Chapter 8. The Praise On The Prophet, Its Verdict, Obligation, And Virtue

(It is worth noting, that the word "prayer" (salat) occurs in two different expressions. The first is in the obligatory prayer to Allah, and the second is the prayer on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) which is a statement of praise of the Prophet when mentioned by Allah and His angels and it is a supplication of praise done by believers.)

 

Section 1: What is meant by the prayer on the Prophet

Section 2:The ruling about the prayer on the Prophet

Section 3: Times when it is recommended to say the prayer on the Prophet

Section 4: The manner in which the prayer on the Prophet and asking for peace upon him should be made

Section 5: The excellence of the prayer on the Prophet, asking for peace upon him and supplicating for him

Section 6: Reproaching those who do not ask for blessings upon the Prophet and their wrong doing

Section 7: The distinguishing of the Prophet through the revelation of the supplication for praising him

Section 8: Disputation concerning invoking supplications of praise on other than the Prophet and his fellow prophets

Section 9: Visiting the tomb of the Prophet, how he should be greeted and the virtue of one's visit

Section 10: The manner to be adopted upon entering the Prophet's Mosque and its excellence, and the excellence of Mecca and Medina

 

Section 1: What is meant by the prayer on the Prophet

 

Allah tells us, "Allah and His angels praise and venerate the Prophet. Believers, praise and venerate him and pronounce peace upon him in abundance." 33:56. Abbas' son stresses the fact that Allah and His angels praise and venerate Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him). It has been said that Allah showers His mercy upon His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and His angels supplicate for him. Al Mubarrad said, "The root of the prayer is the invocation of mercy. It is mercy from Allah. From His angels it is graciousness and a supplication for the Mercy of Allah. A hadith sheds further light and tells us that when someone praises the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) while waiting for the commencement of the prayer, the angels say, "O Allah, forgive him! O Allah have mercy upon him." Abul Aliya explained, "The praise of Allah is His praising of the Prophet to His angels, and the praise of the angels is supplication."

In reference to the command of Allah to His worshipers to supplicate for peace upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) the Judge Abu Bakr, Bukyr's son said, "This verse was sent down on the Prophet, and Allah commanded his Companions to supplicate for peace upon him. Those who came after are also commanded to supplicate for peace upon the Prophet not only when they visit his tomb but whenever he is mentioned." Three definitions have been given to the supplication "As-Salaamu alaykum" The first is that the word "salaama" is that of safety for you and with you. The second is "Salaamu" meaning your protection, being guarded and preservation as found in the Name of Allah "Salaam". The third is "As-Salaam" derived from the meaning of "musalaama" (reconciliation) and submission to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) as in the Words of Allah, "But no, by your Lord, they will not believe you until they make you the judge regarding the disagreement between them, then, they will not find in themselves any discomfort concerning your verdict, and will surrender to you in full submission." 4:65.

 

Section 2:The ruling about the prayer on the Prophet

 

Dear reader, one must be aware that Allah has commanded us to praise His Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). Praising the Prophet, is a general obligation and is not restricted to a specific time. There is no dispute about its obligatory nature, however Abu Jaafar Tabari was of the opinion that this verse, "Allah and His angels praise and venerate the Prophet. Believers, praise and venerate him and pronounce peace upon him in abundance." 33:56 is a recommendation is overruled. When one praises the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) one fulfils the obligation, the performance of which voids the wrong action that would be present if one were not to do so. The minimum is to say it once as in the case when one bears witness to his Prophethood, however it is very desirable to say it more often and one finds its doing to be highly recommended in the authentic quotations of Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him).

The Judge Abu Bakr, Bukair's son tells us, "Allah has made it an obligation upon His creation to praise and ask for peace upon Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him). Allah did not assign a specific time, and the obligation of believers is that one should do it as often as possible and never neglect its doing." The Judge Abu Abdullah, Said's son tells us, "The position of Imam Malik (of the Maliki school of jurisprudence), his companions as well as other knowledgeable people is that the prayer on the Prophet is a general obligation and conditional to belief, and is not limited to the obligatory five daily prayers. However, whosoever praises the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) once in his lifetime has removed the minimum obligation." The followers of Imam Shafi'i (of the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence) say that the obligation which Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessing be upon him) command applies only to the obligatory prayer. There is no disagreement that it is not obligatory.

The consensus of not only all the early scholars but those who came after is that the prayer on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) in the final sitting before the closure of the prayer is not an obligatory part of the prayer. Imam Shafi'i is the exception and says that any prayer that does not contain the prayer on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) in the final sitting of one's prayer when one bears witness to the Oneness of Allah before the greeting of peace (the tashahuhd) is invalid. The Maliki school of jurisprudence, the people of Medina, Sufyan Thawri, and the people of Kufa in the company of others are of the opinion that it is recommended to say the prayer in the final sitting of one's prayer when one bears witness to the Oneness of Allah before the greeting of peace, and it is disliked that it be omitted.

If the prayer is omitted due to forgetfulness, Isaac, Abraham's son says the prayer does not have to be repeated, however if it is omitted intentionally then the prayer must be repeated. We are told by Abu Ya'la that the Maliki school of jurisprudence has three opinions, the first is that it is obligatory, the second it is sunna, and the third it that it is recommended. Jabir tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) taught them what is to be said in praise of him during the final sitting of the prayer, (tashahuhd) in the same way he taught them a chapter of the Quran. Umar's son said Abu Bakr would teach them what is to be said in praise of the Prophet during the final sitting of the prayer (tashahuhd) from the pulpit in the same way children are taught.

