Sending abundant ṣalawāt (salutations) upon the Messenger ﷺ is an expression of our love, reverence and obedience to him. Sent as a mercy for mankind, he constantly remembered us and worried about us.
He ﷺ Cried For Us
ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀaṣ (radiy Allāhu ʿanhumā) reported that the Prophet ﷺ recited the statement of Allah – Exalted and Majestic is He – about Ibrāhīm (ʿalayhis-salām): ‘My Lord! They have caused many people to go astray. So whoever follows me is with me, and whoever disobeys me [—then surely You are All-Forgiving, Most Merciful],’ (14:35) and ʿIsā (ʿalayhis-salām) said: ‘If You punish them, they belong to You after all. But if You forgive them, You are surely the Almighty, All-Wise.’ (5:118)
He ﷺ then lifted his hands and weeping, he invoked, “O Allah! My ummah, my ummah!” Thus, Allah – Exalted and Majestic is He – said: “O Jibrīl, go to Muḥammad. Even though your Lord has full knowledge, ask him: What is making you weep?” So Jibrīl came to him and asked him. The Prophet ﷺ informed him about what he had said, even though He (subḥānahū wa taʿālā) had full knowledge of it. Allah sent Jibrīl down with the glad tidings of, “Muḥammad, surely we will please you in regards to your Ummah and we will not cause you grief” (Muslim).
He ﷺ Supplicated For Us in Every Salah
ʿĀ’ishah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhā) said: When I saw the Prophet ﷺ in a good mood, I said, “O Messenger of Allah, supplicate to Allah for me.” So, he said, “O Allah, forgive ʿĀ’ishah for her past and future sins, and for what she did in private and in public.” ʿĀ’ishah (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhā) laughed so much that her head fell into her lap. The Prophet said to her, “Does my supplication make you happy?” She said, “Why would your supplication not make me happy?” The Prophet said, “By Allah, it is my supplication for my ummah in every ṣalāh.” (Ibn Ḥibbān)
He ﷺ Remembered Us on the Day of Eid
It is reported in a ḥadīth that of the two animals the Messenger of Allah ﷺ slaughtered, one was “on behalf of his ummah, for whoever testified to the oneness of Allah and testified that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had conveyed the message.” (Ibn Mājah)
Subhanallah! Rasulullah ﷺ sacrificed an animal on our behalf.
He ﷺ Missed Us and Yearned to See Us
The Prophet ﷺ missed us and yearned to see us. He ﷺ once said: “I wish to see my brothers!” The companions asked him: “O Messenger of Allah, are we not your brothers?” He ﷺ replied: “You are my companions, but my brothers are those who have not yet come in the world. I will welcome them at the hawḍ (fountain).” (Nasā’ī)
He ﷺ Will be Waiting For Us on the Day of Judgement
Anas (raḍiy Allāhu ʿanhu): O Messenger ﷺ, will you intercede for me on the Day of Judgement?
The Messenger ﷺ: I will do so.
Anas: O Messenger of Allah, where will I look for you?
The Messenger ﷺ: First, look for me on the ṣirāt (bridge).
Anas: What if I do not find you on the ṣirāt?
The Messenger ﷺ: Look for me by the mīzān (scale of deeds).
Anas: What if I do not find you by the mīzān?
The Messenger ﷺ: Then look for me at the ḥawḍ (fountain); I will certainly be found in these three places. (Tirmidhī)
He ﷺ Reserved His Special Duʿa For Us
On the Day of Judgement, the other messengers will say: ‘Myself, myself’, whereas the Messenger of Allah ﷺ – after praising Allah with a unique litany of praise – will be given the opportunity to ask and he ﷺ will say: ‘My ummah, my ummah.’ Unlike the other messengers who had their exclusive duʿā’ accepted for them in this world, the Messenger ﷺ reserved his duʿā’ for us: he will intercede for us on the Day of Judgement. (Bukhārī)
Allāhu Akbar! A man who sacrificed his life on our behalf, despite never having met us. Although we can never fully repay him, let us increase in sending ṣalawāt upon him, learn about his life, and live in accordance with his sunnah.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Among the strongest in love for me in my ummah will be those who will come after me. Every one of them will wish to catch a glimpse of me even at the cost of his family and wealth.” (Muslim)
