Are the salawat we read in prayer (salah) regarded as salawat read normally? How many times a day should we utter salawat in order to act in accordance with the following statement of the Prophet "Utter salawat for me a lot!"?

Are the salawat we read in prayer (salah) regarded as salawat read normally? How many times a day should we utter salawat in order to act in accordance with the following statement of the Prophet "Utter salawat for me a lot!"? Is there a hadith mentioning the number of the salawat to be uttered?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Salawat is the same whether it is said in a prayer or outside a prayer. When it is said in the prayer, it is still salawat. The virtue of saying salawat a lot every day, especially on Friday, is mentioned in hadiths. However, there is no mention of the number of salawat to be said a day.

HADITHS ABOUT SALAWAT

1. “If a person forgets to say salawat for me, he will be made forget the way to Paradise.” (Bayhaqi)

2. Amr Ibn Rabi'a narrates: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Angels say the prayer of mercy to any believer that says salawat for me. It continues as he says salawat. Therefore, say salawat whether a lot or a little."

3. Ibn Abbas narrates: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"If a person forgets to say salawat to me, he leaves the way to Paradise."

4. The narrator: Ibn Mas'ud: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"The person closest to me on the Day of Judgment will be the one who says the most salawat for me."

The following is stated in a narration reported from Hz. Ali in Tirmidhi: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"The real miser is the one who does not say salawat though my name is mentioned near him." [Tirmidhi, Salat 357, (484), Da'awat 110, (3540)]

5. The following is stated in a narration of Nasai: "When we performed a prayer with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), we said, "Peace be upon Allah, Jibril and Mikail!" The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Do not say, ‘Peace be upon Allah!’ For, Allah is peace (salam). Say, ‘at-Tahiyyat. . . for Allah.’" [Bukhari, Adhan 148,150, al-Amal fis-Salat 4, Istidhan 3, 28, Da'awat 17, Tawhid 5; Muslim, Salah 55-61, (402-403); Abu Dawud, Salah 182, (968-969); Tirmidhi, Salah 215, (289); Nasai, Iftitah 189, (2, 237)]

6. Abud-Darda narrates: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Send a great deal of salawat upon me on Fridays because it is witnessed by the angels. No one sends blessing upon me but his blessing will be presented to me, until he finishes them." Thereupon, I said, “Even after your death?” He said, “Even after death because Allah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of prophets. The Prophet of Allah is alive and receives provision."

7. “Your salawat for me is zakah for you.” (Ahmet Davudoğlu, Tibyan Tefsiri, Vol. 3, p. 460, Akpınar Yayınevi)

8. “May his nose soil with dust in whose presence mention is made of me and he does not utter salawat for me.” (Tirmidhi, Daawat, 100; Musnad, 2, 254)

9. “If a person says salawat for me once, Allah will say salawat for him ten times, delete ten sins of him and increase his degree tenfold.” (as-Sirajul-Munir, Bayhaqi)

10. “If a person says salawat for me once, Allah will forgive him ten times thanks to it.” (Muslim, Salah, 70)

11. The narrator: Anas: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"If a person says salawat for me once, Allah will say salawat for him ten times, delete ten sins of him and increase his degree tenfold."

A narration from Abu Talha included in Nasai is as follows:

"Once the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) came with a happy face. We said, "We see joy in your face." He said, "An angel came to me and gave the following glad tiding: "O Muhammad! Your Lord says, ‘Is it not enough for you (as honoring) that I will send mercy ten times to anybody who says salawat for you and I will greet ten times anyone who greets you?" [Nasai, Sahw 55, (3, 50)]

12. “A person who does not say salawat for me when my name is mentioned near him will enter fire.” (Ahmet Davudoğlu, Tibyan Tefsiri, III / 460, Akpınar Yayınevi)

13. “Allah appointed two angels for me. When my name is mentioned near a Muslim and when he says salawat, those two angels will say to him, 'May Allah forgive you!' Allah and His other angels will answer those two angels by saying, 'Amin'. When my name is mentioned near a Muslim and when he does not say salawat, those two angels will say to him, 'May Allah not forgive you!' Allah and His other angels will answer those two angels by saying, 'Amin'.” (Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır, Hak Dini Kur’an Dili)

14. “The closest ones to me among people on the Day of Judgment and the ones who will deserve my intercession will be those who utter the most salawat for me.” (Tirmidhi, Witr, 21)

