Do I “HAVE” to send salutations on the Prophet ﷺ (durood) when I make duaa for something?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

It’s good and recommended to send peace and blessings on the Prophet ﷺ after praising Allaah, the when we say our personal duaas, in the beginning and the end.

That’s part of the etiquette of making duaa. And it increases the chances of our duaas being accepted.

🍃 The Prophet ﷺ said:

“When any one of you prays, let him begin by praising Allaah, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ then let him ask for whatever he wants.”

(Al-Tirmidhi 3477; saheeh by al-Albaani)

🍃 And Umar ibn al-Khattaab radhi Allaahu anhu said:

“Du’aa is suspended between heaven and earth and none of it is taken up until you send blessings upon your Prophet ﷺ.”

(al-Tirmidhi 486; hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi)

🍃 And Ali radhi Allaahu anhu said:

“Every duaa is not responded to until one sends blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ .”

(al-Bayhaqi; saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’ 4523) 

🍃 Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“There are three categories of sending blessing upon the Prophet ﷺ when making du’aa’.”

(Jala’ al-Afhaam, p. 531-535)

🍃 Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd explained that and said:

“The best category of sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ is at the beginning of the du’aa’, in the middle and at the end.

It is like wings for the du’aa’ with which it soars up to the clouds of the sky.

The second category is sending blessings upon him at the beginning and end of the du’aa’.

The third category is sending blessings upon him at the beginning.”

(Tasheeh al-Du’aa’ p. 23)

🍃 Abu Sulaymaan al-Daaraani said:

“Whoever wants to ask Allaah for what he needs, let him start by sending blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ then ask for what he needs, then end his prayer with blessings upon the Prophet, for his sending blessings upon the Prophet will be accepted, and Allaah is too generous to refuse what comes in between.”

So it’s good and recommended to send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ when making duaa.

And by doing that, the likelihood of our duaa being accepted increases.

But it’s not “mandatory”.

That’s because the Prophet ﷺ did not do that in all of his duaas.

And Allaah knows best