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Fatwa CenterPrayers on the Prophet
Question
I cannot understand why it is said in a particular Hadeeth that all prayers of Muslims are reported to the Prophet. He does not feed us, he does not give life or death; he is not responsible for our behaviours; he is only a Messenger of Allah. Why should he be loaded with such responsibilities of checking out for each Muslim who has sent a prayer in his name to Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam)? What is the purpose behind it and why? Can this be proved from the Qur'an?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
It seems that the questioner confuses invoking blessing on the Prophet a form of supplication, and the five known obligatory prayers.
There are many Ahadeeth that prove that our suppliation, i.e. invoking blessing on the Prophet reaches him and is exposed to him. Ibn Maajah, an-Nasaa’i and others reported from Aws Ibn Anas 
that the Prophet said: “Among the most excellent of your days is Friday, so invoke more blessings on me on that day, for your invocations will be presented to me.” The people asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how will our invocations be presented to you while your body will have decayed?” He replied, “Allah, the Exalted, has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of Prophets.” [Abu Daawood and others]
This Hadeeth is an evidence that the Prophet is alive after his death and that our supplication (i.e. sending blessings upon him) is exposed to him either through some angels or directly hearing it from its sayer. This is easy for Allah as known by every believer.
In addition, it is proved that the dead people hear and perceive. Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that the Prophet said: “No one passes by the grave of his believing brother and greets him but he (the dead brother) recognizes him and replies to his greeting.”
It is also revealed in the Quran that the martyrs are alive, let alone the Prophets. So, the Prophet is alive after his death and the prayer (i.e. sending blessings upon him) and Salaam of people reach him directly if the person is near him or through an angel if the person is far away from him. There is no paradox in this unless the person wants to subjugate the world of the Unseen to the rules of the known world, and this is rejected by the Sharee’ah and by reason.
For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 23341 and 86784.
Allah knows best.
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