such as prayer and sacrifice, let alone acts of worship of the same kind, some of which are interconnected. Prayer includes supplication in al-Fātihah and elsewhere, and supplication itself is prayer. Allah calls it prayer in His Book, saying:

“And pray for them; indeed, your prayer is a source of reassurance for them.” [al-Tawbah 103]

An authentic report from ‘Abd Allāh ibn Abī Awfā states: “Whenever people brought their charity to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, he would pray for them. My father brought him some charity, and he said: ‘O Allah, bestow Your blessings upon the family of Abū Awfā.’”

Allah Most High also says:

“O you who believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with peace.” {56}

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught his community how to invoke blessings upon him in numerous hadiths recorded in the authentic collections and elsewhere. In all of them, he simply teaches them to ask Allah for His blessings and benedictions, as when he said: “Say: ‘O Allah, bestow Your blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You bestowed Your blessings upon Abraham and upon the family of Abraham. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy, Glorious. And bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed