3 Important rules for reading Durood Sharif / Salawat for dearest Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
Sending blessings upon our dearest Prophet Muhammad (اللهم صلي علي محمد وعلي آل محمد وبارك وسلم كما تحبه) is one of the most important deeds in Islam. Allah (سبحانه وتعالي) loves His prophet so much that He ordered us and the angels to make a supplication of blessings for Muhammad and also his family . If we just send blessings upon our dearest Prophet Muhammad (اللهم صلي علي محمد وعلي آل محمد وبارك وسلم كما تحبه) , Allah (سبحانه وتعالي) sends us ten blessings ,removes our ten sins and elevate 10 levels of Paradise for us in Paradise. [ Click here for this post in Urdu ]
For such an important deed , we have to take care of three things.
Durud Sharif is not just words to repeat again and again in an easy way. In reality ,Durud Sharif is Dua for our dearest Prophet Muhammad (اللهم صلي علي محمد وعلي آل محمد وبارك وسلم كما تحبه) . Now just compare, how much struggle do we make ,when we are making a dua for ourselves and when we make dua for our dearest prophet (الهم صلي علي محمد وعلي اله وبارك وسلم)? Infact , we should struggle more in durud sharif than dua for ourselves because Allah (SWT) has told us in Quran. us that our dearest Prophet(الهم صلي علي محمد وعلي اله وبارك وسلم) should be even more close and dear to us than ourselves and our families.
ٱلنَّبِىُّ أَوۡلَىٰ بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ مِنۡ أَنفُسِہِمۡۖ وَأَزۡوَٲجُهُ ۥۤ أُمَّهَـٰتُہُمۡۗ (سُوۡرَةُ الاٴحزَاب)
پیغمبر مومنوں پر اُن کی جانوں سے بھی زیادہ حق رکھتے ہیں اور پیغمبر کی بیویاں اُن کی مائیں ہیں۔
The Prophet is closer to the believers than their selves, and his wives are (as) their mothers. [Surah Al-Ahzab , verse 6]
When the Qur’an has told us that our Prophet (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) is closer to us than ourselves and our families, it is not fair to think that our supplications for ourselves are more important to us than Durood Sharif.
Just think how we pray day and night for ourselves and our loved ones, how we cry and cry and plead with Allah. Then the person who is closer than our lives, even closer than all our family members, do we try and struggle in the same way in prayer for them?
We should strive more to pray for Prophet Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) than to pray for ourselves. This is stated in the following hadith also.
Zaid bin Kharija asked Allah’s Prophet Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) about Salawat , He (صلي الله عليه وآله وبارك وسلم) said: Send Salawat (Durud Shareef) upon me and Strive hard in dua and say “اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ”” O Allah, bless Muhammad and Muhammad’s family (Reference : Sunan Nisai , Hadith 1292 )
Because the Arabic word “صل” means “Dua” ,therefore the above Hadith can also be translated as : Make dua for me and and Strive hard in dua and say “اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ”” O Allah, bless Muhammad and Muhammad’s family (Reference : Sunan Nisai , Hadith 1292 )
Important note
We should know that Allah’s beloved Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them) do not need our prayers, it is only an honor for us that Allah (سبحانه وتعالي) has ordered us to recite durood and salam for them. In fact, dua for them is blessing and peace for us. If we strive hard only for blessings and peace, then Allah (سبحانه وتعالي) will fulfill all our personal wishes and duas also.This is exactly the same message given in the following Hadith of Jamia Tirmidhi.
If someone recites all the time Durood Shareef instead of duas for his own needs, then, Allah will fulfill all his needs
عَنِ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي أُكْثِرُ الصَّلاَةَ عَلَيْكَ فَكَمْ أَجْعَلُ لَكَ مِنْ صَلاَتِي؟ فَقَالَ: مَا شِئْتَ. قَالَ: قُلْتُ: الرُّبُعَ، قَالَ: مَا شِئْتَ فَإِنْ زِدْتَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ، قُلْتُ: النِّصْفَ، قَالَ: مَا شِئْتَ، فَإِنْ زِدْتَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: فَالثُّلُثَيْنِ، قَالَ: مَا شِئْتَ، فَإِنْ زِدْتَ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكَ، قُلْتُ: أَجْعَلُ لَكَ صَلاَتِي كُلَّهَا قَالَ: إِذًا تُكْفَى هَمَّكَ، وَيُغْفَرُ لَكَ ذَنْبُكَ. (رواه الترمذى)
Sayyidina ibn Ka’b reported that when two-thirds of the night had passed Allah’s stood up and said, “O you people, remember Allah. Remember Allah! Here comes the rajifah and on its heels is the radifah. Here comes death with what is (painful) in it.” Ubayy said, “O Messenger of Allah, I make plenty of invocation of blessings on you. How much time shall I set aside for it?” He said, “As much as you like.” He asked, “One-fourth?” He said, “As much as you will. If you increase then that is better for you.” So, he asked, “One third?” He said, As much as you will and if you add to it, that is better (for you) .” Ubayy said, “I will set aside for invocating blessing on you all my time.” He said, “Then that will take care worries, and your sins will be forgiven.” [ Jamia Tirmidhi. ]
2- Read it with the truth of your heart
Durud Sharif for our dearest Prophet Muhammad (الهم صلي علي محمد وعلي اله وبارك وسلم) has great rewards but we must send Durud Sharif with great devotion , dedication and with the truth of our heart. These are not just words. We should know what we are saying and what is the meaning of these words. How can we have devotion , if we do not know what we are saying. We can see that these words, i.e, ” with the truth of heart”, are mentioned in the following Hadith also.
