Narrative regarding Praying for the Prophet after Adan

روي أنه قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا سمعتم المؤذن فقولوا مثل ما يقول المؤذن ثم صلوا علي، فإنه من صلى علي صلاة صلى الله عليه بها عشرا. ثم سلوا الله لي الوسيلة، فإنها منزلة في الجنة لا تنبغي إلا لعبد من عباد الله. وأرجو أن أكون أنا هو. فمن سأل لي الوسيلة جلت له الشفاعة يوم القيامة.

It is narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) said: When you hear the caller to prayers, repeat the words as said by the caller. Then pray for blessings upon me¹. For, indeed, whoever prays for blessings upon me once, God, in return, blesses him with the likes of ten such blessings². After this, ask God to grant me the Waseelah, for it is a place in Paradise which no one except one of God’s servants shall get³. I desire that I am the one who gets it. Whoever asks Waseelah for me, shall be allowed my petition [in his favor] on the Day of Resurrection⁴.

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General Notes:

1. Having rejuvenated one’s faith by repeating the words of the call for prayers, it is a time for prayers and supplication. The Prophet (pbuh) has requested Muslims to pray for blessings upon him at this time.

2. Being a requirement of one’s faith in the prophet of God as well as a deed prescribed by an express directive of the Qur’an (Al-Ahzaab 33: 56), it shall be rewarded with the likes of ten blessings. The Qur’an says:

مَن جَاء بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا (الأنعام 6: 160)

Whoever comes with one good deed, he shall have [the reward of] the likes of ten such deeds.

3. It seems that this place or grade shall be granted by God to honor the most obedient and submissive person.

4. Having prayed for blessings upon the Prophet (pbuh), the Prophet (pbuh) promises that, in return, he too shall pray and request for the salvation of that person, on the Day of Resurrection.

Notes on the Text of the Narrative

This narrative or a part of it with some variations has been reported in Muslim (narrative no. 384) Abu Dawood (narrative no. 523), Tirmidhi (narrative no. 3612 and 3614), Nissaiy (narrative no. 678), Ahmad ibn Hanbal (narrative no. 6568, 7588 and 8755), Ibn Hibban (narrative no. 1690, 1691 and 1692), Nissaiy’s Sunan Al-Kubraa (narrative no. 1642 and 9873), Bayhaqiy (narrative no. 1789), Ibn Khuzaymah (narrative no. 418), Abu Ya`laa (narrative no. 414) and Ibn Abi Shaybah (narrative no. 29590 and 31784). The preferred text is the one reported in Muslim’s, narrative no. 384.

In some narratives, as in Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s narrative no. 6568, the words “إذا سمعتم المؤذن” (i.e., ‘when you hear the caller to prayers’) have alternatively been reported as “إذا سمعتم مؤذنا” (i.e., ‘when you hear a caller to prayers’) while in Bayhaqiy’s narrative no. 1789, these words have been reported as “إذا سمعتم المؤذن يؤذن” (i.e., ‘when you hear the caller to prayer calling’).

In some narratives, as in Ibn Hibban’s narrative no. 1691, the words “فقولوا مثل ما يقول المؤذن” (i.e., ‘repeat the words as said by the caller’) have been reported as “فقولوا كما يقول” (i.e., ‘repeat as he says’).

The word “المؤذن” (i.e., ‘the caller to prayers’) in the phrase “مثل ما يقول المؤذن” (i.e., ‘as said by the caller’) have been reported in Tirmidhi’s narrative no. 3614.

In some narratives, as in Ibn Hibban’s narrative no. 1691, the words “فإنه من صلى علي صلاة” (i.e., ‘because whoever prays for blessings upon me once’) have been reported as “فإنه ليس أحد يصلي علي صلاة” (i.e., ‘because there is no one who prays for blessings upon me once’).

In some narratives, as in Tirmidhi’s narrative no. 3614, the words “من صلى علي صلاة” (i.e., ‘whoever prays for blessings upon me once’) have been rendered as “من صلى صلاة” (‘i.e., whoever prays once’).

In some narratives, as in Ibn Hibban’s narrative no. 1691, the words “وسلوا الله لي الوسيلة” (i.e., and ask God to grant me the Waseelah‘) have been reported as “وسلوا لي الوسيلة” (i.e., ‘ask for Waseelah for me’).

