الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينة ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا، ومن سيئات أعمالنا 

وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، وأشهد أن سيدنا محمدًا عبده ورسوله .

On September 8, 2019, I gave a talk entitled “The Ultimate Dua while in the Best Position at the Perfect Time.”  

In that talk, I highlighted the interesting observation that contrary to the common practice of starting with the greeting when we meet someone important to ask for favors, when we perform our Salat (prayer), we do not greet Allah in the beginning of the prayer but rather at the end when we sit down for the Tashahud (التشهد) that starts with (التحيات لله والصلوات والطيبات) “All greetings, prayers and good deeds to Allah”. After the greeting, we end by making our request in the form of supplication (Dua).   All the steps before the Tashahud serve as prerequisites to purify ourselves to be worthy of greeting Allah to make our request.

In this state of purity while you are sitting in the divine presence, you want to make the most comprehensive request that is worthy of the opportunity.  What would you ask for?

It is reported in Bukhari and Muslim that Abdullah ibn Masoud (عبدالله بن مسعود) (RA) said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

عن عبدالله بن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال: التفَت إلينا رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: ((إذا صلَّى أحدُكم، فليَقُل: التحيات لله والصلوات والطيبات، السلام عليك أيها النبي ورحمة الله وبركاته، السلام علينا وعلى عباد الله الصالحين، أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمدًا عبده ورسوله. ثم ليتخيَّر من الدعاء أعجبَه إليه، فيدعو))؛ متفق عليه، واللفظ للبخاري.

When one of you prays, he should say: “All greetings, prayers and good deeds are to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be on us and on the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His messenger.” And then you choose from the Dua (الدعاء) the most wonderous to you and make Dua with it. “

So, the Tashahud has two parts, the first part is greeting Allah and confessing our faith and the second part is Dua. The Question is what the best Dua is, and what is the most concise form that one can make in the Tashahud.   It is the one that we all know and say which is:

اللهم صل على محمد وعلى آل محمد كما صليت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم ، اللهم بارك على محمد وعلى آل محمد كما باركت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم

O Allah, pray on Muhammad and the “A’al” (آل) of Mohammad” as You prayed on Ibrahim and the ‘A’al” of Ibrahim. And grant Blessings to Muhammad and the “A’al” of Mohammad as You granted blessings to Ibrahim and the “A’al” of Ibrahim.  

This is the best dua that you will ever make for yourself.  You may ask where in this Dua, is a dua for me?   This is often missed by the way we translate “A’al” Mohammad (آل محمد), it is often translated as the family of Mohammad, but the Arabic word for family is ‘Ahl” (أهل) and is not “A’al” (آل)   

The only way to find the meanings of the term A’al” (آل) and the term Ahl” (أهل) is to study their use in the Quran.   When you search the Quran for the term A’al” (آل), you will find that it came 26 times with more than half (14 times) as “A’al Feruan” (ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ) and the second most frequently mentioned is “A’al” Lut, it came 4 times.  Let us look to examples showing that the “A’al” of a person does not mean his family but it means the people who follow that person.  Allah says regarding the people who follow Feruan:

وَإِذْ نَجَّيْنَـٰكُم مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوٓءَ ٱلْعَذَابِ يُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَآءَكُمْ وَفِى ذَٰلِكُم بَلَآءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ

And [remember the time] when We saved you (Bani Israel) from the people of Pharaoh, who afflicted you with cruel suffering, slaughtering your sons and sparing your women.  In this, there was great trial from your Lord.” (Al-Baqara 2:49)

وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَآ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ بِٱلسِّنِينَ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

“And most certainly We overwhelmed the people of Pharaoh with drought and scarcity of fruits, so that they learn a lesson.” (Al-Araf 7:130)

كَدَأْبِ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمْ فَأَهْلَكْنَـٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَأَغْرَقْنَآ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَكُلٌّ كَانُوا۟ ظَـٰلِمِينَ

Their practice (the sinners) is like the people of Pharaoh and those before them: they rejected the signs of their Lord.  So, We destroyed them for their sins, and drowned the people of Pharaoh: for all of them were evildoers. (Al-Anfal 8:54)

أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَىٰ مَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ فَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ ءَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُم مُّلْكًا عَظِيمًا

Or is it that they are jealous of the people over what Allah has given them of His bounty?  While, We have given to the People of Abraham, the book and the wisdom and We have given them a great kingdom.”  (Al-Nisa 4:54)

Who are ‘A’al Ibrahim’ (ءَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ) whom Allah gave the book, the wisdom and great kingdom?  They are the prophets and messengers who followed Prophet Ibrahim.  They are Prophets Ishaq, Ismail, Yaqoub, Yusuf, Musa, Daud, Suliaman, Yunus, Zakaria, Isa, and others. 

