The Heart Softeners (Part 2)
Chapter 1
Supplication
41017: Overstepping the mark
in making du'aa'?
Question:
Some brothers are very detailed in their
du'aa', for example they say, "O Lord, give me a
colour TV and a furnished apartment…" and so on.
I am afraid that this is a kind of overstepping
the mark in making du'aa'. If the person is the
Haram in Makkah, especially during Ramadaan, is
it not better for him to ask for what is good in
this world and the next by reciting the du'aa's
that are known from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)? I came to your
site looking for information on overstepping the
mark in making du'aa' but I could not find a
detailed answer. I hope that you can explain
this matter. Thank you.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
You should note _ may Allaah help us and you
to do that which He loves and which pleases Him
_ that du'aa' is a weapon that has been forsaken
by many people, but du'aa' is worship.
It was narrated from al-Nu'maan ibn Basheer
(may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Du'aa' is worship." Then he recited
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And your Lord said: Invoke Me [i.e.
believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and
ask Me for anything] I will respond to your
(invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship
[i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My
Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely
enter Hell in humiliation!"
[Ghaafir 40:60].
Al-Albaani said (it is) saheeh. See Saheeh
Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 2685.
And it was narrated that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"There is nothing dearer to Allaah than du'aa'."
Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh
Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 2684.
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Whoever does not ask of Allaah, He
becomes angry with him." Classed as hasan by
al-Albaani. See Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi,
no. 2686.
If you understand this, you should be keen to
make a lot of du'aa'.
Secondly: There is etiquette to be followed
when making du'aa' and there are things which
should be avoided, some of which we will sum up
as follows:
1- Starting with oneself when making du'aa'.
2- It is mustahabb to raise the hands when
making du'aa'.
3- The person making du'aa' should be in a
state of complete purity.
4- He should face the qiblah when making
du'aa'.
5- He should manifest humility before Allaah
("call upon Him in humility and in secret"
[al-An'aam 6:63 _ interpretation of the
meaning]). In Badaa'i' al-Fawaa'id
Ibn al-Qayyim said that not being humble when
making du'aa' is a kind of overstepping the mark
in du'aa'. (Badaa'i' al-Fawaa'id, 3/12).
6- He should beseech Allaah in his du'aa'.
7- He should not look for a speedy response.
In al-Saheehayn it is narrated that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "You will be answered so long as you
are not in a hurry and say, `I made du'aa' but I
did not receive a response.'" Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 6340; Muslim, 2735. For when a
Muslim calls upon his Lord, one of three things
happens, as was mentioned in the hadeeth of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him): "There is no Muslim who calls upon his
Lord with a du'aa' in which there is no sin or
severing of family ties, but Allaah will give
him one of three things: Either He will answer
his prayer quickly, or He will store (the reward
for) it in the Hereafter, or He will divert an
equivalent evil away from him." They said: "We
will say more du'aa'." He said: "Allaah's bounty
is greater." Narrated by Ahmad, 10749;
al-Tirmidhi, 3573. Classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh,
2199.
8- It should be noted that one should praise
and glorify Allaah in du'aa', and send blessing
upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him). It was narrated that Faddaalah ibn
`Ubayd said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) heard a man making du'aa'
after his prayer, but he did not send blessings
upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "This man is in a
hurry." Then he called him and said to him or to
someone else: "When any one of you has finished
praying (and makes du'aa'), let him start by
praising Allaah, then let him send blessings
upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), then after that let him ask for
whatever he wants." Al-Albaani said: it is a
saheeh hadeeth.
(See: Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2765.
Thirdly: With regard to overstepping the mark
in making du'aa', this involves a number of
things:
1- Being too detailed in one's du'aa', as
described in the question ("O Allaah, give me a
furnished apartment and a colour TV etc").
Rather what is prescribed is to make du'aa' in
concise words as the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do. He
used to ask Allaah for the best in this world
and in the Hereafter. It was narrated from
`Abd-Allaah ibn Mughaffal that he heard his son
say: "O Allaah, I ask You for the white palace
on the right side of Paradise if I enter it." He
said: "O my son, ask Allaah for Paradise and
seek refuge with Allaah from the Fire, for I
heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: `Among
this ummah will be people who overstep the mark
in purifying themselves and in making du'aa'."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 690; classed as saheeh
by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
2- Calling upon Allaah in ways that Allaah
has forbidden or that are means that lead to
something forbidden (because the means come
under the same rulings as the ends). This was
stated by Ibn al-Qayyim in Badaa'i'
al-Fawaa'id, 3/12. So whatever is a means to
something haraam is also haraam.
Usually those who use televisions use them to
watch and listen to haraam things, so if the
person who is praying for that is one of these
people, then his du'aa' for this TV is a kind of
overstepping the mark in making du'aa', because
he is asking Allaah to give him something by
means of which he will disobey Him.
So it is clear that this du'aa' is
overstepping the mark in two ways:
1- Because it is detailed
2- Because it is a means to something haraam,
and the means come under the same rulings as the
ends.
This applies if the person who is making the
du'aa' is going to use it for something haraam,
as most people do.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
27237: Is there such a thing
as Du'aa' Kanz il-`Arsh?
Question:
I have come across a supplication called
"kanjil arushu" in some books which is recited
as follows:
Lailaha illallahu subahanal
malikil kuddose , Lailaha illallahu subahanal
azizul jabbaru , Lailaha illallahu subahanal
raufi rahim.....etc
I want to know if this
is a known supplication and what are the virtues
of reciting it.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This du'aa' is not known in the books of
Sunnah. It seems most likely that it has been
fabricated by some of the Sufis in what they
call al-awraad, which is a collection of du'aa's
and words that are compiled for the mureeds
(followers of a Sufi shaykh) to recite at
certain times in a certain manner and for a
certain number of times. Undoubtedly it is not
permissible to follow them in the awraad that
they fabricate. "Du'aa' is an act of worship,"
as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said, and the basic principle
concerning acts of worship is tawqeef i.e.,
stopping at what has been narrated in sharee'ah
(and not inventing anything new).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said:
Undoubtedly dhikr and du'aa's are among the
best kinds of worship. Acts of worship are based
on tawqeef and following, not on whims and
desires and innovation. The du'aa's and dhikrs
narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) are the best that anyone
can find of dhikr and du'aa', and the one who
limits himself to them will be safe and sound.
The beneficial results that they bring cannot be
put into words or fully comprehended by man. Any
other dhikrs may be haraam or they may be
makrooh. They may involve shirk which most
people may not realize and which would take too
long to explain in detail.
No one has the right to prescribe for people
any kind of dhikr or du'aa' that is not narrated
in the Sunnah and make it an act of worship that
people should perform regularly as they perform
the five daily prayers regularly. Rather this is
a kind of innovation in religion for which
Allaah has not given permission… As for adopting
a wird that is not prescribed in sharee'ah and
dhikr that is not prescribed in sharee'ah, this
is something that is forbidden. Moreover the
du'aa's and adhkaar that are prescribed in
sharee'ah are are the best and lead to achieving
all aims and goals; no one turns away from them
and adopts innovated and invented adhkaar except
one who is ignorant, negligent or a wrong doer.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 22/510- 511 See
also the answer to question no. 6745
which contains more information.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
33699: She made du'aa' and
her prayer wasn't answered, and she said, There
is no God
Question:
A few years ago I made du'aa to Allah to
provide something to me. However, my prayer
wasnt answered. I became mad and said that there
is no Allah. Now I regret that I said that,
because I understand that what I said was shirk,
but can I say my shahada again, and repent
fully, so I can be a Muslim again? Also, is that
even shirk? Because I said that when I was mad,
or does that still count?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
What the questioner said is the essence of
kufr. She should have controlled herself and
watched what she said and did at the time of
anger, for it led her into kufr.
Hence we think that she should say the
Shahaadatayn with the intention of entering
Islam, if she was in full control of her mind at
the moment when she said those bad words. Anger
is not an excuse unless she had lost her mind to
such an extent that she did not understand what
she was saying.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) stated that the Muslim may speak a
word that may lead him to Hell and bring upon
him the wrath of Allaah. It was narrated from
Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "A person
may speak a word that pleases Allaah and not pay
any attention to it, but Allaah raises him many
degrees in status thereby. And a person may
speak a word that angers Allaah and not pay any
attention to it, and He may throw him into Hell
because of it."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6113.
According to the version narrated by Muslim:
"A person may speak a word, not realizing (how
serious it is) and be thrown as far into Hell
because of it as the east is from the west."
If you enter Islam again by uttering the
Shahaadatayn, and if you regret what you said,
then there is the hope that the good deeds you
have done will not be lost.
It was narrated that Hakeem ibn Hizaam (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said:
I said, "O Messenger of Allaah, there are
some things that I used to do as acts of worship
during the Jaahiliyyah, such as giving charity,
freeing slaves and upholding the ties of
kinship. Will I get any reward for that?" The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "You entered Islam with the good that
you had done before." Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
1436; Muslim, 123.
So you and all our Muslim brothers and
sisters have to take the matter of religion and
belief seriously. Because a person's religion
and the soundness of his belief are his capital
by means of which he attains happiness in this
world and in the Hereafter, and the good
pleasure of the Lord, may He be glorified.
Secondly:
Whoever makes du'aa' to his Lord receives an
answer in all cases. The answer to prayers is
not only getting what one asked for; rather
there are two other responses that may come
which are: warding off evil from the person who
made du'aa', commensurate with his du'aa', and
storing up the reward for the du'aa' which the
person will receive on the Day of Resurrection.
Allaah has promised us, on the lips of His
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), that whoever calls upon Him, fulfilling
the conditions of du'aa' will receive one of
these responses. It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed
al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no Muslim
who calls upon Allaah with a du'aa' in which
there is no sin or severing of family ties, but
He will give him one of three things: either He
will answer his prayer, or he will store up an
equal amount of good (reward) for him, or He
will ward off an equal amount of evil from him."
They said, "O Messenger of Allaah, then we shall
say a lot of du'aa'?" He said, "Allaah most
Generous."
Narrated by Ahmad, 10709. al-Mundhiri classed
its isnaad as jayyid in al-Targheeb
wa'l-Tarheeb, 2/479; al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar
classed it as saheeh in al-Fath, 11/115.
All of this is what is meant by the verses
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And your Lord said: `Invoke Me [i.e.
believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and
ask Me for anything] I will respond to your
(invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship
[i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My
Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely
enter Hell in humiliation!'"
[Ghaafir 40:60]
"And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad)
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 (without any mediator or intercessor). So let
them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may
be led aright"
[al-Baqarah 2:186]
It may be better for the person not to get
what he asked for his du'aa', because of evil or
fitnah that may result from his getting it, of
which he is unaware. So Allaah wards that off
from him and gives him something that is better
for him in this world, by warding off evil from
him, or something that is better for him in the
Hereafter, by storing up the reward of the
du'aa' for him.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
The du'aa' in which there is no transgression
will be answered, or else the person will be
given something equal to it. This is the best
response. For the thing that he asked for may be
unattainable or may be harmful to the person who
prayed or to someone else, but he is ignorant
and unaware of the harmful elements in it. But
the Lord is Close and Ever-Responsive, and He is
more compassionate towards His slaves than a
mother towards her child. And He is the Most
Generous, Most Merciful: if He is asked for a
specific thing and He knows that giving it is
not in the best interests of His slave, He will
give him something of equal value, as a father
does for his child when he asks him for
something that is not good for him, so he gives
him something of equal worth, and for Allaah is
the highest description.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 14/368.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
22722: Ruling on gathering to
make du'aa' and recite Qur'aan
Question:
In the Muslim community on our campus, there
arose a controversy on issue of coming together
on a set date to make dua'h (supplications),
therein the whole Quran is recited(leaflets of
the Quran are distributed and read
simultaneously) and supplications made, for such
reasons as; success in examination and beginning
of semester exam.
We want to ask if such prayers is established
in the Shareeah of Islam. It will be appreciated
if your responce is backed by Quran, Sunnah and
Ijmaa of the salaf.
Your Fatwa, backed with
the requested evidences, will Insha Allah bring
to rest the controversy.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The ruling on gathering to recite Qur'aan,
whereby each of the people present takes a juz'
(part) of the Qur'aan at the same time, so that
each of them can complete the juz' that he has.
