The Excellence of Reciting the Durood Sharif

A. THE EXCELLENCE OF DUROOD SHAREEF FOR THE UMMAH AS EXPLAINED IN THE
HOLY QURAN AND AHADITH
This book contains valuable information about Durood Shareef (Salawat)
on Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim).
The message of Allah Ta'ala to Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu
Alaihi Wasallim) has come down to us in the form of the Holy Quran and
the teachings of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim)
have reached us in the form of the Ahadith. Let us see what both the
Holy Quran and Ahadith say about Durood Shareef (Salawat):
Innal llaha wa Malaa'ikatahu Yu sallunaallan nabiyi.
Ya Ayyuhal lazeena aamanu sallu alaihi wasallimu tasleema.
Almighty Allah says:"Surely Allah and His Angels send blessings on the
Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim). Oyou who believe! Send
Blessings (Durood) and Salutations (Salaams) on the Prophet with
worthySalutation".(Surah al-Ahzab: 56)
In this verse of the Holy Quran, Almighty Allah, His Malaa'ikah and
the Muslims have been mentioned as sending Durood upon Sayyiduna
Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim). So, Durood Shareef is
actually "a Du'a in praiseof the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallal
LaahuAlaihi Wasallim)."
Hazrat Anas (radi Allahu anhu) narrates that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) said: "He who reads a single Durood
upon me, Almighty Allah blesses him ten times, ten of his sins are
forgiven, and he is increased ten times in stages (internally).
(Mishkaat)
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Ma'sud (radi Allahu anhu) also narrates that
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) said: "On the Day
of Qiyamah, the closest to me from among the people will be those who
have read the most amount of Durood Shareef". (Tirmidhi)
It is now evident that the recitation of Durood Shareef (Salawat) is
in perfect obedience to theDivine Command and in complete conformity
with the teachings of Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim)
ofIslam. There is no scope to choose anything else when we have with
us the words of Allah Ta'ala and His Apostle, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim).
B. WHAT IS DUROOD SHAREEF AND THE IMPORTANCE OF DUROOD SHAREEF
Divine blessings on Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallim) is the highest and the most meritorious act in our Deen.
This "Divine Blessings" is called Durood Shareef.
When Almighty Allah sends Durood and Salaams upon SayyidunaRasoolullah
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), He is actually blessing him. When the
Malaa'ikah and the Muslims send Durood and Salaams to Sayyiduna
Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), they are actually showing
Almighty Allah their respect for the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallim).
Muslims hope that, through the blessings of the Durood and
Salaams,Almighty Allah will forgive them of their sins and increase
their status in this world and in the Aakirah. The Malaa'ikah hope
that Almighty Allah will increase their status.
Durood is a sure means of Allah Ta'ala granting blessings, peace,
prosperity and favours of great magnitude on one who recites Durood
Shareef on the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim). The
reciter of Durood Shareef receives all the benefits in this world and
utmost gain in the next world with addition to the love of the Holy
Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim).
The invocation of Blessings on the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallim) is styled in Arabic as "Salawat", inPersian as "Durood",
andin Urdu as "Salawat-o-Salaam".
The regular recitation of Durood Shareef on Sayyiduna Rasoolullah
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) lifts up our hearts on to a plane of
comprehension where we gaze in our new found peace and moral armour.
The reciter of Durood Shareef will, after some time, come to realise
by himself that it is the spontaneous outpouringof his heart before
the Great Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) ofIslam, whose love
and attachment is needed to get all the present day problems solved
and obtain mercy in the next world.
The more Durood Shareef we recite, the greater the gain and benefit
will be achieved in both the worlds. Hazrat Shaikh-e-Akbar Mo'inuddin
ibn Arabi (radi Allahu anhu) has stated that, "Those who claim to love
and revere the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) should
increase their recital of the Durood Shareef in patience and
perseverance until, through the mercy of Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu
Alaihi Wasallim), they have the opportunity of witnessing his blessed
countenance".
The special and exclusiveaspect of this prayer is that Durood Shareef
is immediately accepted byAllah Ta'ala. No one can doubt its
acceptance, as Durood Shareef is being recited by Allah Ta'ala too.
Not only this, but Hehas revealed this secret in the Holy Quran by
saying:
Wara fa'na laka zikrah
"Have I not exalted thy name."
Muslims are a very fortunate people. Allah Ta'ala chose for them the
name of Islam as a religion, declared to be comprehensive and finalfor
mankind. The personchose to deliver this message in this specific form
and extra-ordinary style of love and hope was the most beloved of
Allah Ta'ala and became the Light of Divinity to be shed upon the
entire universe. This Light devastated all the domains of darkness
anddepression. By reciting Durood Shareef (Salawat) we invite Lightand
drive away all darkness from our inner soul. Our mind becomes soft and
love saturated. If there is softness in everything, it tends beauty to
it. People become ugly owing to lack of this essential beauty of the
inner part of the mind. This ugliness cannot be glossed over by any
amount of cosmetics. It is the Durood Shareef onthe Holy Prophet
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) which works wonders.
