Question on Salawat in Prayer

format_quote Originally Posted by vista

As part of the salawat, when we say to bless the Prophet(SAW) and his family "... as you have blessed Ibrahim(AS) and his family" , doesn't Ibrahim(AS)'s family already include all descendants including Prophet(SAW)? Just curious as it seems second portion of salawat already encompasses the beginning portion.

Lets first look at the meaning of word "Aal"

The word ‘Aal’ (base–word: aa-wa-lam), though has the literal meanings of "to return; to resort; to reduce to; to precede; be first or foremost", but the word specifically in context of relations, holds equal meanings to the word "Ahal" which means "household; kinfolk; or of common descent". But in usage the word is also taken for: "the people of’, ‘followers of’ and ‘friends of" (Awlia).

Scholars has difference of opinion on what exactly this means. Some say it means the house hold of Prophet Muhammad PBUH, others say it means followers of Prophet Muhammad PBUH, and yet other say it has both meanings. We know from Quran that blood relationship means nothing. It is the faith which makes all Muslims brothers and sisters. In hereafter,

the blood-relation would be nullified and the nearness to Allah and His Prophet will only be gotten by criteria of piety and the blessing of Allah; perhaps that is why the Prophet said that all the pious people are his family i.e. in the broader sense.

So to answer your question, followers of Prophet Ibrahim PBUH are Jews, Christians and Muslims. But followers of Prophet Muhammad PBUH are only Muslims. It is emphasized to say that Muslims are followers of all Prophets including Abraham PBUH where as Christians and Jews deny Prophet Muhammad PBUH.

Also I want to clarify that when we say followers, that means those who truly practice the religion without adding or removing anything from the religion. Jews and Christians of today are not the followers of Prophet Abraham PBUH. Similarly, there are Muslims who are not truly the followers of Prophet Muhammad PBUH because they have left the Sunnah.

That is what I understand and Allah knows the best!

This last piece is not related to your question but I think it is better to mention and hopefully we can benefit from it.

When Muslims don't pray, they are not only sinful for not praying but also sinful for not fulfilling the rights they have on them to send salawat on Prophet Muhammad PBUH and to pray for the saliheen ( as we say in attahiyat) I am quoting below:

“Assalamu Alaina Wa’ala’Ibadillahis Saa’liheen”
(Peace be on us and on all good slaves of Allah)

and to pray for the whole Muslim Ummah as it is evident by my discussion above.

Again that's my understanding and Allah knows the best!

This one really should be about common sense.

If that's what it says in the durood, then it obviously just refers to Ibrahim's (as) immediate family

Different definitions can be used for words and the complete sentence or its context is often the giveaway as to what ones being used