—the standing of the witnesses over mankind, the people’s standing at the Place of Assembly, and other such events.
It is given many names in the Noble Qur’an.
Al-Qurṭubī said, “Whenever the importance of a thing is great, its descriptions multiply and its states become many; hence Allah, exalted is He, has named it with numerous names in His Book and depicted it with many attributes.”
al-ladhī waʿadtahu (the one You promised) refers back to His words “a praised station.” It is called a promise because the word ʿasā (“perhaps”) in the verse is not literal; in reference to Allah it denotes certainty.
What is derived from the ḥadith
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In the wording cited by the author, the ḥadith is free of the weak additions that some have attached to it.
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This comprehensive supplication is of tremendous virtue. It gathers together majestic means of entreaty and lofty ranks: calling upon Allah and imploring Him by His divinity and lordship, by His complete and perfect invocations, by the exalted stations, and by this perpetual, established prayer, beseeching Him to perfect His favor upon our Prophet Muhammad, to exalt his standing, and to raise his rank by granting him the Greatest Intercession and the highest station, bestowing upon him the Station of Praise that He promised him when he completed the Message, fulfilled the trust, sincerely advised his nation, perfected his servitude, and—his feet cracked from prolonged night prayer with the Qur’an—cast himself in humble submission before his Lord.
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Whoever answers the call of the muʾadhdhin and invokes blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad—as qualified by another ḥadith—earns the right to be among those for whom the Prophet ﷺ will intercede on the Day of Resurrection, when every other intercessor holds back and he ﷺ alone steps forward.
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Several additional phrases have been tacked onto this supplication that are not authentic, including:
• “O Allah, I ask You by virtue of this call,”
• “and the lofty degree,”
• “Indeed, You never break the promise.”