The answer to this is what was stated in a
fatwa of the Standing Committee (2/480), which
was as follows:
Firstly: gathering to recite and study the
Qur'aan, whereby one of them recites and the
others listen, and they study it together and
explain the meanings, is something that is
prescribed in Islam and is an act of worship
that Allaah loves and for which He rewards
greatly. It was narrated by Muslim in his
Saheeh and by Abu Dawood from Abu
Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "No people gather in one of the
houses of Allaah, reciting the Book of Allaah
and studying it together, but tranquillity
descends upon them and mercy encompasses them,
and the angels surround them, and Allaah
mentions them to those who are with Him."
It is also prescribed to recite du'aa' upon
completing the Qur'aan, but not every single
time, and there is no specific form of du'aa'
which is to be followed as if it were a Sunnah,
because none of that has been proven from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him); rather this is something that some of the
Sahaabah did (may Allaah be pleased with them).
Similarly there is nothing wrong with
inviting those who attended the recitation to a
meal, so long as that is not taken as a habit
after every reading.
Secondly:
Giving ajza' (parts) of the Qur'aan to those
who attend the gathering so that each of them
may read a part of the Qur'aan by himself is not
regarded as meaning that each of them has
completed the Qur'aan.
Their intention of reading Qur'aan for the
purpose of seeking blessing is not enough,
because the purpose of reading Qur'aan is to
draw closer to Allaah and to memorize Qur'aan,
ponder its meanings, understand its rulings,
learn lessons from it, earn reward and make
one's tongue get used to reciting it, etc. And
Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah
send blessings and peace upon our Prophet
Muhammad and upon his family and companions."
Secondly:
There is no evidence to support the belief
that this action (gathering to read Qur'aan in
the manner mentioned) will have the effect of
bringing a response to du'aa', therefore it is
not prescribed. There are many well-known means
of seeking an answer to du'aa's. just as there
are many well-known impediments to receiving a
response. The person who is making du'aa' should
pursue the means of receiving a response and
avoid the impediments, and he should think well
of his Lord, because Allaah is as His slave
thinks He is.
See also question no. 5113.
Note: Evidence is required of the one who
claims that something is prescribed in Islam,
otherwise the basic principle with regard to
acts of worship is that they are not allowed
unless there is proven evidence that they are
prescribed. Based on this, the evidence that
this belief is not prescribed is the fact that
there is no evidence to suggest that it is
permitted.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
5113: Why doesnt Allaah
answer our duaas?
Question:
Why doesn't allah answer our duas ?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said:
"Du'aa's and ta'awwudhaat [prayers seeking
refuge with Allaah] are like a weapon, and a
weapon is only as good as the person who is
using it; it is not merely the matter of how
sharp it is. If the weapon is perfect and free
of faults, and the arm of the person using it is
strong, and there is nothing stopping him, then
he can lay waste the enemy. But if any of these
three features is lacking, then the effect will
be lacking accordingly."
(al-Daa' wa'l-Dawaa', p. 35).
From this it will be clear that there is an
etiquette and rulings which must be fulfilled,
in the du'aa' and in the person making the
du'aa'. There are also things that may prevent
the du'aa' reaching Allaah or being answered _
these things must be removed from the person
making the du'aa' and from the du'aa'. When all
of these conditions are fulfilled, then the
du'aa' may be answered.
1. Sincerity in making du'aa'. This is the
most important condition. Allaah has commanded
us to be sincere when making du'aa', as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"So, call you (O Muhammad and the
believers) upon (or invoke) Allaah making (your)
worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping
none but Him and by doing religious deeds
sincerely for Allaah's sake only and not to show
off and not to set up rivals with Him in
worship)" [Ghaafir 40:14].
Sincerity in du'aa' means having the firm
belief that the One upon Whom you are calling _
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted _ is
alone Able to meet your need, and it also means
avoiding any kind of showing off in your du'aa'.
2. Repentance and turning back to Allaah. Sin
is one of the main reasons why du'aa's are not
answered, so the person who is making du'aa'
should hasten to repent and seek forgiveness
before he makes du'aa'. Allaah tells us that
Nooh (peace be upon him) said:
"I said (to them): `Ask forgiveness from
your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will
send rain to you in abundance, And give you
increase in wealth and children, and bestow on
you gardens and bestow on you rivers.' " [Nooh
71:10-12]
3. Beseeching, humbling oneself, hoping for
Allaah's reward and fearing His punishment. This
is the spirit, essence and purpose of du'aa'.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Invoke your Lord with humility and in
secret. He likes not the aggressors" [al-A'raaf
7:55].
4. Urgently beseeching and repeating the
du'aa', without getting exasperated or bored;
this is achieved by repeating the du'aa' two or
three times. Restricting it to three times is
preferable, in accordance with the Sunnah of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with
him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) liked to say a
du'aa' three times and ask for forgiveness three
times. This was narrated by Abu Dawood and
al-Nasaa'i.
5. Making du'aa' at times of ease, and saying
more du'aa's at times of plenty. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Remember Allaah during times of ease and
He will remember you during times of hardship."
Narrated by Ahmad.
6. Seeking to draw closer to Allaah by
calling upon Him by His Most Beautiful Names and
Sublime Attributes at the beginning of the
du'aa' or at the end. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "And (all)
the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so
call on Him by them" [al-A'raaf 7:180].
7. Choosing the clearest and most concise
words and the best of du'aa's. The best of
du'aa's are the du'aa's of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but it is
permissible to say other words according to the
specific needs of a person.
Other aspects of the etiquette of making
du'aa', although they are not waajib
(obligatory), are: to face the Qiblah; to make
du'aa' in a state of tahaarah (purity); to start
the du'aa' with praise of Allaah and blessings
upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him). It is also prescribed to raise the
hands when making du'aa'.
One of the things that helps to bring a
response to du'aa' is to seek the best times and
places.
Among the best times is the time just before
Fajr (dawn), the last third of the night, the
last hour of Jumu'ah (Friday), when rain is
falling, and between the Adhaan and iqaamah.
Among the best places are mosques in general,
and al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah] in
particular.
Among the situations in which du'aa' is more
likely to be answered are: when one is
mistreated or oppressed, when one is travelling,
when one is fasting, when one is in desperate
need, and when a Muslim makes du'aa' for his
brother in his absence.
Things which may prevent du'aa' from being
answered include:
1. When the du'aa' is weak in itself, because
it involves something inappropriate, or involves
bad manners towards Allaah, may He be exalted,
or it is inappropriate, which means asking
Allaah for something which it is not permitted
to ask, e.g. when a man asks to live forever in
this world, or he asks for a sin or something
haraam, or he prays that he will die, and so on.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "A
person's du'aa's will continue to be answered so
long as he does not pray for something sinful or
for the breaking of family ties." Narrated by
Muslim.
2. When the person who is making du'aa' is
weak in himself, because he is faint-hearted in
his turning towards Allaah. This may be either
because of bad manners towards Allaah, may He be
exalted _ such as raising his voice in du'aa' or
making du'aa' in the manner of one who thinks he
has no need of Allaah; or because he pays too
much attention to the wording and tries to come
up with unnecessarily ornate phrases, without
paying attention to the meaning; or because he
tries too hard to weep or shout without really
feeling it, or he goes to extremes in that.
3. The reason why his du'aa' is not answered
may be because he has done something that Allaah
has forbidden, such as having haraam wealth _
whether it be food or drink or clothing or
accommodation or transportation, or he has taken
a haraam job, or the stain of sin is still in
his heart, or he is following bid'ah
(innovation) in religion, or his heart has been
overtaken by negligence.
4. Consuming haraam wealth. This is one of
the major reasons why du'aa's are not answered.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "O
people, Allaah is Good and only accepts that
which is good. Allaah commanded the pious to
follow the same commandments as He gave to the
Messengers. He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
`O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibaat
[all kinds of Halaal (lawful) foods which Allaah
has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable
animals, milk products, fats, vegetables,
fruits)] and do righteous deeds. Verily, I am
Well-Acquainted with what you do' [al-Mu'minoon
23:51]
`O you who believe (in the Oneness of
Allaah — Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful
things that We have provided you with'
[al-Baqarah 2:172]
Then he mentioned a man who has travelled on
a long journey and is dishevelled and covered
with dust; he stretches forth his hands to the
heaven, (saying) "O Lord, O Lord", but his food
is haraam, his drink is haraam, all his
nourishment is haraam, so how can he du'aa' be
accepted?" Narrated by Muslim.
The man described by the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) had some of the
characteristics which help du'aa's to be
answered _ he was travelling and he was in need
of Allaah, may He be exalted and glorified _ but
the fact that he consumed haraam wealth
prevented his du'aa' from being answered. We ask
Allaah to keep us safe and sound.
5. Trying to hasten the response. Abu
Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "The du'aa' of any one
of you will be answered so long as he is not
impatient and says, `I made du'aa' but it was
not answered.'" Narrated by al-Bukhaari and
Muslim.
6. Making the du'aa' conditional, such as
saying, "O Allaah, forgive me if You will" or "O
Allaah, have mercy upon me if You will." The
person who makes du'aa' has to be resolute in
his supplication, striving hard and earnestly
repeating his du'aa'. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Let not
any one of you say, `O Allaah, forgive me if You
will, O Allaah, have mercy on me if You will.'
Let him be resolute in the matter, whilst
knowing that no one can compel Allaah to do
anything." Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
In order for du'aa's to be answered, it is
not essential to adhere to all of these points
and be free of all that could prevent one's
du'aa's from being answered. That is something
which happens very rarely. But one has to try
hard and strive towards achieving this.
Another important point is to realize that
the response to the du'aa' may take different
forms: either Allaah will respond and fulfil the
desire of the person who made the du'aa', or He
will ward off some evil from him because of the
du'aa', or He will make something good easy for
him to attain because of it, or He will save it
with Him for him on the Day of Resurrection when
he will be most in need of it. And Allaah knows
best.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
37805: There is no specific
du'aa' to be recited when starting to fast
Question:
Is that what is the dua atthe time of
begningof fasting.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Tirmidhi (3451) narrated from Talhah ibn
`Ubayd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) saw the new moon, he would
say, "Allaahumma ahlilhu `alayna bi'l-yumni
wa'l-eemaan wa'l-salaamah wa'l-islaam. Rabbiy wa
rabbuka Allaah (O Allaah, make the new moon
rise on us with blessing, faith, safety and
Islam. My Lord and Your Lord is Allah)."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Tirmidhi, 2745.
This du'aa' is not just for the new moon of
Ramadaan, rather the Muslim should say it when
he sees the new moon at the beginning of every
month. With regard to saying du'aa' every day,
there is no du'aa' that the Muslim should say
when starting to fast each day. Rather he should
simply have the intention that he is going to
fast tomorrow.
The intention is subject to the condition
that it be made at night, before the dawn comes,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever does not
intend to fast before dawn, there is no fast for
him." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 730. According to
a version narrated by al-Nasaa'i (2334):
"Whoever does not intend to fast from the night
before, there is no fast for him." Classed as
hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Tirmidhi, 573. What is meant is that
whoever does not intend to fast and resolve to
do so from the night before, his fast is not
valid.
The intention (niyyah) is an action of the
heart. The Muslim should resolve in his heart
that he is going to fast tomorrow. It is not
prescribed for him to utter it out loud and say,
"I intend to fast" and other phrases that have
been innovated by some people.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
20224: He suffers from
laughing too much
Question:
I am 20 years n my problem is that i get
laugh every time it distrubs me while i work so
plz give me a dua for not laughing n i have
rumathic chorea a illness i went to many doctors
but no recovery now i donot want to go to any
doctor as i have faith in allah so plz give a
dua for that .
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. There can be no doubt
that laughing too much has an effect on the
Muslim's heart and distracts him from thinking
deeply and fearing Allaah. The Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us
against laughing too much, and told us of the
danger it poses to the heart when he said: "Do
not laugh too much, for laughing deadens the
heart."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2305; Ibn Maajah,
4193.
However, there is no specific du'aa' that has
been narrated for dealing with this particular
problem. Rather you can call upon Allaah in
whatever words you wish and ask Him, for He is
the All-Hearing and Ever-Responsive, to relieve
you of this problem and to give you a heart that
is humble before Him and a tongue that remembers
Him and an eye that weeps with fear of Him.
