Habib Muhammad al-Haddar (may Allah have mercy upon him and benefit us by him) alerts us to the significance of every prayer we pray.

All you have to do is to pray two rakats, for in them Allah has combined all good things. Firstly in doing so you visit Allah, for when the Prophet ﷺ visited his Lord on the Night of the Mi`raj he addressed Him by saying:

التَّحيِّاتُ المبُارَكاتُ الصَّلواتُ الطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلَّه

‘Greetings, blessings and the best of prayers to Allah.’ If you say this you will be given the reward of making Hajj.

Secondly you visit your Prophet for you say:

السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّها النَّبِيُّ و رَحْمَةُ اللهِ و بَركاتُه

‘Peace be upon you, O Prophet and the mercy and blessings of Allah.’ Think of how much good you gain when you visit the Prophet.

Then you say:

السَّلامُ عَلَيْنا و على عِبادِ اللهِ الصَّالِحين

‘Peace be upon us and upon all of Allah’s pious slaves.’ This is what the Prophet said when Allah greeted him. He wished to include all pious people. These words reach every single pious person in the heavens and earth, those who are alive and those who are dead, and every single one of them will respond to your greeting. There is, however, a group of them who do not return your greeting because they are completely absorbed with the worship of their Lord and witnessing Him, so Allah responds on their behalf. One of the scholars said: “If only none of them responded so that Allah Himself would respond on behalf of all them, for nothing is greater than that.”

Then you finish by giving greetings of salam to those on your right, firstly the recording angel and then all the pious people in the heavens and the earth. Then you give greetings to those on your left, firstly the recording angel and then all the pious people in the heavens and the earth. Allah then records for you good deeds according to the number of pious people. All of this is in two rakats! If your heart and mind are present you will gain so much!

So all praise is due to Allah for the blessing of Islam, the blessing of following the Messenger, and the blessing of being members of his Ummah. We should rejoice for the good which Allah has prepared for us and this rejoicing is only complete when we die upon la ilaha ill’Allah.