Sending Selawat to the Prophet s.a.w is an act of love and respect. Other than abiding by the sunnah of the Prophet s.a.w, this is the ultimate way to extend our gratitude to the beloved s.a.w.
Selawat linguistically means “prayer” or “seek the blessing of” in literal terms. Whereas, the essential meaning of it when attributing to the Prophet s.a.w. varies according to some Muslim scholars, such as the verse:
ุฅَِّู ุงََّููู َูู ََูุงุฆَِูุชَُู ُูุตََُّููู ุนََูู ุงَّููุจِِّู ۚ َูุง ุฃََُّููุง ุงَّูุฐَِูู ุขู َُููุง ุตَُّููุง ุนََِْููู َูุณَِّูู ُูุง ุชَุณِْููู ًุง
“Allah s.w.t and His angels send Selawat on the Prophet s.a.w: O you who believe! Send your Selawat upon him and salute him with all respect”
(Surah Al Ahzab, 33:56)
Ibn Abbas r.a explains that Selawat in this verse means:
1. Allah and the angels bestow blessings upon the Prophet s.a.w.
2. Allah bestows His mercy upon the Prophet s.a.w. and the angels pray for him.
In a momentous book about the Prophet s.a.w. As-Shifa, Imam Al-Qadhi ‘Iyad quotes Al-Mubarrad, the grammarian scholar, commenting on the verse above “The essence of Selawat is asking for mercy. Hence, it is mercy from Allah, and (when attributed) to angels, it means their affection and an invocation for Allah’s mercy (upon the Prophet s.a.w.)”
The Selawat in Islam isn’t just a rectitude or a mere verbal act. Indeed behind every Selawat uttered, there are hidden blessings and rewards. Muslim scholars have written many books on the rewards, benefits and merits of Selawat. Its benefits are truly great in number to the extent of which, as beautifully described by the scholar, Shaykh Abdullah Sirajuddin Al-Hussayni, “renders the pen helpless to document it all, and turns books confined to compile everything.” Hence, we can see that selawat bring a lot of benefit for us and it means a lot for muslims.
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