After reciting Surah Al Fatihah, Huzoor^(aba) recited the following verse:

“Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! You also should invoke blessings on him and salute him with the salutation of peace.” (33:57)

Huzoor^(aba) expounded upon the importance of reciting the Durood Sharif in his sermon today. He explained that the Holy Prophet^(saw) is not the one who is in need of our prayers. Allah Almighty has bestowed His bountiful mercy upon us and shown us the way for our prayers to be accepted by the recitation of the Durood and its recitation has been made a vessel to gain closeness to Allah. If we do not adopt this method and take advantage of it, then all our worship is in vain because Allah has created this universe for the service of the Holy Prophet^(saw).

Huzoor^(aba) explained an extract of the Promised Messiah^(as) who also emphasized greatly on the recitation of the Durood. Huzoor^(aba) said that first of all, it must be clearly stated that the Holy Prophet^(saw) does not need our prayers and salutations. We must not think that the elevated status he has achieved is because of our invocations and prayers. The Holy Prophet^(saw) has already been chosen as the dear Prophet of Allah and has gained the love of Allah. There is profound wisdom hidden in the injunction of reciting the Durood excessively. When a person prays invokes blessings of Allah on another person solely because of his sheer love and affection for that person with the purest of intentions, then that person becomes deserving of receiving the same blessings for himself. For example, in terms of worldly relationships, we can look at the bond that exists between a mother and her child. When a child begins to explore the world on his own for the first time in his infancy and finds any morsel of food, he tries to feed those morsels to the mother by placing them in her mouth. Although these morsels do not satiate the mother’s hunger, this act is a mere display of innocent and profound love the child has for his mother, and in return, the mother loves her child even more passionately than ever before. Similar is the case of the person who selflessly prays for another due to his love for him, and therefore becomes deserving of those blessings for himself. When two persons are united in this bond of love as a result of prayers, Allah sends His bountiful blessings on both, the one who prays, and the one who is being prayed for, the only condition being that the prayers are earnest and sincere and done with the purest of intentions.

Huzoor^(aba) also mentioned several incidents from the life of the Promised Messiah^(as) who received many blessings from Allah due to his extensive recitation of the Durood. One night, the Promised Messiah^(as) dreamt that heaps of lights were entering his abode, symbolizing that blessings of Allah were being sent on him as a result of his invocations on the Holy Prophet^(saw). The Promised Messiah^(as) says that in order to gain closeness to Allah, one must pass through many struggles and difficulties. To ease this path towards Him, Allah has shown the believers a way they can reach Him effortlessly, and that is to recite the Durood because the only way towards Him is through His Prophet.

In a Hadith, Hazrat Ibn Mas'ud^(ra) is reported to have heard the Prophet^(saw) said, "The people nearest to me on the Day of Judgment will be the ones most conscientious in invoking blessings upon me." (Tirmidhi)

In another Hadith narrated by Hazrat Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As^(ra), it is reported that the Holy Prophet^(saw) said: When you hear the Mu'adhdhin, repeat what he says, then invoke a blessing on me, for everyone who invokes a blessing on me will receive ten blessings from Allah: then beg from Allah al-Wasilah for me, which is a rank in Paradise fitting for only one of Allah's Servants, and I hope that I may be that one. If anyone who asks that I be given the Wasilah, he will be assured of my intercession. (Muslim)

In a Hadith narrated by Hazrat Abu Bakr^(ra), he is reported to have said that invoking blessings on the Holy Prophet^(saw) (reciting the Durood) is a means of expiation of sins and purification of the self.

Huzoor^(aba) said that such invocations should be performed in a beautiful manner; not like those who rotate the rosary in their hands swiftly. These people do not invoke blessings for the sake of pleasing Allah but to show their righteousness off to others.