So, the term “A’al” (آل) does not refer to family members but to the followers, obviously if the family members are followers, they are included in the term “A’al”.  This mean that “A’al Mohammad (PBUH)” (آل محمد) are you and I and anyone else who follows Him. 

So, when we supplicate to Allah in the Tashahud, we are asking Him to pray and bless Mohammad (PBUH) and His followers who are “A’al Mohammad” as He have prayed and blessed Ibrahim (PBUH) and His followers who are the prophets and messenger who followed him.  So you are asking Allah to pray and bless you, as one of the true followers of Mohammad (PBUH). as He prayed and blessed Prophets Ishaq, Ismail, Yaqoub, Yusuf, Musa, Daud, Suliaman, Yunus, Zakaria, Isa, and others. 

What is a better Dua for you than what Allah granted all those prophets! 

Now let us look to the term ‘Ahl” (أهل) that came often in the Quran, but it is most frequently mentioned as “Ahl Al-Kitab” (أهل الكتاب) which we translate as people of the book, it came 31 times.  The term “Ahl Al Bayt” (أهل البيت) came twice in the Quran.  Once related to Prophet Ibrahim and once related to Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and in both cases it was referring to their wives.

Allah says regarding Sarah, the wife of Prophet Ibrahim who expressed her astonishment when the angels gave her the glad tiding that she will have a child:

قَالُوٓاْ أَتَعۡجَبِينَ مِنۡ أَمۡرِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ رَحۡمَتُ ٱللَّهِ وَبَرَكَـٰتُهُ ۥ عَلَيۡكُمۡ أَهۡلَ ٱلۡبَيۡتِ‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ حَمِيدٌ۬ مَّجِيدٌ۬ (٧٣)

“They said: “Do you marvel at the Decree of Allah? Allah’s Mercy and His Blessings have always been upon you, O family (members) of the house. Surely, He (Allah) is Praiseworthy, All-Glorious.” (Hud 11:73)

Referring to the wives of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), Allah gave them the following Command:

وَقَرۡنَ فِى بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجۡنَ تَبَرُّجَ ٱلۡجَـٰهِلِيَّةِ ٱلۡأُولَىٰۖ وَأَقِمۡنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتِينَ ٱلزَّڪَوٰةَ وَأَطِعۡنَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۚ ۥۤ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُذۡهِبَ عَنڪُمُ ٱلرِّجۡسَ أَهۡلَ ٱلۡبَيۡتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمۡ تَطۡهِيرً۬ا (٣٣)

“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves as it used to be displayed in the days of earlier ignorance, and establish the prayers, give the Zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah only intends to keep away all sorts of evil from you, O family (members) of the house, and to purify you with a thorough purification.” (Al-Ahzab 33:33)

So, the term “Ahl” Al-Bayt (أهل البيت) of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) refers to his wives.  But even if what we say in the Tashahud refers to “Ahl” Mohammad (PBUH) and that the terms “A’al and “Ahl” are the same, though the equivalency of the two terms is not supported by the Quran, you and I who are the true followers of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) are “Ahl” Mohammad (PBUH).  Since “Ahl Al Bayt” of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) are his wives, we are from Ahl al-Bayt because the wives of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) are our mothers as Allah says:

ٱلنَّبِىُّ أَوۡلَىٰ بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ مِنۡ أَنفُسِہِمۡ‌ۖ وَأَزۡوَٲجُهُ ۥۤ أُمَّهَـٰتُہُمۡ‌ۗ

“The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers.” (Al-Ahzab 33:6)

So, we need to recognize that the supplication (Dua) in the Tashahud is not only supplication for Prophet Mohammad, but it is also supplication to us.  In it you are asking Allah for two things: 1) to pray on you. and 2) to grant you blessings similar to what He has granted to the Prophets who followed Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH).

