Salawat: The Meaning and Reward

Hawzah News Agency- Ibn Abi Hamza narrated from his father who said:

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ( إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا )؟

- فَقَالَ: الصَّلَاةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ رَحْمَةٌ، وَمِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ تَزْكِيَةٌ، وَمِنَ النَّاسِ دُعَاءٌ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: ( وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا ) فَإِنَّهُ يَعْنِي التَّسْلِيمَ لَهُ فِيمَا وَرَدَ عَنْهُ.

فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: كَيْفَ نُصَلِّي عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ؟
- قَالَ: تَقُولُونَ: صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ وَصَلَوَاتُ مَلَائِكَتِهِ وَأَنْبِيَائِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجَمِيعِ خَلْقِهِ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيْهِمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ.

فَقُلْتُ: فَمَا ثَوَابُ مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ بِهَذِهِ الصَّلَوَاتِ؟
- قَالَ: الْخُرُوجُ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ، وَاللَّهِ، كَهَيْئَةِ يَوْمِ وَلَدَتْهُ أُمُّهُ.

I asked Imam Sadiq (pbuh) about the saying of Allah, Mighty and Majestic “Indeed Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and submit with full submission.”(Al-Ahzab:56)

- He said: “The prayer from Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is mercy; from the angels it is purification; and from the people it is supplication. As for His saying, ‘and submit with full submission,’ it means submitting to him in what has come from him.”

I said to him: “How do we send blessings (salawat) upon Muhammad and his family?”
- He said: “You say: The blessings of Allah, and the blessings of His angels, His prophets, His messengers, and all His creation be upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad; and peace be upon him and upon them, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.”

I said: “What is the reward for the one who sends blessings upon the Prophet—may Allah bless him and his family—with these blessings?”
- He said: “Freedom from sins, by Allah, like the state on the day his mother gave birth to him.”

Wasa'il al-Shi'ah, Vol. 7, p. 195, No. 9100