There is a prophetic quotation that says, "No prayer is valid for those who do not offer the prayer on me." Al-Qassar's son explained, this quotation with the meaning that the prayer in incomplete without it or, it refers to someone who has not offered the praise on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) at least one during his lifetime. However, scholars of prophetic quotations consider this quotation to be weak. Masood's son heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "Whosoever offers the obligatory prayer but does not ask for blessings upon me, and the people of my House, his prayer is not accepted." Darakutni said, "The correct interpretation is that of Abu Ja'far Mohammed, son of al-Hussayn who said, "If I were to offer a prayer in which I did not ask for blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) or the people of his House, I would think it was incomplete."

 

Section 3: Times when it is recommended to say the prayer on the Prophet

 

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) heard a man making a supplication in his prayer without asking for blessings upon him whereupon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) commented, "This is hasty." Then he called the man and told those in his company, "When one of you supplicates, he should begin by praising Allah and then say the prayer on His Prophet, thereafter he can supplicate for whatever he wishes." The Caliph Umar, al-Khattab's son (may Allah be satisfied with him) spoke of one's supplication and prayer and said, "The supplication and prayer are suspended between the heaven and the earth. None of it rises to Allah until you say the prayer on the Prophet." Ali, may Allah honour his face said something similar with the addition, "and on the family of Mohammed." It has also been transmitted that the supplication is veiled until the suppliant offers the prayer on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). Masood's son advised, "If any of you wishes to ask Allah for something, he should first begin by praising and exalting Him in the way He is deserving, then he should ask for blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). It is then that the supplication is most likely to be answered."

Jabir heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, " Do not make me to be like the disposable jug of a rider, he fills his jug, puts it down then loads his baggage. If he needs to drink, he drinks from it, if he needs to make ablution he does so. If not, he pours it away. Place me at the beginning of the supplication, in its middle and the end." Ata's son spoke of the supplication saying, "The supplication has pillars, wings, means and moments. When its pillars are strong it is acceptable. If its wings are acceptable, it flies. If its moments are accepted, it is given success. If its means are acceptable, it wins. Its pillars are the presence of the heart, mercy and humility and the heart's suspension before Allah and severance from the reliance on means. Its wings are truthfulness and sincerity. It moments are before dawn. Its means are the prayer on the Prophet." May Allah praise and venerate him and grand him perfect peace.

It is reported in the Prophetic quotations "The supplication between the two prayers is not rejected." Also, "Each supplication is veiled below the heavens until the praising of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is said, it is then that it ascends." Abbas' son concluded his supplication with the words, "Please accept my supplication" then he praised the Prophet saying, "O Allah I ask You to praise Prophet Mohammed, Your Worshiper, Prophet and Your Messenger better than anyone else amongst all Your creation." The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) should be praised whenever mention of his name is heard and when his name is written. He should also be praised when hearing the Call to Prayer because he said, "If my name is mentioned in front of a person and he does not praise me, for him it is as if his nose is rubbed in the dust."

The scholar Habib's son disliked anyone to mention the name of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) when slaughtering an animal, and the famouse Maliki scholar, Sahnon, disliked the name of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) to be mentioned when someone expressed their surprise. To this Qasim's son added "when sneezing" (because it is rendered secondary). A compiler of one of the six major references of Prophetic Sayings by the name of Nisai reports the command that one should increase one's praising of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) on a Friday. Issac's son tells us that one should praise the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) upon entering the mosque. Amru, Dinar's son tells us that when you enter houses (in which no one is there), you should say, "Peace, be upon the Prophet and the mercy of Allah and His blessing, and peace be upon us and upon the good people of Allah. Peace be upon the inhabitants of the house, and the mercy of Allah and His blessing." To this Abbas' son added, "What is meant here by houses is mosques."

Al Qama tells of how he entered the Mosque. He said, "When I enter the Mosque I say peace be upon you O Messenger of Allah, coupled with the mercy and blessing of Allah. Allah and His Angels praise the Prophet." The daughter of the Prophet, Lady Fatima (may Allah be satisfied with her) tells us that the Prophet himself (peace and blessing be upon him) would ask Allah to praise him when entering the Mosque. The Companions reported that the prayer upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) should be said by the imam and also the congregation during the funeral prayer (after the second pronouncing of Allahu Akbar). A highly recommended practice, accepted by all the nation of Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) is that one should praise him in letters and whatever is written after In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful (Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Raheem). Ukba, Amru's son said in his narration, "O Allah, praise Mohammed, the illiterate Prophet and the family of Mohammed." The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) gives us the good news saying, "The angels ask for forgiveness for whosoever praises me in a book as long as my name remains in that book." Abu Masood Ansari tells us of another saying of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) "Say, O Allah, praise Mohammed and the family of Mohammed as you praised the family of Abraham, and bless Mohammed and the family of Mohammed as You blessed Abraham in all the worlds. Indeed You are the all Praised and Glory. As for peace (you say according to the way), it is has been taught to you."

 

Section 4: The manner in which the prayer on the Prophet and asking for peace upon him should be made

 

Abu Humayd As Saidi tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was asked what is to be said when one offers the prayer upon him. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) replied, "Say, 'O Allah, praise Mohammed, his wives and descendants as You praised the family of Abraham, and grant blessing upon the family of Mohammed as You granted blessings to the family of Abraham in all the worlds. You are the Praised, the Glorious." Ka'b Ujra's son reported the supplication with a slight variation saying, "O Allah, praise Mohammed and the family of Mohammed as You praised Abraham. You are the Praised, the Glorious." Abu Said al-Khudri reported the quotation as "O Allah, praise Mohammed, Your worshiper and Your Messenger."

