Why do the Shia send their regards both to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) and his descendants as saying,
صلي اللهم محمد آل و محمد علي) O, God, send down Your blessings on Mohammed and his household)?
The answer:
It is evident that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his
descendants) himself taught the Muslims the way of sending regards.
When the verse
* ان هللا و مالئكتة يصلون علي النبي يا ايها الذين آمنوا صلوا عليه و سلموا تسليما
(Surely, Allah and his angels bless the Prophet, O, you who
believe, call for Divine blessings on him with a salutation) was
revealed, the Muslims asked the Prophet (peace be upon him and his
descendants) how they could do so, and the Prophet (peace be upon
him and his descendants) answered,
التصلوا علي الصلوة البترا**
(Never send me incomplete regards). They repeated their question,
and he replied, “say: محمد آل و محمد علي صلي اللهم) O, God, send down
Your blessings on Mohammed and his household).
The status of the Prophet‟s Ahlul-Bait (a.s) is so high that Shafee‟
in his famous poem says:
يا اهل بيت رسول هللا حبكم فرض من هللا في القرآن انزله
* كفاكم من عظيم القدر انكم من لم يصل عليكم ال صلوة له
(O, the Prophet‟s descendants, having affection towards you is a
religious commandment, and Allah has revealed it in the holy Quran.
Your position is so elevated that there is no regard for he
who does not send his regards to you.)
* Ahzab Sura, verse no.56
** 2-Al-Savaegh Ul-Mohareghah, Ibn Hijr, the second edition, section 11, chapter 1,
p.146. Also in Dur Ul-Manthur, vol.5, the commentary on the verse 56 Ahzab Sura
*
Ibid, section 11, chapter 1, p.148; Also Athaf, Shiravi, p.29; Moshareq Ul-Anvar,
Hamzavi Maleki, p.88; Al-Mavaheb, Zarghani; and Al-Asaf, p.119.
** Mostadrak, Hakem, section 3, p. 148. Al-Savaegh Ul-Moharaghah, section 11,
chapter 1, p. 149. Also, this concept is seen in Kanzul Amal, section 1, chapter
„Adherence to the Book and Tradition‟; and in Mosnad Ahmad, section 5, p. 182-89
Compiled by: Seyed Reza Hosseini Nassab
Directed by: Ayatollah Ja’far Sobhani
Translated by: Mehdi Ghasemi
Published by: Imam Ali Foundation
