On the Love of the Prophet ﷺ and the Virtues of Sending Prayers Upon Him

Abstract

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger. The Islamic community, based on the Qur’an, the sayings of the Prophet ﷺ, and the accounts of the pious and righteous, agrees that sending prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ and his family and companions is among the most beneficial acts of worship and the best forms of obedience. The Qur’an encourages this practice, as stated: “Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and greet him with peace.” Those who have attained spiritual perfection have found that sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ serves as a means to reach Allah, brings safety on the path of God, and opens the doors to divine peace. This study is divided into two main sections. The first section addresses the obligation of loving the Prophet ﷺ more than anyone else, with three subtopics: the definition of love and its types, signs of love for the Prophet ﷺ, and the fruits of this love. The second section focuses on the virtues of sending prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ, with three subtopics: the interpretation of the Qur’anic verse encouraging this practice, the general virtues and encouragement to send blessings, and the special merits of sending prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ on Fridays. Each section references relevant authentic Hadiths illustrating the obligation of love and the virtues of invoking blessings on the Beloved of Allah. The study also clarifies the meaning of sending prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ, which in the linguistic sense refers primarily to two concepts: supplication and seeking blessings.