What is the Meaning of Sending Blessings Upon the Prophet?

Answered by Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib

Question

What is the meaning of sending blessings and peace upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)?

Answer

In the name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, his Family, his Companions, and those who follow him.

Allah (Most High) says in the Noble Quran:

“Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him. O  believers! Invoke Allah’s blessings upon him, and salute him with worthy greetings of peace.” [Quran, 33:56]

Explanation by Some Mufassirin (Exegetes)

Many exegetes have explained and clarified the meaning of “salah” (blessing) mentioned in this verse. In the exegesis (tafsir) of Sam‘ani, who passed away in 489 AH, it is stated:

“Abu al-‘Aliya said: It is Allah’s praise for His servants. Some said it is the dissemination of a beautiful mention of them. The most well-known opinion is that salah from Allah (Most High) means mercy and forgiveness, while the salah of the angels is seeking forgiveness for the believers.” [Sam‘ani, Tafsir al-Sam‘ani]

Shaykh Ibn ‘Allan, in his “Sharh al-Adhkar”, quotes various scholars and then states:

“As for the salah of the angels, some say it is dua (supplication). Ibn ‘Abbas, in what Bukhari transmitted from him, said it is supplication for blessing. Mubarrad said it is a tenderness that leads to requesting mercy. Others said it is seeking forgiveness. There is no real contradiction among these interpretations, as they all converge on the angels’ supplication for blessing or forgiveness appropriate to the Prophet’s rank (Allah bless him and give him peace).” He further adds, “As for the salah from believing humans and jinn upon him, it means a supplication, that is, asking Allah (Most High) for the aforementioned blessings for him.” [Ibn ‘Allan, al-Futuhat al-Rabbaniyya]

From these texts, we understand the meaning of sending blessings and peace upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace).

May Allah grant us an abundance of these blessings and make them a regular part of all our affairs and circumstances.

And Allah is the One who grants success.

[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib

Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib is a prominent Islamic scholar from Yemen. He was born in Shibam, Hadhramaut, in 1976. He received his degree in Shari‘a from Al-Ahqaf University, a master’s degree from the Islamic University of Beirut, and a PhD in Usul al-Din from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

He studied under great scholars such as Shaykh al-Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad, Shaykh Fadl Ba‘ fadl, Habib Salim al-Shatiri, Habib Ali Mashhur bin Hafeez, and others. He has served as the Director of Publications at Dar al-Fiqh, the former Deputy Director of Cultural Relations at Al-Ahqaf University, a former Assistant for Employee Affairs at Atiyah Iron Company, a researcher at the Sunna Center affiliated with the Dallah al-Baraka Foundation, and a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch.

Currently, he is a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch, teaches traditionally through the Ijaza system at Dar al-Fuqaha in Turkey, supervises the Arabic department at Nur al-Huda International Institute (SeekersGuidance), and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Manuscript House in Istanbul.

His works include “The Efforts of Hadhramaut Jurists in Serving the Shafi‘i School,” “Contributions of Hadhramaut Scholars in Spreading Islam and its Sciences in India,” “Hada’iq al-Na‘im in Shafi‘i Fiqh,” in addition to verifying several books in Fiqh, history, the art of biographies, and Asanid (chains of narration).