Imam Ali, may Allah honour his face, said, "The Messenger of Allah counted them out on my hand and told me that Gabriel had counted the supplications on his hand, saying, 'This is how it was sent down from the Lord of Might-O Allah, praise Mohammed and the family of Mohammed as You praised Abraham and the family of Abraham. You are the Praised, the Glorious. O Allah grant blessings to Mohammed and the family of Mohammed as You granted blessings to Abraham and the family of Abraham. You are the Praised, the Glorious. O Allah, grant peace to Mohammed and the family of Mohammed as You granted peace to Abraham and the family of Abraham. You are the Praised the Glorious.'"

Abu Hurayra heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "Whosoever wishes to be given the fullest measure when he supplicates upon us, the People of the House, should say, 'O Allah, praise Mohammed, the Prophet, his wives, the Mothers of Believers, his descendants and the People of his House, just as You praised the family of Abraham. You are the Praised, the Glorious." When Zaid, Kharija al-Ansari's son asked the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) how he should supplicate for blessings upon him, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) replied, "O Allah bless Mohammed and the family of Mohammed, just as You blessed Abraham. You are the Praised, the Glorious."

Salama al-Kindi spoke of the time when Imam Ali taught them how to pray on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). Imam Ali taught them: "O Allah, the One who spread out the leveled expanses and created the heavens! Bestow Your noble praise, Your ever increasing blessings and the compassion of Your Tenderness upon Mohammed, Your worshiper and Your Messenger, the Opener of what was closed. The Seal of what came before. The one who announces the truth by the Truth. The one who triumphs over the armies of falsehood as he was entrusted to do. He who took upon himself with eagerness Your command to obey You to gain Your pleasure. He retains within him Your Revelation, preserves Your guidance and carries out Your command so that mankind can receive Your blessings, kindling because of him, a brand with which they can bring to their families. Hearts were guided by him after they had been plunged into trials and sinful actions. He illuminated the clear signs, luminous rules and way-marks of Islam. He is Your trusted guardian, the treasurer of Your hidden knowledge, Your witness on the Day of Rising, the one You sent with Your blessings and in truth Your Messenger, a mercy. O Allah, give him a spacious abode in Your Eden and reward him with good multiplied many times over from Your overflowing Favor, that You gave to him without effort through the victory on gaining Your reward and generous gift. O Allah, place whatever he builds above what other people build and give to him a noble place of rest and hospitality. Complete his light for him, and recompense him from Your worshipers by acceptance and words that please, with just words, decisive action and immense proof."

Referring to the verse "Allah and His angels praise and venerate the Prophet." 33:56. Imam Ali, may Allah honour his face, said, "Obedient to You, my Lord. The praise of Allah, the Good and Merciful, the near angels, those who are true, the martyrs, the good people, and all that exalts You, O Lord of all the worlds, be upon Mohammed, son of Abdullah, the Seal of the Prophets, the Master of the Messengers, and the Leader of those who fear You, and the Messenger of You, the Lord of all the worlds. The witness, the bearer of good news, the one who invites people to You by Your permission, the light-giving lamp-and peace be upon him!"

Abdullah, Masood's son said, "O Allah, bestow Your blessings and mercy upon the Master of all the Messengers, the Leader of those who fear You, the Seal of the Prophets, Mohammed, Your worshiper and Messenger, the leader of the good and the Messenger of Mercy. O Allah, raise him to the praised station which will be the envy of the first and the last. O Allah, praise Mohammed and the family of Mohammed as You praised Abraham. You are the Praised, the Glorious. Give blessings to Mohammed and the family of Mohammed as You granted blessings to Abraham and the family of Abraham. You are the Praised the Glorious." Al-Hassan al-Basri said, "Whosoever wishes to drink the fullest cup from the Pool (Kawthar) of the Chosen one (Prophet Mohammed) should say, 'O Allah, praise Mohammed and the family of Mohammed, and his Companions, his sons, daughters, wives and descendants, the People of his House, his relatives by marriage and the Ansar (Helpers), and his followers, as well as those who love him, and bless us along with all of them, O Most Merciful of the merciful."

Abbas' son would supplicate saying, "O Allah, accept the greatest intercession of Mohammed, and raise him to the highest station. Grant his every request in the Next Life and this Life as You answered the prayers of Abraham and Moses" Wuhayb al-Ward's son would supplicate saying, "O Allah, give Mohammed the best of whatever he asked You for himself, and give to him the best of what any of Your creation has asked of You for him. And give Mohammed the best of all that You will be asked for until the Day of Resurrection." The supplication of Masood's son was, "When you ask for blessings upon the Prophet, make the prayer excellent. You do not know if it will be shown to him. Say, 'O Allah, bestow Your praise, Your mercy and Your blessings on the Master of the Messenger, the Leader of those who fear You, the Leader of the Good and the Messenger of Mercy."

The preceding are but a taste of the multitude of prayers both brief and long in praise of our beloved Prophet and his family (peace and blessing be upon him) and them. The supplication of Imam Ali in the final sitting of his prayer in which one bears witness to the Oneness of Allah before the greeting of peace reads: "Peace be upon the Prophet. Peace be upon all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah. Pease be upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon Mohammed, son of Abdullah. Peace be upon us and upon all believers, men and women alike, those who are absent and those who are present. O Allah, forgive Mohammed and accept his intercession and forgive the People of his House. Forgive me and my parents, and their descendants, and have mercy upon them. Peace be upon all the righteous worshipers of Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet and the mercy of Allah and His blessings."