15. The narrator: Aws Ibn Aws: “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"The best of your days is Friday. On that day, Adam (pbuh) was created; on that day he died. On that day, the Trumpet will be blown and on that day all of creation will swoon. So send a great deal of blessings upon me, for your blessings will be shown to me.” They said, “How will our blessings upon you be shown to you when you have turned to dust?” He said, “Allah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of prophets." [Abu Dawud, Salah 207, (1047); Nasai, Jumu'a 5, (3, 91, 92)]

16. The narrator: Ibn Mas'ud: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"There are travelling angels of Allah on earth. They convey the greetings of my ummah to me at once." [Nasai, Sahw 46, (3, 43)]

17. The narrator: Abu Mas'ud al Badri: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) came while we were sitting in Sa'd Ibn Ubada’s place. Bashir Ibn Sa'd said,

"O Messenger of Allah! Allah ordered us to say salawat for you. How can we say salawat for you. The Prophet said,  

"Say as follows: "Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala al-i Muhammad, kama sallayta ala Ibrahima wa barik ala Muhammadin wa ala al-i Muhammadin kama barakta ala al-i Ibrahima innaka hamidun majid. (O my Allah! Incline to Muhammad and to those who adhered to him as You inclined to Abraham, and bless Muhammad and those who adhered him, n as you blessed Abraham and those who adhered to him, Verily you are all Praiseworthy all Glorious.)" (The Messenger of Allah added the following): "Greeting is as you know."

In all Kutub as-Sitta books except Tirmidhi, the following narration from Abu Humayd is included:

"The Companions asked, "O Messenger of Allah! How shall we say salawat for you?" The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Say as follows:" "Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala azwajihi wa dhurriyyatihi kama sallayta ala Ibrahima wa barik ala Muhammadin wa ala azwajihi wa dhurriyyatihi kama barakta ala Ibrahima innaka hamidun majid. (O my Allah! Incline to Muhammad and his wives and his descendants as You inclined to Abraham, and bless Muhammad and his wives and his descendants as you blessed Abraham. Verily you are all Praiseworthy all Glorious.)"

A narration from Ka'b Ibn Ujra is as follows:

"The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) came to us. We said, "O Messenger of Allah! We have learned how to greet you but we do not know how to say salawat for you."

He said, "Say as follows: ‘Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala al-i Muhammadin kama sallayta ala Ibrahima innaka hamidun majid, Allahumma barik ala Muhammadin wa ala al-i Muhammad, kama barakta ala ali Ibrahima innaka hamidun majid. (O my Allah, incline to Muhammad and to those who adhered to him as You inclined to Abraham and to those who adhered to him. Verily you are all Praiseworthy all Glorious. O my Allah, bless Muhammad and those who adhered him, as you blessed Abraham and those who adhered to him, Verily you are all Praiseworthy all Glorious." [Bukhari, Da'awat 33, Anbiya 8; Muslim, Salat 65, 66, 69 (406, 407); Muwatta, Qasrus-Salat 66, 67]

18. “Doubtlessly, Allah returns my spirit to me so that I will receive the greeting of a person who says salawat for me.” (Abu Dawud, Manasik, 96)

19. “The prayer (dua) of a person is screened (it is not answered by Allah) unless he says salawat for the Prophet (pbuh).” (Tabarani, from Ibn Mas’ud)

20. “When one of you wants something from Allah, he should praise Allah in a way that will fit His majesty. Then, he should say salawat to the Prophet (pbuh). For, he attains his wish more easily if he does so.” (Tabarani, from Ibn Mas’ud)

21. “When I met Jibril, he said to me, ‘I give you glad tidings. Allah says: I will greet a person who greets you once ten times. I will say salawat for a person who says salawat for you."(Hakim, Bayhaqi)

22. "If a group sits in a place for a while and then leave without mentioning Allah, a distress comes onto them. If He wishes, He will save them from penalties."(Abu Dawud)

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SALAT, SALAWAT

Salawat is a term meaning blessing, praising, praying (dua), praying for the Prophet (pbuh) asking forgiveness and mercy. "It means worshipping done at certain times in the way that the Quran orders and the Prophet describes. The plural of salah is salawat. In Turkish, it is generally used in the sense of praying for the Prophet (pbuh).