Before we examine what are we expecting when we ask Allah to pray on us, let us realize that we are making this Dua after we have completed at the elements of the prayers from recitation of the Quran, Ruko and sujood. Perfecting these steps are critical to make us ready to greet Allah and ask him for the greatest blessings.  This is why Khosho in the prayer is very important because if we don’t, we are not pure enough to greet Allah and ask him.  This is, unfortunately, the biggest challenge we face because Satan is very keen to make you forfeit these blessings that he knew you would receive if you perfected your prayer.  Therefore, he will never leave you alone when you enter in the prayers.

This also means that prayers are the greatest gift that Allah granted to prophet Mohmmad (PBUH) and his followers, who are us.  Why prayers are the greatest gift; because unlike all the commands including the Quran that were delivered to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) through the holy spirit, the archangel Gibreel, only prayers were delivered to Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) by Allah Himself.   But to be accurate the last two verses from Surat Al-Baqara were also delivered by Allah as we have discussed in previous talk.  

Think about it, if the president of your company wants to give you an award, he can send it to you by mail, or give it to the senior vice president to give to you or give it to the manager to give to you.  But if the award is very valuable, he will call you to his office to give it to you in person.  This is the way that Allah used to send us the gift of prayers.  He arranged to have Prophet (PBUH) go beyond the seventh heaven to a place where no angel could even approach to grant him the prayers.

As I reflect on what I am saying, I really wonder if any Muslim who does not pray can really claim that he believes in Allah and is a follower of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).  To Allah is the greatest examples, but this will be like the president of your company gives you an award and you tell him I don’t want it or take it and threw it away.  This may explain the Prophet’s (PBUH) saying:

عن بريدة بن الحصيب قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : بيننا وبينهم ترك الصلاة فمن تركها فقد كفر )رواه الترمذي ، والنسائي وابن ماجه وابن حبان والحاكم(

“The covenant between us and them is the Salat (prayer), so whoever abandons it has disbelieved.”

The Prophet (PBUH) also said:

روى مسلم في صحيحه من حديث جابر قال : سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول : بين الرجل وبين الشرك ، والكفر ترك الصلاة .

“Between man and the polytheism (shirk) and the disbelief (kufr) is the abandonment of the salat (prayer).”

Jurists debated whether the person who does not pray out of laziness committed practice-based Kufr or belief-based Kufr.  This differentiation is very critical because if leaving prayers is equivalent to belief-based kufr, there will be major implications related to inheritance, marriage and praying on the person after his death.   But this subject is not our focus in this talk other than to highlight that prayers are very critical ritual in Islam.

We mentioned that all the activities that we perform during the prayers are requirements to make us deserve to sit in front of Allah to greet Him and make our request and thus these elements must be done when we are in a state of Khoshoo.  Allah says in the beginning of surah Al-Muminoon (المؤمنون):

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ

“The Believers are surely successful.  Those who are reverent (have Khoshoo) in their prayers; (Al-Muminoon 23: 1-2)

Let us now look at the Dua that you will be making for yourself after you perfected all the elements of the prayer and sat down and greeted Allah. You will be asking Allah to pray on you and to grant you similar blessings as those that He granted to all the prophets who followed Prophet Ibrahim. What does it mean that Allah prays on us?   Allah revealed in Surat Al-Ahzab that He and His angels pray of us, the believers. Allah says:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ ذِكۡرً۬ا كَثِيرً۬ا (٤١) وَسَبِّحُوهُ بُكۡرَةً۬ وَأَصِيلاً (٤٢) هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُصَلِّى عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَتُهُ ۥ لِيُخۡرِجَكُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِۚ وَڪَانَ بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رَحِيمً۬ا (٤٣)

“O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance (41) And glorify Him morning and evening. (42)            He is the One Who prays on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the darkness into light: and He is Full of Mercy to the Believers.” (Ahzab 33:41:43)

Allah also revealed that He and His angels pray on the Prophet and commanded us to do the same, which we do as part of our payers for ourselves in the Dua of Tashahud.  Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا َسْلِيمًا )  الأحزاب(

Allah and His Angels pray on the Prophet: O you that believe! pray on him, and salute him with all respect.  (Al-Azab 33:56)