Abu Umar, Abdul Barr's son and others are of the opinion that one should not ask for mercy for the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) rather one should ask for praise and blessings specific to him. They say that one should only ask for mercy and the forgiveness for others. In the prayer on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) Abu Mohammed, Abu Zaid's son included, "O Allah, have mercy on Mohammed (because the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was sent as a mercy himself) and the family of Mohammed as You had mercy to Abraham and the family of Abraham." This is not based on a prophetic quotation rather its proof lies in the words in the greeting of peace. "Peace be upon you O Prophet, the mercy of Allah and His blessings."

 

Section 5: The excellence of the prayer on the Prophet, asking for peace upon him and supplicating for him

 

Abdullah, Amr's son reports the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) "When you hear the Caller to Prayer, repeat what he says and ask for blessings upon me. Whosoever asks for blessings upon me once, Allah blesses him ten times. Thereafter ask for the rank of go-between (wasila) for me. It is a rank in the Garden reserved for only one of the worshipers of Allah and it is my hope that it will be for me. My intercession is granted to whosoever asks for the rank of "wasila" for me." Anas, Malik's son tells us the good news that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Whosoever asks for blessings upon me once, Allah blesses him tenfold and ten sins fall from him and he is raised by ten degrees." In addition to this are the words, "and ten good deeds are written for him."

Anas also tells us that the Arch-Angel Gabriel told Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) "Whosoever praises you once, Allah praises him ten times and raises him by ten degrees." Abdur Rahman, Awf's son says something similar, he reports the Prophet's saying, "I met Gabriel who told me, 'I bring to you good news that Allah has said that whosoever asks for peace for you, He blesses him with peace. Whosever asks for blessings upon you, Allah blesses him." Zaid, al-Hubab's son heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "Whosoever says, 'O Allah, praise Mohammed and raise him to Your nearness on the Day of Resurrection' will indeed receive my intercession. Those nearest to me on the Day of Resurrection are those who have said the most prayers upon me."

Abu Hurayra heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "The angels ask forgiveness for whosoever praises me in a letter or book, as long as my name remains on that page." Amr Rabi'a's son heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "The angels continue to bless anyone who asks for blessings upon me, as long as he continues doing so. Therefore do so in abundance or even a little." Ubayy, Ka'b's son said that upon the passing of the first quarter of the night, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) arose and said, "O people, remember Allah! The quake has come which will be followed by its sequel. Death will come with all that accompanies it." Ubayy asked, "O Messenger of Allah, I say a lot of praising upon you, how much of my praising should I devote to you?" The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) replied, "Do as much as you like." Ubayy asked, "A quarter?" He replied, 'Do as much as you like, and if you do more it is better." Ubayy inquired again, "A third?" He replied, "Do as much as you like, and if you do more it is better. Ubayy asked, "Two-thirds?" Again he replied, 'Do as much as you like, and if you do more it is better." Whereupon Ubbay said, "O Messenger of Allah, I will devote all my praising for you." The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Then you will have enough and your sins will be forgiven."

Abu Talha tells us of the time he saw the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) happier than he had ever seen him, and asked him about it. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) told him. "Indeed, Gabriel has just left me and brought me good news from Allah that He has sent me to give good news that when any of my nation asks for prayers upon me (praise and veneration), Allah and His angels bless that person ten times for its doing." The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "People will come to me who I will only recognize on account of the abundance of prayer they said upon me." Wahb's son tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Whosoever asks for peace on me ten times, it is as if he had freed a slave!" We are also blessed with the knowledge that has reached us from the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) "The first to be saved from the terrors and its places on the Day of Resurrection will be the one who supplicated most for me."

Speaking of the tremendous blessings received for one's praising of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) Abu Bakr As Siddiq said that the prayer on the Prophet wipes out sin in the same way that cold water extinguishes a fire. To ask for peace upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is better than freeing slaves (meaning higher in reward despite this the Companions continued to free slaves until it was eliminated as it was their habit to mix different ranks of deeds.) Jabir, Abdullah's son tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Whenever anyone hears the Call to Prayer and says, 'O Allah, Lord of this perfect call and this established prayer, grant Mohammed the rank of go-between (wasila) and excellence, and raise him to the praised station which You have promised him' will receive my intercession on the Day of Resurrection." Saad Abi Wakkas tells us of another supplication to be made upon hearing the Call to Prayer, "When anyone hears the Call to prayer and says, 'I bear witness that there is no god except Allah alone, with no partner and Mohammed is His worshiper and Messenger. I am pleased with Allah as my Lord and Mohammed as the Messenger, and Islam as my religion' will be forgiven."

 

Section 6: Reproaching those who do not ask for blessings upon the Prophet and their wrong doing

 

Abu Hurayra tells us that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "Dust be upon the face of whosoever does not ask for me to be praised when I am mentioned in his presence! Dust be upon the face of whosoever Ramadan commences and finishes before he has received forgiveness! Dust be upon the face of whoever's parents reach old age and they are not the cause of his entering the Garden!". As the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) climbed upon the pulpit he said "Ameen". This occurred three times whereupon Mu'adh inquired about its nature. The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) told him, "Gabriel came to me and said, 'Mohammed, whenever your name is mentioned in front of a person and he does not ask for blessings upon you and dies thereafter, that person will enter the Fire. Allah will distance him, say 'Ameen', so I said, 'Ameen'. Gabriel told me, 'When Ramadan comes and it is not accepted from a person and he dies, it is the same, say 'Ameen' so I said 'Ameen'. If someone has two parents, or just one, and does not show kindness and goodness to them and dies, it is the same, say 'Ameen' so I said 'Ameen'."

