Asking Favors from Allah for the Holy Prophet, Muhammad and his Family, recipient of divine supreme covenant

“A supplication remains barred until one sends blessings on Muhammad (sw) and the family of Muhammad (sw).”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whoever prays and does not mention the Holy Prophet, his prayer remains dangled over his head. When he mentions the Holy Prophet only then his prayer is raised up (to heavens).”’

“Once a man came to the Holy Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, “I assign one third of my prayer to you. No, in fact, I assign half of my prayer to you. No, I assign all of my prayer to you.” The Messenger of Allah said, ‘That means that you have complete supplies for this and the next life.’”

“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘What is the meaning of, “I assign all of my prayer to you?’’ The Imam said, ‘He mentions the Holy Prophet before asking any help. He does not ask Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, anything until he begins with the Holy Prophet. He asks from Allah favors for the Holy Prophet and then asks Allah for help.”’

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Do not consider me as the water container of a traveler who fills up his water container and drinks from it whenever he wants. You should place me at the beginning of your prayer, at the end of it and in the middle.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whenever the Holy Prophet is mentioned, ask from Allah favors (in the form of al-Salat) for the Holy Prophet. Ask from Allah a great deal of favors for the Holy Prophet. Whoever does so once, Allah will do the same for him one thousand times in one thousand rows of angels and nothing will be left of the creatures of Allah without doing the same for that servant because of what Allah and angels have done. Whoever is not interested in it is ignorant and deceived, Allah, the Messenger of Allah and his family disavow him.’”

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Whoever asks from Allah favors for me (in the form of al-Salat ), Allah grants him favors and the angels pray for him. It is up to people to perform this (noble) act very little or a great deal.’”

“The Messenger of Allah (sw) has said, ‘Sending blessings upon me and my family removes hypocrisy.’”

“Whoever says, ‘O Lord, grant favors to Muhammad and his family, one hundred times one hundred of his wishes will be granted, thirty of them in this world and the rest in the next life.’”

“Every prayer to Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, remains on hold and barred from heavens until he asks from Allah favors (in the form of al-Salat) for the Holy Prophet and his family.”

“One who had heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) narrated to me that the Imam said, ‘Once a man came to the Messenger of Allah and said, “I assign half of my Salat (prayers) for you. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘That is fine.’ He then said, ‘I assign all of my Salat, to you.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘That is fine.’ When he left the Messenger of Allah said, ‘He is completely sufficed in his matters of this and the next life.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Once a man came to the Messenger of Allah and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have assigned one third of my prayers for you.” The Messenger of Allah said, ‘That is good.’ He then said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have assigned half of my prayers for you.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘That is better.’ He then said, ‘O the Messenger of Allah, I have assigned all of my prayers for you.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will suffice you in all your needs in this world and in the next life.’ A man then asked, ‘May Allah grant you well being, how could he assign his prayer for him?’ Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) said, ‘He would never pray and plead before Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, for help before asking from Allah favors for the Holy Prophet and his family.””

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, “Raise your voices with al-Salat (asking from Allah favors for me); it removes hypocrisy.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) once said, ‘O Ishaq ibn Farrukh, whoever asks from Allah al-Salat (favors) for the Holy Prophet and his family ten times, Allah and His angels will do the same for him one hundred times. Whoever asks from Allah al-Salat for the Holy Prophet and his family one hundred times, Allah and His angels will do the same for him one thousand times. Do you not hear the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, “It is He who forgives you and His angels pray for you so that He will take you out of darkness into light. Allah is All-Merciful to believers.’” (33:43)

“On the balance there will be no other thing as heavy as asking from Allah al-Salat (favors) for the Holy Prophet and his family. A man will place his deeds on the balance and it will tilt. Then he will bring forth his deed of asking from Allah al-Salat for the Holy Prophet and his family to place on the balance and it will weigh heavy in his favor.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whoever needs help from Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, should first ask from Allah al-Salat (favors) for the Holy Prophet and his family, then pray and plead before Allah for help, then conclude it with asking from Allah al-Salat for the Holy Prophet and his family; Honor of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, does not allow to accept both ends of the prayer and leave out the middle; asking from Allah al-Salat for the Holy Prophet and his family is never barred from reaching His presence.’”

“Once I said to Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘I entered the house and I did not remember any prayer except asking from Allah al-Salat (favors) for the Holy Prophet and his family.’ The Imam said, ‘You should know that no one has come up with something better than what you have.’”

“Once I went in the presence of abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) and he asked me, ‘What is the meaning of: “. . . remember the name of the Lord, and pray to Him.” (87:15) I said, ‘Whenever he remembered the name of his Lord, he stood up and prayed.’ The Imam said to me, ‘If so, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, had burdened him heavily, but this is going beyond limits.’ 1 then said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, how is it then?’ The Imam said, ‘Whenever he remembered the name of his Lord, he asked from Allah al-Salat (favors) for the Holy Prophet and his family.’”

“Whenever anyone of you prays and does not mention the Holy Prophet and his family in his prayer, his prayer will be taken to a direction other than that toward paradise. The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘If a person before whom my name is mentioned does not ask from Allah al-Salat (favors) for me, he will enter the fire and Allah will move him away.’ He also has said, ‘If a person, before whom my name is mentioned, forgets to ask from Allah al-Salat for me, he will get lost on the way of paradise.’”

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘If my name is mentioned before a person and he forgets to ask from Allah al-Salat (favors) for me, Allah will make him lose the way to paradise.’”

“My father once heard a man, clinging to the Ka’bah, saying, ‘O Lord, grant al-Salat (favors) to Muhammad.’ My father then said to him, ‘O servant of Allah, do not shorten it that way. Do not do injustice to us in our rights. Say, “O Lord, grant al-Salat to Muhammad and his family.’”