The Prophet (PBUH) was asked:  How is the prayer of Allah on his slaves.  The Prophet (PBUH) said:

قال ابن عطية : وروت فرقة أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قيل له : يا رسول الله ، كيف صلاة الله على عباده . قال : ( سبوح قدوس – رحمتي سبقت غضبي )

“Glory, Holy, Perfect, My Mercy overcomes my wrath.“ ( سبوح قدوس – رحمتي سبقت غضبي)

Interpreters differed on whether this statement is by Allah on how He prays on His slaves or by the Prophet who started by prefacing his answer by saying (سبوح قدوس) “Glory and Holy” followed by the answer on the nature of Allah’s payers which is “My Mercy overcomes my wrath”  (رحمتي سبقت غضبي), meaning that the prayers of Allah on His slaves is to forgive them and grant them His Mercy in this life and in the Hereafter.

The prayers of the angels on us are their Dua to Allah for our forgiveness as Allah says:

يَحۡمِلُونَ ٱلۡعَرۡشَ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهُ ۥ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّہِمۡ وَيُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ رَبَّنَا وَسِعۡتَ ڪُلَّ شَىۡءٍ۬ رَّحۡمَةً۬ وَعِلۡمً۬ا فَٱغۡفِرۡ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُواْ وَٱتَّبَعُواْ سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمۡ عَذَابَ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ (٧)

“Those (angels) who bear the Throne (of Allah) and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (saying): “Our Lord! You have embraced all things in Your mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who repent and have followed Your Way and save them from the torment of the blazing Fire! (Ghafir 40:7)

رَبَّنَا وَأَدۡخِلۡهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتِ عَدۡنٍ ٱلَّتِى وَعَدتَّهُمۡ وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنۡ ءَابَآٮِٕهِمۡ وَأَزۡوَٲجِهِمۡ وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِهِمۡۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ (٨) وَقِهِمُ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِۚ وَمَن تَقِ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ يَوۡمَٮِٕذٍ۬ فَقَدۡ رَحِمۡتَهُ ۥۚ وَذَٲلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ (٩)

“Our Lord! admit them to the gardens of Adn (Eden) which you have promised them, together with whoever is righteous among their fathers, their spouses and their offspring! Indeed, You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. (8)  And save them from the evil of their misdeeds, and whomsoever You save that Day from the consequence of their misdeeds, most surely You have shown him mercy.” And that is the supreme success. (Ghafir 40:8-9)

Back to the Dua that we say in the Tashahud, we start by asking Allah to pray on the Prophet before we ask Him to pry on us.  Even in this, there is a great reward for us because the Prophet (PBUH) said as narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr (عن عبد الله بن عمرو):

فعن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهما أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : (مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيَّ صَلَاةً صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ بِهَا عَشْرًا) رواه مسلم [.

“Whosoever prays on me one prayer, Allah will pray on him ten times”.

How do we pray on the Prophet (PBUH)?  We pray by saying the Dua in the Tashahud, so if you think about, we start by Ask Allah to pray on the Prophet and Allah will pray on us 10 times and then we ask Allah to pray on us and Allah will pray on us another time and the same thing for asking Allah to bless the Prophet (PBUH) and bless us.   This is why the Prophet (PBUH) said according to the account narrated by Ubai bin Ka’ab (أبي بن كعب) that saying this Dua of Tashahud will result in having (تُكْفَى همَّكَ ويغفرْ لكَ ذنبُكَ) “your needs satisfied, and your sins forgiven” (reported by Al-Tirmidhi)

Hope I have presented the case that if you fulfill the khoshoo in the prayers and sit down to greet Allah, the best dua you will ever make for yourself is:

اللهم صل على محمد وعلى آل محمد كما صليت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم ، اللهم بارك على محمد وعلى آل محمد كما باركت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم

The second important point that I hope I have justified is that you, as a true follower of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is of “A’al Al-Bayt and “Ahl Al-Bayt of Mohammad (PBUH).  So, don’t let anyone deprive you from this honor.  If it is a tradition to call Ahl Al-Bayt of Mohammad (PBUH) ‘Sayed”, then we should call each other “Sayed”.  But keep in mind that being a true follower is Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) is not just by being Muslim but by being committed to follow his footsteps to deliver the message that was revealed to him.  I have discussed this role in previous talks. 

DUA