Why Doesn't Allah Answer My Prayers? What Wrong Have I Done? Why oh Why?!

[Urban Turban]

[sister herb]

Salam alaykum

Sorry I can´t see your picture at all. Could you edit it?

[Urban Turban]

[Urban Turban]

Salam alaykum

Sorry I can´t see your picture at all. Could you edit it?

Done. Finished. Executed.

[greenhill]

Ha ha, thot you were asking a serious question..

[sister herb]

Salam alaykum

Maybe Allah knows what is best to you...

[Urban Turban]

Ha ha, thot you were asking a serious question..

Believe me, its a very serious question asked by millions..and surely even us.

Salam alaykum

Maybe Allah knows what is best to you...

True.

[greenhill]

Salaam Urban Turban,

Yes agreed, it is a serious question for everyone, myself included.. When I saw the Titanic in the picture, I reaslise that it was more of a 'reflective' question as opposed to a predicament you were in and needing advice or support .

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace be with you Urban Turban;

Believe me, its a very serious question asked by millions..and surely even us.



True.

I copied this from IB some time ago, sorry I did not copy any references, but I found it helpful to your question.

I think God answers prayers in a way that help us towards eternal salvation, rather than solve problems in this life. If you prayed to pass your driving test, how will that help you in heaven? Could the following prayer be a clue as to how God answers prayers?

I asked for Strength.........
And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for Wisdom.........
And God gave me Problems to solve.
I asked for Prosperity.........
And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.
I asked for Courage.........
And God gave me Danger to overcome.
I asked for Love.........
And God gave me Troubled people to help.
I asked for Favours.........
And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted
I received everything I needed
My Prayer has been answered.

By the way Titanic 2 should be ready to sail from Southampton in 2016, so don't be late like the guy in your comic strip

Blessings

Eric

[~Zaria~]

Greetings and peace be with you Urban Turban;


I think God answers prayers in a way that help us towards eternal salvation, rather than solve problems in this life. If you prayed to pass your driving test, how will that help you in heaven?

Greetings Eric H,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

I think that the above may imply that it is not necessary to pray for that, which does not directly help you achieve salvation in the hereafter.

In Islam, we see every single moment of the day, every single activity (no matter how trivial) as being a means of working towards the hereafter.

Take your example of passing ones driving test:
It may not be viewed as a direct form of worship/ a means of helping you in the next life,

but: everything that went into the process of obtaining the license, can be a means of worship - IF, we correct our intentions in the process.

So, if I say to myself -
I will seek a female driving instructor (rather than a male) - as I do not want to be alone with a strange man, and thereby earning the displeasure of Allah.....
I will practise and try my very best to pass, as we are taught by the prophet (sallalahu alahi wasalam) to make an effort first and then place our trust in Allah....
I will make the intention of obtaining this drivers license - to be able to earn halaal income, to serve the community, etc, and above all for the pleasure of Allah....
If I fail, I will bear it with patience and prayer, because I trust in Allahs plans over mine.......
etc.

^ then you may be able to appreciate that just a simple act of going for a drivers test - has been the means of gaining the pleasure of our Creator, and God willingly, it will be of benefit to our salvation in the Hereafter, through His mercy.
Only because, I have changed my intention during this act: by making Allah (subhanawataála) pleasure the focus.

This can be applied to every other activity in life as well.

In this way, we cannot view Gods response to our prayers in the above quoted manner, as we cannot categorise challenges in life into that which 'pertains to this life', and that which 'pertains to the next life'.
Because ALL aspects of life are setting our path towards the hereafter.

Allah tells us in the Quraan (translation):

“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me—indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of every supplicant when he calls upon Me […]”(Qur’an 2:186)

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ““How amazing is the believer’s affair! Allah decrees nothing for the servant except that it is good for him.” [Musnad Ahmad]


From the above we learn that Allah (subhanawataála) IS responding to EVERY prayer - but sometimes not in the manner that WE wish to see it.
And we realise that in every situation, no matter how difficult it may be - it is ONLY for our benefit.