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) defined a miser saying, "A miser is someone who does not supplicate for praise upon me when I am mentioned in his presence." On the same subject, Jaafar, Mohammed's son reports the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) "When I am mentioned in the presence of a person and he does not supplicate for praise upon me, he has swerved away from the Path to the Garden." From Abu Hurayra we learn that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "When people gather together, sit and depart without mentioning Allah and supplicating for praise upon His Prophet, a dark shadow falls upon them that will be a cause for regret in the Hereafter. If Allah wills, He will punish them, if He wills, he will forgive them." Abu Hurayra also reported, "Whosoever forgets to pray on me (the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him), has forgotten the Path to the Garden."

The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) mentioned an element of bad manners, and Katada tells us that he said, "An element of bad manners towards me is that when I am mentioned in the presence of someone, that person does not supplicate for praise upon me." The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) tells us, "When people sit in a gathering and depart without saying the prayer upon me, they depart on something fouler than the odor of a corpse." In addition to this the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "When people sit in a gathering in which they do not supplicate for me grief descends upon them, when they enter the Garden, they will not receive some of its reward." Isa Tirmidhi tells us that a knowledgeable person said, "Whenever a person supplicates for praise upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) once in a gathering, he receives the reward for whatever takes place in that gathering." (May Allah praise and venerate our Master Mohammed, and grant him perfect peace in abundance, increasing continuously throughout time and all eternity.)

 

Section 7: The distinguishing of the Prophet through the revelation of the supplication for praising him

 

One day the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of the greetings of peace upon him that would be made after his death. Abu Hurayra tells us he said, "Whenever anyone will greet me with peace, Allah will return my soul to me so that I may return the greeting." Abu Hurayra also tells us that he said, "I will hear whosoever asks for me to be praised in my tomb. Even if someone is far away from me and supplicates for praise upon me, that too is conveyed to me." Masood's son tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of the action of the angels saying, "Angels roam the earth to convey peace to me from my nation." Umar's son advised, "Offer an abundance of prayer on your Prophet every Friday, because its presented to him on that day." Al-Hassan, Ali's son heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "Praise me wherever you are. Your prayer will reach me."

It has been said that the name of the person who asks for praise upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is shown to him as the person offers it. Al-Hassan, Ali's son said, "Whenever you enter the (Prophet's) Mosque, greet the Prophet." Sulayman, Suhaym's son tells us of a vision he had and says, "I saw the Prophet in a vision and asked him, 'O Messenger of Allah, do you recognize the greeting of those who come to you?' The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) replied, 'Yes, and I answer them.'" Shehab's son heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) tell his Companions, "Offer an abundance of prayer on me in the radiant night (the night preceding Friday) and the radiant day (Friday) because it will be conveyed from you. The earth does not consume the bodies of prophets, and when a Muslim asks for me to be praised an angel conveys it to me and mentions his name."

 

Section 8: Disputation concerning invoking supplications of praise on other than the Prophet and his fellow prophets

 

The majority of knowledgeable scholars of Islam say that it is permitted to ask for prayers upon people other than prophets. Abbas' son holds a different opinion and says that it is not permissible. Sufyan Ath-Thawri was of the opinion that it is disliked to ask for prayers to be said upon anyone other than a prophet, Judge Iyyad's tells us that one of his shaykhs said, "In Malik' school of jurisprudence it is not permitted to single-out for prayer any prophet other than Mohammed (unless it is combined with Prophet Mohammed, praise and peace be upon him)." In the reference “Al-Mabsut", Malik is quoted as having said to John, Isaac's son, "I dislike that people pray on anyone other than the prophets. We should not exceed what we have been commanded to do."

Yahya, Yahya al-Laythi's son said he did not accept this opinion. He said there is nothing harmful in offering prayers on any of the prophets or other people. To prove his point he quoted the transmission of Umar's son and the quotation in which the Prophet taught us the prayer on himself, and draws our attention to the phrase, "And on his wives and family." He said, "In the appendix of Abu Imran al-Fasi I found related from Abbas' son the dislike of offering the prayer on singling-out anyone other than the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) as he indicated, 'That is what we say. It was not previously used.'" Abu Hurayra tells us that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) told them, "Ask for blessings upon the Prophets of Allah and His Messengers, and Allah will convey the blessings to them as He conveys them to me."

Generally speaking the word "prayer" means supplication and asking for mercy, unless stated otherwise in an authentic hadith or the consensus of scholars that restrict its meaning. Allah says, "It is He who has mercy on you, and His angels." 33:43. He also says, "Take charity from their wealth, in order that they are thereby cleansed and purified, and pray for them." 9:103. And "On those will be prayers and mercy from their Lord," 2:157 The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was heard supplicating for blessings upon his Companions, he said, "O Allah, bless the family of Abu Wafa." When people brought the obligatory charity to him for distribution, he supplicated, "O Allah, bless the family of so-and-so."

