“We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! We know what it means to send greetings upon you, but what does it mean to send peace and blessings upon you?’ He said: ‘Say: “Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin ‘abdika wa Rasulika kama salayta ‘ala Ibrahima, wa barik ‘ala Muhammad (wa ‘ala ali Muhammadin) kama barakta ‘ala Ibrahima [O Allah, send Your grace, honor and mercy upon Muhammad, Your slave and Messenger, as You sent Your (grace, honour and mercy) upon Ibrahim, and send Your blessings upon Muhammad (and the family of Muhammad) as You sent Your blessings upon Ibrahim].”  

قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ قَدْ عَرَفْنَاهُ فَكَيْفَ الصَّلاَةُ قَالَ قُولُوا اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَرَسُولِكَ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَبَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ  

“I heard Ibn Abi Laila say: ‘Ka’b bin ‘Ujrah met me and said: “Shall I not give you a gift? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out to us and we said: ‘We know what it means to send greetings on you, but what does it mean to send peace and blessings upon you?’ He said: ‘Say: Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammadin, kama sallayta ‘ala Ibrahima, innaka Hamidun Majid; Allahumma barik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammadin, kama barakta ‘ala Ibrahima, innaka Hamidun Majid (O Allah, send your grace, honour and mercy upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your grace, honour and mercy upon Ibrahim, You are indeed Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your blessings upon Ibrahim, You are indeed Praiseworthy, Most Glorious).’”  

أَلاَ أُهْدِي لَكَ هَدِيَّةً خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْنَا قَدْ عَرَفْنَا السَّلاَمَ عَلَيْكَ فَكَيْفَ الصَّلاَةُ عَلَيْكَ قَالَ قُولُوا اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ  

“O Messenger of Allah! We have been commanded to send peace and blessings upon you. How should we send peace and blessings upon you?” He said: “Say: Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa azwajihi wa dhurriyatihi, kama sallayta ‘ala Ibrahim; wa barik ‘ala Muhammadin wa azwajihi wa dhurriyatihi kama barakta ‘ala ali Ibrahim fil-‘alamin, innaka Hamidum Majid (O Allah, send Your grace, honour and mercy upon Muhammad and his wives and offspring, as You sent Your grace, honour and mercy upon Ibrahim. O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad and his wives and offspring, as You sent Your blessings upon the family of Ibrahim among the nations, You are indeed Praiseworthy, Most Glorious).”  

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أُمِرْنَا بِالصَّلاَةِ عَلَيْكَ فَكَيْفَ نُصَلِّي عَلَيْكَ فَقَالَ قُولُوا اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَزْوَاجِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَبَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَزْوَاجِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي الْعَالَمِينَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ  

“When you send peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, then do it well, for you do not know, that may be shown to him.” They said to him: “Teach us.” He said: “Say: ‘Allahumma aj’al salataka wa rahmataka wa barakatika ‘ala sayyidil-mursalin wa imamil-muttaqin wa khatamin- nabiyyin, Muhammad ‘abdika wa Rasulika imamil-khayri (wa qa’idil- khair), wa Rasulir-Rahmah. Allahummab’athhu maqaman mahmudan yaghbituhu bihil-awwaluna wal-akhirun. Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammadin kama sallayta ‘ala Ibrahim wa ‘ala ali Ibrahim; Allahumma barik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala ali Muhammadin kama barakta ‘ala Ibrahim wa ‘ala ali Ibrahim, innaka Hamidum Majid (O Allah, send Your grace, honour, mercy and blessings upon the leader of the Messengers, the imam of the pious and the seal of the Prophets, Muhammad, Your slave and Messenger, the Imam of the good (and the leader) of the good, and the Messenger of mercy. O Allah, raise him to a station of praise and glory that will be the envy of the first and the last. O Allah, send Your grace, honour and mercy upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your grace, honour and mercy upon Ibrahim, You are indeed Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious).’”  

إِذَا صَلَّيْتُمْ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَحْسِنُوا الصَّلاَةَ عَلَيْهِ فَإِنَّكُمْ لاَ تَدْرُونَ لَعَلَّ ذَلِكَ يُعْرَضُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَقَالُوا لَهُ فَعَلِّمْنَا قَالَ قُولُوا اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ صَلاَتَكَ وَرَحْمَتَكَ وَبَرَكَاتِكَ عَلَى سَيِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَإِمَامِ الْمُتَّقِينَ وَخَاتَمِ النَّبِيِّينَ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَرَسُولِكَ إِمَامِ الْخَيْرِ وَقَائِدِ الْخَيْرِ وَرَسُولِ الرَّحْمَةِ اللَّهُمَّ ابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا يَغْبِطُهُ بِهِ الأَوَّلُونَ وَالآخِرُونَ اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ  

“I heard ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amir bin Rabi’ah narrating from his father that the Prophet ﷺ said: “There is no Muslim who sends peace and blessings upon me, but the angels will send peace and blessings upon him as long as he sends peace and blessings upon me. So let a person do a little of that or a lot.”  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يُصَلِّي عَلَىَّ إِلاَّ صَلَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ مَا صَلَّى عَلَىَّ فَلْيُقِلَّ الْعَبْدُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَوْ لِيُكْثِرْ  

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘Whoever forgets to send peace and blessings upon me, then he has missed the road to Paradise.’”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ نَسِيَ الصَّلاَةَ عَلَىَّ خَطِئَ طَرِيقَ الْجَنَّةِ