Is the sending of blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) a form of seeking forgiveness?

The questioner:
May Allah reward you. These two questions are from the listener Abu Maryam from Jeddah. He asks: Is the sending of blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) one of the types of seeking forgiveness?

The Shaykh:
No, seeking forgiveness is asking for pardon. The sending of blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) means asking Allah the Mighty and Majestic to praise him. The blessing from Allah is His praise of His servant. So you are asking Allah to praise His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the highest assembly. As for seeking forgiveness, that is for you; you are asking for something for yourself, that Allah forgive your sins. As for the sending of blessings upon the Prophet, this is among the rights of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); it is not a right for you. It is a right of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that we owe him. Yes.

The questioner:
Is seeking forgiveness considered a type of dhikr, O Shaykh?

The Shaykh:
Yes, it is one of the types of dhikr.