Eighty Years of Sins Forgiven

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ الصَّلَوةُ عَلَيَّ نُوْرٌ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ وَمَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ ثَمَانِيْنَ مَرَّةًغُفِرَتْ لَهُ ذُنُوْبُ ثَمَانِيْنَ عَامًا (ذكره السخاوي من عدة روايات ضعيفة بألفاظ مختلفة)

Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah (Radhiyallahu Anhu) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Reciting Durood upon me will be a light on the Bridge (Pul-Siraat). And whoever recites durood upon me eighty times on Friday, eighty years of his sins are forgiven.”

In Al Qawlul Badee’, Imaam Sakhaawi (Rahimahullah) has narrated this Hadith from numerous sources, but the Ulama of Hadith have declared them to be weak. The author of Ithaf (a commentary of Ihya-uloomid-Deen) has also narrated this Hadith from various sources. However, despite these sources being considered weak, it is a principle of the Hadith scholars that a weak narration, when reported from several authorities from many sources, is considered suitable to use when pertaining to virtues. It is most probably for this reason that this Hadith of Hadhrat Abu Hurayra (Radhiyallahu Anhu) has been declared as sound (hasan) in Al-Jaami-us-Sagheer.

Mulla Ali Qaari (Rahimahullah) mentions in Sharh Shifaa that this Hadith has also been narrated by Tabraani and Daaraqutni, both of whom give Jaami-us-Sagheer as their sources.

Another Hadith is reported by Daaraqutni that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “Whoever recites durood upon me eighty times on Friday, eighty years of his sins will be forgiven.” One of the Sahaabah (Radhiyallahu Anhum) asked, “O Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), how should the durood be recited?” Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) replied:

اللهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَنَبِيِّكَ وَرَسُوْلِكَ النَّبِيِّ الأُمِّيِّ

 O Allah, shower your choicest durood and peace on Hadhrat Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), Your slave, Your Nabi, Your messenger, the unlettered Nabi

 And having said this he closed one finger.

The meaning of closing the finger is that he should count on his fingers. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) often encouraged counting on the fingers because on the day of Qiyaamah those same fingers will bear witness at the time when they shall be questioned. We commit numerous sins with our hands daily and on the day of Qiyaamah those same hands shall bear witness against us with regard to the sins we have committed. So why should we not do or count some righteous deeds like durood upon Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) with our hands so that they can at least bear witness on our behalf.

Haafiz Iraaqi has called this Hadith “Hasan”.

Another Hadith is quoted by Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallahu Anhu), where he reports that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “Whoever recites durood upon me one hundred times on Friday will be accompanied by such light on the Day of Qiyaamah that if it should be distributed among mankind, it would suffice all of them.”

Allama Sakhawi (Rahimahulah) mentions another Hadith reported by Hadhrat Anas (Radhiyallahu Anhu) that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, “Whoever recites durood upon me once that is accepted (by Allah Ta’ala), eighty years of his sins are forgiven.” (Fazaail Durood)

Writing Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in Full

Ubaydullaah bin Umar Qawaareeri (Rahmatullahi Alaihi) says, “I had a close companion who was a writer by profession. After his demise I had once seen him in a dream and enquired from him as to how Allah Ta’ala had dealt with him. He replied that Allah Ta’ala had forgiven him. I asked him the reason. He said, ‘It was my habit during my lifetime that whenever I wrote the blessed name of Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), I always wrote ‘Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam’ after the mubaarak name. Allah Ta’ala loved this action so much, that He had granted me bounties that no eye has ever seen, nor no ear has ever heard and neither did the thought of such boons and bounties ever cross the mind of any person.’”  (Fazaail Durood)

يَا رَبِّ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّم دَائِمًا أَبَدًا عَلَى حَبِيبِكَ خَيرِ الخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