Sending Salutations upon the Prophet in Supplication and the Doubt Regarding Intercession
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The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. Some of the Sufis here say that if the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not intercede for you, you will not enter Paradise. Their evidence is that you say it is necessary to mention the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and send salutations upon him at the beginning and end of the supplication. So what is the answer to that?
The Shaykh:
Yes, one sends salutations upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) after praising Allah and before the supplication. This is among the causes of the supplication being answered; it is among the causes of it being answered. This is not from the category of seeking nearness to Allah through the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, it is from the etiquettes of supplication, from the etiquettes of supplication. And what is the question?
The questioner:
He says: Mentioning the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the beginning of the supplication and at its end.
The Shaykh:
We know that this is not from the causes of the supplication being accepted, but rather it is not from seeking nearness to Allah through the Messenger; rather, it is from the causes of the supplication being accepted. From the etiquettes of supplication is that you praise Allah and send salutations upon His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So this is from the causes of the supplication being answered.
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. Some of the Sufis here say that if the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) does not intercede for you, you will not enter Paradise. Their evidence is that you say it is necessary to mention the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and send salutations upon him at the beginning and end of the supplication. So what is the answer to that?
The Shaykh:
Yes, one sends salutations upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) after praising Allah and before the supplication. This is among the causes of the supplication being answered; it is among the causes of it being answered. This is not from the category of seeking nearness to Allah through the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, it is from the etiquettes of supplication, from the etiquettes of supplication. And what is the question?
The questioner:
He says: Mentioning the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the beginning of the supplication and at its end.
The Shaykh:
We know that this is not from the causes of the supplication being accepted, but rather it is not from seeking nearness to Allah through the Messenger; rather, it is from the causes of the supplication being accepted. From the etiquettes of supplication is that you praise Allah and send salutations upon His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). So this is from the causes of the supplication being answered.
Source
شرح إغاثة اللهفان من مصائد الشيطان لابن القيم، تتمة فصل فيما في الشرك والزنا واللواطة من الخبث — islamhouse.com (1:04:16)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.