You should also read Qur'aan a great deal and
ponder its meanings, and remember Allaah a great
deal, make du'aa' and turn to Him in all your
affairs.
With regard to the sickness that you mention,
we ask Allaah to heal you from it. It was the
practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), if he suffered some
complaint, to recite verses seeking refuge with
Allaah over himself and then spit drily. This
was narrated by al-Bukhari (4728) and Muslim
(5679). It is also Sunnah for the sick person to
put his hand on the part of his body that is
suffering pain and say "Bismillaah (in
the name of Allaah)" three times, then to say
seven times: "A'oodhu Billaahi wa qudratihi
min sharri ma ajidu wa uhaadhir (I seek
refuge in Allaah and His power from the evil of
what I feel and what I fear)." Narrated by
Muslim, 5701.
Finally I wish to point out to you that going
to doctors and taking medicine does not conflict
with believing in Allaah and putting your trust
in Him. Rather perfect trust in Allaah means
availing oneself of the physical or material
means as well as having complete faith that
healing comes from Allaah, and that there is no
healing except His healing.
We ask Allaah the Almighty, Lord of the
Mighty Throne, to heal you and all the Muslims
who are sick.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
9619: Does Allaah delay the
response to du'aa' for the one whom He loves?
Question:
I know there is a hadith qudsi that says in
it that Allah (swt) told Gabrael (PBUH) that
when a slave of His makes dua, and He likes this
slave, he doesn't give him his request so that
He can hear his repetition of the dua over and
over. But if He doesnt like this slave, He tells
Gabrael to give him what he wants so He dont
hear his voice. My question is.. is that in
every case? or are there exceptions?
This is
the situation, i was a sinner and i repented and
ive gone a long way. al-hamdolillah. i dont do
da'wah because im busy with studying and helping
my mother with my brothers and sisters, but i do
send emails very often with important facts
about Islam, reminders, teachings about `Aqeedah
and Fiqh, and stories that can serve as a
reminder and lesson to all of us. I
(al-hamdolilah) am always saying athkaar, all
day long and especially "laa ilaha illa allah
wahddaho la shareeka lah, lahom al-mol wa laho
al-hamd wa howa `ala kulli shay'ean qadeer" I
say that all day,, and i also always make dua
for me and for others. And recently ive noticed
that most of the dua's i make happen soon after
i pray them. al-hamdolillah, i say, but still
i'm afraid that this is a sign that im not one
of those that Allah likes. (I ask allah that
this is not the case) And that Allah gives me
what i prayed for so He (swt) doesnt hear my
voice. Maybe it is because of my past? I dont
know but wallahi this subject is really worrying
me... I try so much to do everything that is
right and to make up for my past...
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Islam encourages us to make a lot of du'aa',
and not to be hasty in seeking a response. That
is because du'aa' is a great act of worship
which is beloved to Allaah. Indeed there are
texts which warn us against neglecting du'aa',
because neglecting it is a sign of arrogance.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And your Lord said: `Invoke Me [i.e.
believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and
ask Me for anything] I will respond to your
(invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship
[i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My
Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely
enter Hell in humiliation!'" [Ghaafir
40:60]
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "(The du'aa') of any
one of you will be answered so long as he is not
hasty in seeking a response and does not say, `I
prayed but I have not had a response.'"
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5981; Muslim, 2735
It was narrated from Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri
(may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "There is no Muslim who calls upon
Allaah with words in which there is no sin or
severing of family ties but Allaah will give him
one of three things: either He will answer his
prayer soon, or He will store it up for him in
the Hereafter, or He will remove something bad
from him that is equivalent to what he is asking
for." They said, "Then we should make a great
amount of du'aa'." He said, "Allaah is greater."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3573; classed as
saheeh by al-Tirmidhi and others.
Secondly:
The hadeeth mentioned by the questioner is a
very weak hadeeth (da'eef jiddan). It was
narrated from Jaabir ibn `Abd-Allaah (may Allaah
be pleased with him) that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "If a person prays to Allaah and
Allaah loves him, He says `O Jibreel, meet the
need of this slave of Mine, but delay it, for I
love to hear his voice.' If a person prays to
Allaah and Allaah hates him, He says, `O
Jibreel, meet the need of this slave of Mine and
give it to him immediately, for I hate to hear
his voice."
Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat,
8/216. Its isnaad includes Ishaaq ibn
`Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Farwah, who is matrook as
stated in Majma' al-Zawaa'id, 10/151
If it is understood that the hadeeth is very
weak, it is not fit to be quoted as evidence.
Thirdly:
Undoubtedly if a person feels that Allaah has
responded to him, this is a great blessing which
deserves that he should give thanks and praise,
and continue doing righteous deeds and fearing
Allaah, for these are among the greatest means
of Allaah answering du'aa'. It is a blessing, if
it is true, and a person may feel envious of the
one who is blessed in this manner. Every Muslim
wishes that his du'aa' will be answered. This _
in sha Allaah _ is an indication that a person
is righteous, truthful and sincere. So he must
continue to fear Allaah, do righteous deeds and
avoid haraam things; this will make the blessing
continue. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and
worshipping none but Allaah), I will give you
more (of My Blessings)"
[Ibraaheem 14:7]
Fourthly:
What the questioner mentions about spreading
goodness and da'wah is something that will be
good for her in this world and in the Hereafter
in sha Allah. This is one of the kinds of
kindness that bring good in this world and in
the Hereafter. We ask Allaah to support her,
guide her and help her in that, and to give her
the best reward.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
22816: Du'aa's to protect a
person by Allaah's leave
Question:
Is there a prayer which can protect me from
bad people at school, and in general?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, there are many du'aa's which if a Muslim
recites them, they will be a means of protecting
him from evil and evil people. These include the
following:
1 _ It was narrated that Ibn `Abbaas (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used
to seek protection for al-Hasan and al-Husayn
and say: "Your father (i.e., Ibraaheem) used to
seek protection by means of them (these words)
for Ismaa'eel and Ishaaq: A'oodhu bi
kalimaat-Allaah il-taammah min kulli shaytaanin
wa haammah wa min kulli `aynin laammah (I
seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from
every devil and poisonous reptile, and from
every envious evil eye)."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3191.
2 _ It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that
when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) was on a journey and got up or
ended his journey in the last part of the night,
he would say, "Sami'a saami'un bi hamdi
Lillaah wa husni balaa'ihi `alayna. Rabbana
saahibna wa afdil `alayna `aa'idhan Billaahi min
al-naar (May a witness bear witness to our
praise of Allaah for His favours and bounties
upon us. Our Lord, protect us, show favour upon
us and deliver us from every evil. I seek refuge
in Allaah from the Fire)."
Narrated by Muslim, 2718
"Sami'a saami'un (literally, may a hearer
hear us)" _ al-Khattaabi said: This means, may a
witness bear witness that we are praising Allaah
for His blessings and favours.
3 _ It was narrated that Khawlah bint Hakeem
al-Sulamiyyah said: I heard the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) say: "Whoever makes a stop on a journey and
says, `A'oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah il-tammaati
min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the
perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that
which He has created),' nothing will harm him
until he moves on from that place."
Narrated by Muslim, 2708
4 _ It was narrated from Moosa al-Ash'ari
that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) was afraid of some people he
would say, "Allaahumma inna naj'aluka fi
nuhoorihim wa na'oodhu bika min shuroorihim
(O Allaah, we ask You to repel them and we seek
refuge in You from their evil)."
Narrated by Abu Dawood, 1537; classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami',
4706
Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeem Abaadi said:
What is meant is: We ask You to repel them,
ward off their evil, deal with them and prevent
any evil reaching us from them.
`Awn al-Ma'bood, 4/277
And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A
(www.islam-qa.com)
34565: Meaning of the du'aa'
"Wa habb al-musee'eena minaa li'l-muhsineen"
Question:
What is the meaning of this du'aa': "Wa habb
al-musee'eena minaa li'l-muhsineen (And forgive
the wrongdoers among us for the sake of the
righteous) "?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
What is meant is asking Allaah to forgive the
Muslims who do wrong for the sake of those among
them who do good. There is nothing wrong with
that, because keeping company with righteous
people and sitting with them are among the means
of forgiveness for the Muslim who does wrong.
They are the people whose their companion cannot
be doomed. It was narrated in a saheeh hadeeth
that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
likeness of a good companion is that of one who
carries perfume: either he will give you some,
or you will buy some from him, or you will
notice a good fragrance coming from him. And the
likeness of a bad companion is that of one who
works the bellows: either he will burn your
garment or you will notice a foul smell coming
from him."
But it is not permissible for a Muslim to
rely on such things for expiation for his evil
actions. Rather he must repent continually from
all his sins, and check himself, and strive to
control himself for the sake of Allaah, so that
he does what Allaah has commanded and avoids
what Allaah has forbidden, and also hopes for
the forgiveness of Allaah; so he should beseech
Allaah not to leave him to his own devices and
not to judge him by his deeds. Hence the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Stand firm, do your
best but do not exaggerate, be of good cheer and
know that no one of you will enter Paradise by
virtue of his deeds alone." They said, "Not even
you, O Messenger of Allaah?" He said, "No, not
even me, unless Allaah bestows His Mercy and
bounty upon me."
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
21341: Raising one's hands
for du'aa' when travelling
Question:
Is it prescribed to raise the hands when
making du'aa', especially when travelling by
plane or car or train, etc?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Raising the hands when making du'aa' is one
of the means of having the du'aa' answered in
any place. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Your Lord is
characterized by modesty and concealment, so if
a slave of His raises his hands (in
supplication), He does not return them to him
empty."
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Allaah is Good and does not accept
anything but that which is good. Allaah has
enjoined upon the believers that which He
enjoined upon the Messengers." Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe (in the Oneness of
Allaah — Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful
things that We have provided you with, and be
grateful to Allaah"
[al-Baqarah 2:172]
And He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibaat
[all kinds of Halaal (lawful) foods which Allaah
has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable
animals, milk products, fats, vegetables,
fruits)] and do righteous deeds"
[al-Mu'minoon 21:51]
Then he mentioned a man who travels a great
deal and becomes disheveled and covered with
dust, who raises his hands to the heavens (and
says), `O Lord, O Lord,' when his food is
haraam, his drink is haraam, his clothes are
haraam and he has been nourished with haraam, so
how can he receive a response?
(Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh).
So he described raising the hands as being
one of the means of having du'aa' answered, and
he described consuming haraam and nourishing
oneself with haraam as being among the reasons
why prayers are not answered.
So this indicates that raising the hands is
one of the means of having du'aa' answered,
whether that is in a plane, train, car,
spaceship or whatever. If a person makes du'aa'
and raises his hands, this is one of the means
of having one's du'aa' answered. But in
situations where the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not raise
his hands, we should not raise our hands either,
such as in the khutbah of Jumu'ah, where he did
not raise his hands except when praying for rain
(istisqa'), when he did raise his hands.
Similarly, between the two prostrations and
before saying the salaam at the end of the
Tashahhud, he (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) did not raise his hands, so we do not
raise our hands at these times when the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did
not raise his hands.
Because his doing it is evidence and his not
doing it is evidence. Similarly after the salaam
of the five daily prayers, the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would
recite the dhikrs prescribed in sharee'ah but he
did not raise his hands, so we do not raise our
hands either, following his example. But in the
situations when he did raise his hands, the
Sunnah is to raise our hands, following his
example, and because that is one of the means of
having our prayers answered. Similarly in
situations where a Muslim calls upon his Lord,
and it was not narrated whether the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
raised his hands or not, then we should raise
our hands then, because of the ahaadeeth that
indicate that raising the hands is one of the
means of having prayers answered, as mentioned
above.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat li'l-Shaykh Ibn
Baaz, 6/124. (www.islam-qa.com)
20054: The meaning of
sending blessings upon the Prophet
Question:
My question is that I want to find out the
meaning of ALL the durood shariff and its
meanings in english.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
"Allaahumma salli `ala Muhammad wa `ala
Aali Muhammad kama salayta `ala aali Ibraaheem,
wa baarik `ala Muhammad wa `ala aali Muhammad
kama baarakta `ala aali Ibraaheem innaka
hameedun majeed (O Allaah, send prayers upon
Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You
sent prayers upon the family of Ibraaheem, and
send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family
of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon the
family of Ibraaheem, You are indeed Worthy of
Praise, Full of Glory)."
