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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Holy Quran Supplement 3 Do we not often send greetings to the holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) by the special formula of Salawat ' ? Does Salawat ' not have the meaning of requesting new blessings from Allah for Prophet Mohammad and his descendants (p.b.u.th.) ? Is it not expressed in the Qur'an regarding the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) who used to say: "... O' my Lord ! advance me in knowledge ", (Sura Taha, No. 20, verse 114) ?

Does the Holy Qur'an not say: " And Allah doth advance in guidance those who seek guidance...",(Sura Maryam, No. 19,verse 19) ? And, again, does it not say : " But to those who receive guidance, He increases the (light of) Guidance, and bestows on them their piety and restraint (from evil) ", (Sura Muhammad, No. 47, verse 17) ?

This explanation makes clear the answer to the question regarding the benediction which we recite for the Prophet and the sinless Imams (p.b.u.th.) by which we beseech Allah, in fact, for a higher and better position for them all (p.b.u.th.).

Here are two traditions which make the above idea clearer : Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) commenting on the verse Guide us (O' Lord) on the Straight Path ', says: " It means: (O' Lord) continue bestowing Your blessings on us as You did during the days passed by which we succeeded to obey You, so that we can obey You in the future of our lives, too ' ".

(29) Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has said about the verse: " It means: (O' Lord) show us the way which ends in Your love, leads us to Your Paradise, and prevents us from following our destructive desires or our own wrong and destroying decisions ' ". (30) What is the Straight Path ' ? According to what is understood from the verses of the Holy Qur'an, the Straight Path' is the same as the Monotheistic Creed'; the religion of Truth and the belief in the instructions of Allah, as Sura Al-'Anam, No.

6, verse 161 says: " Say: Verily, my Lord hath guided me to a way that is straight,ِ a religion of right,ِ the path (trod) by Abraham the true in faith, and he (certainly) joined not gods with Allah '." Here, a religion of right' and the theistic path of Abraham (a.s.) as the true faith', in which he called on no god but Allah, are introduced as the Straight Path '. This shows the belief' aspect. But, Sura Yasin, No.

36, verses 60 and 61 say: " Did I not enjoin on you, O' ye children of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; for that he is to you an enemy avowed ?