Question:
Assalamualaikum w.b.t,
During the tarawih prayer we would normally hear the muezzin reciting the salawat as the following in the between two rakaah of the prayer:
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا وَحَبِيْبِنَا وَشَفِيْعِنَا وَزُخْرِنَا وَمَوْلَانَا مُحَمَّدٍ
My question is, what is meant by ‘zukhrina’ in the above salawat?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam w.b.t,
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
In the book Lisan al-Arab (4/320), zakhara al-bahr means a rough and stormy sea as mentioned in the hadith narrated by Jabir bin Abdillah RA:
فَأَتَيْنَا سِيفَ الْبَحْرِ فَزَخَرَ الْبَحْرُ زَخْرَةً فَأَلْقَى دَابَّةً فَأَوْرَيْنَا عَلَى شِقِّهَا النَّارَ فَاطَّبَخْنَا وَاشْتَوَيْنَا وَأَكَلْنَا حَتَّى شَبِعْنَا
We came to the bank of the ocean and the ocean was tossing and it threw out a big animal and we lit fire and cooked it and took it until we had eaten to our heart's content.
Sahih Muslim (3012)
In Mu’jam al-Wasit (1/391), it is stated that al-zakhir is someone who is of high virtue, and when it is said fulan ‘irquhu zakhir, it means someone who grows up in great honor and generosity.
In Qomus al-Muhit (1/399), zakhir is also something that gives happiness and honor.
Hence, it can be said that the meaning of the above salawat as follows:
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا وَحَبِيْبِنَا وَشَفِيْعِنَا وَزُخْرِنَا وَمَوْلَانَا مُحَمَّدٍ
“O Allah, bless our leader, our beloved, our intercessor, our glory, and our chief, Muhammad”
This is because the Prophet PBUH certainly is our glory as Muslims, who guides us away from our disgrace towards being the best nation, perfect us with the absolute happiness as the servants of Allah appropriate with his noble lineage. Wallahua’lam.
May we be blessed with a great love towards the Prophet PBUH and the commitment to follow his path to the day we meet him in the hereafter. Amin.