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.
(Surah Al-Ahzab, 56)
One of the greatest forms of remembrance (dhikr) and acts of devotion by which a Muslim can draw near to Allah is sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ.
The Status of the Prophet ﷺ with Allah
The verse, "Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him" (Surah Al-Ahzab, 56), highlights the immense honor and elevated rank of the Prophet ﷺ with Allah.
- Allah's blessings signify His praise of His servant in the highest assembly, His mention of the Prophet with beautiful attributes among the angels, as stated by many of the righteous predecessors.
- Allah's blessings also include His mercy and benevolence, as evident in the verse: "He it is Who blesses you and His angels (pray for you)" (Surah Al-Ahzab, 43), meaning He grants you mercy and bestows His grace upon you.
The Angels’ Prayers
The angels' prayers are their supplications for mercy, forgiveness, and blessings upon the one they pray for. As mentioned in the hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The angels pray for one of you as long as he remains in the place where he prayed, provided he does not break his wudu. They say, ‘O Allah, forgive him. O Allah, have mercy on him.’”
(Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The Reward for Sending Blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ
Allah commands: “O believers! Invoke Allah’s blessings upon him, and salute him with worthy greetings of peace.” (Surah Al-Ahzab, 56)
This command underscores the virtue and reward of sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, as elaborated in several hadiths:
- Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-As (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
“Whoever sends blessings upon me once, Allah will send blessings upon him tenfold.”
(Reported by Muslim)
In a similar narration by Ahmad from Abu Musa: “For every blessing you send upon me, Allah sends ten blessings upon you, removes ten sins, and raises you ten ranks.”
- Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The closest of people to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those who send the most blessings upon me.”
(Reported by Al-Tirmidhi, who classified it as a good hadith)
- Aws ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Among the best of your days is Friday. So increase your blessings upon me on that day, for your blessings are presented to me.”
They asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how will our blessings be presented to you after you have decomposed?” He replied: “Allah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of the Prophets.”
(Reported by Abu Dawood with a sound chain of narration)
- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Do not make my grave a site of festivity, and send blessings upon me, for your blessings reach me wherever you are.”
(Reported by Abu Dawood with a sound chain of narration)
- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) also reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“No one sends greetings of peace upon me except that Allah restores my soul to me so that I may return his greeting.”
(Reported by Abu Dawood with a sound chain of narration)
The Neglect of Sending Blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
- “May the nose of the one be humbled in the dust who hears my name mentioned and does not send blessings upon me.”
(Reported by Al-Tirmidhi, classified as a good hadith)
- “The miser is the one in whose presence I am mentioned, and he does not send blessings upon me.”
(Reported by Ahmad, Al-Nasai, and Al-Tirmidhi, who classified it as a sound and good hadith)
The Proper Way to Send Blessings
- Ka’b ibn Ujrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Prophet ﷺ came out to us, and we asked, “O Messenger of Allah, we know how to greet you. How should we send blessings upon you?” He said:
“Say: O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon the family of ibrahim. Verily, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed the family of Ibrahim. Verily, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious.”
(Agreed upon)
• Abu Mas’ud Al-Badri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Say: O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibrahim. And bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed the family of Ibrahim. Verily, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. And send peace as you have been taught.”
(Reported by Muslim)
Best Times for Sending Blessings
- Upon mentioning or writing the name of the Prophet ﷺ
- In the final tashahhud of prayer
- At the beginning and end of supplications
- During funeral prayers after the second takbeer
- In Friday and Eid sermons
- After responding to the adhan
- Upon entering or exiting a mosque
- At gatherings and upon their conclusion
- When starting lessons or conveying knowledge
- During times of hardship and distress
