3 supplications
Salawat: Sending Blessings on the Prophet ﷺ
Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ, and the believers are commanded to do the same (33:56). The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever sends one blessing on me, Allah sends ten on him” (Muslim). The salawat is a du‘a for him that returns as mercy upon the one who says it.
The command to send blessings
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
Innallaha wa mala’ikatahu yusalluna ‘alan-nabiyy, ya ayyuhal-ladhina amanu sallu ‘alayhi wa sallimu taslima.
Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with peace.
Source: Qur’an 33:56
The Ibrahimi salawat
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammad, kama sallayta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid. Allahumma barik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammad, kama barakta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid.
O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent prayers upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim; You are Praiseworthy, Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim; You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
The salawat taught to Abu Humayd
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى أَزْوَاجِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَبَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى أَزْوَاجِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala azwajihi wa dhurriyyatihi kama sallayta ‘ala ali Ibrahim, wa barik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala azwajihi wa dhurriyyatihi kama barakta ‘ala ali Ibrahim, innaka hamidun majid.
O Allah, send blessings on Muhammad, his wives and his descendants as You sent blessings on the family of Ibrahim, and bless Muhammad, his wives and his descendants as You blessed the family of Ibrahim. You are Praiseworthy, Glorious.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim
The reward of salawat
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever sends one blessing on me, Allah sends ten blessings on him, erases ten sins and raises him ten degrees” (an-Nasa’i). He also said: “The closest of people to me on the Day of Resurrection are those who sent the most blessings on me” (at-Tirmidhi), and that the miser is the one in whose presence he is mentioned and who does not send blessings on him (at-Tirmidhi).
When to send blessings
The salawat is part of the tashahhud in every prayer, after the adhan before the du‘a of al-wasilah, at the beginning and end of du‘a, whenever his name is mentioned, and abundantly on Friday: “Send many blessings on me on Friday, for your blessings are presented to me” (Abu Dawud). Writing “ﷺ” after his name in full rather than abbreviating it is also recommended by scholars.
The best wording is that taught by the Prophet ﷺ himself, the salat ibrahimiyyah and its variants. Shorter forms such as “sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam” are sufficient when his name is mentioned.
Practical tips
- Send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ every time his name is mentioned.
- Increase salawat on Thursday night and Friday.
- Begin and end your du‘a with salawat.
- Set a daily number, for example a hundred, and keep to it.
- Learn the salat ibrahimiyyah with its meaning.
Salawat: Sending Blessings on the Prophet ﷺ: questions and answers
What is the best form of salawat?
The salat ibrahimiyyah recited in the tashahhud, which the Prophet ﷺ taught when asked how to send blessings on him (al-Bukhari, Muslim).
Why send many blessings on Friday?
Because the Prophet ﷺ said the blessings are presented to him, and Friday is the best day of the week (Abu Dawud).