19 March, 2024

9 Ramadan, 1445 H

"Silence saves you from regret"

- Imam Ali (as) -

Learning
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Core Curriculum

Section 1 - God, Religion and Islam: An Introduction
  • Topic 1.1 - God, Allah and Religion

  • Topic 1.2 - What is “Religion” and What’s the Point of it Anyways?

  • Topic 1.3 - Introduction to Islam

  • Topic 1.4 - A Brief Introduction to the Prophet Muhammad (s), the Prophet of Islam

Section 2 - Foundations of Islam - Theology
  • Topic 2.1 - Satan, Jinns and Angels: Their Influence in the World

  • Topic 2.2 - The Islamic Concept of the Nafs: Battling the Human Ego

  • Topic 2.3 - The Sharīʿa: Purpose and Practice

  • Topic 2.4 - Nubuwwa: The Purpose of Prophethood in Islam

  • Topic 2.5 - Tawhīd: The Unity and Oneness of God in Islam

  • Topic 2.6 - The Usūl al-Dīn: The Fundamental Beliefs of Islam

  • Topic 2.7 - Adala: Divine Justice in Islam

  • Topic 2.8 - Entering Islam: The Shahada

  • Topic 2.9 - Maʿād: The Day of Judgment in Islam

  • Topic 2.10 - Imāmah or divinely guided leadership in Islam after the Prophet Muhammad.

Section 3 - Foundations of Islam - Obligatory Acts
  • Topic 3.1 - Accepting Islam: Putting Faith into Action

  • Topic 3.2 - The Furūʿ al-Dīn: The Fundamental Practices of Islam

  • Topic 3.3 - Salāt: Obligatory Ritual Prayers in Islam

  • Topic 3.4 - Fasting in Islam, its Purpose, Dos and Don’ts

  • Topic 3.5 - The Hajj Pilgrimage

  • Topic 3.6 - The Purpose of Zakat and Khums in Islamic Law

  • Topic 3.7 - Jihād in Islamic Law and Spirituality

  • Topic 3.8 - Commanding the Good and Forbidding Evil in Islam

  • Topic 3.9 - Tawalla and Tabarra, its Basics and Purpose

  • Topic 3.10 - The Five Categories of Islamic Law

  • Topic 3.11 - Niyya: Religious Intention as the Foundation of Islamic Practice

  • Topic 3.12 - Ritual Purity in Islamic Law: Understanding Tahāra and Najāsa

  • Topic 3.13 - Other Obligatory and Forbidden Acts in Islam

Section 4 - Prophethood in Islam
  • Topic 4.1 - A Brief Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (s): The Prophet’s Childhood (PART I of III)

  • Topic 4.2 - Bio: The Prophet Muhammad as a Prophet of God (PART II of III)

  • Topic 4.3 - A Brief Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (s): The Prophet’s Character (PART III of III)

  • Topic 4.4 - The Prophet Muhammad (s) as Messenger and Teacher

  • Topic 4.5 - The Prophet and his Relationships

  • Topic 4.6 - The Prophet’s Sunnah and Hadith

  • Topic 4.7 - Ghadīr and Arafah: The Two Last Sermons of the Prophet

  • Topic 4.8 - Jesus and Mary in Islam

Section 5 - The Qur'an and Hadith
  • Topic 5.1 - Islam and Other Religions

  • Topic 5.2 - What is the Qur’an? A Short Introduction to Islam’s Holy Book

  • Topic 5.3 - The Structure of the Holy Qur’an

  • Topic 5.4 - The Quran and Islamic law

  • Topic 5.5 - The Qur’an, Allah and Humankind

  • Topic 5.6 - Hadith and Sunnah, difference and variations

  • Topic 5.7 - The Reliability of Hadiths

  • Topic 5.8 - A Reflection on Verses of the Holy Qur’an

  • Topic 5.9 - Hadith al-Thaqalayn

  • Topic 5.10 - Imam Ali (as) and Nahj al-Balagha.

  • Topic 5.11 - Taqlid and Tawḍih Al Masail Genre of Literature

Section 6 - Measuring Good and Bad in Islam
  • Topic 6.1 - Guidance According to Islam

  • Topic 6.2 - Life and Death in Islam

  • Topic 6.3 - Heaven and Hell in Islam

  • Topic 6.4 - The Effects of Our Actions in this World

  • Topic 6.5 - The Gray Areas of Islamic Law and Morality

  • Topic 6.6 - Benefits of Islamic Law in this World

  • Topic 6.7 - Good and Bad Deeds: The Spiritual Consequences of our Choices

  • Topic 6.8 - The Effect of Culture and Environment in Shaping our Religious Choices

  • Topic 6.9 - Fate and the Consequences of our Choices in Islam

  • Topic 6.10 - Trivializing the Harām

  • Topic 6.11 - Sinning Against Others and their Delayed Punishment

  • Topic 6.12 - The Three Kinds of Rights in Islam

  • Topic 6.13 - Major Sins in Islam

  • Topic 6.14 - Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins in Islam

  • Topic 6.15 - Kufr in Islam

  • Topic 6.16 - Why Allah Allows People to Sin

Section 7 - The Legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as)
  • Topic 7.1 - Islam and Knowledge: the Importance of Islamic Education