The following is stated in the Quran regarding the issue: Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect." (al-Ahzab, 33/56)

Due to the verse above, it is fard for us to present our respect to the Prophet with salawat and greetings; it is a duty that has to be fulfilled by every Muslim. Every Muslim has to say salawat at least with its shortest form: Allahumma salli ala Muhammad (O Allah! Bless Muhammad with Your mercy)."

The Messenger of Allah said, "May his nose soil with dust and be insulted in whose presence mention is made of me and he does not utter salawat for me!" (at-Taj, V, 145).

The supplications "Allahumma Salli, Barik...", which we read after at-Tahiyyat in prayers when we sit, express salawat for the Prophet. Hz. Prophet states the following about the virtue of saying salawat for him: If a person says salawat for me once, Allah will say salawat for him ten times." (at-Taj, Vı 145)

Some scholars say saying salawat only once in a place no matter how many times the name of the Prophet is heard or mentioned is enough but the majority of the scholars says that it is necessary to say salawat every time the name of the Prophet is mentioned. As a matter of fact, those who studied hadith showed the greatest respect with their states; when they taught hadiths, they showed their respect by saying "Sallallaha alayhi wa sallam" whenever the name of the Prophet was mentioned no matter how many times it was mentioned. (Tecrid-i Sarih Tercümesi, XI,164;)

İA.

Why do we say salawat for the Prophet (pbuh)?

As it is known, it is an indispensable duty of every Muslim to say salawat whenever he hears the name of the Prophet.

Accordingly, it is stated that it is fard for a Muslim who understands the wisdom behind creation with his guidance to utter salawat once in his lifetime, that salawat after this fard one are wajib and that repetitions of salawat are sunnah; it is also stated that abandoning salawat causes deprivation of intercession (shafa'ah).

People who feel gratitude toward those who do them a favor will definitely feel gratitude toward the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), who will be a means of salvation for them in the hereafter, and will utter salawat with respect and love when they hear his name; thus, they will attain his intercession through this loyalty.

As a matter of fact, our Lord orders us to say salawat in verse 56 of the chapter of al-Ahzab:

-Allah and His angels, send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him and salute him, with all respect."

Acting upon the verse above, scholars state that it is fard for a Muslim who to say salawat once in his lifetime, wajib for every first hearing after that and Sunnah for repetitions in the same place. It is understood that when a salawat is uttered, both our Lord and angels become pleased; besides, angels pray for those who utter salawat. We see in hadith books that some angels pray for a person who utters salawat, which elevates the rank of the Prophet (pbuh) in Paradise, by saying, “May Allah elevate your rank too” and the other angels say 'amin'. They react to those who do not utter salawat by saying, “May Allah not elevate your rank" and the other angels say 'amin'. That is, those who utter salawat when they hear the name of the Prophet (pbuh) receive good dua from angels and those who do not are cursed by them. Besides, the Prophet (pbuh) resents the members of his ummah who do not utter salawat; and he expresses his reproach for such a person by saying “May his nose soil with dust!”

There are numerous kinds of salawat. The most famous of them are the ones we read after at-tahiyyat in prayers “Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammad” and “Sallallahu alayhi wasallam”. The meaning of them can be expressed as follows:

–May the mercy of our Lord, asking for forgiveness of the angels and our greetings be on the Prophet Hz. Muhammad and on his family!

Salawat like this are prayers (dua) peculiar to the Prophet; therefore, our Lord will not reject a prayer peculiar to him. If we start our prayers (dua) with salawat and finish them with salawat having this in mind, we hope that our prayers will be accepted between two accepted prayers. 

It is better to say and write - “Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammad” or “Sallallaha alayhi wa sallam” fully when we read and write; to write abbreviations like (sas) and (pbuh) means to write salawat. However, when abbreviations like those, which are placed for respect, are abundant in a text, the readers have difficulty in reading it and sometimes leads them to disrespect, which is contrary to the purpose of placing them. Rather than causing disrespect, it is better to decrease those abbreviations and leave it to the understanding of the reader.

It cannot be said that salawat uttered for the Prophet will cause our sins to be forgiven. For, such a thing is not in question for the Prophet. It becomes a means of elevating his rank. Therefore, nobody can estimate and determine the rank of the Prophet. For, he receives myriads of salawat from his ummah every moment; it is understood that his elevation will never end and go on until Doomsday.

Ahmed Şahin

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