"Allaahumma" means, O Allaah.
"Salli `ala Muhammad (send prayers
upon Muhammad)." The prayers of Allaah upon
Muhammad means His praising him before the
higher assembly, i.e., the angels who are close
to Him.
"Wa `ala aali Muhammad (and upon the
family of Muhammad)" means and send blessings
upon the family of Muhammad. It was said that
the family of Muhammad are his followers who
follow his religion; or it was said that the
family of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) are his relatives who
believed. The first view is the one which is
correct because the word "aal"
(translated here as "family") means followers.
"Kama salayta `ala Ibraaheem (as You
sent prayers upon the family of Ibraheem)." Some
of the scholars said that what this means is: as
You previously bestowed Your bounty upon the
family of Ibraaheem, then bestow Your bounty
upon Muhammad and His family.
"Baarik `ala Muhammad wa `ala aali
Muhammad (Send blessings upon Muhammad and
upon the family of Muhammad)" means send down
blessings. Blessings means a lot of good things
on a continuous and ongoing basis.
"Kama baarakta `ala aali Ibraaheem (as
You sent blessings upon the family of
Ibraaheem)" i.e., O Lord, You bestowed Your
favour upon the family of Ibraaheem and blessed
them, so send blessings upon the family of
Muhammad.
"Innaka hameedun majeed (You are
indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory).
Hameed means praising and praiseworthy,
praising His slaves and close friends who obey
His commands, and praiseworthy, to be praised
for His attributes of perfection and great
blessings.
Majeed means Owner of Majesty. Majesty
means greatness and perfect power.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti', 3/227.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
13769: Prostrating to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) constitutes disbelief in Allaah (kufr)
Question:
I would like to know what to do. Someone told
me that when reciting dhuwa, that i have to
prostrate seven times for the prophet[p.b.u.h],
but i just don't know how, would you .
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly, one of the things that are well
known in Islam and that no Muslim has any excuse
for not knowing is that it is not permissible to
do any kind of act of worship for anyone except
Allaah _ not to any angel who is close to Him or
to any Prophet who was sent. Whoever does any
kind of act of worship for anyone other than
Allaah is a mushrik (polytheist, one who
associates others with Allaah) and a kaafir
(disbeliever). The evidence for that is the
verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And the mosques are for Allaah (Alone), so
invoke not anyone along with Allaah"
[al-Jinn
72:18]
Ibn Katheer said: Here Allaah is commanding
His slaves to worship Him alone and not to call
on anyone alongside Him, and not to associate
anyone with Him.
This action is a kind of exaggeration about
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), which the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us
against and forbade us to do. He said: "Do not
exaggerate about me as the Christians
exaggerated about the son of Maryam, for I am no
more than His slave, so say, the slave of Allaah
and His Messenger." Undoubtedly this action
(prostrating) is a form of worship.
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Ahaadeeth
al-Anbiya', 3189).
Undoubtedly this action is a kind of worship,
and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) warned us against following the
Jews and Christians in that. He said during his
final illness: "May the curse of Allaah be upon
the Jews and Christians, for they took the
graves of their Prophets as places of worship."
He was warning against doing what they did.
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Salaah, 417)
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) warned us against standing
up for him. It says in the hadeeth [referring to
when he led them in prayer sitting down because
he was ill, and they were standing, so he
gestured to them to sit down]: "Just now you
nearly did the action of the Persians and
Romans, who stand up for their kings whilst they
[the kings] are sitting." (Narrated by Muslim,
al-Salaah, 624)
And it says in the hadeeth: "Do not do as the
Persians do for their leaders." This is narrated
in Saheeh al-Jaami', 7380. If this is
what is said about standing up for him (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then what
about prostrating for him?
Prostration is one of the most exclusive acts
of worship, to be done only for Allaah. Allaah
has commanded us to prostrate to Him alone and
none other, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Prostrate yourselves not to the sun nor to
the moon, but prostrate yourselves to Allaah Who
created them, if you (really) worship Him"
[Fussilat 41:37]
"So fall you down in prostration to Allaah
and worship Him (Alone)"
[al-Najm 53:62]
Secondly: what is prescribed in Islam is to
send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) when making
du'aa'. This is a kind of etiquette to which
attention should be paid.
Al-Nawawi said: The scholars are unanimously
agreed that it is mustahabb to begin du'aa' with
praise of Allaah, then to send blessings upon
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), and to conclude the du'aa'
in like manner, as it says in the hadeeth:
"Whilst the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sitting, a
man entered and prayed, then he said, `O Allaah,
forgive me and have mercy on me.' The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said, `You are in a hurry, O worshipper.
When you have prayed, sit and praise Allaah as
He deserves to be praised, then send blessings
upon me, and then call upon Him (make du'aa').'
Then another man prayed and then praised Allaah
and sent blessings upon the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said, `O worshipper, make du'aa', for you will
be answered.'"
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Da'waat,
3398; Abu Dawood, 1481; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, no.
2756).
It was narrated that Faddaalah ibn `Ubayd
said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) heard a man making du'aa'
during his prayer, but he did not send blessings
upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: `This man is in a
hurry.' Then he called him and said to him, or
to someone else, `When any one of you prays, let
him begin by praising Allaah, then let him send
blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), then after that let him
make du'aa' as he wishes.'" Abu `Eesa said: this
is a saheeh hasan hadeeth. (al-Tirmidhi, 3399;
classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi
Dawood, 2767)
It was narrated in a hadeeth that `Abd-Allaah
ibn Mas'ood said: "I was praying, and the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was nearby, and Abu Bakr and `Umar were
with him. When I sat I started by praising
Allaah, then I sent blessings upon the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
then I prayed (made du'aa') for myself. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said, `Ask, it will be given to you; ask,
it will be given to you.'"
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Jumu'ah, 541;
al-Albaani said in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, it
is hasan saheeh; no. 486).
If it is asked, how do we send blessings upon
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him)?
The answer is:
The way to send blessings upon the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is
to say: "Allaahumma salli `ala Muhammad wa
`ala aali Muhammad kamaa salayta `ala aali
Ibraaheem. Wa baarik `ala Muhammad wa `ala aali
Muhammad kama baarakta `ala aali Ibraaheem
fi'l-`aalameen innaka hameedun majeed (O
Allaah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon
the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings
upon the family of Ibraaheem, and bless Muhammad
and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed the
family of Ibraheem among the nations. Verily You
are Most Praiseworthy, Full of Glory)."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, Ahaadeeth
al-Anbiya', 3119)
This is how blessings are sent upon the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). As for what is mentioned in the question
about prostrating for the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), this is haraam
(forbidden) and is major shirk, because
prostration may only be done for Allaah. So the
Muslim must learn about the matters of his
religion from the Qur'aan and Sunnah and from
trustworthy scholars; he should ask about
everything that he does not understand, so that
he will not fall into shirk, Allaah
forbid.
He should also keep away from everyone who
enjoins shirk, bid'ah (innovation) and
misguidance. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and
sound.
And Allaah knows best.
May Allaah send blessings upon our Prophet
Muhammad.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
21928: Starting and ending
du'aa' with blessings upon the Prophet
Question:
Before supplication, I praise Allah, ask Him
for forgiveness and then send `Salaam' on the
Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon
him). After the supplication, I again send
`Salaam' on the Prophet (may Allah's peace and
blessings be upon him) and then praise Allah.
Am I doing right, or is there some `bida'
involved in this?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is mustahabb for the worshipper to begin
his du'aa' with praise of Allaah, then to send
blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), then to ask for whatever
he wishes, because of the hadeeth narrated by
Abu Dawood (1481) and al-Tirmidhi (3477) from
Faddaalah ibn `Ubayd (may Allaah be pleased with
him) who said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard a man
making du'aa' in his prayer without glorifying
Allaah or sending blessings upon the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, `This man is in a
hurry.' He called him and said to him or to
someone else, `When anyone of you makes du'aa',
let him start by glorifying his Lord and
praising Him, then let him send blessings upon
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), then let him pray for whatever he
wants.'"
(This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1314).
Al-Bayhaqi narrated in Shu'ab
al-Eemaan that `Ali (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: "Every du'aa' is not responded
to until one sends blessings upon the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)."
This was narrated by Baqiy ibn Mukhallid from
`Ali in a marfoo' report, i.e., it was
attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him).
(This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami', no. 4523)
`Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
"Du'aa' is detained between the heavens and the
earth and no part of it is taken up until you
send blessings upon your Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)."
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 486; classed as
hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Tirmidhi, 403).
Imaam al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said in al-Adhkaar, p 176: "The
scholars are agreed that it is mustahabb to
start one's du'aa' by praising Allaah, then
sending blessings upon the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and
to end the du'aa' in the same manner. There are
many marfoo' reports on this subject (i.e.,
reports which are attributed to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him))."
Note that sending blessings on the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) take
three forms:
1 _ Sending blessings upon him before making
du'aa', and after praising Allaah, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "When anyone of you makes du'aa', let
him start by glorifying his Lord and praising
Him, then let him send blessings upon the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), then let him pray for whatever he wants."
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3477; classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi
Dawood, 1314)
2 _ Sending blessings upon him at the
beginning of the du'aa', in the middle and at
the end.
3 _ Sending blessings upon him at the
beginning and at the end, and one's personal
request may be made in between.
(Adapted from the words of Ibn al-Qayyim in
Jila' al-Afhaam, p. 531).
Based on the above, what you are doing is
valid and is in accordance with the Sunnah.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
14549: I am praying for a
righteous husband but nothing has happened
Question:
I have read many articles on when duaa is
accepted more (last third of nite, ramzan etc(
I find it very difficult to be patient for
my duaa to be supplicated, I have been praying
for 7 years for marriage with a suitable muslim
partner, but there are no prospects since we
live in a place where there no muslims, how do i
maintain patience for something for which i do
not see any prospects, thank you so much , i am
really worried
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger
of Allaah.
We advise you to fear Allaah and to bear
patiently the thing with which you are being
tested, and to have certain faith that with a
problem comes a way out and with difficulty
comes ease.
It may be better for you to move to a country
where there are lots of Muslims, so as increase
your chances of marriage to someone who is
righteous and pious.
You should not be anxious about a matter that
is decreed and written, for you will not get
anything other than that which Allaah has
decreed for you. How many women there are in the
Muslim countries who pass the age of thirty and
forty without getting married, and there are
some who reached this age and then got married.
Du'aa' is a powerful weapon for those who are
able to use it, so pray to Allaah and be certain
that Allaah will respond, and seek the means of
having your du'aa' accepted, such as eating and
drinking only things which are good (halaal),
and choosing the good times to make du'aa'.
Beware of seeking a speedy response, for the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "The du'aa' of any one of you will be
answered so long as he does not seek to hasten
it, and does not say, `I made du'aa' but I had
no answer.'" (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5865;
Muslim, 2735, from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah).
Know that a person's du'aa' is never wasted,
and it benefits him in all situations, as it
says in the hadeeth which was narrated by
al-Tirmidhi from Abu Hurayrah, who said: "The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: `There is no man who
prays to Allaah and makes du'aa' to Him, and
does not receive a response. Either it will be
hastened for him in this world, or it will be
stored up for him in the Hereafter, so long as
he does not pray for something sinful, or to cut
the ties of kinship, or seek a speedy response.'
They said, `O Messenger of Allaah, what does
seeking a speedy response mean?' He said,
`Saying, "I prayed to my Lord and He did not
answer me."'" (Al-Tirmidhi, 3859; classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh
al-Tirmidhi, 852).
Know that if you die chaste and you are a
virgin, you will have a great reward with
Allaah, and whatever you missed out on in this
world, you will not miss out in the Hereafter,
if you adhere steadfastly to the truth. There is
nothing wrong with expressing your wishes to
some of your Muslim sisters by mail or e-mail,
so that they can help you to find a righteous
husband through them. You may also refer to the
website www.workforislam.com - this may
help you too, in sha Allaah.
