VIRTUES
OF DUAA
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By Shaykh 'Alee Ibn Abdur Rahman Al-Hudhayfee
All
praise is due to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds. May peace and
blessings be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.
Fellow
Muslims! Know that nothing exists in the Heavens and the earths
except by the decree of Allaah and nothing desirable or detestable
happens except by His Will. He says, “Verily,
We have created all things with Divine Preordainments. And
Our command is but one as the twinkle of an eye.” (Al-Qamar
54:49-50)
It
is Allaah who plans and regulates all matters and He is Aware
of what is in the hearts. He says,
“Allaah
is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that you
can see. Then He rose above the Throne (really in a manner
that suits His Majesty). He has subjected the sun and the
moon (to continue going round), each running (its course)
for a term appointed. He manages and regulates all affairs,
He explains the signs in detail that you may believe with
certainty in the meeting with your Lord.” (Ar-Ra‘d
13:2)
He
created causes for happiness and causes for misery and created
impacts for these causes and nothing influences His Will.
Had He willed, He would have created things for no cause.
He says, “He
is the Doer of whatsoever He intends.” (Al-Burooj
85:16)
He
also says, “Surely,
His is the creation and the Commandment. Blessed is Allaah,
the Lord of the Worlds.” (Al-A‘raaf
7:54)
Brethren
in Faith! Supplication is the dearest deed to Allaah. He ordained
it upon His slaves in order to bring them good and avert from
them evil. Supplication is a great cause for attaining blessings
and averting evils. The Prophet said, “Invocation benefits
as regards what has happened and what has not.”
Allaah
commands His slaves to supplicate in many verses. He says,
“And
your Lord said: Invoke Me and I will respond to your (invocation).
Verily those who scorn My worship (i.e. do not invoke Me),
they will surely enter Hell in humiliation.” (Al-Ghaafir
40:60)
The
essence of supplication is to earnestly beseech Allaah for
one’s mundane and eternal needs, for removal of calamities
and prevention of evils. It is through supplication that worship
of Allaah can be actualized because it entails heart’s affinity
to Him and sincerity to Him and directing one’s attention
to Him Alone in seeking benefits and preventing harms. It
also entails certainty that Allaah is Most-Gracious, Most-Merciful,
the Ever-Living, the Ever-Generous. His generosity and kindness
never end and the treasure of His blessings is infinite. It
is for these great attributes that He is invoked and called.
All that exists in the heavens and the earths supplicate to
Him for their needs. Supplication also comprises showing one’s
complete helplessness and dire need to Him. These great menings
are the real essence of worship. Supplication, therefore,
is a great matter and has great impacts. It is to underline
the merit of supplication that the Messenger of Allaah said,
“Supplication is the essence of worship.” He also said, “Nothing
is dearer to Allah than supplication.”
Since
supplication is the essence of worship, it should not then
be made except to Allaah Alone. No prophet, angel, saint or
jinnee should be invoked besides Him. Allaah says, “And
the mosques are for Allaah (Alone) so invoke not anyone along
with Allaah.” (Al-Jinn
72:18)
But
whoever invokes any creature be it a prophet, an angel, a
saint or a grave besides Allaah, such person has committed
an act that makes him an unbeliever. Allaah says,
“And
invoke not besides Allaah any such that will neither profit
you nor harm you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly
be one of the polytheists and wrong-doers. And if Allaah touches
you with harm, there is none who can remove it but He, and
if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel
His favour. He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves
He wills. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most-Merciful.”
(Yoonus
10:106-107)
Brethren
in Faith! Muslim is always in need of supplication to achieve
the good of this world and the hereafter and to avert the
evil of both. Whoever Allaah makes supplication easy for,
will have a door of blessings opened for him.
He
should therefore hold on to it. Let every Muslim invoke his
Lord for every big and small of his needs. The Prophet said,
“Let everyone of you invoke his Lord for his needs even for
a lace of his shoe.” If the Muslim reflects deeply over every
small and big favour he enjoys, he will certainly realise
that, he would not have been capable of getting it or benefit
from it had Allaah not blessed him with it. But, Whoever neglects
supplication has denied himself of a great blessing and he
will be afflicted with evils according to his negligence of
this great quality.
Moreover,
you should know, dear Muslim brother that, there is acceptance
for every supplication made, sooner or later. ‘Umar said,
“I am not worried about the acceptance of the supplication,
I am only worried about the supplication itself, for whenever
you are blessed with supplication, you are also blessed with
acceptance.” The Messenger of Allaah said, “There is no Muslim
on the earth who supplicates to Allaah with an invocation
except that He gives him what he wants or prevents from him
an evil equivalent to that invocation as long as he does not
supplicate for a forbidden thing or for severance of the bond
of kinship.” A man among the people said: “Then we shall supplicate
much.” The Prophet answered: “Then Allaah will give more.”
(At-Tirmidhee)
Dear
Muslim brother! Always supplicate to Allaah and seek Him for
all your needs, for He is Able to do all things, and whenever
He will that something happen, He creates causes for it or
brings it into being with His Will. Also include Islaam your
fellow Muslims and their leaders in your supplication. Invoke
Allaah to help and protect Islaam and Muslims throughout the
world and to disgrace their enemies, most especially in these
days that Muslims are suffering from many calamities and in
which they have come to a situation from which no one is capable
of rescuing them except Allaah. Do this to emulate the Messenger
of Allaah whom Allaah commanded thus,
“So
know (O Muhammad!) that none has the right to be worshipped
but Allaah and ask forgiveness for your sin (the sin of) the
believing men and women.” (Muhammad
47:19)
Allaah
says, “Invoke
your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors.
And do not do mischief on the earth after it has been set
in order and invoke Him with fear and hope. Surely, Allaah’s
mercy is (ever) near unto the good-doers.” (Al-A‘raaf
7:55-56)
Brethren
in Islaam! Fear Allaah by abiding to His commandments and
abstaining from all that He forbids you will be admitted to
blissful Paradise and your worldly affairs will be put in
order for you.
Fellow
Muslims! Muslim’s sincere supplication with concentrating
heart is the dearest of all deeds to Allaah. He says, “And
when My slaves ask you concerning Me, then (answer them):
I am indeed, near to them (by My knowledge). I respond to
the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me. So,
let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led
aright.” (Al-Baqarah
2:186)
It
is also recommended that one chooses comprehensive supplications,
Aishah narrated that the Messenger of Allaah used to love
comprehensive invocations and leave out others. (Abu
Dawood)
The
Muslim should also endeavour to memorize the supplications
of the Messenger of Allaah as much as he can for the Prophet
has made an invocation for every situation. It is also recommended
that one presents a good deed before one’s invocation, praise
Allaah with some of his Attributes and Names by which He praised
Himself and by which His Prophet praised Him and to invoke
blessings on the Prophet, for an invocation is suspended between
the heaven and the earth until one invokes blessings on him.
One
should also beseech Allaah by His Pure Names and by the Divine
Name that suits his needs, such as His saying, “My
Lord! Forgive and have mercy, for You are the Best of those
who show mercy.” (Al-Mu’minoon
23:118)
And
like His saying, “And
provide us with sustenance, for You are the Best of sustainers.”
(Al-Maaidah
5:114)
It
is also recommended that one seeks out for the best time for
acceptance of invocations like the last third of the night,
in-between Aadhaan and Iqaamah, during rainfall, after prayers,
when seeing the Kaabah and the last hour of Yaomul Jum‘ah
(i.e. just before the sunset). |