THE IMPORTANCE OF 'SALAWAT'

THE IMPORTANCE OF SALAWAT AND ITS BENEFITS

 "The Mercy of Allah and His Blessings be upon Ahl al-Bayt.  Verily He is the Praiseworthy and Glorious" (The Holy Quran)

 With the passing of every day of our lives, we must take the opportunity to get closer to Allah (s.w.t.).  One of the ways we can do this by imploring the Almighty Allah to send His blessings upon the Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) and his Pure Progeny (a.s.).  One is recommended to recite this Salawat throughout one's life as a way to achieve this goal.  Why is so much importance placed on this act and what exactly is the reward of one who recites the Salawat?

 COMMANDMENT IN THE HOLY QURAN

 In the Holy Quran, in surah al-Ahzab, Verse 56, we read : "Surely Allah and His Angels bless the Prophet: O you belive ! Call for (Divine) blessings on him and salute him with a (becoming) salutation."

 In this verse, it says that Allah and the Angels send blessings on the Holy Prophet and He commands those who believe to do the same- send blessings and follow (submit) to his ways.  The Salawat is the only act in which Allah (s.w.t.) joins the Angels and the believers too are commanded to take part in it.

 THE HOLY PROPHET(SA.W.S.)'S INSTRUCTIONS

 Now let us see how the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) himself has instructed to send blessings for him.

 The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, "Do not salute for me in short!”

The companions asked, “What is saluting in short?”

The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied: "Saying that Blessing of Allah be upon Muhammad."

They asked "what should we say?"
The Propeht (s.a.w.s.) answered, " Say: Blessing of Allah be upon Muahmmad and his household the same way as you blessed Abraham and the household.  Verily you are worthy of all praise full of glory"

 This saying of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) was in connection with the following verse of the Holy Quran which was related about the House of Abraham (a.s.) :

 They said: “Do you wonder at Allah's decree? The Mercy of Allah and His Blessings be upon you O people of the House! For He is indeed worthy of all praise full of glory!”

(The Holy Quran 11.73)

 In fact, invoking Salawat on the Prophet's family was so important that it has been included in ANY Salawat on the Prophet (s.a.w.s).  Invoking Salawat on the family of the Prophet is a sign of pledging allegiance to them, and affirming what Allah Himself has affirmed for them: They are perfectly cleansed and worthy of being salauted.

 Immam Ja'far as-Sadiq(a.s.) our 6th Immam said: " One who sends 10 Salawat on the Prophet and his family, Allah and the Angels send 100 Salawats upon him, and one who sends 100 Salawats upon the Prophet  and his family, then Allah and the Angels send 1000 Salawat upon him.  Have you not heard the words of Allah, Glorious and Magnified be Him, " He it is who sends blessings upon you and so too to His Angels so that it may take you out of the darkness into light and verily He is merciful to the Believers."

 MERITS OF SENDING SALWATS

 

• Allah and the Angels send blessings upon one who sends Salawat on the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and the Ahlul-Bayt
• One who sends Salawat resembles the Angels, and thus as a result of this one is also entiltled to a part of the special mercy that the Angels receive due to the recitation of the Salawat.
• One, who sends Salawat on the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and his family, reaches a point where he becomes the friend of Allah (Khalilullah) due to the great status that the Salawat itself has.
• Recitiation of Salawat will result in one being closer to the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) on the Day of Judgement.
• One who recites Salawat every day and night will be worthy of receiving the intercession of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w..s) on the Day of Judgement.
• When we say “O Allah, send blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammed" the the Prophet replies to us by saying, “And upon you be peace".
• One attains the pleasure of Allah and comes closer to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) by recitation of this Salawat.  The 6th Immam Immam, Ja'far as-Sadiq (A.S.) said: "You’re sending Salawat upon me results in the acceptance of your requests and desires and Allah becomes pleased with you."  Also the Prophet had said that,"The most worthy of people on the Day of Judgement will be those sent the most Salawat upon me in the world."

SOME OF THE WORLDY BENEFITS ARE THE FOLLOWING:

 

• For every 100 Salawat receite, 100 legitimate desires and wishes will be fulfilled by Allah (s.w.t.).
• When one recites Salawat out loud, his heart gets freed of hypocrisy
• The duas (supplications) of the reciter become pure and sincere
• The reciter is liberated of poverty
• If one cannot find something or has forgotten where he has placed it, then by recitation of Salawat, it will be brought back or found inshaallah.
• Salawat degrades Satan and puts out the fire of Hell.

SOME OF THE BENEFITS IN THE HEREAFTER

• The worthiest and closest person to the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) on the Day of the Judgement will be the one who sent the most Salawat upon him in this world.
• Intercession by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) will become a certainty for the one of who recited Salawat upon Muhammad and his family (peace be upon them all).
• On the Day of Judgement, Salawat will appear as a light (noor) on the person's head, right side, left side and above him.
• One who recites the Salawat, Allah will give him the reward of 72 martyrs (shaheed)
• The heaviest thing on the Day of Judgement will be Salawat (recited by a person) and it will also light up his grave.
• One who sends 100 Salawat, Allah and the Angels send 1000 upon him, and the fire of Hell won't affect him.

PLEASE NOTE: of course, one must remember that this reciting, just as with other acts of worship, must be with complet sincerity and not for any reason other than seeking the pleasure of Allah (s.w.t.) and proper conduct in compliance of His command.

 May Allah (s.t.) give us all the ability to perform the Salawat with the utmost devotion and attain the benefits of it, both in this world and in the hereafter.  AMEEN.