In the hadith mentioning the prayer on the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) we find, "O Allah, bless Mohammed, his wives and descendants," or "and the family of Mohammed." The latter has been explained with the meaning of either his followers, his nation, or the People of his House (either in combination or mixed). It has also been explained as meaning his followers, group or tribe, or a person's children, or his people. On the other hand, it has also been said that it refers to the family of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) to whom charity is forbidden.

When the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was asked, "Who are the family of Mohammed?" Anas tells us that he replied, "All those who fear Allah." When al-Hassan offered the prayer upon the Prophet, he would say, "O Allah, bestow Your praise and Your blessings on the family of Mohammed," meaning himself, because he did not neglect the obligatory command of Allah. This is similar to the Prophet's saying, "I was given one of the flutes of the family of David." Abu Jumayd As Saidi would supplicate, "O Allah, bless Mohammed, his wives and descendants." Umar's son tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) would ask for blessings upon Abu Bakr and Umar. This is also mentioned in Imam Malik's reference Muwatta. In other words he would supplicate for Abu Bakr and Umar. Anas, Malik's son said, "When we used to supplicate for our companions in the Unseen we would say, 'O Allah, bestow the prayers of a good person who prays at night and fasts in the day on so-and-so.''' Sufyan adhered to the same. Abbas' son did not offer a prayer upon anyone unless that person was a prophet. He did this to distinguish the special esteem and respect he had for them.

We know it is necessary to distinguish Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) from other prophets by asking for praise and venerations upon him, because of the command of Allah. "Believers, praise and venerate him and pronounce peace upon him in abundance." 33:56. Whereas Allah mentioned other people in terms of asking for forgiveness and expresses pleasure. He says, "Those who came after them say, 'Forgive us our Lord, and forgive our brothers who were believers before us." 59:10, also "and those who followed them in doing good, Allah is pleased with them." 9:100. The scholars of Islam say that the prayer for someone was made either as a supplication or as a greeting when the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) met someone. It does not imply esteem or respect, and quote the verse, "Do not make the calling of the Messenger among yourselves like your calling to one another." 24:63. (In conclusion, the practice when one mentions a prophet, is that we pray upon him in combination with Prophet Mohammed in a similar way to this "upon soand-so, and our Prophet, the praise and peace").

 

Section 9: Visiting the tomb of the Prophet, how he should be greeted and the virtue of one's visit

 

Umar's son tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "My intercession is assured for those who visit me." Visiting the tomb of Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) is both excellent and to be desired. We are told by Anas, Malik's son that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Anyone who, for the Sake of Allah, visits me in Medina is near me, and on the Day of Resurrection I will intercede for him." He also said, "Whosoever visits me after my death, it is as if he visited me while I am alive." The jurist, Isaac, Abraham's son said a person should go to Medina when he/she makes the Greater Pilgrimage with the intention of praying in the Prophet's Mosque, and seek the blessings of seeing his Meadow (Rawda), pulpit, tomb, the place where he sat, places that were touched by his blessed hand, places where his blessed feet walked, and the pillar on which he would lean, the places where Gabriel descended bring the Revelation to him, the places connected with his Companions and the leaders of Muslims who lived there.

Abi Fudayk's son heard someone say, "We have heard that all who stand before the tomb of the Prophet should recite the verse, 'Allah and His angels praise and venerate the Prophet' 33:56 and then say, 'May Allah praise you, O Mohammed.' If this is said seventy times an angel will call to that person saying, 'May Allah bless you!' and all his needs will be taken care of." When Umar Abdul Aziz bade farewell with the greetings of peace to Yazid, Abi Said al-Mahri's son, he asked, "I would like you to do something for me. When you reach Medina and visit the tomb of the Prophet, greet him on my behalf with peace." It has also been reported that whenever he wrote letters from Syria to the people of Medina he would also ask them to do the same. Amongst the early generation was a man who observed Anas, Malik's son approach the tomb of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). He tells us that Anas stopped, raised his hands as if he were about to pray, greeted the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) then left.

Malik said that when someone visits the tomb of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and supplicates, he should stand facing the tomb and not the direction of prayer. He should draw closer and greet him but not touch the tomb with his hands. In his reference “Al-Mabsut" he writes, "I do not think people should stand at the tomb of the Prophet, rather they should greet him and depart." Abi Mulayka's son said, "Those who wish to stand and face the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) should face the lamp in the direction of prayer at the end of the tomb near his blessed head." Umar's son would greet the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) at the tomb. Nafi said that he saw him visit the tomb more than a hundred times and Umar's son would say, "Peace be upon the Prophet, may Allah praise him and grant him peace. Peace be upon Abu Bakr" and leave thereafter. Umar's son was also observed placing his hand where the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) sat on the pulpit and then wipe his hand over his face. Qusayt's son and the son of al-Utbi said, "Whenever the Mosque was empty, the Companions would touch the knob of the pulpit near the tomb with their right hand. Then they would face the direction of prayer and supplicate."

In the reference "Muwatta" Malik wrote that he would stand at the tomb of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and say the prayer upon the Prophet, then pray for Abu Bakr and then Umar. Malik said that the person who is greeting should say, "Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings." The Judge Abul Walid al-Baji spoke about the respect due to the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) when visiting his tomb, "I think the visitor should supplicate for the Prophet using the words praise and veneration and choose a different word for Abu Bakr and Umar, as Umar's son indicated." Habib's son tells us how one should enter the Prophet's Mosque. He said, "One should enter saying, 'In the Name of Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. Peace be upon us from our Lord. Allah and His angels praise Mohammed. O Allah, forgive us our sins and open for us the gates of Your Mercy and Your Garden and protect us from the accursed satan!'" Having done this Habib's son tells us that one should go to the Meadow (Rawda) which is an area of the Mosque that lies between the tomb and the pulpit and offer two units of prayer in which one praises Allah before standing before the tomb. One should ask Allah for the absolute fulfilment of one's intention which brought you there to visit him and for help in its realization. However, if your two units of prayer are performed outside the Rawda, it suffices, but it is preferable to perform them in the Rawda. Of the Rawda the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, The area between my house and the pulpit is one of the Meadows of the Garden. My pulpit is on one of the raised gardens in the Garden.'

