روي أنه قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا سمعتم المؤذن فقولوا مثل ما يقول المؤذن ثم صلوا علي. فإنه من صلى علي صلاة صلى الله عليه بها عشرا. ثم سلوا الله لي الوسيلة، فإنها منزلة في الجنة لا تنبغي إلا لعبد من عباد الله. وأرجو أن أكون أنا هو. فمن سأل لي الوسيلة جلت له الشفاعة يوم القيامة.

It is narrated that the Prophet (sws) said: “When you hear the caller to prayers, repeat the words as said by the caller. Then pray for blessings upon me.1 For, indeed, whoever prays for blessings upon me once, God, in return, blesses him with the likes of ten such blessings.2 After this, ask God to grant me the wasīlah, for it is a place in Paradise which no one except one of God’s servants shall get.3 I desire that I am the one who gets it. Whoever asks wasīlah for me, shall be allowed my petition [in his favour] on the Day of Resurrection.”4

Notes on the Text of the Narrative

This narrative or a part of it with some variations has been reported in Muslim (no. 384), Abū Dā’ūd (no. 523), Tirmidhī (nos. 3612 and 3614), Nisāī (no. 678), Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Nos. 6568, 7588 and 8755), Ibn Hibbān (Nos. 1690, 1691 and 1692), Nisāī’s Sunan Al-Kubrā (nos. 1642 and 9873), Bayhaqī (no. 1789), Ibn Khuzaymah (No. 418), Abū Ya‘lā (No. 414) and Ibn Abī Shaybah (no. 29590 and 31784). The preferred text is the one reported in Muslim (no. 384).

In some narratives, as in Ahmad ibn Hanbal (No. 6568), the words إذا سمعتم المؤذن (when you hear the caller to prayers) have alternatively been reported as إذا سمعتم مؤذنا (when you hear a caller to prayers) while in Bayhaqī (No. 1789), these words have been reported as إذا سمعتم المؤذن يؤذن (when you hear the caller to prayer calling).

In some narratives, as in Ibn Hibbān (no. 1691), the words فقولوا مثل ما يقول المؤذن (repeat the words as said by the caller) have been reported as فقولوا كما يقول (repeat as he says).

The word المؤذن (the caller to prayers) in the phrase مثل ما يقول المؤذن (as said by the caller) have been reported in Tirmidhī (no. 3614).

In some narratives, as in Ibn Hibbān (no. 1691), the words فإنه من صلى علي صلاة (because whoever prays for blessings upon me once) have been reported as فإنه ليس أحد يصلي علي صلاة (because there is no one who prays for blessings upon me once).

In some narratives, as in Tirmidhī (no. 3614), the words من صلى علي صلاة (whoever prays for blessings upon me once) have been rendered as من صلى صلاة (whoever prays once).

In some narratives, as in Ibn Hibbān (no. 1691), the words وسلوا الله لي الوسيلة (and ask God to grant me the wasīlah) have been reported as وسلوا لي الوسيلة (ask for wasīlah for me).

In some narratives, as in Tirmidhī (no. 3612), when the Prophet (sws) directed the people to ask the Almighty for wasīlah for him, people asked the Prophet (sws) what this wasīlah was. Thus, in such narratives, before the Prophet (sws) explained what wasīlah was, the words قالوا يا رسول الله وما الوسيلة؟ (They said: O Prophet of God, what is wasīlah?) have been added.

In some narratives, as in Tirmidhī (no. 3612), the words فإنها منزلة في الجنة لا تنبغي إلا لعبد من عباد الله (for it is a place in Paradise which no one except one of God’s servants shall get) have been rendered as أعلى درجة في الجنة لا ينالهنا إلا رجل واحد (the highest grade in Paradise that no one shall get except one man); in some narratives, as in Ibn Hibbān (no. 1690), these words have been reported as فإنها مرتبة في الجنة لا تنبغي إلا لعبد من عباد الله (for it is a level in Paradise, which no one except one of God’s servants shall get); while in some narratives, as in Ibn Khuzaymah (no. 418), the word منزلة (place) have been replaced with درجة (grade).

In some narratives, as in Ibn Hibbān (no. 1692), the words فمن سأل لي الوسيلة (whoever asks for wasīlah for me) have been reported as فمن سأل الله لي الوسيلة (whoever asks God to grant me wasīlah).

In some narratives, as in Bayhaqī (no. 1789), the words وأرجو أن أكون أنا هو (I desire that I am the one who gets it) have been reported as وأرجو أن أكونه (I desire that I am him).

In some narratives, as in Abū Dā’ūd (no. 523), the words حلت له الشفاعة (shall be allowed my petition) have been reported as حلت عليه الشفاعة (on him shall my petition be allowed).

The words يوم القيامة (on the Day of Resurrection) have been reported in Ibn Hibbān (no. 1691).

In some narratives, as in Ahmad ibn Hanbal (no. 8755), the Prophet (sws) is reported to have said:

صلوا علي، فإنها زكاة لكم واسألوا الله لي الوسيلة. فإنها ذرجة في أعلى الجنة لا ينالها إلا رجل وأرجو أن أكون أنا هو.

Pray for blessings upon me, for it shall be a source of cleansing for you. And ask God to grant me wasīlah, for it is a grade in the highest ranks of Paradise, which no one, except one man, shall be granted. I am desirous that I am that man.

In some narratives, as in Abū Ya‘lā (no. 6414), the words صلوا علي فإنها زكاة لكم (pray for blessings upon me, for it shall be source of cleansing for you) have been replaced with اكثروا الصلاة علي فإن صلاتكم علي زكاة لكم (pray more and more for blessings upon me for indeed your prayers for blessings upon me shall be a source of cleansing for you); while in some narratives, as in Ibn Abī Shaybah (no. 31784), these words have been replaced by صلوا علي فإن صلاة علي زكاة لكم (pray for blessings upon me, for indeed praying for blessings upon me shall be a source of cleansing for you).

In some narratives, as in Abū Ya‘lā (no. 6414), the words إلا رجل (except one man) have been reported as إلا رجل واحد من الناس (except one man from amongst all people).

In an alternative narrative, as reported in Ibn Abī Shaybah (no. 29590), the Prophet (sws) is reported to have said:

سل الله لي الوسيلة لا يسألها لي مؤمن في الدنيا إلا كنت له شهيدا أو شفيعا يوم القيامة.

Ask God to grant me wasīlah. I shall be a witness – or a petitioner – for every believer in the world, who asks that it be granted to me.

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1. Having rejuvenated one’s faith by repeating the words of the call for prayers, it is a time for prayers and supplication. The Prophet (sws) has requested Muslims to pray for blessings upon him at this time.

2. Being a requirement of one’s faith in the prophet of God as well as a deed prescribed by an express directive of the Qur’ān (33:56), it shall be rewarded with the likes of ten blessings. The Qur’ān says:

مَن جَاء بِالْحَسَنَةِ فَلَهُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا (٦: ١٦٠)

Whoever comes with one good deed, he shall have [the reward of] the likes of ten such deeds. (6:160)

3. It seems that this place or grade shall be granted by God to honour the most obedient and submissive person.

4. Having prayed for blessings upon the Prophet (sws), the Prophet (sws) promises that, in return, he too shall pray and request for the salvation of that person on the Day of Resurrection.