Chapter 74

How to pray for blessings upon the messenger of Allah

Remembrance 1
WE HAVE MENTIONED praying for blessings upon the Messenger of Allah Honorific symbol and matters related to it in the Book on the adhkār of ṣalāh. We have explained the most complete formulas as well as the minimum. Although some of our colleagues and the Mālikī Ibn Abī Zayd hold that it is mustaḥabb to add ‘And have mercy on Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad’, it is a baseless innovation. The Mālikī Imam Abū Bakr Ibn al-‘Arabī has gone to some lengths in his book Sharḥ at-Tirmidhī to repudiate that and criticise Ibn Abī Zayd for it, and has declared those who practice it ignorant. He said this because the Messenger of Allah Honorific symbol taught us the way to pray for blessings upon him, so any addition to that would amount to considering his words inadequate and to correcting a shortcoming on his part. And all success is by Allah.

IT IS RECOMMENDED TO ASK FOR BOTH BLESSINGS AND PEACE UPON THE PROPHET Honorific symbol

When one asks for blessings on the Prophet Honorific symbol one should ask for both blessings and peace and not confine oneself to one of them, and not say ‘May Allah bless him’ on its own or ‘peace be upon him’ on its own.

IT IS RECOMMENDED TO RAISE THE VOICE IN ASKING FOR BLESSINGS AND PEACE UPON THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH Honorific symbol WHEN HE IS MENTIONED DURING THE READING OF HADITHS AND IN THE TALBIYAH

It is mustaḥabb for anyone reading hadiths or the like to raise his voice in praying for blessings and greetings when the Messenger of Allah Honorific symbol is mentioned. However, one should not exaggerate by raising his voice excessively. One of those who stipulated that one should raise one’s voice is the Imam and Ḥāfiẓ Abū Bakr al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī, among others. I have carried that over to the sciences of hadith.
The ‘ulamā’ among our colleagues and others specify that it is recommended to raise the voice in asking for blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah Honorific symbol in the talbiyah. And Allah knows best.