Love demands that beloved should be praised. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the Beloved of Almighty Allaah. He is the leader of all the Prophets, ruler of Arabs and non-Arabs. When Allaah Almighty completed the creation of the Noor of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, He started praising him …. started sending Durood-o-Salaam on Prophet ﷺ. When Almighty Allaah reached on the greatest of love of His Prophet ﷺ, He ordered Angels [Malaaikaa] and human beings to praise and send Durood over Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Through this order it became obligatory on human beings to send Durood over Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺis a blessing for all the creations of the universe. Due to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ humanity was blessed with guidance to the success. All the respect and greatness that humans have been blessed over other creations is due to Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ. The greatness of human beings can be imagined from this that Allaah Kareem sent a Prophet amongst them who is the Perfect Man in all aspects, Best of all the creations of Allaah, Best of the Prophets, supporter and hope of the needy and powerless. It is obligatory on every Muslim to say thanks to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by sending Durood over him for all the blessings that we have been given by Allaah Ta’aalaa in the way Allaah Kareem has ordered us. Reciting Durood is the easiest way to please Allaah Kareem.
Reciting Durood is such a noble and great act that it blesses humans with greatness easily. Almighty Allaah blessed all his Prophets with some special feature of greatness, Hazrat Aadam [Alaiehis Salaam] was blessed with the greatness that Angels were ordered to prostrate and bow in front of him, Hazrat Ibraheem [Alaiehis Salaam] was blessed with the friendship of Allaah Ta’aalaa and place of his stay was declared as place for Hajj, Hazrat Ismaael [Alaiehis Salaam] was termed as Zabeeh-Ul laah (Slaughtered in way of Allaah), Hazrat Idrees [Alaiehis Salaam] was termed as True Prophet whose status has been raised, Hazrat Ishaaq [Alaiehis Salaam] was included among those having Baseerat, Hazrat Yoosuf ([Alaiehis Salaam] was blessed with the unimaginable beauty, Hazrat Eesaa [Alaiehis Salaam] was blessed with matchless miracles and Hazrat Moosaa [Alaiehis Salaam] was blessed with the status of directly talking with Almighty Allaah. But Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was blessed with greatest feature i.e. Allaah Ta’aalaa termed his Dhikr [Zikr] as Allaah Kareem’s Dhikr [Zikr] and attached Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ name with His name
Allaah Kareem Himself sends Durood on Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Allaah Almighty and says in Holy Qur’aan:
“Surely, Allaah and His angels send blessings to the Prophet. O you who believe, do pray Allaah to bless him, and send your Salam (prayer for his being in peace) to him in abundance”. Verse No 56, Soorah Al-Ahzab This verse was revealed on 02 Shabaan 6 A.H. In this Allaah Kareem has ordered believers to send Durood to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as Allaah Ta’aalaa and his Angels do. It means there are three who send Durood over Prophet Muhammad ﷺ i.e. 1) Allah Almighty, 2) Angels and 3) Believers. By sending Durood over Prophet Muhammad ﷺ it is meant that Allaah Kareem praises Prophet [Peace be Upon Him], blesses and showers him with blessings, sending Durood by angels means that they pray to Allaah Kareem to bless Prophet Muhammad ﷺ with highest status and blessing his religion with supremacy in the world and praise Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Durood by believers means that they pray Almighty Allaah to bless Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and raise his status, help his religion Islaam to be superior in the world. The word Salaat (صلواۃ) has three meanings; one is blessing one due to love, 2nd praising and third praying. When this world is attributed towards Allaah Ta’aalaa 1st and 2nd meaning would be taken but when this world is attributed towards angels and Muslims it is in the 3rd meaning. Wa salimuu Tasleemaa (وسلمو تسلیما) means sending Salaam over Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, although in this verse we have been ordered to send Salaat-o-Salaam but we acknowledge our limitations by saying Allaah HUMA SALLE (اللھم صل) that is the, “O’ Allaah You know better the status and rank of Your Prophet ﷺ therefore You send the Salaat o Salaam to the Prophet ﷺ that is worthy of his status”.
This verse shows that reciting Durood after listening or taking name of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is obligatory, in the same way reciting Durood in the last Qa’ada (sitting) in prayers is obligatory, if one does not recite Durood, his prayer will be defective and incomplete. If in a gathering the name of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is taken again and again than reciting Durood once would suffice but reciting Durood each time would be better. As it is obligatory to recite Durood on the name of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the same it is obligatory to write Durood after writing the name of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.