But one may ask: if the highest rank is already assured for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, what benefit is there in our asking Allah to grant it to him?

The answer is that perhaps one of the means by which it is granted to him is people’s supplication for him to receive it, even though he, peace and blessings be upon him, is the worthiest of all people to attain it. Moreover, this increases our reward and reminds us of the right he has over us.

This supplication contains several points:

The first point: the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is a human being who possesses no power to bring benefit or harm even to himself. The indication of this is that we have been commanded to supplicate for him.

The second point: the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is the best of humankind, because the highest rank is granted exclusively to him. It is well known that the recompense corresponds to the worth of the one recompensed. Allah Most High says: “Allah will raise in degrees those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge.” [al-Mujadilah: 11]

The third point: an apparent difficulty arises from the words, “Grant Muhammad,” rather than, “Grant the Messenger of Allah.” How may this be reconciled with Allah’s saying: “Do not make your calling of the Messenger among yourselves like your calling of one another” [al-Nur: 63], according to one interpretation—that its meaning is: do not address him by his name as you address one another by name?

The answer is that the prohibition in the verse concerns addressing him by his name; as for merely referring to him by name, there is no prohibition in that.

There is another interpretation of the verse: “Do not make your calling of the Messenger among yourselves like your calling of one another” [al-Nur: 63]. Here, the verbal noun is attributed to its subject, not its object; that is, do not regard the Messenger’s calling you