Presenting the Benefits of ‘Amal to the Prophet (s.a.w.)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

This is an adapted selection from a classic work written by Shaykh ‘Umar ibn Sa’id al-Futi Thal (q.s.).  He was the Tijaniyyah shaykh of the Sudan and Niger region.  This selection comes from ar-Rimah al-Hizb ar-Rahim ‘ala Nahur al-Hizb ar-Rajim. “The Spears of the League of the Merciful Thrown at the Necks of the League of the Accursed,” which is a book written in defense of the religion, the awliya’ullah, thuruq and the Tijaniyyah Thariqa’ in particular. 

Success is achieved with the help of Allah (s.w.t.) for He is the Guide by His Grace to the straight path.  With regards to presenting the reward for our good deeds to the Prophet (s.a.w.), there are two questions relating to this subject.  Does the Prophet (s.a.w.) benefit by what we present to him of good deeds and if not, does that benefit revert to us?  Is presenting the Reward to him permissible in the shari’ah? 

As for the first question, the answer is that the Prophet (s.a.w.) does not benefit by any of that, and the benefit only reverts to us. 

As for the second, the answer is that it is permissible to present the Rewards for our works to him as a gift and that it contains much good and tremendous merit for the person who does it.  The proof of its permissibility and of the fact that the benefit only reverts to us, has been reported and authenticated by Imam Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal (r.a.), Imam Abu ‘Isa Muhammad ibn ‘Isa as-Sulami at-Tirmidzi (r.a.), and Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah al-Hakim an-Nishaburi (r.a.). 

According to Imam at-Tirmidzi (r.a.), it is a good and authentic report, transmitted on the authority of Sayyidina Ka’b ibn ‘Ujrah (r.a.) who said, “I said, ‘Oh Messenger of Allah, I frequently invoke blessing upon you, so how much of the Reward for my invocation of blessing should I assign to you?’ 

He replied ‘Whatever you wish’ 

I said, ‘One quarter?’ 

He said to me, ‘Whatever you wish, and if you add more, it is better for you.’ 

I said, ‘One half?’ 

He said to me, ‘Whatever you wish, and if you add more it is better for you.’ 

I said, ‘Should I assign all of the Reward for my invocation of blessing to you?’ 

He said, ‘In that case, you will be Relieved of your trouble and your sins will be Forgiven.’” 

In one version of this report, the wording is, “In that case, Allah (s.w.t.) will Relieve you of your trouble in this world and the Hereafter.” 

According to Shaykh ‘Abd al-Wahhab ibn Ahmad ash-Sha’rani (r.a.), in al-Uhud al-Muhammadiyyah, concerning his saying, “So how much of the Reward for my invocation of blessing should I assign to you?” Imam Zaki ad-Din ‘Abd al-‘Azhim ibn ‘Abd al-Qawi al-Mundziri (r.a.) said, Shaykh Abu al-Mawahib Muhammmad ibn Zaghdan ash-Shadzili (r.a.) dreamt of the Prophet (s.a.w).  He said, “I saw the Prophet (s.a.w.) so I said to him, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is the meaning of the saying of Ka'b ibn ‘Ujrah, ‘So how much of the Reward for my invocation of blessing should I assign to you?’  He (s.a.w.) said, ‘It means that you should invoke blessings upon me and present the Reward for that to me, not to yourself.’” 

Then, Shaykh Abu Mawahib (r.a.) said, “I would like to tell you about some of the benefits of invoking blessing upon Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.), as an encouragement for you.  Perhaps Allah (s.w.t.) will Endow you with genuine love for him, so your preoccupation in most of your moments will be the invocation of blessing upon Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.) and you will come to credit every good deed you perform to the record of Allah’s Messenger (s.a.w.), as indicated by Ka’b ibn ‘Ujrah when he said, ‘Should I assign all of my invocation of blessing to you’ - for the Prophet (s.a.w.) told him, ‘In that case, Allah will Relieve you of your trouble in this world and the Hereafter!’” 

We should know that our shaykh, Shaykh Abu al-‘Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad at-Tijani (q.s.), was asked about the matter of presenting the Reward of good works to the Prophet (s.a.w.), so he responded, as we read in the Jawahir al-Ma’ani, by saying, “You should know that the Prophet (s.a.w.) has no need of creatures, in general and in particular, collectively and individually, nor of their presenting the Reward for their deeds to him.  His needs are Met by His Lord, first and foremost, and by what He has Bestowed upon him from the abundance of His Gracious Favour and the Perfection of His Mighty Power.  In the presence of His Lord, he is at an ultimate degree to which no one but he can possibly attain, so he does not seek any extra ‘benefit’ from anyone else.  That is confirmed by Allah’s (s.w.t.) Saying: 

سُوۡرَةُ الِضُّحىٰ

وَلَسَوۡفَ يُعۡطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرۡضَىٰٓ (٥) 

And soon will your Guardian-Lord Give you (that wherewith) you shall be well-pleased. (Surah adh-Dhuha’:5) 

How can this giving be appraised, and how can the minds comprehend its vast abundance?  Allah (s.w.t.) also Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ النِّسَاء

... وَكَانَ فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكَ عَظِيمً۬ا (١١٣) 

… and Great is the Grace of Allah unto you. (Surah an-Nisa’:113) 

Once you understand this, you should know that the Prophet (s.a.w.) has no need of the invocation of blessing of those who invoke blessing upon him, and it has not been legally prescribed for them for the purpose of causing him to obtain its benefit.  You should also know that he has no need of the presentation of the Reward.  If someone presents him with the Reward for good deeds, imagining that he is giving him some extra provision, or that the Prophet (s.a.w.) will obtain some benefit, that person can only be likened to someone who throws a drop into an ocean, the length of which is a journey of ten thousand years, and the breadth of which is the same, and the depth of which is the same, imagining that he is supporting that ocean with that drop.  What need has that ocean of that drop, and how could it possibly be increased by it? 

Once you understand the degree of his freedom from need and his prestigious rank in the Sight of his Lord, you should know that Allah (s.w.t.) has Commanded His Servants to invoke blessings upon the Prophet (s.a.w.) in order to make them aware of the loftiness of his worth in His Sight.”