The difference between Sending Salāms and Sending Blessings on the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam)
Is there any difference on offering between blessing's and Salāms on the Prophet?
In the Name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;
All praise and thanks are due to Allāh, May Allāh blessings and peace be upon His Messenger.
1. Allāh enjoined the Muslims to Send Salām and Blessings to the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam).
It is prescribed for the Muslim to pray for peace for the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) and to send Salāms upon him, just as it is prescribed to pray for blessings for him.
The evidence that it is prescribed to send Salāms upon the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) is the verse in which Allāh says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allāh sends His Salāh (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad), and also His angels (ask Allāh to bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salāh on (ask Allāh to bless) him (Muhammad), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation, i.e. As‑Salāmu ‘alaykum)”
[Al-Ahzāb, 33:56]
2. Sending Salāms upon the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallām).
It was narrated that ‘Abdallāh said: the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) said:
“Allāh has angels who travel about the earth, conveying to me the Salāms of my ummah.”
[Sahīh Sunan al-Nasā’ie, 1215; al-Silsilat al-Sahīhah, 2853]
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allāh Ibn Mas’ūd (radiallāhu`anhu) said: “When we prayed with the (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) we used to say, ‘Peace be upon Allāh from His slaves and peace be upon So and so.’ The Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) said, ‘Do not say “Peace (Salām) be upon Allāh”, for Allāh Himself is al-Salām. Rather say,
“Al-tahiyyātu Lillāhi wa’l-salawātu wa’l-tayyibāt. Al-Salāmu ‘alayka ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu wa rahmat Allāhi wa barakātuh. Al-Salāmu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ibād-illāh il-sālihīn"
(All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allāh. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allāh and His blessings. Peace be on us, and on the righteous slaves of Allāh).
If you say this it will be for all the slaves in heaven and between the heavens and the earth.
[Then go on to say]
“Ash-hadu an lā ilāha ill-Allāh wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasūluh”
(I bear witness that there is no god except Allāh and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).
Then choose whichever duā’ you like and recite it [referring to the Tashahhud].’”
[Narrated by al-Bukhāri, 835]
It was narrated that Fātimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) said: “When the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) entered the masjid, he would say, ‘Bismillāh was-Salām ‘ala Rasūl-illāh. Allāhumma ighfir li dzunūbi waftah li abwāb rahmatika (In the name of Allāh, and peace be upon the Messenger of Allāh. O Allāh, forgive me my sins and open to me the gates of Your Mercy).’ And when he exited he would say, Bismillāh wal-Salām ‘ala Rasūl-illāh. Allāhumma ighfir li dzunūbi waftah li abwāb fadlika (In the name of Allāh, and peace be upon the Messenger of Allāh. O Allāh, forgive me my sins and open to me the gates of Your Bounty).’”
[Sahīh Sunan Ibn Mājah, 625]
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (radiallāhu`anhu) that the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) said:
“There is no one who sends Salāms upon me, but Allāh will restore to me my soul so that I may return his Salāms.”
[Sahīh Sunan Abi Dawīd, 1795]
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allāh ibn Abi Talhah from his father that the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) came one day with evident signs of happiness on his face, and he said:
“Jibrīl (‘alaihissalām) came to me and said, ‘Would it not please you, O Muhammad, to know that no one among your ummah will send blessings upon you but I will send ten blessings upon him, and no one among your ummah will send Salāms upon you but I will send ten Salāms upon him.”
[Sahīh Sunan al-Nasā’ie, 1228]
Sending Salāms upon the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) is one of the rights that the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) has over his ummah. The Muslim is commanded to do this either in general word or in the specific phrases narrated in the reports, such as sending Salām on him in the Tashahhud, and when entering or leaving the masjid. The command to send Salāms upon him (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) even in his absence is one of the unique blessings that Allāh has bestowed upon him alone, which he does not share with anyone else, for it is not prescribed to send Salāms upon any specific person in his absence apart from him (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa Sallam). Another of his unique privileges is that the Salāms of his ummah are conveyed to him, so a person may attain the virtue of sending Salāms upon the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) and it reaching him even if he did not have the opportunity to meet him during his lifetime and even if a person is not able to go to his grave after he died.
3. Salawat upon the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallām).
The Salawat or Supplications for blessing for the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam), this is also prescribed in Islam. Abdullah bin Zaid - one who was shown the adzān in a dream - narrated it on the authority of Mas'ud al-Ansari who said: “We were sitting in the company of Sa'ad bin 'Ubadah when the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) came to us. Bashir bin Sa’ad enquired [the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam)]: Allah has commanded us to bless you [re: al-Ahzab, 33:56], O Messenger of Allah! But how should we do it? He (the narrator [Mas’ud al-Ansari]) said: The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) kept quiet (and we were so much perturbed over his silence) that we wished we had not asked him. Then the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:
“(For blessing me) say:
Allāhumma salli ‘ala Muhammad, wa ‘ala āli Muhammad kamā salayta ‘ala [Ibrāhīm wa ala] āli Ibrāhīm, wa bārik ‘ala Muhammad, wa ‘ala āli Muhammad kama bārakta ‘ala [Ibrāhīm wa ala] āli Ibrāhīm, fil-‘ālamīn; Innaka Hamīdun Majīd
(0 Allah! Send Prayers upon Muhammad and the members of his household as You Sent Prayers upon [Ibrāhīm and*] the members of Ibrahim's household.
