Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (1/191)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

and it involves abasement before other than Allah, which is a form of wronging oneself. Thus, it encompasses all three kinds of wrongdoing, and Allah has kept His Messenger free of all of them.

When he commands the community to supplicate for him, this is an instruction to do what benefits them, just as he commands them to perform all other obligatory and recommended acts. Although he benefits from their supplications for him, he also benefits from the acts of worship and righteous deeds that he commands them to perform. It is authentically reported that he said:

“Whoever calls others to guidance will receive a reward equal to the rewards of those who follow him, without their rewards being diminished in any way.”

Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is the one who calls his community to the good deeds they perform. For whatever they do, he receives a reward equal to theirs, without their rewards being diminished in any way. This is why dedicating the reward of their deeds to him was not part of the worship of the early generations: he receives a reward equal to theirs without such dedication, and without their rewards being diminished in any way.

The same does not apply to parents, for a parent does not receive a reward equal to that of the child for everything the child does. Rather, the parent benefits from the child’s supplications and similar acts whose benefit reaches the father, as he said in the authentic hadith:

“When the son of Adam dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, knowledge from which others benefit, and a righteous child who supplicates for him.”

Thus, when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asks his community to supplicate for him, he does so by way of instruction and encouragement, not as a personal appeal.

This includes his command that we invoke blessings and peace upon him. Allah has commanded this in the Quran, saying:

“Send blessings upon him and greet him with peace.”

The hadiths reported from him concerning invoking blessings and peace upon him are well known.

وَفِيهِ ذُلٌّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ وَهُوَ ظُلْمٌ لِلنَّفْسِ. فَهُوَ مُشْتَمِلٌ عَلَى أَنْوَاعِ الظُّلْمِ الثَّلَاثَةِ وَقَدْ نَزَّهَ اللَّهُ رَسُولَهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ. وَحَيْثُ أَمَرَ الْأُمَّةَ بِالدُّعَاءِ لَهُ فَذَاكَ مِنْ بَابِ أَمْرِهِمْ بِهَا يَنْتَفِعُونَ بِهِ كَمَا يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِسَائِرِ الْوَاجِبَاتِ والمستحبات وَإِنْ كَانَ هُوَ يَنْتَفِعُ بِدُعَائِهِمْ لَهُ فَهُوَ أَيْضًا يَنْتَفِعُ بِمَا يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ الْعِبَادَاتِ وَالْأَعْمَالِ الصَّالِحَةِ فَإِنَّهُ ثَبَتَ عَنْهُ فِي الصَّحِيحِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: {مَنْ دَعَا إلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنْ الْأَجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنْ اتَّبَعَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْءٌ} وَمُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ هُوَ الدَّاعِي إلَى مَا تَفْعَلُهُ أُمَّتُهُ مِنْ الْخَيْرَاتِ فَمَا يَفْعَلُونَهُ لَهُ فِيهِ مِنْ الْأَجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِهِمْ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْءٌ. وَلِهَذَا لَمْ تَجْرِ عِبَادَةُ السَّلَفِ بِأَنْ يُهْدُوا إلَيْهِ ثَوَابَ الْأَعْمَالِ لِأَنَّ لَهُ مِثْلَ ثَوَابِ أَعْمَالِهِمْ بِدُونِ الْإِهْدَاءِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ ثَوَابِهِمْ شَيْءٌ. وَلَيْسَ كَذَلِكَ الْأَبَوَانِ فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ كُلُّ مَا يَفْعَلُهُ الْوَلَدُ يَكُونُ لِلْوَالِدِ مِثْلُ أَجْرِهِ وَإِنَّمَا يَنْتَفِعُ الْوَالِدُ بِدُعَاءِ الْوَلَدِ وَنَحْوِهِ مِمَّا يَعُودُ نَفْعُهُ إلَى الْأَبِ كَمَا قَالَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ: {إذَا مَاتَ ابْنُ آدَمَ انْقَطَعَ عَمَلُهُ إلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثٍ: صَدَقَةٌ جَارِيَةٌ وَعِلْمٌ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ وَوَلَدٌ صَالِحٌ يَدْعُو لَهُ} . فَالنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فِيمَا يَطْلُبُهُ مِنْ أُمَّتِهِ مِنْ الدُّعَاءِ - طَلَبُهُ طَلَبُ أَمْرٍ وَتَرْغِيبٍ لَيْسَ بِطَلَبِ سُؤَالٍ. فَمِنْ ذَلِكَ أَمْرُهُ لَنَا بِالصَّلَاةِ وَالسَّلَامِ عَلَيْهِ فَهَذَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ فِي الْقُرْآنِ بِقَوْلِهِ: {صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا} . وَالْأَحَادِيثُ عَنْهُ فِي الصَّلَاةِ وَالسَّلَامِ مَعْرُوفَةٌ.