.
Your lofty station such that if one does not invoke blessings on you (while offering prayers) oneâs prayer will be of no avail.[53]
Notes:
[51] Surah al-Ahzab 33:56.
[52] Ibn Hajar, As–Sawaâiq al-Muhriqah, 2nd edition (Cairo: Maktabat al-Qahirah), Book 11, Chapter 1, p. 146 and a similar one in Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti, Ad-Durr al-Manthur, vol. 5, commentary of Surah al-Ahzab 33:56 has been narrated byhadith scholars {muhaddithun} and compilers of Sahihs andMusnads such as âAbd ar-Razzaq, Ibn Abi Shaybah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nisaâi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Mardaway, from Kaâab ibn âUjrah from the Holy Prophet (S).
[53] As–Sawaâiq al-Mahriqah, Book 11, Chapter 1, p. 148; Shabrawi, Al-Ithaf, p. 29; Hamzawi Maliki, Mashariq al-Anwar, p. 88; Zarqani, Al-Mawahib; Sabban, Al-Asâaf, p. 119.
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