What Is the Meaning of the Hadith of Ka’b about Spending All One’s Time Sending Prayers on the Prophet?
Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch
Question
What is the meaning of the Hadith of Ka’b regarding spending all one’s time sending prayers on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
The Narration (Hadith)
Ubayy bin Ka’b (Allah be pleased with him) narrated saying, “O Messenger of Allah, I send a lot of prayers upon you; how much should I do?” He replied, “However, much you want.”
He said, “How about one-fourth?” He said, “As you wish, but if you did more it would be better for you.” He said, “How about half.” He said, “As you wish, but if you did more it would be better for you.” He said, “How about two-thirds?” He said, “As you wish, but if you did more it would be better for you.”
He said, “Then, I will make all my time sending prayers on you.” He (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied, “In that case, your worries will be sufficed and your sins forgiven.”
[Ahmad and Tirmidhi]
The Meaning
What is meant here is that the narrator had a certain portion of time allotted for private supplication and invocation. From this time, he would designate some of it to send prayers upon the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). [Ali Qari, Mirqat al-Mafatih]
Another interesting detail in this narration was the method of response from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) to the narrator’s question. [Ibid.]
He did not immediately tell the companion a specific number or time to send prayers upon him. This could be so that a specific number does not become obligatory on his community. [Ibid.]
Secondly, he allowed for back-and-forth questioning. If he (Allah bless him and give him peace) had told him a specific number it would limit the number and wouldn’t allow for an increase. Hypothetically, if he specified a number, it may be beyond the narrator’s ability to fulfill consistently. [Ibid.]
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) responded in a manner that allowed the companion to come to a conclusion of his own. [Ibid.]
Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Yusuf Weltch teaches Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he completed four years at the Darul Uloom seminary in New York, where he studied Arabic and the traditional sciences.
He then traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he studied for three years in Dar al-Mustafa under some of the most outstanding scholars of our time, including Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, Habib Kadhim al-Saqqaf, and Shaykh Umar al-Khatib.
In Tarim, Shaykh Yusuf completed the memorization of the Quran and studied beliefs, legal methodology, hadith methodology, Quranic exegesis, Islamic history, and several texts on spirituality. He joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.