We ask Allaah to grant you a way out soon and
to bless you with a righteous husband in whom
you will find delight. And Allaah is the Source
of strength. And Allaah knows best. Islam
Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
26279: Is there any reason
not to make du'aa' after praying an obligatory
prayer?
Question:
What is the ruling on making du'aa' after an
obligatory prayer? Is there any evidence to show
that one should not do this?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It was not narrated from the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or from any
of his companions, as far as we know, that they
used to raise their hands and say du'aa' after
praying an obligatory prayer. Hence we know that
this is a bid'ah (innovation), because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Whoever does anything that is not in
accordance with this matter of ours (Islam) will
have it rejected." (narrated by Muslim in his
Saheeh, 3243). And he said: "Whoever
innovates anything in this matter of ours
(Islam) that is not part of it will have it
rejected." (Saheeh _ agreed upon).
However, reciting du'aa' without raising
one's hands and without reciting it in unison is
fine, because evidence to that effect was
reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), indicating that he made
du'aa' both before and after prayer. The same
applies to making du'aa' after praying naafil
prayers, because there is no evidence to
indicate that this should not be done, even if
one raises one's hands, because raising the
hands is one of the means of having one's du'aa'
answered. But that should not be done all the
time, rather only sometimes, because it was not
reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) used to make du'aa'
raising his hands after every naafil prayer. All
goodness rests in following the example of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah
(Muhammad) you have a good example to
follow"[al-Ahzaab 33:21]
From Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat
Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz
(may Allaah have mercy on him), 11/168.
See also Question no. 11543.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
21561: What is the ruling on
making du'aa' in the colloquial language?
Question:
What is the ruling on making du'aa' in the
colloquial language?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah was asked about
a man who made du'aa' in ungrammatical language,
and a man said to him that Allaah would not
accept a du'aa' spoken in ungrammatical
language.
He replied:
Whoever voiced this opinion is a sinner who
has gone against the Qur'aan and Sunnah and the
view of the salaf. For whoever calls upon
Allaah, devoting his worship sincerely and
purely to Him, calling upon him with a du'aa'
that is permissible, Allaah will listen to him
and respond to his du'aa', whether it is in
proper Arabic or in ungrammatical language. The
opinion mentioned has no basis, rather the one
who makes du'aa', if he is not used to speaking
in grammatical Arabic, he should not force
himself to do so. One of the salaf said, if a
person forces himself to speak grammatical
Arabic, he will not be focused in his heart.
Similarly it is makrooh to force oneself to make
the words of the du'aa' rhyme; if that happens
spontaneously, then it is fine, for the du'aa'
should come from the heart, and the tongue
should simply follow the heart. Whoever focuses
in his du'aa' on making the words grammatically
correct will have less focus in his heart.
Therefore the one who is in urgent need should
pray from the heart with whatever words Allaah
inspires him to say, without preparing it
beforehand. This is something which every
believer finds in his heart. It is permissible
to make du'aa' in Arabic or in languages other
than Arabic. Allaah knows the desire of the one
who is making du'aa', even if he cannot speak
Arabic correctly, for He understands all
languages and understands the needs of those who
speak different languages.
Al-Fatawa al-Kubra, 2/424, 425
(www.islam-qa.com)
21234: Bearing with patience
a delay in getting married
Question:
I am a twenty-nine year old woman, and it has
not been decreed for me to get married yet. I
hope that you can tell me of a soorah from the
Qur'aan that I can recite, or a du'aa' that will
help me not to think too much about the future
and having children, because I am suffering a
great deal because of not getting married. There
is someone else in the family who is a year
older than me and has not yet gotten married
either. Please advise me, may Allaah reward you.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
First of all, before answering this question
I would like to point out that all matters are
in the hand of Allaah; no benefit comes and no
harm is warded off except by His help. The One
Who relieves distress is Allaah, so if anything
befalls a person he must turn to Allaah and
beseech Him and call upon Him, whether that has
to do with attaining something desired or
removing something disliked.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whatever of blessings and good things
you have, it is from Allaah. Then, when harm
touches you, unto Him you cry aloud for help"
[al-Nahl 16:53]
"Is not He (better than your gods) Who
responds to the distressed one, when he calls on
Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you
inheritors of the earth, generations after
generations? Is there any ilaah (god) with
Allaah? Little is that you remember!"
[al-Naml 27:62]
Allaah is the One to Whom the slave turns.
When a person turns to Him with sincerity and
humility, acknowledging his need for Him, and
his food, drink, clothing and shelter are all
good (i.e., from halaal sources), then he may
expect Allaah to respond. This applies to all
kinds of du'aa'.
Then we should note that if a person calls
upon Allaah and He does not respond, then either
Allaah is storing that up for him [for the
Hereafter], or He is warding off from him some
evil that is greater than what was asked for.
But he should not despair and give up calling
upon Allaah, for Allaah loves those who persist
in du'aa' and who await His response with
certain faith. For Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad)
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 (without any mediator or intercessor)"
[al-Baqarah 2:186]
He should seek out the times when prayer is
answered. One of these times is the last third
of the night. The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "Our Lord descends
to the lowest heaven when there is one third of
the night left, and He says, `Who will call upon
Me, that I may answer? Who will ask of Me, that
I may give to him? Who will seek My forgiveness,
that I may forgive him?' _ until the dawn
comes." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7494; Muslim,
758)
Similarly: "The last hour of Friday _ there
is no Muslim slave who stands and prays and
calls upon Allaah at that time, but Allaah will
grant that to him." (narrated by al-Bukhaari,
935; Muslim, 852)
Or from the time when the imaam comes out on
Friday until the prayer ends.
Another of these times is the interval
between the adhaan and iqaamah, as the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Du'aa' made between the adhaan and
iqaamah will not be refused." (narrated by
al-Tirmidhi, 212; Abu Dawood, 521; Ahmad, 3/119.
al-Tirmidhi said, (it is) a saheeh hasan
hadeeth).
Among the situations (when du'aa' is
answered) is when a person is prostrating. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "With regard to sujood, offer lots of
du'aa' then, for it is more likely that you will
receive a response." (Narrated by Muslim, 479).
Another occasion is after saying the final
tashahhud (in prayer) and before saying the
salaam. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, "Then let him say
whatever du'aa' he wants." (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
This is what I wanted to say before answering
this specific question.
With regard to the answer to this particular
question, this woman has to have patience and
seek reward with Allaah. She should realize that
all matters are in the hand of Allaah and that
the delay in getting married may be better for
her and it may ultimately lead to something good
that Allaah has prepared for her. She should be
optimistic and expect good things to happen. If
you feel some distress or waswaas (insinuating
whispers from the Shaytaan), then increase your
dhikr (remembrance of Allaah), seek refuge in
Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan, and focus on
worship and other good deeds, until your
distress is eased.
Also, pray the well known du'aa' for relief
of anxiety and distress ("Allaahumma inni
`abduka ibnu `abdika ibnu `amatika, naasiyati bi
yadika maadin fiyya hukmuka (O Allaah, I am
Your slave, son of Your slave and son of Your
maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand. Your
command over me is forever executed…)"). A woman
should say, "Allaahumma inni amatuka bintu
`abdika bintu amatika naasiyati bi yadika maadin
fiyya hukmuka, `adlun fiyya qadaa'uka. As'aluka
bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka
aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw `allamtahu ahadan
min khalqika aw ista'tharta bihi fi `ilm
il-ghaybi `indaka an taj'al al-Qur'aan al-`azeem
rabee'a qalbi, wa noora sadri wa jalaa'a huzni
wa dhahaaba hammi (O Allaah, I am Your
maidservant, daughter of Your slave, daughter of
Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand.
You command over me is forever executed and Your
decree over me is just. I ask You by every name
belonging to You which You have named Yourself
with, or revealed in Your Book, or You have
taught to any of Your creation, or You have
preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with
You, that You make the Holy Qur'aan the life of
my heart and the light of my breast, and a
departure for my sorrow and a release for my
anxiety)."
(Narrated by Ahmad, 1/452, 391; Ibn Hibbaan,
3372; al-Haakim, 1/509. classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 199).
And there are other du'aa's which have been
narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him). This will relieve you of
the distress and anxiety that you are suffering.
We ask Allaah to keep you and us safe and sound.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
14103: Time of du'aa' when
breaking fast
Question:
The fasting person will have his prayer
answered when he breaks his fast, so when should
he make du'aa' _ before, during or after
breaking the fast? Are there any du'aa's which
were narrated from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) or that you can
recommend for this time?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This question was put to Shaykh Muhammad ibn
`Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), who
said:
"Du'aa' should be made before iftaar
(breaking the fast), at Maghrib, because this
combines weakness and humility, and because he
is still fasting. All of these are means of
having one's du'aa' answered. After breaking the
fast, one is relaxed and happy, and may become
negligent. But there is a hadeeth from the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) which, if it is saheeh, shows that the
du'aa' may be made after breaking the fast. It
said: `Thirst has gone, the veins are moist, and
the reward is assured, if Allaah wills."
(Narrated by Abu Dawood; classed as hasan by
al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood,
2066). This can only mean after breaking the
fast. Similarly it was narrated that some of the
Sahaabah said: " O Allaah, for You I have fasted
and with Your provision I have broken my fast."
So you may pray to Allaah and say whatever
du'aa' you think is suitable.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Uthaymeen (al-Liqaa'
al-Shahri, 8)
(www.islam-qa.com)
11402: Du'aa' is to be made
to Allaah alone
Question:
What is the ruling on making du'aa' to anyone
other than Allaah?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah is close to His slaves; he sees where
they are and He knows their situation. He hears
what they say and responds to their du'aa'
(supplication). Nothing about them is hidden
from Him, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Truly, nothing is hidden from Allaah, in
the earth or in the heaven" [Aal `Imraan
3:5]
Allaah Alone is the One Who has created us
and Who provides for us; in His hand is the
dominion and He is Able to do all things:
"To Allaah belongs the dominion of the
heavens and the earth and all that is therein,
and He is Able to do all things"
[al-Maa'idah 5:17 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
In Allaah's hand alone is all goodness. When
He calls mankind to something good in His Book
or on the lips of His Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), they should
obey that command and respond to it:
"O you who believe! Answer Allaah (by
obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he calls
you to that which will give you life, and know
that Allaah comes in between a person and his
heart (i.e. He prevents an evil person to decide
anything). And verily, to Him you shall (all) be
gathered" [al-Anfaal 8:24 _ interpretation of
the meaning]
Allaah is Able to do all things, and He hears
the supplication of His slaves. He responds to
them at all times and in all places, no matter
what their various needs and languages. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad)
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 (without any mediator or intercessor). So let
them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may
be led aright
[al-Baqarah 2:186]
Allaah has commanded us to call upon Him in
secret, with humility and submission, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Invoke your Lord with humility and in
secret. He likes not the aggressors" [al-A'raaf
7:55]
To Allaah belongs Dominion and to Him be
praise, and He is Able to do all things. The
heavens and the earth and everything in them
glorifies Him, as Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"The seven heavens and the earth and all
that is therein, glorify Him and there is not a
thing but glorifies His Praise. But you
understand not their glorification. Truly, He is
Ever Forbearing, OftForgiving" [al-Israa'
17:44]
Allaah has promised Hell to those who are too
arrogant to worship Him and call upon Him. He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e.
do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My
Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely
enter Hell in humiliation!"[Ghaafir 40:60]
Du'aa' should be made to Allaah in the manner
that Allaah and His Messenger have prescribed.
For example, Allaah should be called upon by His
Most Beautiful Names:
"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong
to Allaah, so call on Him by them, and leave the
company of those who belie or deny (or utter
impious speech against) His Names. They will be
requited for what they used to do" [al-A'raaf
7:180 _ interpretation of the meaning]
So we may say O Most Merciful, have mercy on
us, O Ever-Forgiving, forgive us, O Provider
grant us provision, and so on.
When a person makes du'aa', either Allaah
gives him what he asked for or He diverts it
from him a harm that is greater than the thing
he asked for, or He stores up what he has asked
for, for the Hereafter. This is because Allaah
has commanded us to call upon Him and He has
promised to respond to our call:
"And your Lord said: `Invoke Me [i.e.
believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and
ask Me for anything] I will respond to your
(invocation)' [Ghaafir 40:60 _ interpretation of
the meaning]
Allaah has commanded us to worship Him alone,
and He has warned us against worshipping the
Shaytaan. He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Did I not command you, O Children of
Adam, that you should not worship Shaytaan
(Satan). Verily, he is a plain enemy to you.
