Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 4 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 149

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

بَابُ الْأَمْرِ بِالصَّلَاةِ عَلَيْهِ وَفَضْلِهَا وَبَعْضِ صِيَغِهَا.

Chapter: The Command to Invoke Blessings upon the Prophet, Its Merit, and Some Formulas for Doing So.

وَقَدْ يُرَادُ بِهِمْ قَرَابَتُهُ، لَكِنْ فِي مَقَامِ الدُّعَاءِ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُرَادَ بِهِمُ الْعُمُومُ؛ لِأَنَّهُ أَشْمَلُ، فَالْمُرَادُ بِقَوْلِهِ: «وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ»، يَعْنِي جَمِيعَ أَتْبَاعِهِ، فَإِنْ قَالَ قَائِلٌ: هَلْ تَأْتِي الْآلُ بِمَعْنَى الْأَتْبَاعِ؟ قُلْنَا نَعَمْ، قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ﴾.

While the term may refer specifically to his relatives, in the context of supplication, it is better to intend the general meaning, as it is more comprehensive. Thus, the phrase 'and upon the family of Muhammad' refers to all his followers. If one asks whether the word 'family' can mean 'followers,' we answer yes. Allah the Almighty says: 'On the Day the Hour arrives, make the family of Pharaoh enter the severest punishment.'

قَالَ الْعُلَمَاءُ: مَعْنَاهُ أَدْخِلُوا أَتْبَاعَهُ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ، وَهُوَ أَوَّلُهُمْ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: ﴿يَقْدُمُ قَوْمَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَأَوْرَدَهُمُ النَّارَ وَبِئْسَ الْوِرْدُ الْمَوْرُودُ﴾، وَقَوْلُهُ: كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَالْكَافُ هُنَا لِلتَّعْلِيلِ، وَهَذَا مِنْ بَابِ التَّوَسُّلِ بِأَفْعَالِ اللَّهِ السَّابِقَةِ إِلَى أَفْعَالِهِ اللَّاحِقَةِ، يَعْنِي كَمَا مَنَنْتَ بِالصَّلَاةِ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلِهِ، فَامْنُنْ بِالصَّلَاةِ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ، فَهِيَ مِنْ بَابِ التَّعْلِيلِ، وَلَيْسَتْ مِنْ بَابِ التَّشْبِيهِ، وَبِهَذَا يَزُولُ الْإِشْكَالُ الَّذِي أَوْرَدَهُ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ، حَيْثُ قَالُوا: كَيْفَ تُلْحَقُ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ وَآلِهِ بِالصَّلَاةِ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلِهِ، مَعَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا أَشْرَفُ مِنْ جَمِيعِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ عَلَيْهِمُ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ؟

Scholars explain that this means to make his followers enter the severest punishment, with him leading them, as the Almighty says: 'He will precede his people on the Day of Resurrection and lead them into the Fire; and wretched is the place to which they are led.' Regarding the phrase 'as You blessed Abraham and the family of Abraham,' the particle of comparison here signifies causality. This is a form of seeking favor through Allah's previous actions to request His subsequent ones; it means that just as You bestowed blessings upon Abraham and his family, so too bestow them upon Muhammad and his family. It is a matter of causality rather than comparison. This resolves the difficulty raised by some scholars, who asked how the blessings upon the Prophet and his family could be linked to those upon Abraham and his family, given that Muhammad is more noble than all the prophets, peace be upon them.

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Vocabulary · المفردات (16 verbs · 56 nouns)

• أَرَادَ — to want
• اِنْبَغَى — to be appropriate
• قَالَ — to say
• بَاب — chapter
• أَمْر — command
• صَلَاة — prayer