Sheikh Abbas Al-Rayes

The acts of worship through which servants seek proximity to Allah the Almighty vary in their strength and weakness. However, sending blessings upon the Prophet and his family—may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all—stands at the forefront regarding its immense reward and inevitable acceptance. We have extensively discussed this subject while examining the meanings of verses and narrations detailed in the preceding chapters of this book.

​Here, however, we will address this act of worship, albeit briefly, to attempt to unveil the hidden secret behind why this devotion is unequivocally accepted under all circumstances.

​Accordingly, we can discuss this across several points after raising the following question: Why are all acts of worship subject to either acceptance or rejection, except for sending blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as reported in numerous traditions from the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace Be Upon Them)?

​The answer to this can be outlined in the following points:

​The Stature of the Beloved and Intercession: Allah—Glory be to Him, the Most High—has distinguished our Prophet (PBUH) by making him His beloved (Habib), just as He made Abraham His intimate friend (Khalil). Unquestionably, mentioning the beloved in the presence of the One who loves him holds a special significance. In this regard, sending blessings upon the Prophet constitutes invoking him before Allah and positioning him as an intercessor. If the beloved is designated as an intercessor and an intermediary between the beseecher and the Besought, such mediation is never rejected or refused; rather, it is bound to be accepted. Were it otherwise, the high stature of the beloved in the eyes of the One who loves him would be diminished.

​The Prohibition of the Severed Blessing: The Prophet (PBUH) has forbidden us from invoking an "incomplete blessing" (Al-Salat Al-Batraa) upon him, meaning he commanded that blessings be sent upon his family just as they are sent upon him. This signifies that his family serves as intermediaries presented by the supplicant to the Prophet (PBUH) before presenting their needs, while the Prophet, in turn, acts as an intermediary to Allah. Undoubtedly, his family are his beloved ones, and he is undeniably the beloved of Allah. Therefore, this act of worship is inevitably accepted, even with the multiplicity of intermediaries.

​Fulfillment of the Divine Command Regarding Kinship: Sending blessings upon the Prophet (PBUH) with this complete, unsevered prayer—as previously established—only emanates from someone who is sincere and holds pure devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt. This means they have fulfilled the Prophet’s (PBUH) testament regarding them, as articulated in the Wise Quran: "Say, 'I do not ask of you any reward for it except love for my close relatives.'" [Surah Ash-Shura: 23]. The exegesis of this verse has been documented in many traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt, as relayed by exegetes.

​Among these is what Sayyid Hashim al-Bahrani mentioned in Tafsir al-Burhan, reporting via a chain of transmission ending with Muhammad ibn Muslim, who said: I heard Abu Ja'far [Imam al-Baqir] (Peace Be Upon Him) saying regarding the word of Allah, "Say, 'I do not ask of you any reward for it except love for my close relatives,'", that it refers to his household. He said: The Ansar came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said, "We have sheltered and supported you, so take a portion of our wealth to aid you in whatever may befall you." Consequently, Allah revealed: "Say, 'I do not ask of you any reward for it—meaning Prophethood—except love for my close relatives,'", meaning for his household.

​He then added: "A man may have a friend, yet harbor something in his heart against his friend's household. Allah desired that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) harbor no such feeling in his heart toward his nation, so He obligated upon them the love [for his family]. If they adopt it, they adopt an obligation, and if they abandon it, they abandon an obligation."

​He continued: They then departed from his presence, and some of them said: "We offered him our wealth, but he said, 'Fight for my household!'" A faction among them exclaimed, "The Messenger of Allah did not speak this from Allah; he has fabricated it." As Allah the Almighty recounts: "Or do they say, 'He has invented a lie about Allah'? But if Allah willed, He could seal your heart." [Surah Ash-Shura: 24]. He explained: "Meaning, if you had fabricated it. 'And Allah eliminates falsehood'—meaning He invalidates it—'and establishes the truth by His words'—referring to the Imams and the Al-Qa'im from the family of Muhammad. 'Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.'"

​He also stated regarding the verse "Say, 'I do not ask of you any reward for it except love for my close relatives' ": "The reward for Prophethood is that you do not harm them, cut ties with them, or harbor enmity toward them; rather, you should maintain ties with them and not break the covenant concerning them, as per the Almighty’s saying: "And those who join that which Allah has ordered to be joined." [Surah Ar-Ra'd: 21]." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) later declared, "Whoever withholds a laborer's wages shall bear the curse of Allah, the angels, and all of mankind. Allah will not accept from him any mandatory or supererogatory act on the Day of Resurrection." This wage is the love for the family of Muhammad.

​Conclusion of this point: Based on this, the supplicant or the worshipper performing this devotion becomes closer to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) than others, because he has loved his household. As it was narrated from him (PBUH): "A man is preserved through his progeny."

​Renewal of the Divine Covenant: Al-Saduq stated in his book Ma'ani al-Akhbar, through a chain of narrators reaching Musa ibn Ja'far (Peace Be Upon Him), who reported that Al-Sadiq Ja'far ibn Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said: "Whoever sends blessings upon the Prophet (PBUH), its underlying meaning is: 'I remain steadfast upon the covenant and fidelity which I accepted when He said: Am I not your Lord? They said, "Yes." [Surah Al-A'raf: 172].' This signifies that the covenant is what Allah has bound His servants to, regarding obedience to Him, love for His chosen ones, and enmity towards His enemies."

​The Substantive Meaning of the Supplication

​Thus, his saying (Peace Be Upon Him), "Send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad," signifies that he has considered all these dimensions and intermediaries, keeping them firmly in his sights to bring near what is distant and shorten the path to Allah the Almighty. An individual might entertain another question: Is not Al-Husayn from the family of Muhammad? This implies that he has adjured Allah by his closeness to the Messenger (PBUH).

​This may indeed be the case; namely, that the "close relatives" explicitly mentioned in the Verse of Kinship hold a significant standing in the pursuit of attaining one's desires through the mediation of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).

​The Twin Stations of Prophethood and Imamate

However, the crucial point here is that the intent is not merely observing ties of kinship. Rather, the intent regarding the Ahl al-Bayt is directing oneself to Allah through their status and rank before Him—a rank which Allah has established for them. This is the station of Imamate, bearing absolute responsibility over all creation.

​Therefore, when one says, "Send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad," it translates to: "I seek intercession before You through the station of Prophethood occupied by Muhammad (PBUH), and I seek intercession before You through the station of Imamate occupied by the family of Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Them)." These words are among the most profound expressions articulated in the context of supplication. These two divine stations cannot be attained by a person through their deeds, prestige, or wealth; rather, Allah elects for this purpose whomever He wills from His creation and explicitly designates whomever He chooses. Many verses in the Mighty Book point to this, such as the Almighty's saying: "And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, 'Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority'" [Surah Al-Baqarah: 30], and His saying: "O David, indeed We have made you a successive authority upon the earth" [Surah Sad: 26]. Numerous are the verses that delineate the clear path regarding the matter of divine succession, dispelling doubt and removing uncertainty concerning this exalted station that encompasses both Prophethood and Imamate.

​Conclusion

​As for all other deeds, they oscillate between acceptance and rejection because the criterion is sincerity in worship; the more sincere an individual is in their worship, the closer this worship draws to the realm of acceptance. Conversely, sending blessings [upon the Prophet and his family] is not subjected to this dichotomy of rejection and acceptance, the theological foundations for which we have firmly established above.