Writers Take Heed

A Heartfelt Plea

Writers, take heed!

Muhammad Imran Attari

Head of Dawat-e-Islami’s Central Executive Board

I was privileged to join Dawat-e-Islami’s Islamic environment in 1991. By the grace of Allah Almighty, I was then honoured to perform ḥajj in 1992. The Amir of Ahl al-Sunnah دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ also performed ḥajj on this very occasion. Our flights were one or two days apart. The Amir of Ahl al-Sunnah دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ would meet Islamic brothers at a specific place outside Masjid al-Ḥarām. I too made my way there late one night, and I found him surrounded by Islamic brothers. مَاشآءَ اللہ As they met one another, the atmosphere was jovial and pleasant. Yet, this was all new for me.

Amidst this, my eyes fell upon an extremely handsome person dressed in a long jubba and ʿimāmah, with a beard upon his face. I still can recall how he looked to some degree. I saw he was emotional and appeared as though he would cry any moment. I did not know him, but he knew me, and I was unaware of this. For reasons I do not know, he himself began speaking to me about the Amir of Ahl al-Sunnah دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ.

“Do you know who this person is, and why I am inspired by him?”, he asked me. He then explained:

I have read this book Faizān-i-Sunnat (Blessings of Sunnah). In this, I saw him put عَزَّوَجَلَّ after Allah’s name, صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم after the Prophet’s name, رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ after the Companion’s names, and رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْهِمَ after the names of saints and pious people.

I have never seen anyone else take care to do this in my life. I have never seen anything like this in another book. It was this which made me love him; the immense love he has for Allah Almighty, His Messenger صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, the Companions رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُم, and the saints of Islam رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْهِمَ.

O writers! Calling people to Allah Almighty by utilising the written word is an age-old practice. Scholars of Islam, alongside verbal speeches and lessons, also made use of writing to call people to and spread Islam. Whether verbal or written mediums, keeping due decorum regarding sacred personalities is a must.

Some write the name of Allah Almighty without adding anything afterwards[1]. Others take the name of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم without writing ṣalāt thereafter. In the same way, they do not write supplicatory words after listening to or writing the names of the Companions رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُم or saints of Islam
رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْهِمَ.

Whoever writes ṣalāt is very fortunate, as the Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared, “Whoever writes ṣalāt upon me in a book; as long as my name remains therein, angels shall continue to seek repentance for him (the writer).”[2]

The scholar Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه said:

I saw a brother of mine in my dream after he passed away. I asked him, مَا فَعَلَ اللہُ بِک “What did Allah Almighty do regarding you?” He replied, “Allah Almighty forgave me.” I asked what deed led to his forgiveness, and he explained, “I used to write Hadith, and whenever the name of the Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم came, I wrote “صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم” intending to earn reward. This deed led to my forgiveness.[3]

Regarding this incident, my shaykh, the Amir of Ahl al-Sunnah دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ writes:

This shows we must intend to earn reward whenever we read or write ṣalāt upon the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and this is a necessity for every ˹good˺ deed. If good deeds are not performed with good intentions, no reward is earned. One should build the habit of making good intentions before any ˹good˺ deed.

Here are some Madani pearls of wisdom regarding the writing of ṣalāt upon the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

* Whenever writing the sacred name, one should recite صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and write this very phrase.

* One should write صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in full. Writing abbreviations such as صلعم or ص is impermissible and severely haram.[4]

* In the same way, one should not write ^ج in place of جَلَّ جَلَالُہ

* ع should not replace عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم

* رض should not replace رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ

* رح should not replace[5] رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه

My master, Imam Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه says:

Regarding ṣalāt upon the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, the abbreviations written by the ignorant and the masses are devoid of meaning and a result of a lack of knowledge. Said abbreviations include صلعم, ع, م, ص, or صللم.

اَلْقَلَمُ اِحْدَی الِّلسَانَیْنِ - “The pen is one of two tongues.” The same way saying these meaningless abbreviations shall not suffice in place of reciting ṣalāt upon the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, the same applies to writing them. For one’s pen to err this extremely is a matter of steep deprivation. I fear these people may be included in this verse:

فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِیْنَ ظَلَمُوْا قَوْلًا غَیْرَ الَّذِیْ قِیْلَ لَہُمْ

Then those transgressors changed what they were told into another statement,

Alongside the sanctified, sacred, and blessed name, one should write صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in full.[6]

I make a heartfelt request to all those who love Allah’s Messenger! Write good words after mentioning the name of Allah Almighty. When the Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is mentioned, write ṣalāt in full. Build a habit of writing supplicatory phrases after mentioning the Companions رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُم and saints of Islam رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْهِمَ.

Ensure the blessed names you frame in your homes also have the correct wordings after them. As for shaykhs who are still alive, one should also write supplicatory phrases after their names, and we ask Allah Almighty to keep them all safe. Wherever you spend a lot of time writing, such as your phones, laptops, or computers; ensure to take this same care when writing sacred names thereupon and do not become lazy in this.

May Allah Almighty have mercy upon us and allow us to pay attention to the matters discussed in this article.

اٰمین بِجاہِ خَاتَمِ النَّبِیّٖن صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم