and who went on to claim that, when coming from the angels it signifies supplication and, when coming from human beings, it signifies seeking forgiveness—have offered no convincing proof. In reality, the divine salawat are not the same as mercy, for Allah has paired mercy with salawat, and coordination in Arabic demands that the two be different. Furthermore, the scholars unanimously agree that it is permissible to say about any believer, “O Allah, have mercy on so-and-so.”
They have, however, disagreed over whether one may say, “O Allah, send prayers upon him.” Three opinions exist:
- Some allow it unconditionally.
- Others forbid it altogether.
- A third group permits it only when it occurs incidentally.
The soundest view is that it is allowable when it comes incidentally—such as in the formula, “O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad”—or when there is a particular reason for it. Allah, the Exalted, said, “Take from their wealth a charity to purify and cleanse them by it, and pray for them” (at-Tawbah 9:103). Thus, when a genuine reason exists and the expression is not turned into a distinctive slogan, there is no harm in using it. You may therefore say, “O Allah, send prayers upon so-and-so.” If someone brings you his zakat and asks you to distribute it among the poor, you may reply, “May Allah send prayers upon you,” invoking that Allah confer His prayers upon him, just as He commanded His Prophet to do.
25 – Abu Mālik al-Hārith ibn ʿĀṣim al-Ashʿarī (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) said:
“Purification is one half of faith; ‘al-ḥamdu lillāh’ (praise belongs to Allah) fills the scale; ‘subḥān Allāh wa-l-ḥamdu lillāh’ (Glory be to Allah and praise belongs to Allah) fill—or each of them fills—the space between the heavens and the earth. Prayer is light, charity is proof, patience is illumination, and the Quran is either a case in your favor or a case against you.”