Huzoor^(aba) mentioned the proper ways of reciting the Durood. He instructed that Durood should be offered repeatedly and excessively. He also explained that the injunction of reciting Durood to gain blessings is a favor from Allah; He has shown us a way to reach Him and has provided a way for believers to gain His pleasure. In another Hadith, narrated by Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab^(ra), the Holy Prophet^(saw) is reported to have said: “The supplication is stopped between Heaven and Earth and none of it ascends till you invoke blessing on your Prophet.” (Tirmidhi)

Huzoor^(aba) also mentioned that the Companions of the Holy Prophet^(saw) realized the importance of reciting Durood and their love for the Holy Prophet^(saw) compelled them to excel amongst one in another in invoking Durood upon the Prophet^(saw).

In a Hadith narrated by a Companion of the Holy Prophet^(saw), it has been recorded as follows: “I (the Companion) said to the Prophet^(saw): 'O Messenger of Allah^(saw) I invoke Allah's peace and blessings upon you copiously; how much time should I earmark for this?' He said: 'As much time as you think proper.' I submitted: 'A quarter of my time?' He said: 'As much you wish; but it would be better for you, if you could devote more time.' I said: 'Half of my time?' He said: 'Whatever you wish; but it would be (still) better for you, if you were to increase it.' Then I said: 'Two-third of my time?' He said: 'As much you wish; but it would be (still) better for you if you were to increase it.' I said: 'Shall I devote all my time (supplications) to reciting Salat (benediction) on you? He said: 'Then it will take care of all your worries and your sins will be forgiven.' (Tirmidhi)

Huzoor^(aba) also mentioned that Hazrat Mufti Mohammad Sadiq Sahib^(ra) used to feel great pleasure in invoking the Durood upon the Holy Prophet^(saw) and one day he came across a Hadith in which the importance and excellence of reciting the Durood was described. After reading that Hadith, it was the intense desire of Hazrat Mufti Mohammad Sadiq Sahib^(ra) to increase his invocations of the Durood to the extent that all his supplications became solely the recitation of the Durood. At one occasion, when he was visiting Qadian, he mentioned to the Promised Messiah^(as) that all his supplications consisted of reciting the Durood, upon which the Promised Messiah^(as) expressed his happiness. After that, Hazrat Mufti Mohammad Sadiq Sahib^(ra) continued his practice ever more intensely to recite only the Durood during his supplications.

Hazrat 'Abdurrahman ibn 'Auf^(ra) relates that the Messenger of Allah went out once and he followed him until he entered a grove of palm trees and prostrated. His prostration was so long that 'Abdurrahman feared that Allah had taken his soul. 'Abdurrahman came to look at him and he raised his head and said: "What is wrong, Abdurrahman'?" Abdurrahman mentioned what had happened, and he said: "Gabriel^(as) came to me" and said: 'Shall I not give you glad tidings'? Allah says to you, Whoever prays upon you, I pray upon him. Whoever salutes you, I salute him.' Therefore, I prostrated to Allah in thanks."

Huzoor^(aba) again reminded us that the Promised Messiah^(as) emphasized the recitation of the Durood, but he did not specify how many times the Durood should be recited; however, the emphasis was laid upon how the Durood should be recited with intense feelings of love and zeal for the Holy Prophet^(saw) and it should be recited frequently and excessively.

Another Hadith records the Holy Prophet^(saw) said: “Among the most excellent of your days is Friday; on it Adam was created, on it he died, on it the last trumpet will be blown, and on it the shout will be made, so invoke more blessings on me that day, for your blessings will be submitted to me. The people asked: Apostle of Allah, how can it be that our blessings will be submitted to you while your body is decayed? He replied: Allah, the Exalted, has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of Prophets.” (Abu Dawood)

Huzoor^(aba) recounted many other incidents from Ahadith and the life of the Promised Messiah^(as) that highlight the significance of reciting Durood. In the end, Huzoor^(aba) urged all members of the Jama’at to invoke the Durood with all the accompanying etiquettes required to recite the Durood and prayed that Islam prevails over the enemies and Allah may grant us victory, Ameen.