“Grant Muhammad the highest rank and the special distinction, and raise him to the praised station that You have promised him.”
His saying, “Grant Muhammad the highest rank and the special distinction”: “Grant” means “give.” It governs two objects, neither of which originally serves as the subject or predicate. The first object is “Muhammad,” and the second is “the highest rank.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, explained that the highest rank is “a rank in Paradise that befits none but one of Allah’s servants,” and he said, “I hope that I will be that one.” (1) Thus, we ask Allah to bring about for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, what he hoped for.
As for the special distinction, it is the lofty virtue in which no one else shares.
His saying, “and raise him to the praised station that You have promised him”: raise him on the Day of Resurrection to the praised station that You promised him. This praised station encompasses all the stations of the Day of Resurrection, the foremost of which is the greatest intercession. On that tremendous Day, people will be overcome by such distress and anguish as they cannot bear, so they will seek intercession from Adam, then Noah, then Abraham, then Moses, then Jesus—peace and blessings be upon them all. Finally, they will come to our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and ask him to intercede with Allah on their behalf; and he will intercede for them. (2)
This is a praised station, because all the prophets and messengers excuse themselves from