Salutations & Blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ… Between Obedience and Reflection
Some people read the words of Allah, the Exalted:
"Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with peace." (Qur'an 33:56)
They then ask: If Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has already informed us that He and His angels send blessings upon His Prophet ﷺ, why are the believers also commanded to do so? And is it sufficient simply to say, "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad"?
There is nothing wrong with asking such a question when the intention is to gain understanding and increase in knowledge, rather than to sow doubt or challenge what has been authentically established from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The answer is that Allah commanded the believers to send blessings upon His Prophet, and then the Prophet ﷺ himself explained how this command is to be fulfilled. When his Companions asked, "How should we send blessings upon you?", he did not leave them to their own interpretations. Rather, he taught them the well-known supplication: "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad..." This wording is therefore a prophetic explanation of the Qur'an and a direct fulfilment of the divine command. After this, it cannot reasonably be claimed that Muslims misunderstood the verse or redirected the command away from its intended meaning.
However, limiting oneself to the wording alone causes the believer to miss the fullness of its benefit.
Sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ is not merely a set of words to be repeated, nor is it simply an inward feeling without action. Rather, it is an act of worship that brings together the tongue, the heart and one's deeds.
When a believer says, "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad," they fulfil their Lord's command with their tongue. When their heart is filled with love and reverence for the Prophet ﷺ, they realise the spirit of this act of worship. And when they follow his guidance, hold firmly to his Sunnah, and embody and call others to his noble character, the effects of those blessings become evident in their life.
For this reason, any perceived opposition between remembrance and following the Prophet is an illusion. Sincere remembrance leads naturally to following him, while sincere adherence to his example increases one's blessings and salutations upon him ﷺ.
The believer does not choose between these two matters; rather, they combine both. They frequently send blessings upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the manner he taught, while striving to follow his example as he instructed.
In this way, true obedience is realised in its entirety: a tongue constantly engaged in sending blessings upon him, a heart filled with love for him, and deeds that affirm this love through adherence to his Sunnah.
We ask Allah to make us among those who send the most blessings and peace upon His Prophet ﷺ, who are the most sincere in following him, and who best emulate his example. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the One who answers prayers.
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