We hear it in every Jum'ah Khutbah...
"Indeed, Allah sends His Salaat on the Prophet..." (Surah al-Ahzaab: 56)
But what exactly does it mean when Allah sends Salaat upon the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?
In Arabic, the word Salaat carries two well-known meanings:
Supplication
Worship
Obviously, the latter is not the meaning here. The first is also problematic, to say that Allah "supplicates" for His slaves.
Due to this ambiguity, there are 5 main opinions as to what the Salaat of Allah refers to.
Opinions on Allah's Salaat on the Prophet ﷺ
It refers to Allah praising the Prophet ﷺ to the angels that are present. This opinion is attributed to Abu al-'Aaliyah (93 AH), and is also the opinion of Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751 AH).
It refers to Allah's Mercy on the Prophet ﷺ. This is Hasan al-Basri's (d. 110 AH) opinion and it is a common position held by many of the Medieval Scholars later on.
However this opinion is not very strong because Allah clearly distinguishes from His Salaah and Mercy in the Quran: "Upon them are the Salawat from their Lord and His Mercy..." (Surah Baqarah: 157).Ibn al-Qayyim mentions a further argument for why Allah's Salaat is not referring to His Mercy. If Salaah and Rahma were synonyms, then it would be fine to just say "Rahimahullah" after the name of the Prophet ﷺ - and it would be the same. However, everyone would object to this, because Rahma and Salaat are truly not synonymous.
It refers to Allah's forgiveness for the Prophet ﷺ. This is the opinion of Sa'eed ibn Jubair (d. 95 AH). The same argument by Ibn al-Qayyim above, can be made here as well.
It refers to Allah's honouring of the Prophet ﷺ. This is the opinion of Sufyan al-Thawri (d. 161 AH)
It refers to Allah blessing the Prophet ﷺ. This is the opinion of ibn Abbas according to a Mu'allaq narration in Sahih Bukhari. It is also the opinion of Ibn Jareer al-Tabari (d. 310 AH).
The Strongest Opinion ✅
Ibn al-Qayyim discussed this issue at length and came to the following conclusion, being able to combine most of these opinions together.
According to him, the strongest opinion is that the Salaat of Allah refers to Allah praising the Prophet ﷺ to the angels present.
This opinion, however, doesn't contradict Ibn Abbas' or Sufyan al-Thawri's position. They held that the Salaat refers to Allah's blessing or Allah's honouring of the Prophet ﷺ. Ibn al-Qayyim mentions that this is also true, and the blessing and honouring that is being referred to is Allah praising the Prophet ﷺ with the angels that are present.
Actionable Gem 💎
We should increase in sending Salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ.
"Whoever prays one prayer for me, then, due to it, Allah sends 10 Salaat upon him." (Sahih Muslim)
Not only does this deepen our connection with the Prophet ﷺ, but Allah Himself sends Salawat upon us — praising us among the angels! A simple act, yet such a profound reward. So let’s keep our tongues moist with Salawat and our hearts tied to the one we love ﷺ.
Sources
Commentary on the 40 Hadith of Imam Nawawi - Jamaal Zarabozo
Jala’ al-Afhaam fi Fadl al-Salaati wa’l-Salaam ‘ala Khayr il-Anaam - Ibn Al Qayyim