Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
These are different forms to be used for sending blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They are useful especially in Prayer. However, outside of Prayer a person may use his own wording to send blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
With regard to your question, the eminent Muslim scholar and renowned da`iyah Sheikh `Abdel Khaliq Hasan Ash-Shareef, states:
Allah Almighty says: “Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O you who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” (Al-Ahzab 33:56).
Allah’s prayer for the Prophet is a mercy that He bestows on him. Likewise, the angels’ prayers for the Prophet are a means of seeking forgiveness for him, and the believers’ prayer for the Prophet is a supplication for him. So we are asking Allah to bless the Prophet not literally pray for him as we pray for Allah our Creator.
There are many expressions used for sending blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Among these expressions are the following:
1. Abdur-Rahman ibn Abi Laila said: Once I met Kab ibn Ajrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said to me, “Shall I give you a present? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once came out to us and we said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! We know how to salute you. But how can we pray for you?’ He said, ‘Say: O Allah! Send Your mercy on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your mercy on the family of Ibrahim, for You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah! Send Your blessings on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your blessings on the family of Ibrahim, for You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.’
2. Abu Sa`id Al-Khudry said: We said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Teach us how to pray for you. He said, ‘Just say: O Allah! Send Your mercy on Muhammad, Your servant and Messenger, as you sent Your mercy on Ibrahim, and send Your blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your blessings on Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim.’
3. Abu Hamid As-Saidi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: They said, “O Messenger of Allah! How can we pray for you? He said, “Say: O Allah! Send Your mercy on Muhammad, his wives, and his offspring, as You sent Your mercy on the family of Ibrahim; and send Your blessings on Muhammad, his wives, and his offspring, as You sent blessings on the family of Ibrahim. You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.
The word offspring here refers to the righteous offspring. Allah says: “Gardens of Eden which they enter, along with all who do right of their fathers and their helpmeets and their seed.” (Ar-Ra`d 13:23)
In another Surah we read: “Our Lord! And make them enter the Gardens of Eden which You have promised them, with such of their fathers and their wives and their descendants as do right” (Ghafir 40:8)
In a third place we read: “And they who believe and whose seed follow them in faith, We cause their seed to join them (there), and We deprive them of naught of their (life’s) work.” (At-Tur 52:21).\
While supplicating his Lord, as related in the Qur’an, Prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “And of my offspring (will there be leaders)?” Almighty Allah answered him: “My covenant includes not wrongdoers.” (Al-Baqarah 2:124)
4. Abu Masud Al-Badri said: Once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us while we were in the gathering of Sad ibn Ubadah. Hence Bishr ibn Sad asked him, “O Messenger of Allah! Almighty Allah has enjoined us to send blessings on you, then how to do so? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kept silent until we wished he had not asked him. Then he said, “Say: O Allah! Send Your mercy on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your mercy on the family of Ibrahim; and send Your blessings on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your blessings on the family of Ibrahim among all the worlds. You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) continued, “As for the way of extending salam(greetings), it is as you know.’’
These are just a few forms to be used for sending blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They are useful especially in Prayer. However, outside of Prayer a person may use his own wording to send blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Almighty Allah knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.