  • Topic 7.2 - The Ahl al-Kisa

  • Topic 7.3 - Imamah in the Qur’an

  • Topic 7.4 - Fatima al-Zahrah (as)

  • Topic 7.5 - A Brief Look at the Lives of the Imams (Imam al-Hasan until Imam Muhammad al-Baqir)

  • Topic 7.6 - A Brief Look at the Lives of the Imams (Imam Jafar al-Sadiq until Imam Hasan al-Askari)

  • Topic 7.7 - A Brief Look at the Life and Importance of Imam al-Mahdi (aj)

  • Topic 7.8 - Salawat and Atonement in Islam

  • Topic 7.9 - The Companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet According to the Qur’an

  • Topic 7.10 - Clerical Hierarchies in Muslim Communities

  • Topic 7.11 - Mosques in Islam

  • Topic 7.12 - The Philosophy of Karbala and Majalis

  • Topic 7.13 - A Brief Biography of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)

  • Topic 7.14 - The Battle of Karbala: A Brief History

Section 8 - Islamic Relationships, Sects and Conflicts
  • Topic 8.1 - Islam and Rights

  • Topic 8.2 - Islam and Religious Conflicts

  • Topic 8.3 - Major Sects of Islam

  • Topic 8.4 - Sunnism and Shi’ism, beginnings and historical developments.

  • Topic 8.5 - Misconceptions about Shi’ism

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Special Topics

Section 9 - Independent Topics
  • Topic 9.1 - Muslim Converts – Welcome to Islam!

  • Topic 9.2 - Basic Dos and Don’ts of Being a Muslim

  • Topic 9.3 - Halal Food and Zabiha

  • Topic 9.4 - Modesty in Islam

  • Topic 9.5 - Family, Parents and Marriage in Islam

  • Topic 9.6 - Marriage in Islam

  • Topic 9.7 - Islam and Sex

  • Topic 9.8 - Women’s Menstruation in Islam

  • Topic 9.9 - Music, Alcohol, Drugs and Pork in Islam

  • Topic 9.10 - Islam and Science

  • Topic 9.11 - A Reading List of Islamic Knowledge

  • Topic 9.12 - Islam and Sufism

  • Topic 9.13 - Ritual Prayers and Supplications in Islam

  • Topic 9.14 - Death & Burial Rituals in Islam

  • Topic 9.15 - The Battle of Armageddon: An Islamic View

  • Topic 9.16 - The Muslim Calendar

  • Topic 9.17 - Muslims and non-Muslims in the Shariah

  • Topic 9.18 - A Timeline of Major Events in Islamic History

  • Topic 9.19 - Introducing the Qur’an: Why it is the way it is

  • Topic 9.20 - The School of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq

  • Topic 9.21 - Major Fields in Islamic Studies

  • Topic 9.22 - The Caliphate in Sunni and Shia Islam

  • Topic 9.23 - The Spread of Islam: After the Prophet until the Ottoman Empire

  • Topic 9.24 - Islam, Racism and Anti-Semitism

Section 10 - Islam, Religion, and Modern Controversies
  • Topic 10.1 - Modern Fallacies about God: where Theists and Atheists Agree

  • Topic 10.2 - Tawhīd: The Muslim God according to the Prophet Muhammad and the Ahl al-Bayt (as)

  • Topic 10.3 - God’s Existence: The Argument From Being (Wujūd)

  • Topic 10.4 - God’s Existence: The Kalam Cosmological Argument

  • Topic 10.5 - God’s Existence: The Argument From Design

  • Topic 10.6 - The Problem of Evil, Suffering and Pain

  • Topic 10.7 - Why did God Create Us? The Purpose of our Creation

  • Topic 10.8 - Why Humans Need Religion according to Islam

  • Topic 10.9 - Jahl and Spiritual Ignorance in Islam

  • Topic 10.10 - Faith in Islam: Belief without Evidence?

  • Topic 10.11 - Do Non-Muslims Go to Hell?

Salawat and Atonement in Islam

Abstract

The salawat is invoking God’s blessings upon the Prophet (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as). The salawat are a means to gaining God’s pleasure and blessings in one’s life in this world as well as the next.

INTRODUCTION 

 

Bismillāhir Rahmānir Rahīm, As-salāmu ʿAlaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh. Peace be upon you brothers and sisters. 

 

Welcome back to the Muslim Converts Channel! In any Mosque that one goes to, that is, Mosques (Masjids) that follow the school of the Ahl al-Bayt (as), one will always hear praises and blessings of the Ahl al-Bayt (as). These blessings are called salawat in Islam. 

 

In this lesson, we’re going to look at the definition, practice and importance of the salawat in Islam.  The second part of the lesson will look at the concept of atonement and how it may be problematic according to Islam. The final, but brief part will also look into the practice of conferring God’s blessings and peace upon others, such as our neighbors, friends or even one’s enemies.  