In some narratives, as in Tirmidhi’s narrative no. 3612, when the Prophet (pbuh) directed the people to ask the Almighty for Waseelah for him, people asked the Prophet (pbuh) what this Waseelah was. Thus, in such narratives, before the Prophet (pbuh) explained what Waseelah was, the words “قالوا يا رسول الله وما الوسيلة؟” (i.e., ‘They said: O Prophet of God, what is Waseelah?’) have been added.

In some narratives, as in Tirmidhi’s narrative no. 3612, the words “فإنها منزلة في الجنة لا تنبغي إلا لعبد من عباد الله“ (i.e., ‘for it is a place in Paradise which no one except one of God’s servants shall get’) have been rendered as “أعلى درجة في الجنة لا ينالهنا إلا رجل واحد” (i.e., ‘the highest grade in Paradise that no one shall get except one man’); in some narratives, as in Ibn Hibban’s narrative no. 1690, these words have been reported as “فإنها مرتبة في الجنة لا تنبغي إلا لعبد من عباد الله” (i.e., ‘for it is a level in Paradise, which no one except one of God’s servants shall get’); while in some narratives, as in Ibn Khuzaymah’s narrative no. 418, the word “منزلة” (i.e., ‘place’) have been replaced with “درجة” (i.e., ‘grade’).

In some narratives, as in Ibn Hibban’s narrative no. 1692, the words “فمن سأل لي الوسيلة” (i.e., ‘whoever asks for Waseelah for me’) have been reported as “فمن سأل الله لي الوسيلة” (i.e., ‘whoever asks God to grant me Waseelah‘).

In some narratives, as in Bayhaqiy’s narrative no. 1789, the words “وأرجو أن أكون أنا هو” (i.e., ‘I desire that I am the one who gets it’) have been reported as “وأرجو أن أكونه” (i.e., ‘I desire that I am him’).

In some narratives, as in Abu Dawood’s narrative no. 523, the words “حلت له الشفاعة” (i.e., ‘shall be allowed my petition’) have been reported as “حلت عليه الشفاعة” (i.e., ‘on him shall my petition be allowed’).

The words “يوم القيامة” (i.e., ‘on the Day of Resurrection’) have been reported in Ibn Hibban’s narrative no. 1691.

In some narratives, as in Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s narrative no. 8755, the Prophet is reported to have said:

 صلوا علي، فإنها زكاة لكم واسألوا الله لي الوسيلة. فإنها ذرجة في أعلى الجنة لا ينالها إلا رجل وأرجو أن أكون أنا هو.

‘Pray for blessings upon me, for it shall be a source of cleansing for you. And ask God to grant me Waseelah, for it is a grade in the highest ranks of Paradise, which no one, except one man shall be granted. I am desirous that I am that man’.

In some narratives, as in Abu Ya`laa’s narrative no. 6414, the words “صلوا علي فإنها زكاة لكم” (i.e., ‘Pray for blessings upon me, for it shall be source of cleansing for you’) have been replaced with “اكثروا الصلاة علي فإن صلاتكم علي زكاة لكم” (i.e., ‘pray more and more for blessings upon me for indeed your prayers for blessings upon me shall be a source of cleansing for you’); while in some narratives, as in Ibn Abi Shaybah’s narrative no. 31784, these words have been replaced by “صلوا علي فإن صلاة علي زكاة لكم” (i.e., ‘pray for blessings upon me, for indeed praying for blessings upon me shall be a source of cleansing for you’).

In some narratives, as in Abu Ya`laa’s narrative no. 6414, the words “إلا رجل” (i.e., ‘except one man’) have been reported as “إلا رجل واحد من الناس” (i.e., ‘except one man from amongst all people’).

In an alternative narrative, as reported in Ibn Abi Shaybah’s narrative no. 29590, the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said:

 سل الله لي الوسيلة لا يسألها لي مؤمن في الدنيا إلا كنت له شهيدا أو شفيعا يوم القيامة.

‘Ask God to grant me Waseelah. I shall be a witness – or a petitioner – for  every believer in the world, who asks that it be granted to me’.

(This write-up is prepared by the Hadith Cell of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi)

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