Picturing the Prophet ﷺ in the Tashahhud

Question

From the words “as-salamu ‘alayka ayyuha al-nabi” (السلام عليك أيها النبي) in the Tahiyyat, the Sufi gentlemen argue that while performing prayer the mental picturing (tasawwur) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is necessary. Is this correct? What is the reason for these words, and what is the occasion of their origin (sha’n nuzul)?

Answer

Prayer should be performed keeping one’s attention on its meaning and understanding it; therefore the picturing will come as well. On the night of the Mi‘raj three things — al-tahiyyat, al-salawat, al-tayyibat — were presented before the Divine court, and from there, in reply, three things were granted: salam (peace), rahma (mercy) and barakat (blessings).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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