 

BODY OF TEXT 

 

Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace. Indeed, those who abuse Allah and His Messenger - Allah has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter and prepared for them a humiliating punishment. (Chapter 33, verses 56-57 of the Holy Qur’an) 

 

The word salawat is plural which means to send blessings. In Islamic practice, the salawat is conferring blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as). The salawat can be said in almost any context. In all five daily obligatory prayers, one has to confer blessings upon the Prophet and His Family. The formula is as follows: 

 

Allahumma Sallī ʿAlā Muhammad wa Āli Muhammad 

 

“Oh Allah, send your blessings upon Muhammad and upon the progeny of Muhammad” 

 

According to all major schools of Islam, if the salawat is not said during prayer, the Islamic prayer will be considered null and void.  

 

There are, however, more benefits to saying the salawat in addition to having it as a necessary condition for the acceptance of prayer.  

 

According to one hadith from Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as), it is said that: 

 

One who sends 10 Salawat on the Prophet and his family, Allah and the Angels send 100 Salawats upon him, and one who sends 100 Salawats upon the Prophet and his family, then Allah and the Angels send 1000 Salawat upon him. Have you not heard the words of Allah, Glorious and Magnified be Him, (here the Imam’s own words ends, and he recites the following verse[Symbol]) “It is He who confers blessing upon you, and His angels [ask Him to do so] that He may bring you out from darknesses into the light. And ever is He, to the believers, Merciful.” (Chapter 33, verse 43) 

 

This hadith is quite telling as it outlines the function of the salawat. The salawat activates or establishes a celestial response whereby God and His angels send their blessings upon the one reciting it. The act of God sending His blessings upon a person is grace. As such, reciting the salawat is a means through which one acquires the grace of God. Grace refers to God's unmerited favor that He confers upon us.  

 

But why does sending blessings upon the Prophet and his family come with such a great response? Well, one way of looking at it is the example of a garden. Imagine there is a person who loves his garden very much and a man comes along and shows love to his garden by giving the plants some water. The owner of that garden will naturally be pleased and happy with the person who showed care to his garden.  

 

Sending the salawat upon the Prophet and his family does the same thing. Allah loves the Messenger of Allah and his Ahl al-Bayt. When He sees a person sending blessings upon those whom He loves so much, He will send His own blessings upon that person and warrant him with His grace.  

 

This point is quite important as it shows the unique position and unmatched greatness of the Ahl al-Bayt (as). It is proof that the companions or sahaba of the Prophet Muhammad (s) were on a completely different league than the Ahl al-Bayt (as). One can lead a proper religious life and do practices without mentioning anything about the companions, yet none of a Muslim’s prayers will be accepted if the salawat  on the Ahl al-Bayt (as) is not mentioned. 

 

However, it is crucial to note that the salawat is not a form of atonement in Islam. There are various understandings of what atonement is, but the kind Islam has an issue with is the idea that somehow just believing in Islam is enough to save a person or the Muslim community in the Hereafter.  

 

Just saying salawat will not get one saved. The effect of salawat becomes truly real when it is combined with various factors, including sincerity in belief and love for God, being kind and generous to others, being compassionate, humble of heart and obeying the commands of Allah. 

 

Yes, people sin and have shortcomings and through asking God’s forgiveness and reciting the salawat, one may acquire God’s saving grace. However, the salawat must be accompanied with good action and good intentions. 

 

So some problematic concepts of atonement are dangerous for they create a certain kind of heedlessness, carelessness, apathy and a false sense of belief that one is on the right path just because one believes in something. This is something that Islam completely rejects.  

 

The act of sending blessings is also something that regular humans should do among themselves. The greeting of peace between Muslims, that is, assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh (may the peace of God be upon you, as well as His mercy and blessings) is also a way of conveying one’s blessings unto other persons.  

 

Islam emphasizes on this so much that one is highly recommended to say it to others. In Islam, we are obligated to return the salams when someone says it to us. In this sense, there is no discrimination. If a sinning Muslim, or  a Muslim who has done us wrong gives us their salams, we are obligated to say back to them. The salams therefore functions as a glue for the Muslim community. 

 

Until Next Time, Thank you for watching. As-salāmu ʿAlaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh

Salawat

conveying blessings upon the Prophet and his Ahl al-Bayt (as)

Sahaba

companions of the Prophet

Allahumma Sallī ʿAlā Muhammad wa Āli Muhammad

“O Allah, send your blessings upon Muhammad and upon the progeny of Muhammad”

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

may the peace of God be upon you as well as His mercy and blessings

Q1

What is salawat?

It is conveying blessings upon the Prophet (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as)

Q2

How does one say the salawat?

One says: Allahumma Sallī ʿAlā Muhammad wa Āli Muhammad

Q3

What are the effects of saying the salawat?

Allah and the angels respond by conveying their blessings upon the person who said the salawat.

Q4

Is saying the salawat enough for salvation?

No, salawat must be combined with obeying God in all matters and doing good deeds.

Q5

Is the salawat obligatory?

The salawat are obligatory during prayers, but they are recommended in all else.

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14 Infallibles
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Salawat
Atonement in Islam
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