INCREASE YOUR ṢALAWĀT UPON THE PROPHET ﷺ

 

THURSDAY NIGHT & FRIDAY: INCREASE YOUR ṢALAWĀT UPON THE PROPHET ﷺ

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Dear brothers and sisters in Islam,

The night preceding Friday begins at sunset on Thursday. It is commonly referred to as Laylat al-Jumu'ah (the night of Friday).

As we approach this blessed day, let us prepare our hearts and tongues by increasing our Ṣalawāt (sending blessings and salutations) upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Let us begin on Thursday evening and continue throughout Friday.

One beautiful and simple formula is:

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ

Allāhumma ṣalli wa sallim 'alā Nabiyyinā Muhammad.

(O Allah, send Your blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad.)

WHY SHOULD WE DO THIS?

Did you know that Allah (SWT) Himself sends blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ, and that His angels do so as well?

This is established in the Noble Qur'an.

Allah says:

“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with peace.”

[Sūrah Al-Aḥzāb (33): 56]

Reflect upon this tremendous command.

Allah (SWT) honours His Messenger ﷺ, His angels send blessings upon him, and we, as believers, are commanded to do the same.

How then can we allow ourselves to neglect this beautiful act of worship?

Let us make Ṣalawāt a regular part of our daily lives, with particular attention to Thursday night and Friday.

THE SPECIAL VIRTUE OF FRIDAY

Aws ibn Aws (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Among the best of your days is Friday; so supplicate Allah more often for me in it, for your supplications will be displayed to me.”

He was asked how this would happen after his body had decomposed, and he explained that Allah had forbidden the earth from consuming the bodies of the Prophets.

[Sunan Abī Dāwūd 1047; authenticated by Shaykh Al-Albānī]

This narration reminds us of the special virtue of increasing our Ṣalawāt upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on Friday.

LET US ALSO SUPPORT OUR MOSQUES

Dear brothers and sisters,

Allah has not made angels responsible for carrying out all the practical duties of maintaining our mosques. These responsibilities are also entrusted to human beings.

Our mosques require financial support for maintenance, electricity, water, cleaning materials, educational programmes, Qur'an lessons, and other religious activities.

Therefore, I use this opportunity to remind myself and everyone else to develop the habit of giving voluntary charity (Ṣadaqah Fī Sabīlillāh).

Whenever possible, set aside a reasonable amount for the mosque you regularly attend. It does not have to be a large contribution. What matters is sincerity, consistency, and giving according to your financial ability.

Do not wait until you become wealthy before supporting the house of Allah.

Remember, even a modest contribution can help sustain beneficial religious activities and serve the wider Muslim community.

A LESSON FROM UBAYY IBN KA'B (RA)

Let us also reflect on the beautiful conversation between Ubayy ibn Ka'b (RA) and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

Ubayy asked the Prophet ﷺ how much of his supplication should be devoted to sending blessings upon him.

As their conversation continued, Ubayy increased the proportion until he eventually said that he would devote all his supplication to Ṣalawāt.

The Prophet ﷺ responded:

“Then your worries will be taken care of and your sins will be forgiven.”

[Jāmi' at-Tirmidhī 2457; commonly graded ḥasan]

What a remarkable lesson!

This narration teaches us the tremendous virtue of sending abundant blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ.

A FINAL REMINDER

My dear brothers and sisters,

Let us not allow Thursday night and Friday to pass like every other period of the week without remembering our beloved Messenger ﷺ.

Increase your Ṣalawāt. Read the Qur'an. Make Du'a. Seek forgiveness. Give charity. Support your mosque and participate in beneficial activities.

You do not need to be wealthy to give charity, nor do you need to spend hours reciting Ṣalawāt to begin benefiting from this beautiful act of worship.

Start with what you can maintain, and remain consistent.

May Allah (SWT) make us among those who frequently remember Him, abundantly send blessings upon His beloved Messenger ﷺ, generously support His mosques, and sincerely strive for His pleasure. May He forgive our sins, remove our worries, accept our supplications, and grant us Jannatul Firdaus.

Āmīn Yā Rabbal-‘Ālamīn.