Secondly, Adopting the best manners and etiquette with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

This can be achieved with the following matters:

A-          Praising the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as he best deserves to be praised. The greatest of this praise is what Allah, The Almighty, and himself praised him with. The best of this are:

Sending peace and blessings upon him for Allah, The Almighty, commanded and confirmed this saying (what means): {Indeed, Allah send His Salah upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.} [Quran 33: 56]

Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with them, said commenting on this verse: "They send blessings upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him." 

In this verse, Allaah The Almighty informs His servants of the elevated status of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, which is such that He praises him in the exalted assembly of the angels who are near Him, and they, in turn, ask Him to send His blessings on him, peace and blessings be upon him. Then, Allaah The Almighty orders the people of the earth to ask Him to confer blessings upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, so that he would be praised by the dwellers of both worlds – heavenly and terrestrial.

The Salah of the believers for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is to supplicate to Allah, The Almighty, for him, seeking more praise over him."

This verse contains a command of sending blessing on the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and command here refers to obligation. Therefore, it was narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

•   "The miser is the one in whose presence I am mentioned, then he does not send Salah upon me."

•   "May he be humiliated, the man in whose presence I am mentioned and he does not send Salah upon me."

In fact, sending blessing on the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is prescribed in many acts of worship such as Tashah-hud  (final sitting in prayer), Kuttbah (sermons), funeral prayers, after Athaan, during Du‘aa' (i.e. supplication) and the like of others situations.

The best wording for sending blessing on the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is what he, peace and blessings be upon him, taught his companions when they said: "O Messenger of Allah, with regard to sending Salam (i.e. greeting) upon you, we know about this, but how about Salah?' He, peace and blessings be upon him,  said: "Say: "O Allah, send Your Salah upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your Salah upon the family of Ibrahim, verily You are the Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your blessings upon the family of Ibrahim, verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.''

It is well known that sending blessing on the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, helps one get many benefits and fruits because it is a reason for getting many rewards, erasing many misdeeds, answering supplication, getting intercession, getting the prayer of Allah, The Almighty, perpetual and increasing love of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and being saved from miserliness…"

B-          Mentioning the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, often and yearning to see him, mentioning his virtues, special characteristics, miracles, proofs of his prophethood, introducing and teaching people his Sunnah, reminding them with his dignity, status and rights, mentioning his attributes, manners and merits, the issues related to his Dawah, biography, battles and praising him with poetry and prose." 

Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "The more one mentions the beloved and remembering his love in his heart, remembering his noble merits that bring about loving him, the more one will love the beloved, the more his yearning will increase and overcome all of his heart. However, if one neglects mentioning his beloved and remembering his love and merits with his heart, the less his love to the beloved will be. Nothing is actually more pleasing to one than seeing the beloved, nothing is more assuring to the heart than remembering and thinking about the virtues and merits of the beloved. If this becomes strong in one's heart, his tongue will be moist with praising and commending him and mentioning his merits. Increase and decrease of this will be according to the increase and decrease of love in one's heart."

C-          Observing the proper etiquette when mentioning the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. This can be fulfilled by not mentioning his name except by annexing to and conjoining it with the word "prophet" or "messenger". As being etiquette for the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, when calling the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, it should be also etiquette to others when mentioning or calling him. One should not say, "Muhammd"; however, one should say, "Prophet of Allah or the Messenger" and the like.

Such is a privilege only for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, when Allah, The Almighty, addresses him in the Noble Quran away from all other Prophets, may Allah exalt their mention. Allah, The Almighty, never addressed him with his name only and when He, The Exalted, says (what means): {Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men…} [Quran 33: 40], He, The Exalted, says after it in the same Soorah (i.e. chapter) (what means): {…but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets...}

Instruction of observing this etiquette was stated in the saying of Allah, The Almighty: {Do not make [your] calling of the Messenger among yourselves as the call of one of you to another…} [Quran 24: 63] 

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