And that you should worship Me [Alone Islamic
Monotheism, and set up not rivals, associategods
with Me]. That is the Straight Path"
[Yaa-Seen 36:60-61]
Calling upon anyone other than Allaah to meet
one's needs, relieve distress or heal disease is
insanity caused by lack of understanding:
"Say (O Muhammad): `Shall we invoke others
besides Allaah (false deities), that can do us
neither good nor harm, and shall we turn back on
our heels after Allaah has guided us (to true
Monotheism)?'" [al-An'aam 6:71 _ interpretation
of the meaning]
If a person calls upon one who cannot bring
benefit or cause harm, who cannot command or
prohibit, who cannot hear or respond, whether
that is a Prophet, a Messenger, a jinn or an
angel, or a star or planet or rock or tree, or
one of the dead _ all of that is serious
wrong-doing, and a going astray from the
Straight Path. It is shirk, the
association of others with Allaah the Almighty.
"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 Zaalimoon (wrongdoers)"
[Yoonus 10:106 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And who is more astray than one who calls
on (invokes) besides Allaah, such as will not
answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who
are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations)
to them
[al-Ahqaaf 46:5]
Calling upon anyone or anything other than
Allaah is shirk, and shirk is a
great sin, indeed it is the greatest sin. Allaah
will forgive any sin for whomever He wills,
except for shirk, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners
should be set up with Him (in worship), but He
forgives except that (anything else) to whom He
wills
[al-Nisaa' 4:48]
On the Day of Resurrection, Allaah will
gather the mushrikeen and everyone who was
worshipped instead of Him, then those who were
worshipped instead of Allaah will disavow those
who worshipped them, and they will deny their
association with Allaah, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And those, whom you invoke or call upon
instead of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin
membrane over the date stone).
If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear
not your call; and if (in case) they were to
hear, they could not grant it (your request) to
you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will
disown your worshipping them. And none can
inform you (O Muhammad) like Him Who is the
AllKnower (of everything).
O mankind! it is you who stand in need of
Allaah. But Allaah is Rich (Free of all needs),
Worthy of all praise"[Faatir 35: 13-15]
From Usool al-Deen al-Islami by Shaykh
Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri
(www.islam-qa.com)
10097: Infertile person
praying the du'aa' of Zakariya ("O My Lord!
Leave me not single (childless)")
Question:
If a person is infertile and has no children,
and he recites the du'aa' which Zakariya (peace
be upon him) spoke _ "O My Lord! Leave me not
single (childless), though You are the Best of
the inheritors" [al-Anbiyaa' 21:89] _ is that
OK?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
As far as I know, there is nothing wrong with
saying this du'aa'. If he makes du'aa' saying
other words, such as saying, "O Allaah, bless me
with good offspring, O Allaah, grant me
righteous offspring," and similar du'aa's, all
of that is good. And he could recite the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning): "O my Lord!
Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are
indeed the All-Hearer of invocation" [Aal
`Imraan 3:38].
And it is recommended for him to go and see
specialist doctors, because he may not be
infertile as such, but there may be a problem
that can be treated. And it is suggested that he
should marry a woman who has previously given
birth, because the problem may lie with the wife
he has, not with him, and Allaah may bless him
with good children in this way. It was narrated
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Marry the one who is fertile
and loving, for I will be proud of your great
number before the nations on the Day of
Resurrection." And Allaah is the Source of
Strength.
Kitaab Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat
Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah
`Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy
on him), vol. 8, p. 423
(www.islam-qa.com)
12372: Praying for a long
life
Question:
Is it permissible to pray (make du'aa') for a
long life, or is the length of one's life
something that is decreed, so there is no point
in praying for it to be made long?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with that, but it is
better to add some further definition to what is
asked for, such as saying, "May Allaah grant you
a long life of obedience to Allaah", or "of
goodness" or "of that which pleases Allaah." It
is known that du'aa' does not go against the
decree of Allaah; indeed it is part of the
decree, like medicines, ruqyah (prayers for
healing), and so on.
Any means that do not go against the
teachings of Islam are all part of the decree.
The decree of Allaah will be carried out with
regard to the sick and the healthy, those for
whom du'aa' is made and those for whom du'aa' is
not made. But Allaah enjoins use of prescribed
and permissible means, then He decides whatever
He wills. All of that is from the decree of
Allaah.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Kitaab Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat
Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah
`Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may
Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 8, p. 425
(www.islam-qa.com)
11932: There is no evidence
that du'aa' made when seeing the Ka'bah is
answered
Question:
Someone said that supplication made at the
first sighting of the Kaaba is always granted.
Is there any truth to this?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This is not true; there has to be evidence
(daleel) for this to be true, because acts of
worship should only be based on evidence. And
that evidence must be saheeh in and of itself
and it should be clear and unambiguous. And
Allaah knows best.
Shaykh Sa'd al-Humayd (www.islam-qa.com)
11543: When should the hands
be raised in du'aa', and when do we make du'aa'
without raising our hands?
Question:
My question refers to one of your previous
answere in which you stated that it is a bida to
raise one's hands in supplication after a fard
prayer or after the Friday prayer. Could you
please tell me that when is it a good to raise
one's hands in duaa? Could we raise our hands
after a supererogatory prayer?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. It is important to note
that du'aa' is an act of worship, and every act
of worship should only be done on the basis of
evidence (daleel). The basic principle here is
that the hands should be raised when making
du'aa', except when the du'aa' is part of
another act of worship, in which case raising
the hands is regarded as an additional action
(and should not be done). Examples of such acts
of worship include salaah (prayer), khutbah
(sermon), tawaaf (circumambulation of the
Ka'bah), sa'ee (running between al-Safaa and
Marwah), etc. Salaah includes du'aa' at the
beginning of the prayer, in rukoo' (bowing),
when standing up from rukoo', in the two sajdahs
(prostrations) and in the sitting between the
two prostrations _ but whoever raises his hands
in these places is considered to have committed
an act of bid'ah (reprehensible innovation). The
same applies to raising the hands when making
du'aa' on the minbar, except in the case of
istisqaa' (praying for rain). And the same
applies when making du'aa' when doing tawaaf or
sa'ee.
When there is evidence to show that it is
permissible to raise the hands in certain
situation, then there is no dispute. Any du'aa'
which has not been narrated in a report and
which is not part of another act of worship is
regarded as general du'aa'; in this case there
is nothing wrong with raising the hands. It was
narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) spoke of a man who raised
his hands to the sky and said, "O Lord, O Lord,"
whilst his food was haraam, his drink was
haraam, his clothing was haraam, he had been
nourished with haraam, so how could his du'aa'
be answered?
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah feels shy to
let His slave raise his hands to Him and bring
them back empty." _ and other ahaadeeth.
With regard to raising the hands after a
naafil prayer, if that is not a du'aa' that is
regularly offered, such as when a man is faced
with some emergency, and he calls upon Allaah at
that moment, there is nothing wrong with that.
But if he regularly makes du'aa' and raises his
hands after praying an obligatory prayer, there
is no clear daleel to support doing so. Shaykh
Sa'd al-Humayd (www.islam-qa.com)
11588: Ruling on making
du'aa' in English
Question:
Can I recite duaa's in English?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Making du'aa' in English or in any other
language is permissible outside of salaah
(prayer). But it is not permissible to say any
part of the salaah in any language other than
Arabic, according to the majority of scholars.
But if the Muslim can stick to Arabic in all
cases, especially in acts of worship _ and
du'aa' is an act of worship _ that is preferable
and is better.
Shaykh `Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr
(www.islam-qa.com)
3935: Does not praying at
the beginning of the appointed time mean that
one's du'aa' will not be answered?
Question:
Is there any evidence that one who delays
prayer from its recommended time (but prays in
its legal time) and who makes post-salah du'ah
does not have his/her du'ah accepted?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh `Abd-Allaah ibn Qa'ood answered this
question for us as follows:
Praise be to Allaah.
We do not know of any evidence to that
effect. Allaah may answer the du'aa' of one who
calls on Him in desperation even if he is a
kaafir. And Allaah knows best." Shaykh
`Abd-Allaah ibn Qa'ood (www.islam-qa.com)
11694: Should a person call
upon Allaah even though Allaah knows his needs?
Question:
Some people repeat a hadeeth which says: "His
knowledge of my condition means that I do not
have to ask Him for anything." They use this as
evidence to say that a person does not need to
make du'aa' to Allaah because Allaah knows the
person's needs. How true is this?
Answer:
This idea is a false idea, because it goes
against belief in al-qadar (Divine decree) and
negates the idea of taking appropriate means,
and suggests giving up an act of worship which
is the most noble of worship to Allaah. Du'aa'
is very important. It can change the Divine
decree and relieve distress. It is beneficial
with regard to what has been decreed and what
has not been decreed. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Nothing
can change the Divine decree except du'aa'.
(Narrated by Ahmad, 5/677; Ibn Maajah, 90;
al-Tirmidhi, 139. Classed as hasan by al-Albaani
in Saheeh al-Jaami', 76687. See also
al-Saheehah, 145). And he said: "Whoever has the
gate of du'aa' opened to him, has the gates of
mercy opened to him. Allaah is never asked for
anything that He gives which is more beloved to
Him than being asked for good health and
well-being. Du'aa' is beneficial with regard to
what has been decreed and what has not been
decreed. So, O slaves of Allaah, you must make
du'aa'." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3548) And he
said: "No precaution can protect against the
decree of Allaah. Du'aa' is beneficial with
regard to what has been decreed and what has not
been decreed. The du'aa' meets the calamity that
has been decreed and wrestles with it, until the
Day of Resurrection." (Narrated by al-Tabaraani,
2/800 (33). Al-Albaani said in Saheeh al-Jaami',
7739, (it is) hasan). Some of those who neglect
du'aa', such as some of the Sufis, may use as
evidence the hadeeth, "I have no need to ask
because He knows my condition". This hadeeth is
false and has no basis. The scholars have spoken
out against it and explained why it is false.
Al-Baghawi mentioned it in his tafseer of Soorat
al-Anbiyaa', pointing out how da'eef (weak) it
is. He said: "It was narrated from Ubayy ibn
Ka'b that Ibraaheem said, when they tied him up
to throw him into the fire, `There is no god but
You, glory be to You, Lord of the Worlds. To You
be praise and to You be the sovereignty. You
have no partner or associate.' Then they threw
him with a catapult into the fire, and Jibreel
met him and said, `O Ibraaheem, do you need
something?' He said, `From you, no.' Jibreel
said, `Then ask your Lord.' Ibraaheem said, `I
have no need to ask because He knows my
condition.'" (Tafseer al-Baghawi Ma'aalim
al-Tanzeel, 5/347) Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
said concerning this hadeeth: "The hadeeth `I
have no need to ask because He knows my
condition' is false. It contradicts what Allaah
said about Ibraaheem al-Khaleel and other
Prophets, that they made du'aa' to Allaah and
asked of Him. And it goes against what Allaah
has commanded His slaves to do, asking Him for
the best in this world and the next." (Majmoo'
al-Fataawa, 8/539) Shaykh al-Albaani said
concerning this hadeeth: "It has no basis. It
was narrated by some of them as the words of
Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) but it is from the
Israa'eeliyaat [stories from Jewish sources]. It
has no basis among the marfoo' reports [those
which go back to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)]." (Silsilat
al-Ahaadeeth al-Da'eefah, 1/28 (21)) Later he
said about this hadeeth: "This meaning was
adopted by some of those who wrote books of
wisdom in the style of the Sufi tareeqahs; they
said, your asking from Him _ meaning Allaah, may
He be exalted _ is an accusation against Him."
(Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da'eefah, 1/29) Then
he said, commenting on this idea: "This is
serious misguidance. Did the Prophets (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon them) accuse their
Lord when they asked Him for various things?"
(Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da'eefah, 1/29)
al-Eemaan bi'l-Qadaa' wa'l-Qadar by Muhammad ibn
Ibraaheem al-Hamad, p. 145. (www.islam-qa.com)
5112: Du'aa's to remove
depression
Question:
Are there any duas to remove my deppresion?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
In al-Saheehayn it was reported from
Ibn `Abbaas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
say, when he felt distressed:
"La ilaaha ill-Allaah al-`Azeem ul-Haleem,
Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb il-`arsh il-`azeem,
Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb is-samawaati wa Rabb
il-ard wa Rabb il-`arsh il-kareem (there is
no god except Allaah, the All-Mighty, the
Forbearing; there is no god except Allaah, the
Lord of the Mighty Throne; there is no god
except Allaah, Lord of the heavens, Lord of the
earth and Lord of the noble Throne)."
And it was reported from Anas (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say,
when something upset him:
"Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom, bi Rahmatika
astagheeth (O Ever-Living One, O Everlasting
One, by Your mercy I seek help)."
And it was reported that Asmaa' bint `Umays
(may Allaah be pleased with her) said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said to me: "Shall I not
teach you some words to say when you feel
distressed? `Allaah, Allaah, Rabbee laa
ushriku bihi shay'an (Allaah, Allaah, my
Lord, I do not associate anything with Him).'"
It was reported from `Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "No person suffers any
anxiety or grief, and says:
`Allaahumma innee `abduka wa ibn `abdika
wa ibn amatika, naasiyati bi yadika, maadin
fiyya hukmuka, `adlun fiyya qadaa'uka, as'aluka
bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka
aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw `allamtahu ahadan
min khalqika aw ista'tharta bihi fi `ilm
il-ghaybi `andak an taj'ala al-Qur'aana rabee'
qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa'a huzni wa dhahaaba
hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of
Your slave, son of Your female slave, my
forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me
is forever executed and Your decree over me is
just. I ask You by every Name belonging to You
which You named Yourself with, or revealed in
Your Book, or You taught to any of Your
creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge
of the unseen with You, that You make the
Qur'aan the life of my heart and the light of my
breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a
release for my anxiety)'
- but Allaah will take away his sorrow and
grief, and give him in their stead joy."
Al-Kalim al-Tayyib by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah, edited by Shaykh al-Albaani, p. 72
(www.islam-qa.com)
1535: What is the ruling on
a person insisting by an oath that his Lord
should do something?
Question:
Is it permissible for any person nowadays to
swear an oath insisting that Allaah should do
something that he wants, or not?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible to swear an oath saying
"I swear, O Lord, that You should send down
rain," or defeat the Jews, or make So and so
rich, or give him such and such, or do for me
what I ask in this place, and so on. This
implies that a person is obliging his Lord to do
something, but it is Allaah Who controls the
affairs of His slaves, and His slave has no
right to make demands of his Lord or try to
oblige Him to do anything. This goes against
Tawheed, or it either compromises its integrity
or uproots it altogether, depending on the
person's intentions. The reports about some of
the Salaf insisting by an oath that Allaah
should do something probably refer to their
du'aa's (supplications). The hadeeth of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him): "There are among the slaves of Allaah
those who, if they were to insist by an oath
that Allaah should do something, He would fulfil
it" (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2703) is
hypothetical in nature, meaning that Allaah
would respond to such a person's du'aa' although
it is known that nobody would dare to address
their Lord in this manner. And Allaah knows
best.
Al-Lu'lu' al-Makeen min Fataawaa Ibn Jibreen,
p. 53 (www.islam-qa.com)
6585: Are there any du'aa's
to help one get a good wife or husband?
Question:
I would like to know if there are any certain
du'as or solah that could be done in order to
get a future wife or husband.What are the things
that one should look out for in order to know
that the person is an accurate choice? Can one
get answers by letting the Qur'an to be his
guidance?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There is not _ as far as we know _ any du'aa'
specifically for this matter that has been
reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), but you can pray to
Allaah to bless you with a righteous spouse.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) taught us Du'aa'
al-Istikhaarah, which means asking Allaah to
choose for us that which is best for our
religious and worldly interests in all matters,
religious and worldly. This du'aa' was narrated
by Jaabir ibn `Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased
with him) who said: the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used
to teach us to seek guidance
(istikhaarah) in all our affairs, just as
he would teach us a Soorah from the Qur'aan. He
said: "Whenever any one of you is concerned
about a matter, let him pray two rak'ahs of
non-obligatory prayer, then let him say:
`Allaahumma inni astakheeruka bi `ilmik, wa
astaqdiruka bi qudratik, wa as'aluka min fadlik
il-`azeem. Fa innaka taqdiru wa laa aqdir, wa
ta'lamu wa laa a'lam, wa anta
`allaamu'l-ghuyoob. Allaahumma in kunta ta'lam
anna [haadha'l-amr] khayrun li fi deenee wa
ma'aashi wa `aaqibati amri, faqdurhu li, wa
yassirhu li, thumma baarik li fih. Wa in kunta
ta'lam anna [hadha'l-amr] sharrun li fi deenee
wa ma'aashi wa `aaqibati `amri, fasrifhu `anni
wasrifni `anhu waqdur li al-khayr haythu kaan.
Thumma ardeeni bih (O Allaah, I seek Your
guidance (in making a choice) by virtue of Your
knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your
power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You
have power, I have none. And You know, I know
not. You are the Knower of hidden things. O
Allaah! If in Your knowledge, (this matter [ _
and he should mention it here]) is good for my
religion, my livelihood and my affairs,
immediate and in the distant future, ordain it
for me, make it easy for me and bless it for me.
And if in Your knowledge (this matter [ _ and he
should mention it here]) is bad for my religion,
my livelihood and my affairs, immediate and in
the distant future, then turn it away from me,
and turn me away from it, and ordain for me the
good wherever it may be, and make me pleased
with it).'" (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1109).
There is nothing which it is more important
for both parties to focus on than religious
commitment and attitude.
With regard to the husband, the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
advised the guardians (walis) of women:
"If there comes to you one whose attitude and
commitment to religion pleases you, then marry
him (to your female relative), for if you do not
do that, there will be much trouble and
corruption in the land."
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1084; Ibn Maajah,
1967)
With regard to the wife, the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) gave the
following advice:
"Women are married for four things: wealth,
lineage, beauty and religious commitment. Marry
the one who is religious, may your hands be
rubbed with dust! (i.e., may you prosper).
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4802; Muslim, 1466).
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said: the meaning is that
what is appropriate for the man who is religious
and chivalrous is that religion must be the
ultimate focus in all things, and especially
with regard to the choice of a lifelong
companion. So the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) commanded him to seek a
religious woman, since religion is his ultimate
goal." (Fath al-Bari, 9/135).
With regard to the second part of your
question, about letting the Qur'aan be your
guidance:
If you mean using it for divination, like
astrology, this is haraam. One of the innovated
ways in which people do this is to open the
Mus-haf at random, and if their gaze falls on an
aayah which speaks of mercy or reward, they
think this means that what they want to do is
good! And if they see an aayah which speaks of
punishment, they think that what they want to do
is bad. There is no basis for this in the
religion; this is one of the ways in which the
shayaateen (devils) misguide the believing
slaves of Allaah.
But if what you mean by letting the Qur'aan
be your guidance is following it and acting in
accordance with its rulings, this is the way to
achieve true happiness, and there is no
happiness apart from through this, which is
adherence to the Qur'aan and Sunnah. This is the
only way for mankind to be guided and saved by
Allaah on the Day of Resurrection. Concerning
this Allaah says (interpretation of the
meanings):
"This is the Book (the Qur'aan), whereof
there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are
Al-Muttaqoon [the pious]" [al-Baqarah 2:2]
"Verily, this Qur'aan guides to that which is
most just and right"
[al-Israa' 17:9]
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
4845: Is there a du'aa' for
moving into a new house?
Question:
I HAVE SHIFTED INTO A NEW HOUSE. PLEASE COULD
YOU SUPPLY ME WITH A DUAA FOR THE PROTECTION OF
MY HOUSE, SINCE I AM GETTING MARRIED AND HAVE
RE-LOCATED TO A NEW AREA.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Is there a du'aa' for moving into a new
house?
We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn
Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, who answered as follows:
"Praise be to Allaah. When he enters a house
or stops to camp in a spot out of doors, he
should say, `A'oodhu bi kalimaat-Illaah
it-taammaati min sharri ma khalaq (I seek
refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the
evil of that which He has created)' three times.
If he says this, then nothing will harm him
until he leaves that place."
The house he is talking about is a new house
which he is going to go and live in for the
first time. What should he say?
"When he enters it for the first time, he
should say, `A'oodhu bi kalimaat-Illaah
it-taammaati min sharri ma khalaq.'"
Can he say, "Rabbi anzilni munzalan
mubaarakan [My Lord! Cause me to land at a
blessed landing-place _ al-Mu'mineen 23:29 _
interpretation of the meaning]"?
"This is for when one embarks on a boat or
ship."
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
1945: Ruling on asking
others to make du'aa'
Question:
What is the ruling on a Muslim asking a
brother in Islam who he thinks is a good person
to make du'aa' for him when he is going for Hajj
or on some other journey, and asking him to make
du'aa' for him in his absence? Because the
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) praised Uways and urged his Sahaabah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) to ask him to make
du'aa' for them (the hadeeth of Uways al-Qurani
was reported by Muslim, no. 2542). Did Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah regard it as makrooh to do
this and say that the hadeeth applied only to
Uways?
Please explain to us.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Asking a person to make du'aa' for you who
you think will have his du'aa's answered, either
because of his righteousness or because he is
going to a place where one hopes his du'aa's
will be answered, such as travelling or going
for Hajj or `Umrah, etc., is OK in principle.
But if there is the fear that something that is
not right may result from it, such as the person
who makes the request relying on the person whom
he has asked, or always relying on other people
with regard to matters in which he should call
on his Lord, or there is the fear that the
person of whom the request is made may become
arrogant and think that he has reached such a
level that people ask him to make du'aa' for
them, then this is sufficient reason not to do
this, because in this case it leads to something
that is not right. If it does not lead to
something that is not right, then in principle
it is permissible, but still we say that it
should not be done, because it was not the
custom of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased
with them) to ask one another to make du'aa' for
one another. The hadeeth in which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is
reported to have said to `Umar, "Do not forget
us in your du'aa', O my brother" (reported by
Abu Dawood, no. 1498, and al-Tirmidhi, no. 3557)
is a weak hadeeth and there is no proof that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said this.
With regard to the fact that the Sahaabah
(may Allaah be pleased with them) asked the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) to make du'aa' for them, it is well-known
that no one else can reach the level of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), so when `Ukaashah ibn Muhsan asked him to
pray that he would be one of those who would
enter Paradise without being called to account
or being punished, he said, "You will be one of
them" (reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 6541;
Muslim, no. 216, 218, 220), and when another man
came and asked the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) to ask Allaah to send
them rain, he did so (reported by al-Bukhaari,
no. 1013; Muslim, 897).
With regard to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) advising his
companions to ask Uways al-Qurani to make du'aa'
for them, this undoubtedly applied only in his
case, and it is known that Uways was not on the
same level as Abu Bakr or `Umar or `Uthmaan or
`Ali, or other Sahaabah. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not tell
anyone among his Sahaabah to ask anyone to make
du'aa' for them.
To sum up, we can say: there is no sin in
asking someone to make du'aa' for you that you
hope will have his du'aa' answered, on the
condition that this does not involve anything
that is wrong, but it is better and more
appropriate not to do this.
Liqa' al-Baab al-Maftooh by Ibn `Uthaymeen,
212
(www.islam-qa.com)
4143: Her husband is
temperamental. How should she make du'aa' for
him?
Question:
My sister is recently married but the
marriage has not been going well as expected. In
the beginning, everything was just fine but
recently her husband has become very
temperemental and has come very close to being
violent. Is there any duaas or Qur'anic verses
that she may read to help restore their marriage
to the way it was?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no specific soorah or du'aa' that
may be recited in the situation described, but
this wife can pray for her husband however she
wishes, such as saying, "O Allaah, take away his
anger, O Allaah, make him patient, O Allaah,
grant him tranquillity." She should call on her
Lord by His Most Beautiful Names and beseech Him
to help her; she should strive to offer her
supplication at the times when du'aa's are most
likely to be accepted, such as during the last
third of the night, or the last hour of Friday,
or the Day of `Arafaah, and when prostrating
during prayer, and so on. We ask Allaah to put
their affairs straight. May Allaah bless our
Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
2470: How can he seek the
forgiveness of one who has died?
