Nasai

1283. Commentary:

➊ It is obligatory to send salutations (salam) upon you (the Prophet) in prayer; sending salutations upon you before and after as well is a great virtue, and this is also the status of sending blessings (salat, i.e., durood) upon you, because this is a Qur’anic command: «يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا» [الأحزاب : 56 : 33] sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

➋ Besides sending blessings (durood) upon the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, sending salutations (salam) alone is also permissible, that is, if someone says “sallallahu alayhi” or “alayhis salam” individually, it is allowed.

➌ In this blessed hadith, there is encouragement to send abundant salutations (salam) upon the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

➍ From this blessed hadith, the lofty status, honor, and greatness of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam are evident, in that Allah Ta’ala has appointed angels with the duty that whoever sends salutations upon you, the angels convey his salutation to you.

➎ The virtue of the person who sends salutations upon the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is also established from this, and his salutation is conveyed to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself responds to it, as Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu narrates: The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Whenever anyone sends salutations upon me, Allah returns my soul to me and I respond to his salutation.” [سنن أبي داود ، المناسك ، حدیث : 2041] This hadith is of hasan (good) grade. Many interpretations have been made regarding the “returning of the soul,” but ultimately, this is a matter of the Barzakh (intermediate) realm; it is not correct to analogize it to worldly life. Moreover, this is among the ambiguous matters (mutashabihat). We are unable to provide any satisfactory detail or explanation. And Allah knows best.