I wish to know if the verse 56 of the Sūrah Ahzāb obligates us to invoke Allah’s blessings upon the Holy Prophet (sws). How do we do that? If this is not the meaning of this verse, what is its real implication?
A simple translation of the verse follows:
Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O you who believe! Ask blessings on him and send peace unto him with a worthy salutation. (33:56)
The verse requires us to invoke Allah’s mercy and blessings upon the Holy Prophet (sws). We can discharge this obligation by simply praying for him as we pray for our dear ones and our own very selves. The wish to utter prayers is instinctively created in our hearts and our tongue expresses our petitions. Suppose I ask you to pray for me. How do you think you will grant me the request. You would definitely frame your words in your own way and pray to the Lord for me.
The verse actually makes a subtle allusion to the practice of the hypocrites of Madīnah who would always contrive to harm the Holy Prophet (sws) and his family. The Almighty tells the Muslims that the appropriate way is to pray for the Prophet (sws) as the angels carry out this noble task; so much so, the Almighty Himself sends blessings upon him. It highlights the status of the Messenger of Allah and his coveted relationship with God and His angels. In other words, what we learn from the verse is that invoking Allah’s blessings upon the Prophet (sws) is an act cherished by the angels and well approved by the Almighty. This is the antibiotic that waylays the germs of hypocrisy and cleanses our hearts.