In the same manner, the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim)
taught us Durood Shareef to attain salvation, perfect peace and
maximum gain in this world as well as the next. The soul is the soil
where the faith of Allah is to be implanted firmly and faithfully
which requires continuous recitation of Durood Shareef to thrive and
flourish.
We have been told by Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallim) that Durood Shareef is itself Light and when Light enters
the soul every aspirationis achieved and every goal is won. Nothing
remains thereafter to worry about.
Human spirit today is depressed everywhere and mankind has come to the
edge of destruction, decay and devastation. Everyone is engulfed in
untold miseries and tragedies of a very great magnitude. Troubles
andtortures, pain, poverty, hunger, ill-health, frustrations and
accidents have broken the back of a human being. All this can
evaporate with the recitation of Durood Shareef on the Holy Prophet
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) who hasclearly proclaimed that Durood
Shareef is the panacea of all ills and that if any one comes across a
calamity he should recite Durood Shareef in the maximum number. Allah
Ta'ala has promised that if anyone recites Durood only once, He
showers ten blessings on the reciter immediately.
It is narrated that once Hazrat Musa (alaihis salaam) walked a very
long distance in the desert during summer atnoon. He fainted due to
thirst and hunger. After a while, when he regained his consciousness,
Allah Ta'ala sent Hazrat Jibrael(alaihis salaam) to go and inquire
from Hazrat Musa (alaihis salaam) if he was thirsty or not. Hazrat
Musa (alaihis salaam) replied that he was thirsty. Allah Ta'ala told
him that the thirst on the Day of Judgementwill be a million times
more than what Hazrat Moosa (alaihis salaam) experienced. Hazrat Musa
(alaihis salaam) was told that if he wished to get rid of that thirst
on the hottest Day of Judgement, he would have to do one thing. When
Hazrat Musa (alaihis salaam) enquired as to what should be done, Allah
Ta'ala told him that he should recite Durood Shareef in abundance on
His last Prophet, Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallim). Hazrat Musa (alaihis salaam) thanked Allah Ta'ala and
immediately began reciting Durood Shareef on the Sayyiduna Rasoolullah
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim).
From the above fact it is quite clear that Allah Ta'ala has given
orders even to his Ambiya to recite Salawat on the last and final
Prophet of Islam, and that Durood Shareef is not only panacea and a
solution to the ills of this world but in the next too.
In another story, it is narrated that when Hazrat Adam (alaihis
salaam) saw Bibi Hawa (radi Allahu anha) he wanted to be close to her,
but Allah Ta'ala sent Hazrat Jibrael (alaihis salaam) to stop him.
Allah Ta'ala told him thatif he wanted to take BibiHawa (radi Allahu
anha) as his wife, he should first pay Mahr (dowry). On his inquiry as
to whatthe Mahr was, Allah Ta'ala told Hazrat Jibrael (alaihis salaam)
to inform him that the best way of paying the dowry is for him to
recite Durood Shareef 3 times on His last Prophet,Hazrat Muhammad
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim). Hazrat Adam (alaihis salaam) did so,
Bibi Hawa (radi Allahu anha) was granted to him as his legal and
legitimate wife.
The highest blessings which Islam has conferred on man is the concept
of Tauheed or Unity of Allah in its purest form. This has been
furnished to mankind through Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu
Alaihi Wasallim), the last of the Prophets. It is a cardinal duty of
every Muslim man and woman, young and old to entertain the highest
respect, regard, love and esteem for the Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi
Wasallim) and his family. It should be clear that obedience to
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) is always to
becharged with intense love and highest regard for him, for it is
through love and esteem that truth can be comprehended and communion
with the Creator can be vouch-safed. In fact, love is the motive
force, reverence dissolves and implicit obedience to the Prophet
(Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) which isthe natural outcome. It
istherefore incumbent on those who love him, to pray to Allah Ta'ala
and His Angels in wishing for him peace according to the Divine
Command. This will reshape the life which is otherwise infested with
turmoil. The reciter will get countless and matchless benefits in both
the Worlds and can claim to be the lover of Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu
Alaihi Wasallim).
As Muslims we should recite Durood Shareef in the Arabic language.
Islam seeks to create a unified outlook and it is in the Arabic
language alone which welds all Muslims into one great brotherhood.
Besides, Arabic is the language ofHeaven, it is the language of
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), it is the
language of the Angels and it is the language of Hazrat Abu-Bakr,
Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Uthman and Hazrat Ali (radi Allahu anhuma).
The daily recitation of Durood Shareef has a tremendous effect on the
human head, heart, mind and person. It purifies thoughts and
intensifies actions. It makes passages for perfect peace and personal
satisfaction.