What is the significance of the darood?


Salawat Ibrahimiya
Allahumma salli ala muhammadiw wa ala aali muhammadin kamaa sallaita ala ibrahima wa ala aali ibrahima innaka hamidum majid. allahumma baarik ala muhammadiw wa ala aali muhammadin kamaa baarakta ala ibrahima wa ala aali ibrahima innaka hamidum majid.
“O Allah, let Your Blessings come upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious”.
Can we say ‘sayindina Muhammad’ in the Darood?
The words of the Darood are Allahumma salli ala Muhammad. However, many people say Allahumma salli ala sayyidina Muhammad. Is this wrong?
There is some debate on whether you can say ‘sayyidina Muhammad’, and though the Prophet (peace be on him) did not say this in his own salah, it would be wrong to call anyone sinful for saying this, because the Prophet (peace be on him) in his authentic hadith reported by Abu Sa’id said:
I am the master of the children of Adam, and it is no boast. I will be the first for whom the earth is split on the Day of Resurrection, and it is no boast. I will be the first to intercede and whose intercession will be accepted, and it is no boast. The banner of praise will be placed in my hand, and it is no boast. (Ibn Majah)
It was not in his sunnah, but as his followers we can say he is our master. It is not a matter to get heated about.
The most authentic version as per the sunnah is:
Allahumma salli ala muhammadiw wa ala aali muhammadin kamaa sallaita ala ibrahima wa ala aali ibrahima innaka hamidum majid. allahumma baarik ala muhammadiw wa ala aali muhammadin kamaa baarakta ala ibrahima wa ala aali ibrahima innaka hamidum majid.
Why do we mention the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be on him) in our salah?
The Quran mentioned 25 prophets and messengers, though there were according to some narrations, 128,000 prophets and messengers, perhaps more, so why do refer to Ibrahim (peace be on him) in our salah? We do not mention Musa or Eesa (peace be on them) for example. It is out of loyalty.
When Ibrahim (peace be on him) was building the Kaba in Makkah as an old man (in his eighties), he had the support of his young son, Ismail, and he made a special dua when they finished the construction, for the people of who would live in that valley to be guided by a Messenger. He said:
“Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own (and indeed Allah answered their invocation by sending Muhammad Peace be upon him), who shall recite unto them Your Verses and instruct them in the Book (this Quran) and Al-Hikmah (full knowledge of the Islamic laws and jurisprudence or wisdom or Prophethood, etc.), and sanctify them. Verily! You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” (2:127-129)
Allah Almighty accepted the dua of Ibrahim (peace be on him) and sent the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). It is therefore loyalty to refer back to him, as he was the one whose dua was answered and due to which we were sent the Prophet (peace be on him, who is himself descended from Prophet Ibrahim, through Ismail (peace be on them).
Connecting to all the prophets and messengers through the darood
The salah connects us to all the descendants of Ibrahim (peace be on him) til the last Prophet (peace be on him), which therefore includes almost all the prophets and messengers who were sent, connecting us to four of the five Resolute Messengers who were sent, the Ulul ‘Azm: Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Eesa and Muhammad (peace be on him).
We send blessings to the family of Muhammad
When we send blessings to ‘Muhammad and the family of Muhammad’ does this include his wives? Yes. When we say ‘ale-Muhammad’ it includes his wife and children, and blessings on the family of Ibrahim and his family (peace be on them).
The community of believers
The salah is a community of believers whose ultimate aim is to please Allah and traverse this life as a bridge to the akhirah and connect with the righteous and be like them or at least follow their footsteps as much as possible.
Many of us do not understand the words and rituals of our salah, and there are greater dimensions in the salah, when we delve into them.
Delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim to the Al Manaar New Muslim Group on 19th January 2021
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