So, if I pray that I pass my drivers test.....but fail - then this is what is best for me, at this given moment in time.
^ Perhaps if I were to pass on the first attempt, I may become over-confident in my abilities
Perhaps my prayers would cease once they are answered.....and because Allah Taa'la knows this, He is keeping me in waiting and turning to Him in need.

And even if my prayers appear to go answered completely (e.g. a person with a medically incurable illness), then still we are at peace inn our hearts, because:

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) taught us that supplications are answered in one of three ways:

[1] by actually giving the thing being asked;
[2] Or by warding off a harm that would have otherwise afflicted the person (as illustrated in the cartoon)
[3] Or as gifts awaiting the person in the next life, which is the best form of du’a being answered. [Musnad Ahmad]


So, we should never despair!

Even through the dissappointments, pain and loss in life - it is all good for the believer, who places his trust in Allah and who patiently perserveres.


God bless

[Mukafi7]

LOL, nice!

Or was He?

لا تكرهوا شيأ لعله خير لكم

[Berries'forest]

This picture has such a profound message but at the same time at first glance I didn't get it, until I scrolled sideways to get a better view. Sometimes the things you want are not good for you or maybe Allah wants to protect you from something that may harm you and give you instead something that is better. No matter how dark and foggy it gets we should trust that Allah will do what's best gor us in all our endeavors. Thank you for posting this.

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace be with you ~Zaria~;Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

And even if my prayers appear to go answered completely (e.g. a person with a medically incurable illness), then still we are at peace inn our hearts, because:

Last year I had a mole removed that might be cancerous, we waited around six weeks and the doctor phoned to say he urgently wanted to see me. it was non Hodgkin Lymphoma, my wife went pale, her best friend had died from this. We spent the next three months waiting for more tests and more results.

My prayers have never been for healing, rather my prayers have been that whatever the outcome of the tests should be that I should have the wisdom, peace, serenity and strength to do God’s will. I can only say that during this last year I have experienced profound moments of peace. The thoughts and worry of cancer have never troubled me, I have never had sleepless nights worrying, we place all our troubles in God’s hands and strive to do his will.

So many things are out of our control, often there is very little we can do to make things right, we just have to place these concerns in Allah’s hands knowing that he will look after us. At the tender age of 64 I know I am on borrowed time, I might have days, months or forty years left, the cancer might be the cause of my death or not, but one thing I have learned is that worrying will probably shorten my life rather than prolong it.

Lord give me the peace and serenity to live with the things I cannot change,
Grant me the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

I am really stuck for time and would like to respond to more at a later date.

In the spirit of praying for an inner peace that transcends all understanding

Eric

[~Zaria~]

Greetings and peace be with you ~Zaria~;Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.



Last year I had a mole removed that might be cancerous, we waited around six weeks and the doctor phoned to say he urgently wanted to see me. it was non Hodgkin Lymphoma, my wife went pale, her best friend had died from this. We spent the next three months waiting for more tests and more results.

My prayers have never been for healing, rather my prayers have been that whatever the outcome of the tests should be that I should have the wisdom, peace, serenity and strength to do God’s will. I can only say that during this last year I have experienced profound moments of peace. The thoughts and worry of cancer have never troubled me, I have never had sleepless nights worrying, we place all our troubles in God’s hands and strive to do his will.

So many things are out of our control, often there is very little we can do to make things right, we just have to place these concerns in Allah’s hands knowing that he will look after us. At the tender age of 64 I know I am on borrowed time, I might have days, months or forty years left, the cancer might be the cause of my death or not, but one thing I have learned is that worrying will probably shorten my life rather than prolong it.

Lord give me the peace and serenity to live with the things I cannot change,
Grant me the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

I am really stuck for time and would like to respond to more at a later date.

In the spirit of praying for an inner peace that transcends all understanding

Eric

Dear Eric,

I thank you for confiding in us.

And, I am amazed at your strength, patience and courage in the face of such a trial.

