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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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.

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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.

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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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.

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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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)

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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.

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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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.

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

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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

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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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.

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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