We are also informed that thereafter one should proceed and stand in a state of humility and respect before the tomb of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and ask for blessings upon him and give what praise one can. Then proceed to greet Abu Bakr and Umar and supplicate for them. One should offer as many prayers as one can in the Prophet's Mosque day and night. It is also highly recommended to visit the Mosque of Quba and the graveyard in which the martyrs are buried, may Allah be pleased with them. Malik wrote a letter to Mohammed, who was possibility the son of al-Hassan Ash Shaybani in which he said, "The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) should be greeted when you enter and leave his Mosque." Mohammed said, "Before leaving the Mosque stand near the tomb. The same applies when it is time for you to depart from Medina."

Lady Fatima (may Allah be satisfied with her) said that she heard the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "Whenever you enter the (Prophet's) Mosque, supplicate for praise upon the Prophet and say, 'O Allah, forgive me my sins and open the doors of Your Mercy to me.' When you leave, supplicate for praise upon the Prophet, may Allah praise him and grant him peace, and say, 'O Allah, forgive me my sins and open the doors of Your overflowing favor to me.'" Mohammed, Sirin's son said, "Whenever people entered the Prophet's Mosque, they would supplicate, 'May Allah and His angels praise and venerate Mohammed. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. In the Name of Allah we have entered and in the Name of Allah we will depart. We rely upon Allah." Upon their departure they said something similar.

The practice of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) when he entered the Mosque was to say, "O Allah, open the doors of Your mercy to me and make the gates of Your provision easy for me." Abu Hurayra said, "Whenever one of you enters the Prophet's Mosque, let him supplicate for praise upon the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) and say O Allah open the way for me!" Malik wrote in his reference “Al-Mabsut", "It is not essential for the inhabitants of Medina who enter and leave the Prophet's Mosque to stand at the tomb, this is for visitors." He also said, "There is no harm for those who either intend to go on a journey or have returned from a journey to stand at the at the tomb of the Prophet, may Allah praise and venerate him and grant him peace, and ask for blessings upon him, and supplicate for him, then Abu Bakr and Umar."

Al Qasim's son observed that when the inhabitants of Medina left or entered the City they would come to the tomb and greet the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him). He commented, "That is considered to be the best practice." Al-Baji said, "Between the inhabitants of Medina and visitors there is a difference. Visitors have come with a specific intention to do so whereas the inhabitants live there and their intention is not to go there for the sake of the tomb and greeting." Ahmed, Said al-Hindi's son made reference to people standing at the tomb in his book. He said, "Neither cling to it nor touch it, nor stand before it for a long time." In the reference "Utibiyaa" it is written, "When in the Mosque of the Prophet, may Allah praise and venerate him and grant him peace, commence with the prayer on the Prophet which you say before the final greeting of the prayer. The best place to offer voluntary prayers in the Prophet's Mosque is in the place where the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) used to pray in the location of the pillar scented with aroma of the wooded perfume of khaluq. The best place to offer the obligatory prayer is in the front rows. I prefer visitors of offer voluntary prayers there rather than in their accommodation."

 

Section 10: The manner to be adopted upon entering the Prophet's Mosque and its excellence, and the excellence of Mecca and Medina

 

Allah says, "A mosque founded upon piety from the first day is worthier for you to stand in." 9:108. When the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) was asked which mosque the verse referred to Zaid, Thabit's son and others report that he replied, "My Mosque." Abbas' son said that it refers to the mosque of Quba. Abu Hurayra tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) told his Companions, "Mounts should only be saddled to visit three mosques, the Sacred Mosque, my Mosque and the Mosque of al-Aqsa (Jerusalem)." Abdullah, Amr ibn al-As's son tells us that whenever the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) entered the Mosque he would supplicate, "I seek refuge with Allah, the Magnificent, and with His Noble Face and timeless prayer from the accursed shaytan."

When Umar, al-Khattab's son heard a raised voice in the Prophet's Mosque he asked the person, "Who are you?" The man replied, "A man from Thaqif" Whereupon Umar said, "if you had been from one of the two Cities, I would have punished you-no one should raise his voice in our Mosques!" Mohammed, Maslama's son informs us that no one should either intentionally raise his voice or act offensively in the Prophet's Mosque, and that one should keep oneself from doing anything that is considered dislikeable. The scholars of Islam are in agreement that this applies to all mosques. He also said that it is disliked that anyone should speak in a manner that would distract those who are praying. It is also dislikeable to raise one's voice when saying the 'Talbiyya' (the call of pilgrims "Obedient to You" before setting of for Mecca) in any mosque except the Sacred Mosque of Mecca, and the Prophet's Mosque.