At the tender age of 64 I know I am on borrowed time, I might have days, months or forty years left, the cancer might be the cause of my death or not, but one thing I have learned is that worrying will probably shorten my life rather than prolong it.

^ This is so true. Reading it, reminded me about the death of a young scholar/hafez in islam, who lost his life in a shoot-out with robbers this week.
(He was 36 years old and leaves behind a wife and 4 children.[http://www.ciibroadcasting.com/2013/...hammed-laher/])
Reminding us that, we just dont know when the angel of death has been appointed for us - a day that starts out in a perfectly ordinary way, may be the very day that we are meant to return to our Creator.

So, while we should not spend our time in worrying about the day that we are meant to leave this temporary abode, neither should we ever forget it.
Personally, I feel that many families shy away from speaking about death - when in fact it is the only thing that is certain in our lives (or as the joke goes: death....and taxes :P)

Yet, this great event in our lives should be at the fore-front of our thoughts!
Because its remembrance is what influences our actions.....
What a great deterent to sin, yet few wish to acknowledge its relentless approach ;'(


I pray that Allah makes this test that you are facing, a means of opening new doors to truth, peace and salvation.
And that He ease whatever difficulty that may come your way on this journey.
Ameen.

God bless

[greenhill]

Peace to you Eric! God bless. A good prayer, I shall remember that. I come a lineage of cancerous deaths. But as you correctly said, no point worrying about what you cannot control, just get on with what you can. Salute!

[Urban Turban]

I request everyone to make dua for guidance of Uncle Eric H, didn't know he was 64. Seems a very nice person to be without Imaan.
And Uncle, everyone is on borrowed time, there's a saying in Urdu: 'Samaan hai sau baras ka, Pal ki khabar nahi' - Roughly, 'We have resources to live a hundred years but no knowledge of what will happen in the next moment'.

So its not even borrowed time, there's absolutely no knowledge of what will happen to us and how long we live.

Anyways Fi Amanillah for now.

[Urban Turban]

By the way Titanic 2 should be ready to sail from Southampton in 2016, so don't be late like the guy in your comic strip

SubhanAllah! Who in their right mind names their present after their failures?

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace be with you Zaria, thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.

In Islam, we see every single moment of the day, every single activity (no matter how trivial) as being a means of working towards the hereafter.

Take your example of passing ones driving test:
It may not be viewed as a direct form of worship/ a means of helping you in the next life,

but: everything that went into the process of obtaining the license, can be a means of worship - IF, we correct our intentions in the process.

So, if I say to myself -
I will seek a female driving instructor (rather than a male) - as I do not want to be alone with a strange man, and thereby earning the displeasure of Allah.....
I will practise and try my very best to pass, as we are taught by the prophet (sallalahu alahi wasalam) to make an effort first and then place our trust in Allah....
I will make the intention of obtaining this drivers license - to be able to earn halaal income, to serve the community, etc, and above all for the pleasure of Allah....
If I fail, I will bear it with patience and prayer, because I trust in Allahs plans over mine.......
etc.

^ then you may be able to appreciate that just a simple act of going for a drivers test - has been the means of gaining the pleasure of our Creator, and God willingly, it will be of benefit to our salvation in the Hereafter, through His mercy.
Only because, I have changed my intention during this act: by making Allah (subhanawataála) pleasure the focus.

This can be applied to every other activity in life as well.

We should put God first in everything we do, but I have to confess I struggle with this at times.

Thank you all for your prayers, it does mean a lot.

Blessings to you all

Eric

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace be with you Urban Turban,

SubhanAllah! Who in their right mind names their present after their failures?

Mr Palmer, an Australian mining billionaire is building Titanic 2 in China, I share your thoughts about the sanity of this venture.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-21657201

Getting back to your original Titanic picture, when Allah answers the prayers of one man, what about the hundreds who died on the Titanic, we can assume that many of them would have prayed for a safe journey. God answers prayers in a mysterious way.

In the spirit of praying for wisdom and understanding

Eric