Bismillaah!
Supplication
And Its Manners, Times, Conditions and Mistakes
By Abdulaziz Addweesh
Assalaam O Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh!
Conditions for Supplication
1. One must know that only Allah (SWT) can answer his supplication and He is the only one Who can bring good to him. Allah (SWT) said: “Is not He Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth, generation after generation. Is there any god with Allah? Little is that you remember”
(27:62)
2. One must invoke Allah (SWT) alone and no others. Allah (SWT) said: “And the mosques are for Allah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Him”
(Qur'an 72:18)
3. One must be patient
(see page 9)
4. One must think positively of Allah (SWT), must have faith in Him and believe that He has the ability to do anything He wants. Narrated Abu Hurairah (Ra): Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said: “Supplicate Allah with confidence He will answer you”
(At-Tirmidhi)
Mistakes in Supplication
1. Invoking other than Allah (SWT) such as prophets, pious people, stone, idols ... etc this is Shirk (polytheism)
2. Wishing to die. Some people when they get sick, and they do not heal soon, or they have some personal problems they start wishing for death.
3. Asking Allah (SWT) to hurry or give his punishment in this life.
4. Asking Allah (SWT) to break the bond of kin-ship. (such as separating one from his parents)
5. Supplicating for sins to spread in the Islamic society.
6. The “Imam” (prayer’s leader) making supplication for himself without including the followers in his supplication. (during group prayer, At-taraweh in Ramadan)
7. Invoking Allah (SWT) to see if there is a response without a sense of genuine purpose.
8. Raising the voice during the supplication. It should be done secretly.
9. Saying Insha-Allah, (Allah willing) after the supplication. (Ex.: O' Allah forgive my sins if you will) Narrated Abu Huraira (Ra): the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, “None of you should say: O' Allah forgive me if you wish, O' Allah be merciful to me if you wish, but he should always appeal to Allah (SWT) with determination, for nobody can force Allah (SWT) to do something against His will. (agreed upon)
10. Invoking Allah (SWT) aggressively, (asking Allah (SWT)) for impossible things such as asking Him to make you a prophet or immortality)
11. Asking Allah (SWT) to harm a Muslim.
12. Asking Allah (SWT) to have a Muslim commit a sin or die as a non believer.
Reasons for the Acceptance of Supplication
There are some reasons which cause the supplication to be accepted by Allah (SWT) They are:
Repentance to Allah (SWT): The almighty Allah (SWT) said “I said (to them): 'Ask forgiveness from your Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) 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”
(Qur'an 71:10,12)
Good income: The income must be halal (good) as the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was asked by one of His companions, How could I have my supplication responded to? The messenger of Allah (SAW) said; “Make your income good and your supplication will be responded to.”
Perform Supererogatory Deeds: Such as voluntary prayer and voluntary fasting.
Chose the preferred time for Supplication:
(see above)
Reasons for the Rejection of Supplication
As there are reasons for acceptance of a supplication, there are also reasons for rejection of a supplication. Here are some reasons which will cause Allah (SWT) to reject the supplication:
Illegal Income
Committing a lot of Sins
Having doubt in Allah (SWT)
Being Aggressive When Supplicating
What Happens When Supplication is Made?
When someone invokes Allah (SWT), one of the following will happen:
Allah (SWT) will respond to the supplicant and He will give him what he asked for.
Allah (SWT) will prevent the supplicant from being harmed.
Allah (SWT) will reward the supplicant with “Hasanat” (good reward) which will be kept for him on the Day Of Judgment.
Selected Supplications from the Qur’an
“Rabana atina fey ad-dunia hasanah wa fey al-akhairatty hasanah waqana addab annar.”
(Our Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Hellfire)
(Qur'an 2:201)
“Rabana atina men ladunka rahamah wa haia lana men amrina rashada.”
(Our Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way)
(Qur'an 18: 10)
“Rabana la tawakhidna in nasina ow akhttaana”
(Our Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) punish us not if we forget or fall into error)
(Qur'an 2:286)
“Rabana eghfer lana wa lee ekhwa nina aladhina sabaqowna bill eaman walla taga al fey qoolobana ghillan lil athina amanoo, Rabana ainka ra awaf on rahaim”
(Our Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in faith, and put not in our hearts any hatred against those who have believed. Our Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) you are indeed full of kindness, most merciful)
(Qur'an 59:10)
Selected Supplications from Sunnah
The Prophet (SAW) said; “The best supplication for seeking forgiveness is to say, “Allahuma anta Rabi la ilaha illa anta, khalaqtani wa ana abduka, wa ana ala ahdika wa wa'dika mastata'tu A udhu bika min sharri ma sana'tu, abu'u laka bini'matika alaiya, wa abu'u bidhanbi faghfirli fa innahu la yaghfiru adh dhunuba illa anta.”
