He also said, “Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me” (1), along with many other texts that command following him and forbid contradicting him.

Section Three: The Legitimacy of Invoking Blessings and Peace upon the Messenger ﷺ
Among the rights that Allah has prescribed for His Messenger over his nation is that they invoke blessings and peace upon him. Allah the Exalted says: “Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with peace” (al-Ahzāb 56). It has been reported that Allah’s salāh—His blessing—is His praise of him in the presence of the angels; the angels’ salāh is supplication; and the human beings’ salāh is seeking forgiveness for him (2).

Through this verse, Allah, glorified be He, makes known the rank of His servant and Prophet in the highest assembly: He praises him among the angels who are near to Him, and the angels themselves pray for him. He then commanded the inhabitants of the lower world to invoke blessings and peace upon him as well, so that praise for him would be united from the people of the upper and lower worlds alike.