A Theological and Textual Inquiry into Allah’s "Prayer" upon Muhammad in Qur’an 33:56

The Qur’an, regarded by Muslims as the literal word of Allah, contains numerous passages that have historically generated theological and exegetical discussions within both Islamic and interfaith scholarship. One such verse is Qur’an 33:56, which reads in the Hilali-Khan translation:

“Allah sends His Salat (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy) on the Prophet (Muhammad), and also His angels do. O you who believe! Send your Salat on him, and greet him with the Islamic way of greeting.” (Qur’an 33:56)

Other translations, such as that of Qaribullah, render the phrase as:

“Allah and His angels praise and venerate the Prophet. Believers, praise and venerate him.”

This raises a profound theological question: what does it mean for Allah — the supreme, self-sufficient, transcendent deity of Islamic monotheism — to perform salat (prayer, blessings, or praise) upon a created being, namely Muhammad?

1. The Lexical and Theological Tension: What is Salat?

The Arabic word salat (صلاة) typically refers to prayer or ritual supplication. In Islamic theology, salat is the prescribed act of worship offered by human beings to God five times daily. However, when attributed to Allah Himself in this verse, it generates a semantic and theological challenge: if salat is understood as prayer or invocation, then upon whom does Allah pray? To whom does the Almighty direct His act of salat?

Islamic exegetes such as Al-Tabari and Al-Qurtubi have grappled with this issue. Many have attempted to resolve the dilemma by redefining salat in this context as sending blessings, mercy, or honour. Yet, the consistency of the word’s usage elsewhere in the Qur’an — particularly when referring to acts performed by creatures toward God — leaves open the question of how it could signify something categorically different when ascribed to Allah.

2. Does Allah Engage in Worship or Intercessory Acts?

If salat fundamentally denotes worship, praise, or supplication, then attributing it to Allah suggests a form of veneration or communicative act directed toward another. This poses a theological problem for Islamic tawhid (absolute monotheism), which asserts that Allah is utterly self-sufficient (Al-Samad, Qur’an 112:2) and dependent on no one.

Thus, the critical question emerges:

• If Allah is offering salat, then to whom is this act directed?

• Is Allah engaging in an act akin to worship or intercession, and if so, to what or to whom?

• If the meaning of salat changes contextually when attributed to Allah, does this not risk semantic equivocation within divine speech?

3. The Elevation of Muhammad in Islamic Devotion

The same verse commands believers to likewise send salat upon Muhammad, effectively placing the Prophet in a unique position of continual veneration, both by the Creator and His creation. This has led some scholars, both Muslim and non-Muslim, to question whether this form of praise and exaltation of Muhammad blurs the strict Creator-creation distinction foundational to Islamic theology.

It has also fueled polemical critiques from Christian and Jewish theologians throughout history, suggesting that Islamic practice risks elevating Muhammad to a quasi-divine status, effectively incorporating an intermediary figure between humanity and God, much like saints or demi-gods in other religious traditions.

4. Conclusion: A Theological Dilemma

This verse, when read plainly, suggests that Allah performs an act — salat — toward Muhammad, alongside His angels, and then commands His followers to do the same. This raises unavoidable theological and philosophical questions:

• Does Allah, the utterly transcendent Being, engage in acts of praise or veneration?

• If so, to what higher reality is this act directed?

• If salat means different things when performed by Allah versus when performed by His creatures, what grounds this difference linguistically and theologically?

• And does this continual exaltation of Muhammad suggest a mediating role that potentially conflicts with the strict monotheism claimed by Islamic doctrine?

Such questions invite further critical reflection within Islamic theology, Qur’anic hermeneutics, and comparative religious studies. They also underscore the importance of precise definitions and consistency in attributing actions to the divine within any monotheistic framework.

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