Question:
My grandmother died 4 years ago (me she be in
Heaven, Amin). I have grown up in front of her
and have great memories of her. She taught me to
pray and said great and wise things, I have
tremendous love for her.
I foolishly did
something that I should not have, for which I am
really sorry. I may have humiliated her in a
way, but she didn't say any thing about it.
I haven't had a chance to ask her
forgiveness, I have repented to my sin. I
constantly ask Allah to forgive me. Is there a
way to ask my grandmother for forgiveness now? I
have given great thought to it, but I am unable
to come up with any suitable solution.
I would be grateful if you guide me in this
matter.
I ask Allah for forgiveness and
guidance for all who are alive and dead.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Since your grandmother has died and gone to
her Lord, you cannot know whether she has
forgiven you or not. There is no way that you
can ask for her forgiveness now that she has
died. This confirms the importance of the
hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him):
"Whoever has wronged his brother with regard
to his honour or something, let him ask him for
forgiveness before the time when there will be
neither dinar nor dirham, and if
he has any good deeds it will be taken from him
in proportion to the wrong he did, and if he
does not have any good deeds (hasanaat),
some of the other person's evil deeds
(sayi'aat) will be taken and given to him
to bear."
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 2296).
Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said
in his commentary on this hadeeth:
" `Whoever has wronged his brother' _ i.e.,
if he has done something wrong to his brother.
`with regard to his honour or something' _
i.e., anything else… this includes all kinds of
wealth and wounding, even a slap in the face and
so on. According to a report narrated by
al-Tirmidhi, `with regard to his honour or his
wealth.'
`Before the time when there will be neither
dinar nor dirham' _ i.e., the Day
of Resurrection.
`Some of the other person's evil deeds
(sayi'aat) will be taken' _ i.e., they
will be taken from the account of the person who
was wronged _ `and given to him to bear' _ i.e.,
they will be added to the account of the
wrongdoer."
Muslim also narrated a hadeeth similar in
meaning to this through a different isnaad. This
version is clearer in meaning: "The one who is
bankrupt among my ummah is the one who will come
on the Day of Resurrection with prayer, fasting
and zakaah to his credit, but he will come
having slandered one person and shed the blood
of another and wrongfully consumed the wealth of
a third, so (his victims) will be given some of
his hasanaat (good deeds), and if his hasanaat
run out before the score is settled, some of
their sins will be taken and thrown onto him,
and he will be thrown into Hell."
According to a report also narrated by
al-Bukhaari from Abu Hurayrah, the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Whoever has done wrong to his
brother, let him seek his forgiveness, because
in the Hereafter there will be no dinar or
dirham, and let him ask for his forgiveness
before some of his hasanaat are taken and given
to his brother, and if he has no hasanaat, some
of his brother's sayi'aat will be taken and
thrown onto him." (Reported by al-Bukhaari,
6053)
Abu Na'eem reported from Ibn Mas'ood that a
person will be taken by the hand and made to
stand before all of mankind, and a caller will
cry out: "This is So and so the son of So and
so. Whoever is owed anything by him, let him
come forward." So they will come forward, and
the Lord will say, "Give them what is due to
them." He will say, "O Lord, the world is
finished, so how can I give them anything?" He
[Allaah] will say to the angels, "Take from his
righteous deeds and give each one what he is
asking for." If he is to be saved and there is
even a mustard-seed worth of his hasanaat left
over, Allaah will multiply it until He admits
him thereby to Paradise.
Ahmad and al-Haakim reported from Jaabir from
`Abd-Allaah ibn Unays, who attributed it to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him): "No one of the people of Paradise will be
allowed to enter Paradise when one of the people
of Hell has been wronged by him, until I settle
the score, even with regard to a slap in the
face." We [the Sahaabah] said: "O Messenger of
Allaah, how will that be, when we will be
gathered barefoot and naked?" He said, "By
virtue of sayi'aat and hasanaat." (Fath
al-Baari Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaari).
In any case, you have taken a very important
step, which is repenting to Allaah. If you
sincerely repent to Him and do as much as you
can to honour your grandmother (for more
details, see Question #763), and she sees
in her record (on the Day of Judgement) that you
sought forgiveness for her, perhaps she will
forgive you on that Day if she had not already
forgiven you in this world. Make lots of du'aa'
for her. May Allaah forgive us all.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
3064: Asking about an
alternative to books of innovated du'aa's and
looking for names of books of correct du'aa's
Question:
Salaams. Thank you again for the wonderful
work you are doing to help the Muslim Ummah. May
Allah (SWT) bestow His blessings on you.
My question is of differentiating between
what is Zikhr & waht is Bidha. My daily
drive to work take me approx. 2hrs and to make
good use of this time I Listen to the Quran
(Arabic with English Translation) on the way to
work and on the way home, I try to say some duas
I learnt from a books that were given to me.
These book published in India/Pakistan suggest
that I should recite a particular dua for 100
times and another dua for 500 times etc.... All
the duas in these books have the number of times
I should recite them. I have researched many
authentic hadiths and cannot find this reciting
by certain amount. As a result am I committing
Bidha if I recite these duas by the amounts
suggested in these books. If so, is there any
authentic books you could recommend where I can
learne and recite daily duas for Zikhr
purposes.
Jazak Allah Khair.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Some saheeh reports from the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) describe
du'aa's that can be recited one hundred times
during the day and night, such as that reported
by Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with
him), who said that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said, "Whoever says `Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah
wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu'l-mulk wa
lahu'l-hamd wa huwa `ala kulli shay'in
Qadeer (There is no god but Allaah Alone,
with no partner or associate; His is the
Dominion and His is the Praise, and He is Able
to do all things), one hundred times in a day,
it will be equivalent (in reward) to freeing ten
slaves, and a hundred hasanaat (good deeds) will
be recorded for him, and one hundred sayi'aat
(bad deeds) will be erased from his record; it
will be a protection for him from the Shaytaan
all that day until evening comes, and nobody can
do any better than that except one who does more
than that." (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 3050).
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
also reported that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Whoever says `Subhaan Allaah wa bi
hamdih (Glory and praise be to Allaah)' one
hundred times in a day, his sins will be wiped
out even if they are like the foam of the sea.'"
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5936).
With regard to trustworthy and reliable books
of du'aa's and dhikr, this is a topic which has
been covered in many books, ancient and modern,
whether the books deal with this topic on its
own or it is included with other material. Some
examples are:
`Amal al-Yawm wa al-Laylah by
al-Nisaa'i, edited by Faarooq Hamaadah
al-Adhkaar by Imaam al-Nawawi, edited
by `Abd al-Qaadir al-Arna'oot
al-Saheeh al-Musnad min Adhkaar al-Yawm
wa'l-Laylah, published by Daar Ibn `Affaan,
al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia
Saheeh al-Kalim al-Tayyib by
al-Albaani, al-Maktab al-Islami, Beirut, Lebanon
Husn al-Muslim by al-Qahtaani,
published by Mu'sasat al-Juraysi, Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia.
[Translater's Note: this book is available in
English under the title: Fortification of the
Muslim through Remembrance and Supplication from
the Qur'aan and the Sunnah, by Sa'eed ibn
`Ali ibn Wahf al-Qahtaani]
And Allaah is the Source of strength
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
2910: Du'aa's for infertile
couples
Question:
Dear Sir,
I am unable to conceive children due to
sterility are there any specific dua'a to be
said in such a case ?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
You may pray the du'aa' of Zakariya (peace be
upon him), who said:
"Rabbi laa tadharni fardan wa anta khayr
ul-waaritheen (O my Lord! Leave me not
single (childless), though You are the Best of
the inheritors)." This is a beautiful du'aa'
which is very appropriate in this case. Also
suitable is another prayer of Zakariya:
"Rabbi hab li min ladunka dhurriyyatan
tayyibatan innaka samee' al-du'aa' (O my
Lord! Grant me from You a good offspring. You
are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation)."
The story of Zakariya contains valuable
lessons for us. Allaah has told us this story in
several places in the Qur'aan. For example, in
Soorat Aal `Imraan, where He tells us about
Maryam (peace be upon her) He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"So her Lord (Allaah) accepted her [Maryam]
with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a
good manner and put her under the care of
Zakariya. Every time he entered al-mihrab [a
praying place or private room] to (visit) her,
he found her supplied with sustenance. He said,
`O Maryam! From where have you got this?' She
said, `This is from Allaah.' Verily, Allaah
provides sustenance to whom He wills, without
limit.
At that time Zakariya invoked his Lord,
saying: `O my Lord! Grant me from You a good
offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of
invocation.'
Then the angels called him, while he was
standing in prayer in al-mihrab, (saying):
`Allaah gives you glad tidings of Yahya,
confirming (believing in) the Word from Allaah
[i.e., the creation of `Eesaa], noble, keeping
away from sexual relations with women, a
Prophet, from among the righteous.'
He said, `O my Lord! How can I have a son
when I am very old and my wife is barren?'
Allaah said: `Thus Allaah does what He wills.'
He said: `O my Lord! Make a sign for me.'
Allaah said: `Your sign is that you shall not
speak to mankind for three days except with
signals. And remember your Lord much, and
glorify (Him) in the afternoon and in the
morning.'"[Aal `Imraan 3:37-41]
In Soorat Maryam, Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"(This is) a mention of the mercy of your
Lord to His slave Zakariya.
When he called out to his Lord (Allaah) _ a
call in secret,
Saying, `My Lord! Indeed my bones have grown
feeble, and grey hair has spread on my head, and
I have never been unblest in my invocation to
You, O my Lord!
And verily! I fear my relatives after me,
since my wife is barren. So give me from
Yourself an heir, -
Who shall inherit me, and inherit (also) the
posterity of Ya'qoob [inheritance of religious
knowledge and Prophethood]. And make him, my
Lord, one with whom You are well-pleased!'
(Allaah said): `O Zakariya! Verily, We give
you the glad tidings of a son. His name will be
Yahya. We have given that name to none before
(him).'
He said, `My Lord! How can I have a son, when
my wife is barren, and I have reached the
extreme old age?'
He said, `So (it will be). Your Lord says: It
is easy for Me, Certainly, I have created you
before, when you had been nothing!'
[Zakariya] said: `My Lord! Appoint for me a
sign.' He said, `Your sign is that you shall not
speak unto mankind for three nights, though
having no bodily defect.'
Then he came out to his people from al-mihrab
[a praying-place or private room] and told them
by signs to glorify Allaah's Praises in the
morning and in the afternoon."[Maryam 19:2-11]
In Soorat al-Anbiya', Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) Zakariya, when he cried to
his Lord: `O my Lord! Leave me not single
(childless), though You are the Best of the
inheritors.'
So We answered his call, and We bestowed upon
him Yahya, and cured his wife (to bear a child)
for him. Verily, they used to hasten on to do
good deeds, and they used to call on Us with
hope and fear, and used to humble themselves
before Us."
[al-Anbiya' 21:89-90]
Thinking about the story of Zakariya (peace
be upon him) is very beneficial for anyone who
is infertile. One may also ponder the story of
Ibraaheem and his wife Saarah, whom Allaah
rewarded for their patience with Ishaaq when
Ibraaheem was very old. He was also given
another son, Ismaa'eel. Allaah tells us that His
khaleel (friend) said (interpretation of
the meaning):
"All praises and thanks be to Allaah, Who has
given me in old age Ismaa'eel and Ishaaq.
Verily! My Lord is indeed the All-Hearer of
invocations."[Ibraaheem 14:39]
In all situations, the Muslim should accept
and be content with the decree of Allaah, even
if he is to remain infertile for the rest of his
life. It could be that his patience may be
better for him than a child. Everything that
Allaah decrees has wisdom and a reason behind
it, and everything is subject to His Will and
Command. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"To Allaah belongs the kingdom of the heaven
and the earth. He creates what He wills. He
bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills,
and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills.
Or He bestows both males and females, and He
renders barren whom He wills. Verily, He is the
All-Knower and is Able to do all things."
[al-Shoora 42:49-50]
May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
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Introduction