For the love of our dear Prophet (PBUH)

Divine blessings or Durood Shareef on Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the highest and the most meritorious act in Islam.

Ramadan decorations at Dubai's Ibn Batuta Mall. -Photo by Leslie Pableo

The love of the holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a pillar of the Muslim faith and reciting the Durood Shareef regularly is one way of expressing your love for the dear prophet. Durood or Durood Shareef is an invocation which Muslims make by saying specific phrases to compliment and praise Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The Islamic view is to say durood whenever a Muslim reads, speaks or hears the name of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Durood Shareef is a cure for almost every difficulty be it spiritual, emotional, physical or worldly. It is worship to think about the holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it is worship to mention his name and it is worship to follow him. What is virtue? It is the servitude to the holy Prophet. What is sin? It is disobedience of the holy Prophet.

Allah says: “God and His angles send blessings on the Prophet, O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him and salute him with all respect.” (Holy Quran 33-56)

Divine blessings or Durood Shareef on the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the highest and the most meritorious act in Islam.

When Almighty Allah sends Durood and salutations (Salaam) on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), He is actually blessing him. When the angels and Muslims send Durood and salutations, they are actually showing Almighty Allah their respect for the holy Prophet. Muslims hope and believe that, through the blessings of the Durood and Salaams, Almighty Allah will forgive their sins and increase their status in this world and in the Hereafter.

The reciter of Durood Shareef receives all the benefits in this world and utmost gain in the Hereafter. It is an invocation we make to God to bestow His choicest favour and blessings on the Prophet. It is a kind of prayer. The truth is that, after God, the greatest obligation on us is that of the holy Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him). He underwent tremendous hardships and endured persecutions in order to convey the divine guidance to us. Had he not borne these trials and sufferings, the light of faith would never have reached us. We would be dwelling in the gloom of apostasy and making our home in hell after death.

Since faith is the greatest blessing on the earth and we have attained it solely through the merciful agency of the Prophet, our greatest benefactor, next to God, is Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). There is nothing we can do to repay the enormous debt of gratitude we owe him. We can only pray for him to God as a token of our loyalty and gratefulness.

But what prayer can we make that may be worthy of the Prophet? Naturally, none besides that God may magnify him and bless him with His choicest favours. This is what the Durood does.

In short, to send blessings on the Prophet is the foremost duty every of Muslim and this becomes a source of stupendous virtue and blessedness and the fountainhead of blessings in this world and in the Hereafter.

Another important point in the Islamic scheme of things, is worship during the night, especially during the latter part. It is highly commended by Allah. The Holy Quran says: “Stand (to prayer) by night, but not all night...half of it or little less, or a little more; and recite the Quran in slow, measured, rhythmic tones.” (Holy Quran 73:2,3 and 4)

In these verses it is stressed that the words of the Quran must not be read hastily but must be studied, and their deep meaning pondered over. They are themselves so beautiful that they must be lovingly pronounced in rhythmic tones.

For contemplation, prayer and praise, no other time can be as suitable as night, when calm and silence prevail, the voices of the marketplace are still, and the silent stars pour forth their eloquence to the discerning soul.

(The author is a former Khaleej Times staffer)

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