Frequent Salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ is a hallmark of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah

Question:  What do the scholars say about the ruling on frequently sending Salawat (blessings) upon the Prophet ﷺ?

Answer: Sending frequent Salawat and Salam upon the Prophet ﷺ is one of the most spiritually rewarding acts and one of the greatest forms of worship. The practice is firmly established in both the Quran and Sunnah, with unanimous agreement from the Ummah.

In the Quran, Allah Almighty says:
“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.” (Surah Al-Ahzab: 56).

The Sunnah also provides ample evidence for this practice. One notable hadith is narrated by Ubayy ibn Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him), who asked the Prophet ﷺ: “O Messenger of Allah, I wish to devote a portion of my supplication to sending Salawat upon you. How much should I dedicate?” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “As much as you wish.” Ubayy continued, “What if I dedicate a quarter of my supplication?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “As much as you wish, and if you increase it, it will be better for you.” Ubayy then asked, “What about half?” The Prophet ﷺ gave the same response. Finally, Ubayy said, “I will dedicate all my supplication to sending Salawat upon you.” The Prophet ﷺ responded, “In that case, your concerns will be taken care of, and your sins will be forgiven.” This hadith is reported by Imam Tirmidhi and deemed authentic by Imam Hakim.

Another hadith narrated by Aws ibn Aws (may Allah be pleased with him) quotes the Prophet ﷺ as saying: “The best day on which the sun rises is Friday. On this day, Adam was created, on this day he passed away, and on this day the Trumpet will be blown, and the Swoon will occur. So, send abundant Salawat upon me on this day, for your Salawat will be presented to me.” The Companions asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how will our Salawat be presented to you after your body has decayed?” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Allah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of the Prophets.” This hadith is narrated by Imam Ahmad, Imam Abu Dawood, and others, and it has been authenticated by Imam Ibn Khuzaymah, Imam Ibn Hibban, and Imam Hakim.

What is the minimum standard for abundant Salawat? Scholars have suggested that reciting Salawat a thousand times a day is the minimum for it to be considered abundant. Some have said that three hundred times daily is sufficient. Allama Al-Muttaqi Al-Hindi (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote a book titled Hidayat ar-Rabi‘ ‘Inda Faqd al-Murabbi, advising Muslims to increase their recitation of Salawat, particularly during times when a spiritual guide is not available. He suggested a minimum of a thousand recitations daily.

A hadith narrated by Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reports the Prophet ﷺ saying: “Whoever recites Salawat upon me a thousand times in a day will not die until he sees his place in Paradise.” This hadith is recorded by Ibn Shahin in Al-Targhib and Diya in Al-Ahadith al-Mukhtarah. Although its chain of narration is weak, it is accepted in the context of virtuous deeds.

Even frequent Salawat is insufficient given the Prophet’s ﷺ great status. No matter how often we send Salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ, it can never fully reflect his immense right and exalted status before Allah. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever sends Salawat upon me, the angels will continue to pray for him as long as he continues to send Salawat, whether it is little or much.” This hadith is reported by Imam Ibn Majah and Imam Ahmad and has been graded as Hasan by Imam Mundhiri and Imam Ibn Hajar.

Frequent Salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ is a hallmark of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah. Historically, sending frequent Salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ has been a distinguishing feature of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah. As Sayyiduna Imam Ali Zainul Abideen, the son of Sayyiduna Imam Hussain (may Allah be pleased with them), said: “The hallmark of Ahlus Sunnah is that they frequently send Salawat upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” This statement is reported by Abu al-Qasim al-Taymi in his book Al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib.

And Allah knows best.

This fatwa is written by Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Munir Al-Azhari