I want you to imagine a scene with me. It’s the Day. The ground beneath you is packed with every soul that has ever lived. Your heart is pounding, and your eyes are searching desperately for one face, the only one that matters in that moment: our beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

You stretch your neck, standing on your toes, trying to see past the crushing crowd. But he is impossibly far away. And then, through a small gap, you see something that stops your breath.

There, in the front rows, where you can just make out the luminous faces of the Sahaba, you see your friend. Someone from your community, someone you knew well, someone you never thought of as a spiritual giant. But there he is, closer than you could ever imagine. And the devastating realization hits you: the real star, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), is nowhere to be seen. Not because he isn’t there, but because you weren’t ready.

What was his secret? How did he get there?

Thinking of that scene makes my heart sink. But Alhamdulillah, that day has not yet come. We are still here. We can change our position in that line.

But how?

The Prophet (ﷺ) himself gave us the answer:

إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَكْثَرُهُمْ عَلَيَّ صَلاَةً
“Indeed, the closest of people to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those who sent the most blessings upon me.” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi)

For every blessing we send upon him, Allah promises a return beyond imagination:

With all these immense, personal benefits, it brings us to a deeper question. Think about what Allah is asking us to do: make a prayer, a du’a, for the Prophet. But why would the most beloved of creation need our prayers? The secret isn’t about his need; it’s about the magnitude of Allah’s love for him, and His desire to give us a share in that love.

Allah’s love for His Prophet is so immense that He singled him out in the Qur’an with an honor given to no one else. He tells us that He Himself initiates the connection. The word for prayer, Salah (صلاة), comes from the root ṣ-l-y (ص ل ي). And the entire purpose of this act is to create a Silah (صِلَة), which literally means a “connection.” Think about that. We strive to build bridges and connect with what we love. Here, Allah shows us that He, in His Majesty, does the same. He initiates this Silah out of His love for the Prophet (ﷺ).

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings (Salah) upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, send blessings upon him and greet him with peace.” (Qur’an 33:56)

This is the most profound invitation in the entire Qur’an. Throughout its pages, we are told to follow the footsteps of the Prophet (ﷺ). But here, in this singular, awe-inspiring act of love, Allah elevates the command. He doesn’t ask us to follow the Prophet; He asks us to follow Him. He asks us to join Him and the angels in this prayer, in this pursuit of love and connection with His Messenger (ﷺ).

This isn’t just another good deed. It is our ticket to the front row. It is the currency that buys us proximity to the one we yearn to see. Every time we say “Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad,” we are answering a divine invitation. We are taking a step closer. We are building our own Silah to the Prophet (ﷺ), following the lead of Allah Himself.

Don’t let that Day come and find that you weren’t ready.

Fill your commute, your waiting times, your quiet moments. Send blessings upon him. Send peace upon him.

Allahumma salli wa sallim ‘ala Nabiyyina Muhammad.