Blessings upon the Prophet

The salawat is the invocation of God's blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad, and it is among the most frequently repeated devotional formulas in Islam. Its warrant is a verse of the Quran declaring that God and his angels bless the Prophet and calling on the believers to invoke blessings and peace upon him, and the invocation is accordingly woven through Muslim worship: it is said within the ritual prayer, whenever the Prophet's name is mentioned, and as an act of devotion in its own right, counted in great numbers and recited collectively, especially in Sufi gatherings and on the celebration of the Prophet's birthday (Mawlid). Elaborate poetic forms of blessing upon the Prophet have grown into a rich devotional literature. To send salawat is understood as an expression of love and reverence for the Prophet and as bringing blessing upon the one who recites it, and its constant repetition keeps his memory and honour continually present in the devotional life of Muslims.

Collections devoted entirely to salawat formulas, most famously the Dalail al-Khayrat compiled by the fifteenth-century Moroccan Sufi Muhammad al-Jazuli, became standard devotional manuals across much of the Muslim world, organized so that reciters could complete the whole collection across a week or a month of regular practice. Public group recitation of salawat, sometimes accompanied by drumming or in the call and response style associated with Sufi gatherings, remains a visible feature of Mawlid celebrations and other communal devotions, distinguishing it from prayers recited silently or individually.