The value of a prayer offered in the Prophet's Mosque has been reported by Abu Hurayra, who tells us that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "The prayer in my Mosque is better than a thousand prayers in any other mosque except for the Sacred Mosque." There is a difference in opinion regarding the word "except'. Malik and other scholars are of the opinion that the preceding prophetic quotation means that the prayer in the Prophet's Mosque is better than the prayer in the Sacred Mosque, but less than a thousand times better. To support their opinion they quote Umar, al-Khattab's son who said, "The prayer in the Sacred Mosque is better than a hundred prayers in other mosques." Consequently, they understood that the excellence of the prayer in the Prophet's Mosque is nine-hundred times greater.

The inhabitations of Mecca and Kufa support the opinion of the supremacy of Mecca and amongst the supporters of this opinion from the Maliki school of jurisprudence are Ata, Wahb's son and Habib's son, and from the Shafi'i school Saji. They quote the prophetic quotation that says, "One prayer in the Sacred Mosque is better than a hundred prayers in my Mosque." It has also been said that a prayer offered in the Sacred Mosque is a hundred thousand times better than the prayer offered anywhere else. However, there is no disagreement among the scholars that the place of the tomb of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is the best place on earth (and so are those of his descendants).

We are reminded of the prophetic quotation that reads, "What is lies between my house and my pulpit is one of the Meadows of the Garden." In addition to this Abu Hurayra and others quoted "and my pulpit is above my Pool (Kawthar)." In another prophetic quotation we learn, "My pulpit is one of the raised gardens of the Garden." Tabari said the quotation has two meanings one of which is the word "house" which is literal and where the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) lived. The other is that "between my house and my pulpit" refers to the house being his tomb. Tabari drew our attention to the fact that both meanings amount to the same, because the tomb of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) is in his house, so there is no conflict.

With regard to the quotation "My pulpit is above my Pool (Kawthar), it has been said that one possibility is that it is the actual pulpit in his Mosque, the second possibility is that the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) has another pulpit in the Hereafter. The third opinion is that being present at his pulpit means the doing of good deeds that bring believers to the Pool and from which they drink. As for "One of the Meadows in the Garden", it has been interpreted with two meanings one of which is that it assures the supplication and prayer offered in the Prophetic Garden (Rawda), which is the area between the tomb of the Prophet and his pulpit, are subject to that reward. The second meaning is that this area is transported by Allah and is actually in the Garden.

Of Medina, Umar's son and several other Companions, report the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) that "On the Day or Resurrection I will be the witness and intercessor for the person who has been steadfast in the face of its difficulties and hardship." As for those who left Medina, the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said, "Medina is better for them if they but knew." He also said, "Medina is like a pair of bellows, it casts out what is impure and leaves what is pure." And, "Allah gives Medina to someone who is better than he who leaves Medina on account of his aversion." The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) gave good news of those blessed to die in either of the two Holy Cities, he said, "On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will raise up whosoever dies in either one of the two (Mecca or Medina) on the Greater Pilgrimage or the Lesser Pilgrimage without reckoning or punishment." Another transmission reads, "He will be raised up among the trustworthy on the Day of Resurrection."

Umar's son reported the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) saying, "Whosoever can die in Medina should do so, because I will intercede for all who die in it." Allah says, "The first House ever to be built for people was that of Bakkah (Mecca), blessed and a guidance for the worlds." 3:96. It has been said by a scholar of Islam that "guidance" means safety from the Fire. It has also been said that it implies safety from people who would otherwise do something harmful outside the precincts of the Sacred Mosque-even during the "Time of Ignorance" it was established as a place of sanctuary. Allah says, "And We made the House (Kabah) a visitation and a sanctuary for people. 2:125.

Some people went to Sa'dun al-Khawlani who resided in Monastir, Spain, and told him that the Berber tribe of Kutama had killed a man. They had lit a fire placed him over it and made sure the fire did not die out throughout the entire night, however the fire had not consume his body. Sa'dun inquired, "Had he been on three Greater Pilgrimages?" They replied that he had, whereupon he said, "I was told of a prophetic saying that anyone who goes once the Greater Pilgrimage has fulfiled his obligation, anyone who goes twice he claims his reward with his Lord, and that Allah will forbid the Fire to touch the hair and body of whosoever goes on the Greater Pilgrimage three times."

When the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) gazed upon the Kaaba he said, "Welcome to you! What House is greater than you or has greater holiness than yours!" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of the Black Stone and Kaaba saying, "No one supplicates to Allah at the Black Stone except that he receives an answer from Allah. It is the same beneath the water-spout (of Kaaba)." The Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) spoke of the blessings of praying behind the Station of Abraham in the Kaaba. He said, "Whosoever prays two units of prayer behind the Station of Abraham will have his past and future sins forgiven, and he will be gathered with those who are safe on the Day of Resurrection."

Abbas' son tells us that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) say, "There is no one who supplicates for something in this Multazam (the wall of Kaaba between its door and the Black Stone) of the Mosque except that his supplication is granted." Abbas' son tells us that everything he asked for at the Multazam was always granted to him by Allah. Sufyan Ath-Thawri, al-Humaydi and Mohammed, Idris's son al-Udhri, and Abdul Hassan, al-Hassan's son said that their supplications were always answered. Abu Osama, said, "I don?t remember hearing al-Hassan, Rashiq's son transmitting this prophetic saying, however, I have never asked Allah for anything in this Multazam without my worldly request being granted, and it is my hope that my requests will also be granted in the Hereafter."

The Qadi Abu Ali tells us, "I have asked Allah for many things, some of which have been granted, and it is my hope that the remainder will be granted out of the vastness of His Bounty." Allah gives success in following the right path by His Mercy. Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the Worlds, and the peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Beloved Prophet. Ameen.

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