Fadala b. ‘Ubaid said-that while God’s Messenger was sitting, a man entered and prayed aying, “O God, forgive me and show mercy to me.” God’s Messenger said, “You who are praying are in a hurry. When you pray and come to the point when you sit, you should worthily extol God’s praises, invoke blessing on me, and then make your supplication.” He said that afterwards another man prayed, extolling God’s praises and invoking a blessing on the Prophet, and the Prophet said to him, “You who are praying, if you make supplication you will receive an answer.”
Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted something similar.
Ubayy b. Ka'b said he told God’s Messenger that he frequently invoked blessings on him and asked how much of his prayer* he should devote to him. He replied that he might devote as much as he wished, and when he suggested a quarter he said, “Whatever you wish, but if you increase it that will be better for you.” He suggested a half and he replied, “Whatever you wish, but if you increase it that will be better for you.” He suggested two-thirds and he replied, “Whatever you wish, but if you increase it that will be better for you.” He then suggested devoting all his prayer to him and he replied, “Then you will be freed from care and your sin will be expiated.”
* The word used is salat. It has been explained as referring here to the petitions (du’a) offered at the end of the salat.
I was praying, and so was the Prophet accompanied by Abu Bakr and ‘Umar. When I sat I first extolled God’s praises then invoked blessings on the Prophet, then made supplication for myself, and the Prophet said, “If you ask you will be given it, if you ask you will be given it.”
Narrated Abu Talha told of God’s Messenger coming one day with a cheerful look on his face and saying:
Gabriel came to me and told me that my Lord says, “Does it not please you, Muhammad, that none of your people will invoke a blessing on you without my blessing him ten times, and that none of your people will give you a greeting without my greeting him ten times?”