And Send Blessings to Muhammad and the members of his household as You Granted Blessings upon [Ibrāhīm and*] the members of the household of Ibrahim, among all the nations’ Verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Full of Glory)”,
“And the Salutation [i.e As-salāmu ‘alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allahi wa barakātuh] as you about knows it.”
[Muslim (803); Abu Dawud, Book on Blessings on the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) after Tashahhud (976: from Ka’ab bin Ujrah; 980: from Abu Mas`ud Al-Ansari uses the phrase “‘ala āli Ibrāhīm, fil-‘ālamīn; Innaka Hamīdun Majīd”]); At-Tirmidzi (3220) - includes Fil’ālamīn, add: [Ibrāhīm wa ala*]; Al-Nasā’ie.]
Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi (radiallāhu`anhu) reported: They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: Apostle of Allah, how should we bless you? [Re: Al-Ahzāb, 33:56] He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Say:
‘Allāhumma salli `ala Muhammad, wa azwajihi wa dzurriyyatihi, Kama sallayta `ala āli Ibrāhīm;
Wa barik `ala Muhammad, wa `ala azwajihi wa dzurriyyatihi, Kama bārakta `ala ali Ibrāhīm, Innaka Hamidum-Majīd’
"O Allah! Bless Muhammad, [and] his wives and his offspring as Thou blessed [the family of*] Ibrahim,
And Grant Favours to Muhammad, and his wives and his offspring as Thou Granted Favours to the family of Ibrahim; Thou art Praiseworthy and Glorious."
[*The bracket is mine]
[Muslim (0807); Abu Dawud (979); Ahmad and Tahawi: Sahih; reported that the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to recite this salawat after the Tashahhud -it uses the phrase “Wa `ala ahli bait, wa`ala azwajihi wa dzurriyyatihi, `ala āli Ibrāhīm”; The phrase” Innaka Hamīdun Majīd” are mentioned twice, and without the phrase of “fil’ālamīn”]
The verse [re: al-Ahzab, 33:56] states Allāh sends His Salāh (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet Muhammad (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam), and also Allāh’s angels (ask Allāh to bless and forgive the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam). And Allāh command believers to send Salāh on (i.e ask Allāh to bless) him (Muhammad), and (you should) greet (salute) him with the Islamic way of greeting (salutation, i.e. As-salāmu ‘alaikum)”
In short Allāh’s prayer for the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) is a mercy He bestows upon him. Likewise, the angels’ prayers for the Prophet mean seeking Allah’s blessings and forgiveness for him. And the believers' prayer for the Prophet is a supplication for him, asking Allāh to bless the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam).
According to Abul Āliyah, the earlier scholars and as well the contemporary scholars are of the view that the meaning of blessings upon the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) is the praise for him being among the “higher group” (al-mala’ al-‘a’la, i.e., the angels, ref. al-Saffāt 37:8), and the prayers of the angels and the Muslims for blessings upon him (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) are for him (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) to be praised by Allāh being among the “higher group” (the angels).
Barākah means the steadfastness and stability. It also means growth and increase. What is meant by praying for blessing for the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) is asking Allāh to bestow good upon him steadfastness, stability and growth. Hence the prayers secures for Muhammad the good which Allāh granted to the family of Ibrāhīm, continual, established good, as well as its multiplying and increase.
Allāh enjoined Muslim to seek Allāh ’s Blessing for the Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) i.e the Salawāt is in relations to the honour, love, belief, attachment to him as our Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam) which signifies to be the deep faith in Allāh . None is considered a true believer until one loves him more than one parents and all others.
4. The Salām and Duā’
Sending Salāms upon the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) may be done by saying “Al-Salāmu ‘alaika ayyuha’l-Nabiyyu wa rahmat Allāhi wa barakātuh” (Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allāh and His blessings).
Or it may take the form of a duā’, praying that Allāh may keep him sound, such as saying “Sallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam” (May Allāh send blessings and peace upon him [i.e., the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa Sallam)].
A person’s sending Salām upon the Prophet would be mentioning Allāh’s name al-Salām by way of seeking the blessing of that name and this name is suited to the context because you are asking Allāh to keep him safe and sound, as if one is saying “O Allāh, Whose name is al-Salām, keep your Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) safe and sound.” When the word Salām refers to the name of Allāh, it appears with the definite article “al “, unlike when the word Salām appears in the context of praying for peace, tranquility and soundness to be bestowed by Allāh upon His slaves, in which case it appears without the definite article. “Because Salām from Him means any amount of Salām, and any amount of Salām from Him will be sufficient to make any slave of Allāh have no need of Salām from anyone else and no need for any greeting from anyone else; and any Salām from Allāh will be sufficient to grant him all of his wishes. So the least Salām from Allāh – and nothing can be described as least when it comes from Allāh – will bring the greatest blessings and will ward off all causes of misery, and will make life good and will ward off all causes of doom and destruction. Therefore in this context, when speaking of Salām from Allāh, there is no need for the definite article.”
[Dabā’i’ al-Fawā’id, 2/143]
What is meant by Salām is being free from evil and faults. So the one who sends Salāms upon the Prophet is praying for him (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) in this sense, asking for the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) to be protected from evil, faults and shortcomings. As for blessings (barakah), it means the steadfastness and stability. It also means growth and increase. What is meant by praying for blessing for the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam) is asking Allāh to bestow good upon him steadfastness, stability and growth.
And Allāh knows best.
[Via Islam QA (Fatawa No: 23274)]
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