Virtue of sending salat and salam on the Prophet ﷺ

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out, and I followed him until he entered a date palm grove and prostrated. He prolonged his prostration to the extent that I became worried or feared that Allah had taken his soul or seized him. So, I approached to take a look, and he raised his head and said, "What is it, O Abdullah (slave of the Most Merciful)?" I mentioned to him what I had thought, and he said, "Indeed, Jibril ﷺ informed me: 'Should I not give you the good news that Allah says to you, whoever sends blessings upon you, I send blessings upon him, and whoever sends peace upon you, I send peace upon him.'"  

خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ نَخْلًا فَسَجَدَ فَأَطَالَ السُّجُودَ حَتَّى خِفْتُ أَوْ خَشِيتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ اللهُ قَدْ تَوَفَّاهُ أَوْ قَبَضَهُ قَالَ فَجِئْتُ أَنْظُرُ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ قال فَقَالَ إِنَّ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَالَ لِي أَلا أُبَشِّرُكَ إِنَّ اللهَ ﷻ يَقُولُ لَكَ مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيْكَ صَلَّيْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ سَلَّمَ عَلَيْكَ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ  

[Machine] "I entered the mosque and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was leaving the mosque. I followed him walking behind him, and he did not notice until he entered a date palm grove and faced the direction of the Qibla and prostrated. He prolonged his prostration while I was behind him, until I thought that Allah had taken his soul. So, I approached him walking until I reached him and I lowered my head to look at his face. He raised his head and said, 'What is the matter, O Abdur Rahman?' I said, 'When you prolonged the prostration, O Messenger of Allah, I feared that your soul had been taken, so I came to look.' He said, 'When I entered the date palm grove, I met Jibril, who said to me, "I bring you glad tidings that Allah says: 'Whoever sends his Salam upon you, I will send my Salam upon him, and whoever performs prayer upon you, I will perform prayer upon him.'"'"  

دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَارِجٌ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ فَتَبِعْتُهُ أَمْشِي وَرَاءَهُ وَهُوَ لَا يَشْعُرُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ نَخْلًا فَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ فَسَجَدَ فَأَطَالَ السُّجُودَ وَأَنَا وَرَاءَهُ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ تَوَفَّاهُ فَأَقْبَلْتُ أَمْشِي حَتَّى جِئْتُهُ فَطَأْطَأْتُ رَأْسِي أَنْظُرُ فِي وَجْهِهِ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ «مَا لَكَ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ» فَقُلْتُ لَمَّا أَطَلْتَ السُّجُودَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ خَشِيتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ تُوُفِّيَ نَفْسُكَ فَجِئْتُ أَنْظُرُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي لَمَّا دَخَلْتُ النَّخْلَ لَقِيتُ جِبْرِيلَ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أُبَشِّرُكَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ مَنْ سَلَّمَ عَلَيْكَ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيْكَ صَلَّيْتُ عَلَيْهِ «»  

[Machine] I entered the mosque and saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ coming out of the mosque, so I followed him and walked behind him without him realizing I was there until he entered a date palm grove and faced the qibla (direction of prayer) and prostrated. He prolonged the prostration, and I was behind him until I thought that Allah Almighty had taken his soul, so I approached to see, and I lowered my head to take a look at his face. He raised his head and said, "What is it, O Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud?" So I said, "When you prolonged the prostration, O Messenger of Allah, I was afraid that Allah had taken your soul, so I approached to see." He said, "When you saw me, I entered the date palm grove and met Jibril (Gabriel), ﷺ , who said to me, 'I give you glad tidings that Allah Almighty says: Whoever sends peace upon you, I send peace upon him, and whoever sends blessings upon you, I send blessings upon him.'"  

دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَرَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ خَارِجًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ أَمْشِي وَرَاءَهُ وَلَا يَشْعُرُ بِي حَتَّى دَخَلَ نَخْلًا فَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ فَسَجَدَ فَأَطَالَ السُّجُودَ وَأَنَا وَرَاءَهُ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى تَوَفَّاهُ فَأَقْبَلْتُ أَمْشِي حَتَّى جِئْتُهُ فَطَأْطَأْتُ رَأْسِي أَنْظُرُ فِي وَجْهِهِ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ؟ فَقُلْتُ لَمَّا أَطَلْتَ السُّجُودَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ خَشِيتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ اللهُ قَدْ تَوَفَّى نَفْسَكَ فَجِئْتُ أَنْظُرُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي لَمَّا رَأَيْتَنِي دَخَلْتُ النَّخْلَ لَقِيتُ جَبْرَائِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَقَالَ أُبَشِّرُكَ أَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ مَنْ سَلَّمَ عَلَيْكَ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيْكَ صَلَّيْتُ عَلَيْهِ  

[Machine] I entered the mosque and saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ leaving the mosque, so I followed him walking behind him without him noticing until he entered a date palm tree. He faced the qibla (direction of prayer) and prostrated, prolonging his prostration, while I was behind him until I thought that Allah might have taken his soul. So I approached him and lowered my head to look at his face, and he raised his head and said, "What is it, O Abdur Rahman?" I said to him, "When you prolonged the prostration, O Messenger of Allah, I feared that Allah had taken your soul, so I came to check." He said, "When I entered the date palm tree, I met Jibril (the Angel Gabriel) ﷺ , who said, 'I give you glad tidings that Allah says: Whoever sends peace upon you, I send peace upon him, and whoever prays upon you, I pray upon him.' This has also been narrated by Ibn Abi Sondar from Maula Abdullah ibn Auf from Abdul Rahman." Ash-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Whoever forgets to pray upon me will miss the path to Paradise.'"  

دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَرَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ خَارِجًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ أَمْشِي وَرَاءَهُ وَلَا يَشْعُرُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ نَخْلًا فَاسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ فَسَجَدَ فَأَطَالَ السُّجُودَ وَأَنَا وَرَاءَهُ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ اللهَ ﷻ قَدْ تَوَفَّاهُ فَأَقْبَلْتُ أَمْشِي حَتَّى جِئْتُهُ فَطَأْطَأْتُ رَأْسِي أَنْظُرُ فِي وَجْهِهِ فَرَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ؟ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لَمَّا أَطَلْتَ السُّجُودَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ خَشِيتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ اللهُ ﷻ قَدْ تَوَفَّى نَفْسَكَ فَجِئْتُ أَنْظُرُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي لَمَّا دَخَلْتُ النَّخْلَ لَقِيتُ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أُبَشِّرُكَ أَنَّ اللهَ ﷻ يَقُولُ مَنْ سَلَّمَ عَلَيْكَ سَلَّمْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَمَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيْكَ صَلَّيْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَرُوِيَ ذَلِكَ أَيْضًا عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي سَنْدَرٍ الْأَسْلَمِيِّ عَنْ مَوْلًى لِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ ؓ قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ نَسِيَ الصَّلَاةَ عَلَيَّ خُطِئَ بِهِ طَرِيقُ الْجَنَّةِ  

"عن عَبْدِ الرَّحْمنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ قَالَ: دَخَلتُ المسْجِدَ فَرأَيْتُ رسُولَ الله ﷺ خارجًا مِن المسْجِدِ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ أَمْشى وَرَاءَهُ وَلاَ يَشْعُرُ بى ثُمَّ دَخَلَ نَخْلًا فَاسْتَقْبَلَ القبْلَةَ فَسَجدَ وَأطَالَ السُّجُودَ وَأَنَا وَرَاءَهُ حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ الله قَدْ تَوَفَّاهُ، فَأقْبَلتُ أَمْشِى حَتَّى جئتُ فَطَأطَأتُ رَأسِى أنْظُرُ في وَجْهِهِ، فَرَفَعَ رَأسَهُ فَقَالَ: مَا لَكَ يَا عَبْدَ الرَّحْمنِ؟ فَقُلتُ: لمَ أطَلتَ السُّجُودَ يَا رَسُولَ الله؟ خَشِيتُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الله تَوَفَّى نَفْسَكَ فَجِئْتُ أَنْظُرُ، فَقَالَ: إِنِّى لَمَّا رَأَيْتَنِى دَخَلتُ النَّخْلَ لقيتُ جِبْرِيلَ، قَالَ: أَبِشْر إنَّ الله - ﷻ - يَقُولُ: مَنْ سَلَّمَ عَلَيْكَ صَلَّيتُ عَلَيْهِ".