• View
• Edit
• History
• Print

Du`a – Essence of `Ibadat Part One - Section on the Meaning of Salat

Section on the Meaning of Salat

Tags: Ahl al-bayt, Progeny, Salat, Salawat

There are different views regarding the interpretation of salat. Before expressing our views here, we want to quote a note of Farman `Ali, from his translation of the Qur'an. He says: “I have added “al (progeny)” in the translation of the verse (33:56): “Verily, Allah and His angels send blessings (durud) on the Prophet and (his progeny)”, for several reasons:

1. Imam Razi has accepted that the ahl al-bayt of the Prophet are equal to him in five things, one of them is the invocation of salat on them in tashahhud.
2. According to one tradition, several years before the fertility of the tree of Islam, the angels sent salat on Hadhrat `Ali.
3. In Manaqib-i Murtadhawi, it is narrated from Anas bin Malik that the holy Prophet said: “The angels sent salat on me and `Ali seven times”.
4. In Sunan-i Abi Dawud, it is narrated from Ibn Abi Shaybah, endorsed by Tirmidhi, Hakim, Abu'l-Qasim, Ibn Khuzaymah and Ibn Mas`ud-i Badari that people told the Prophet, that they knew how to send peace (salam) on him, but they did not know how to send salat upon him. The Prophet said: “Say: Allahumma salli `ala Muhammadin wa-ali Muhammadin kama sallayta `ala Ibrahima wa-`ala ali Ibrahim (O Allah! send blessings upon Muhammad and his progeny as You have sent upon Ibrahim and his progeny)”.
5. In Mawahib-i Laduniyyah it is also mentioned that the Prophet used to recite in the salat (ritual prayer): “Allahumma salli `ala Muhammadin wa-ali Muhammadin kama sallayta `ala Ibrahima wa-`ala ali Ibrahim (O Allah! send blessings upon Muhammad and his progeny as You have sent upon Ibrahim and his progeny)”.
6. It is narrated in Sawa`iqun Muhriqah that the Prophet said: La tusallu `alayya salatan batra' (Do not send upon me an incomplete salat)”. The people asked him: What is an incomplete salat? The Prophet said: It is to say Allahumma salli `ala Muhammad only. He said: Say: Allahumma salli `ala Muhammadin wa-ali Muhammad.
7. Irrespective of the above, there is “Salamun `ala al-i Ya-Sin (Peace be on the progeny of Ya-Sin)” in the Qur'an itself (37:130). It is obvious that Ya-Sin is the title of the holy Prophet, and thus by al-i Ya-Sin is meant al-i Muhammad.
8. According to `Allamah Zamakhshari's interpretation of verse (33:43), if it is possible to send salat on ordinary mu'mins, then indeed, the holy ahl al-bayt are more deserving of it.
9. Imam Shafi`i has said:
   Ya ahla bayti rasuli'llahi hubbukum;
   Fardhum-mina'llahi fi'l-qur’ani anzalahu.
   Kafakum min `azimi'l-qadri annakum;
   Man lam yusalli `alaykum la salata lahu.
   “O the ahl al-bayt of the Prophet! God has made love for you obligatory in the Qur'an. For your eminence, it is enough to say that whoever does not send salat upon you, his salat is not valid.” See Tafsir-i Durr-i Manthur (Misr, n.d.) V, 216.

According to the above-mentioned evidences, the excellence and sublime status of the progeny of the Prophet is proven and it is also established that recitation of salat upon them together with the Prophet is obligatory. However, it still remains to understand in what sense we should recite this salat on the Prophet and his progeny? Does the recitation of the salat mean that by doing so, we seek for them from God a mercy which is granted to them only after our asking Him? If this is true, what does this all-embracing and far-reaching command of God mean when He says: “And We did not send you (O Muhammad) except as a mercy for the people of the world” (21:107)? The fact is that when as a mark of respect we recite salat on the name of the Prophet and his pure progeny, we seek mercy for ourselves through them, for as God says: “Indeed, Allah and His angels send mercy through the Prophet Muhammad (and his progeny). O you who believe, you should seek blessings through them (and in order to receive blessings through them) you should duly submit to them” (33:56).

In order to ascertain the above-mentioned meaning of the verse, let us first look into the meaning of the infinitive of yusalluna and sallu, which is salat. Salat means 'ritual prayer (namaz), (du`a) and mercy'. According to these meanings, yusallluna means: 'they perform ritual prayer', 'they pray, i.e. they ask', 'they seek mercy', 'they send mercy'. However, it is unanimously agreed that God neither performs ritual prayer, nor prays to someone, nor seeks mercy from anyone. Thus the correct meaning of it is: “He sends blessings to mu'mins with angels through Muhammad and his progeny”. Thus, this is the meaning hidden in yusalluna. Contrary to this, if we understand that Allah sends mercy and His angels also send mercy like Him, then the question arises: Where does the mercy of the angels come from? Further, with whom do they send this mercy, when God sends His mercy with them?

When the correct meaning of yusalluna, which befits God's act, is established, then sallu also means that which befits the belief of mu'mins. That is, the command of sallu here means 'seek mercy'! not 'send mercy!'. For, in the beginning of this verse it is mentioned that God and His angels send sufficient mercy to the Prophet and his progeny without the request or intercession of anyone, so that the mu'mins may duly obey them and seek and attain this mercy from them.

Now let us look into the meaning of the word `ala, which has different meanings in different idioms. That is, it does not always mean “upon” and it's meaning does not end with the noun that it precedes, but goes beyond that. As in verse (88:26): “Thumma inna `alayna hisabahum (Then upon Us shall rest their reckoning)”, though the word `ala has preceded the pronoun na (us), yet it carries the meaning of hisab (reckoning) beyond na to the pronoun hum (their). That is, this verse does not mean “We are answerable for their account”. The above explanation of salat is sufficient here.