Salawat: Remembering Allah Through Salawat

Hawzah News Agency- Ubayd Allah bin Abd Allah al-Dehqan said:

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فَقَالَ لِي: «مَا مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ: (وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى)؟»

فَقُلْتُ: كُلَّمَا ذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ قَامَ فَصَلَّى،

فَقَالَ لِي: «لَقَدْ كَلَّفَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ هَذَا شَطَطًا!»

فَقُلْتُ: جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ، وَكَيْفَ هُوَ؟

فَقَالَ: «كُلَّمَا ذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ صَلَّى عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ».

I entered upon Imam Ridha (a.s), and he (a.s) said to me: “What is the meaning of His saying: ‘And he remembered the name of his Lord and prayed’?” (87:15)

I replied: “Whenever he remembered the name of his Lord, he would stand and pray.”

He said to me: “Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, would have imposed a difficult burden by that!”

I asked: “May I be made your sacrifice, then how is it interpreted?”

He replied: “Whenever he remembers the name of his Lord, he sends blessings (Salawat) upon Muhammad and his family.”

Wasa'il al-Shi'ah, Vol. 7, p. 193, No. 9110