The Ruling on Sending Blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Supplication and Prayer

Question:
This is the first message of this session, received from the listener: Ahmad Sulayman 'Umar, from Eritrea. He has several questions. In his first question, he asks: Is the obligatory prayer or supplication valid if sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is not mentioned in it? One of the people told us that the prayer and supplication are not accepted if sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is not mentioned in them? Please inform us about this. May Allah reward you.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
Sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is prescribed in our prayers, in the midday, afternoon, sunset, night, and dawn prayers, and in all voluntary prayers. It is prescribed for the one praying to send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the tashahhud—at the end of the prayer—after he says: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. He says: This is a type of the Ibrahimiyyah sending of blessings established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). There are other types, among them:
His saying: .
And a third type: .
There are other types of sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). If the Muslim, whether male or female, comes with any type of them that is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), it is valid and sufficient. Then after this, he says: and supplicates with whatever good supplications he wishes before he says the closing salam.
This sending of blessings is also prescribed in the first tashahhud according to the correct view. A group of scholars said: It is not said except in the last tashahhud. But the correct view is: It is also done in the first tashahhud after the two rak'ahs of the midday, afternoon, sunset, and night prayers, when he sits in the second rak'ah and says: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. He sends blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and then stands up for the third rak'ah.
As for the rest of the supplication, at the end, in the last tashahhud, and this view is more correct, then according to this: We send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in our prayers twice in the midday, afternoon, sunset, and night prayers, in the first tashahhud and in the last tashahhud. This is the best.
The scholars differed: Is it an obligation and a pillar in the last tashahhud or not? There are several views:
Some said: It is a pillar that is necessary, and the prayer is not valid without it. This is the well-known view in the school of Ahmad ibn Hanbal and a group of scholars.
Others said: Rather, it is obligatory but not a pillar; it is obligatory. If one intentionally leaves it, the prayer is invalid. If one forgets it, the prayer is not invalid, but one performs the prostration for forgetfulness. This is the middle view.
Others said: It is a recommended practice (sunnah). The prayer is not invalid by leaving it, whether intentionally or by forgetfulness. Rather, it is a confirmed recommended practice (sunnah mu'akkadah); because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not make it obligatory for the people. to the end. If it had been obligatory, he would have made it obligatory for them before they asked him, and explained it to them with the tashahhud.
In any case, what should be done is to come with it; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded it, and he said: to the end. This is a command, and a command implies obligation. So it is not befitting for the believer to leave it in the last tashahhud.
As for the first tashahhud, the matter is broad in it. If he comes with it, it is better. If he does not come with it, there is no blame on him. But it is not a condition for acceptance if we say it in the first tashahhud; it is only recommended (mustahabb).
As for the last tashahhud, you have heard the disagreement. Some scholars said: It is necessary, and if one intentionally leaves it, the prayer is invalid, just as if one intentionally leaves the tashahhud, or intentionally leaves the bowing or prostration, the prayer is invalid. Others among the scholars said: It does not invalidate the prayer by that, but it is recommended for him to send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the end of the prayer. If he leaves it, his prayer is not invalid, according to the known views of the scholars.
So it is not befitting for the believer to leave it. Rather, he should strive to maintain it and exert himself in doing it after the tashahhud, and after he says: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger, before he says the closing salam. He sends blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) so that his prayer is valid according to everyone, and so that he does not expose it to invalidity.
As for supplication, it is recommended (mustahabb) in supplication, but it is not a condition for acceptance. If one supplicates and does not send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it is hoped that his supplication is accepted. But the best is to send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) before the supplication and after the supplication. This is the best; because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he saw a man supplicating and not praising Allah, and not sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), said: Then he said: .
So he guided us to praise Allah first, then send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then supplicate. This is the best, and this is the closest to being answered. But it is not a condition. And if one concludes the supplication with sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it is also better and more complete, and it is one of the causes of being answered. But if one leaves it, it is not said: The supplication is not answered. Rather, the supplication may be answered, the intended goal may be achieved, even if one did not praise Allah at the beginning, and even if one did not send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the beginning or at the end. But doing that—meaning praising Allah first, sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), then supplicating and persisting in supplication, then concluding with sending blessings...—all of this is from the category of recommended practices (sunnah), from the category of virtues, and it is one of the causes of being answered. But it is not a condition for acceptance. So if one supplicates and does not send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he is not sinful, and his supplication is not rejected. Rather, it is hoped that it is accepted if he is sincere in it, and is free from the obstacles that prevent being answered. The obstacles are many. Disobedience is one of the causes of obstacles, one of the causes of not being answered. Eating what is forbidden (haram) is one of the causes of not being answered. And heedlessness of Allah, supplicating with a heedless, distracted heart, is one of the causes of not being answered.
So not being answered has causes. The believer should strive for the causes of being answered, by making his food lawful (halal), and being far from disobedience to what Allah has forbidden, and supplicating to Allah with a present heart, fearful, desiring, hopeful, hoping for his Lord and fearing Him, having stood before Him , and seeking the times of being answered, such as the last part of the night, and the end of the prayer before the salam and prostration; because supplication in prostration is also likely to be answered. And likewise between the adhan and the iqamah, is one of the causes of being answered. We ask Allah for success for everyone. Yes.

The presenter: O Allah, amen.