Tafseer of The Clans · Al-Ahzaab · 33:56
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.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The statement concerning the explanation of His saying, the Exalted: إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا (56) (Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with the greeting of peace.) (33:56)
He, exalted be His mention, says: indeed, Allah and His angels bless the Prophet Muḥammad, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him.
As ʿAlī related to me, saying: Abū Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His saying إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ (Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him). He says: they bless the Prophet. And it may be said that the meaning of this is: that Allah shows mercy upon the Prophet, and that His angels pray for him and seek forgiveness for him. That is because the "ṣalāh" in the language of the Arabs, when it proceeds from someone other than Allah, means only supplication (duʿāʾ). We have already expounded that earlier in this book of ours, with the proofs for it, which makes repeating it unnecessary.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ (O you who believe, send blessings upon him). He, exalted be His mention, says: O you who believe, pray for the Prophet of Allah, Muḥammad, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him. وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا (and greet him with the greeting of peace). He says: and greet him with the greeting of Islam.
And in agreement with what we have said about this, the reports from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, have come.
* Mention of who said that:
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Hārūn related to us, on the authority of ʿAnbasa, on the authority of ʿUthmān ibn Mawhab, on the authority of Mūsā ibn Ṭalḥa, on the authority of his father, who said: a man came to the Prophet, may Allah's blessing and peace be upon him, and said: I have heard Allah say إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ... (Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet...) — the verse; so how then should we pronounce the blessing upon you? He said: "Say: O Allah, bless Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad, as You blessed Ibrāhīm — indeed, You are praiseworthy, glorious; and bestow blessing upon Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad, as You bestowed blessing upon Ibrāhīm — indeed, You are praiseworthy, glorious."
Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Kūfī related to me, saying: Yaʿlā ibn al-Ajlaḥ related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥakam ibn ʿUtayba, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā, on the authority of Kaʿb ibn ʿUjra, who said: when إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا (Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with the greeting of peace) was revealed, I stood up toward him and said: the greeting of peace upon you we already know, but how should we pronounce the blessing upon you, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "Say: O Allah, bless Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad, as You blessed Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm — indeed, You are praiseworthy, glorious; and bestow blessing upon Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad, as You bestowed blessing upon Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm — indeed, You are praiseworthy, glorious."
Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Mālik ibn Ismāʿīl related to us, saying: Abū Isrāʾīl related to us, on the authority of Yūnus ibn Khabbāb, who said: he addressed us in Fāris and said: إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلائِكَتَهُ... (Indeed, Allah and His angels...) — the verse; and he said: there reported to me one who heard Ibn ʿAbbās say: thus was it revealed. We said — or they said: O Messenger of Allah, we already know the greeting of peace upon you, but how should we pronounce the blessing upon you? He said: "O Allah, bless Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad, as You blessed Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm — indeed, You are praiseworthy, glorious; and bestow blessing upon Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad, as You bestowed blessing upon Ibrāhīm and the family of Ibrāhīm — indeed, You are praiseworthy, glorious."
Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Mughīra, on the authority of Ziyād, on the authority of Ibrāhīm, concerning His saying إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلائِكَتَهُ... (Indeed, Allah and His angels...) — the verse. They said: O Messenger of Allah, this greeting of peace we already know, but how should we pronounce the blessing upon you? He said: say: "O Allah, bless Muḥammad, Your servant and Your messenger, and the people of his house, as You blessed Ibrāhīm — indeed, You are praiseworthy, glorious."
Yaʿqūb al-Dawraqī related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, saying: Ayyūb related to us, on the authority of Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Bishr ibn Masʿūd al-Anṣārī, who said: when إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا (Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with the greeting of peace) was revealed, they said: O Messenger of Allah, this greeting of peace we already know, but how should we pronounce the blessing, while Allah has already forgiven you what preceded of your sins and what followed of them? He said: "Say: O Allah, bless Muḥammad as You blessed the family of Ibrāhīm; O Allah, bestow blessing upon Muḥammad as You bestowed blessing upon the family of Ibrāhīm."
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His saying إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا (Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with the greeting of peace). He said: when this verse was revealed, they said: O Messenger of Allah, we already know the greeting of peace upon you, but how should we pronounce the blessing upon you? He said: "Say: O Allah, bless Muḥammad as You blessed Ibrāhīm, and bestow blessing upon Muḥammad as You bestowed blessing upon Ibrāhīm." And al-Ḥasan said: "O Allah, place Your blessings and Your blessing upon the family of Muḥammad, as You placed them upon Ibrāhīm — indeed, You are praiseworthy, glorious."
