al-Salat ala al-Nabi فضلها وكيفيتها
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- Editions
- Islamic University of Madinah
al-Salat ala al-Nabi ﷺ: Fadluha wa-Kayfiyyatuha (The Invocation of Blessings upon the Prophet: Its Virtue and Manner) is a treatise by the Saudi scholar Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbad addressing the legal rulings, theological meanings, authentic prophetic formulas, and virtues of invoking blessings and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ .
Background and Origin
The treatise originally began as a public lecture delivered by al-Abbad during his tenure as the Vice President of the Islamic University of Madinah . It was subsequently published as an article in issue 25 of the university's official journal (Majallat al-Jami'ah al-Islamiyyah bi-al-Madinah al-Munawwarah) and later circulated independently as a short book, also known under the longer title Fadl al-Salat ala al-Nabi ﷺ wa-Bayan Ma'naha wa-Kayfiyyatuha wa-Shay' mimma Ullifa Fiha .
Contents and Structure
The work is structured into an introduction followed by several distinct thematic sections:
Meaning and Formulas of the Invocation
Al-Abbad begins by explaining the linguistic and theological definitions of salat and salam. Citing Abu al-Aliya and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, he explains that Allah's prayer upon the Prophet signifies His praise of him before the highest angels (al-mala' al-a'la), whereas the prayers of angels and humans constitute supplication for that honor to increase . He also draws on Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya's Jala' al-Afham and al-Fayruzabadi's al-Silat wa-al-Bushr to explain the meaning of taslim (seeking peace and preservation for the Prophet's legacy and community) .
To illustrate the correct manner of sending blessings, al-Abbad cites the authentic Abrahamic prayers (al-Salat al-Ibrahimiyyah) recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on the authority of the Companions Ka'b ibn Ujrah, Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi, and Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari . He notes that these prophetic wordings are the most complete and virtuous forms .
Etiquette of Written and Spoken Blessings
The author outlines the convention established by early scholars and hadith transmitters of combining both prayer (salat) and peace (taslim) upon mentioning the Prophet. Citing Ibn al-Salah, al-Nawawi, Ibn Kathir, and al-Fayruzabadi, he warns against truncating the phrase—either symbolically through abbreviated characters (such as ṣad-lām-ʿayn-mīm) or semantically by mentioning peace without blessings or vice versa .
Virtues of the Invocation
Drawing on Ibn Hajar's survey in Fath al-Bari, al-Abbad compiles sound hadiths highlighting the rewards of invoking blessings, such as receiving tenfold prayers from Allah, being granted proximity to the Prophet on the Day of Resurrection, and having sins expiated and worries relieved . He also notes warnings against neglecting the practice, such as the narration describing a person who hears the Prophet mentioned without praying upon him as a miser .
Survey and Critique of Literature
Al-Abbad surveys prominent books dedicated to this subject, commending sound classical compilations such as Fadl al-Salat ala al-Nabi by Isma'il ibn Ishaq al-Qadi, Jala' al-Afham by Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Silat wa-al-Bushr by al-Fayruzabadi, and al-Qawl al-Badi' by al-Sakhawi .
Conversely, he cautions readers against non-scholarly works filled with unverified or fabricated hadiths, specifically critiquing Dala'il al-Khayrat by Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli . Quoting Muhammad al-Khidr ibn Mayaba al-Shinqiti, he argues that many people abandoned authentic prophetic wordings out of attraction to novel, ungrounded formulas found in such books . He cites Ibn al-Qayyim's principles regarding the recognizable exaggerations of fabricated reports to demonstrate why several narrations cited in Dala'il al-Khayrat are invalid .
Al-Abbad concludes the treatise with an excerpt from his commentary on the narration of Ka'b ibn Ujrah, taken from his earlier work 'Ishruna Hadithan min Sahih Muslim, emphasizing adherence to the Sunnah as the source of strength for Muslims .
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