مَا صَلَّى عَلَيَّ عَبْدٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي صَلاةً صَادِقًا مِنْ قِبَلِ نَفْسِهِ إِلا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ بِهَا عَشْرَ صَلَوَاتٍ، وَكَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهَا عَشْرَ حَسَنَاتٍ وَرَفَعَهُ بِهَا عَشْرَ دَرَجَاتٍ وَمَحَا عَنْهُ عَشْرَ سَيِّئَاتٍ (الکبیر للطبرانی (رح) بروایت ابی بردۃ بن یسار)
میری امت کا کوئی فرد اپنے دل کی سچائی سے مجھ پر ایک بار درود نہیں بھیجے گا، مگر اللہ تعالیٰ اس پر دس بار رحمت فرمائیں گے اور اس کے لیے دس نیکیاں لکھیں گے اور اس کے دس درجات بلند فرما دیں گے۔ اور اس کی دس برائیاں مٹا دیں گے۔ (الکبیر للطبرانی (رح) بروایت ابی بردۃ بن یسار)
No member of my ummah will send blessings on me once with the truth of his heart, but Allah (سبحانه وتعالي) will bless him ten times and write ten good deeds for him and raise him ten degrees. And his ten sins will be erased. (Al-Kabeer by Al-Tabarani, narrated by Abi Barda bin Yasar)
3- Read it in the most beautiful way
We must send Durud Sharif for our dearest Prophet Muhammad (اللهم صلي علي محمد وعلي آل محمد وبارك وسلم كما تحبه) in the most beautiful possible way. Ahadith has told us different beautiful words for Durud Sharif. Select one or more of these beautiful words, learn their meanings ,read with proper pronunciation and (most importantly ) read with love.
One of the important reasons for reciting Durood Sharif in the best way
The reason for this is that our Durud Sharif is presented to dear Prophet Muhammad (الهم صلي علي محمد وعلي اله وبارك وسلم) with our names. For this reason we shall be known according to the beauty of the Durud Sharif which that we send upon our dearest Prophet Muhammad (الهم صلي علي محمد وعلي اله وبارك وسلم) . Also,the same fact is mentioned in the following second Hadith.
قال رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – : ” إنكم تعرضون علي بأسمائكم وسيمائكم فأحسنوا الصلاة علي“. (عبد الرزاق عن مجاهد) مرسلا صحيح.
You are presented to me with your names and signs, so send Durud upon me in a good manner. (Abd al-Razzaq an Mujahid) Mursala Sahaheeh.
Also,the same is mentioned in the following second Hadith.
إذا صليتم علي فأحسنوا الصلاة فإنكم لا تدرون لعل ذلك يعرض علي (القول البديع)
۔۔ جب تم مجھ پر درود پڑھو تو اچھی طرح درود پڑھو۔ کیونکہ تمہیں علم نہیں کہ وہ مجھ پر پیش کیا جائے گا۔ بمطابق منتخب کے آئندہ حدیث اسی کے ساتھ متصل ہے۔ اس صورت میں اس کا حوالہ اس کے لیے کافی ہے۔
(القول البديع)
. When you send Durud Sharif upon it me, send it well (or send it in the most beautiful way). Because you do not know that it will be presented to me.
(Al-Qul al-Badi)
Some people can question that how is it possible that if more than a billion Muslims reading Durud Sharif and this Durud Sharif is presented to our dearest Prophet Muhammad (الهم صلي علي محمد وعلي اله وبارك وسلم)?
This is power of Allah (سبحانه وتعالي) . His powers are not limited to the time and space which we know.He can make anything happen. There should be no doubt about that.
Jazak Allahay Kahiran for reading . May Allah (SWT) make it beneficial for me and you and everyone. Ameen .You might also be interested in “Morning Durud Sharif with the greatest reward”‘.