(O Allah you are my Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am faithful to my covenant and my promise as much as I can. I seek refuge with You from all the evil I have done. I acknowledge before You all the blessings You have bestowed upon me, and I confess to You all my sins. So I entreat You to forgive my sins, for nobody can forgive sins except You)
The Prophet (SAW) added; “If somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before evening he will be from the people of Paradise. And if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.”
(Al-Bukhari)
The Prophet (SAW) said; “Oh people, repent unto Allah for I repent to Allah one hundred times every day.”
(Muslim)
(Repenting to Allah by saying “Atubu illa Allah” , I repent to Allah)
The Prophet (SAW) said; “If a Muslim asks Allah (SWT) with the supplication of Prophet Yunus (Jonah), he will be responded to”
(Ahmed)
The supplication is “La illaha illa anta subhanak ini kuntu mena ad-dalimean” Means There is no God but You; Glory be to You, Verily I was one of the transgressors.
The Prophet (SAW) heard someone Supplicating Allah (SWT) by these words, “Allahumma iny asa aluka bi'ani as-shadu anaka anta Allah la illaha ila anta al ahado assamad alathy lam yalid walam youlad walam yakun lahu kuffuan ahad” ,
(O Allah, I ask You by my testimony that You are Allah and that there is no God other than You. You are the Self Sufficient Who neither begets nor was begotten and to Whom there is none equal)
Then the Prophet (SAW) said; “By Him whose my soul is in His hand, he has asked (the supplicant) Allah (SWT) by His supreme name. Allah will surely answer when one asks Him by His supreme name.”
(Ahmed and Abu Dawud)
(This means, when someone is supplicating Allah (SWT), he should ask Allah (SWT) with these words by saying the words above then say his supplication)
Narrated Ibn Abbas (Ra): The Prophet (SAW) used to invoke Allah (SWT) at the time of distress, saying, “La ilaha illa Allah'u alAdearn al-Halim, La illaha illa Allah RabbulArsh il Adeem La illaha illa Allah Rabbus-samawti wa Rabbul-ardi wa Rabbul-arshil Karim.”
(None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Majestic, the Most Forbearing. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) of the Tremendous Throne. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) of the heaven and the Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) of the earth and the Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) of the Honorable Throne)
(Al-Bukhari)
Whenever the Prophet (SAW) paid a visit to a patient, or a patient was brought to him, he used to invoke Allah, saying, “Ethhib al-bass Rab-Annas eshfi wa anta a’s hafy la shifa'a illa shifa'oak shfa'an la yughadiru saqama.”
(Take away the disease, O the Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) of the people! Cure him as You are the One Who cures. There is no cure but Yours, a cure that leaves no disease)
(Al-Bukhari)
Narrated Abu Huraira (Ra), Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said, “Whoever says, ‘Subhan allahi Wa bihamdihi’ (I glorify Allah’s Praises) one hundred times a day, will be forgiven all his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea.”
(Al-Bukhari)
The Prophet (SAW), made the following statement: “Allahuma iniy a’udhubika minalbukhli. Wa a’udhubika min an uradda ila ardhalil umor. Wa a’udhubika min fitnatid donya wa ‘adhabil qobor.”
O Allah! I seek refuge with You from miserliness; and I seek refuge with You from cowardice; and I seek refuge with You from being sent back to geriatric old age; and I seek refuge with You from fitnah (trial) of this world; and I seek refuge with You from punishment in the grave.”
(Al-Bukhari)
Conclusion
Brother Muslim, now after you have learned how to invoke Allah (SWT) the way the Prophet (SAW) did and ordered us to do so, you must always remember when you invoke Allah (SWT) that you are dealing with the Master of everything. The One who Created you so you should have the feeling of this great worship of Allah (SWT) In other words, just imagine, as you are asking promotion from your employer. Before anything else you have to do your job in the best way he likes you to do. So you will even work harder and give extra time just to please him. Then, you will choose the best time wherein he will be in a good mood, and you will ask him with the best words he likes to hear from you or to please him (your employer) So if you do that you will more likely get what you want from him. Think brothers, the same with Allah (SWT) Invoke Allah (SWT) just the way He likes, so you will get from Allah (SWT) what you want and if you do not get what you asked for, you must know that the problem is with you and you must check your self and your Faith. At the end, I ask Allah (SWT) by His great names and His great attributes to lead me and you to the best of deeds with sincerity for His sake only and peace and blessings be upon the prophet, his family, companions and all of his followers till the last day.
Source.
Wa Alaikum Assalaam Warahmatulahi Wabarakatuh!
The End!
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