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Life is fragile; handle with prayer By Nadia Khan September 23, 2004 The above-mentioned statement is by far my second most favorite bumper sticker which I saw on one of my beloved friend's car succeeded by my most favorite one, which says, "If you are living as if there is no God, you better be right!". I will Insha‘Allah write some other time about the later statement but let's step back to the art of beseeching Allah (swt) and finish the discussion about "Dua". Best times to beg: 1. After Fardh Namaz (obligatory prayer): Abu Umaamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was asked: "At what time does the supplication find the greatest response?'' He (PBUH) replied, "A supplication made during the middle of the last part of the night and after the conclusion of the obligatory prayers.'' [At-Tirmidhi]. Sometimes people wait until they are done with all of their Namaz and then pray. While there is nothing wrong with it but according to the ahadeeth it is apparent that the best time to pray is to do so right after the Fardh Namaz and then one can pray after getting done with all of the Namaz as well. 2. While in
Prostration: Holy Prophet (PBUH) stated: A slave becomes nearest to Rubb when he is in prostration so increase your supplications in prostrations. (Muslim)After the Fardh Namaz, it is best to go into prostration and then beg Allah (swt) with all the humbleness. Prostration is the physical manifestation of the best humbleness and if it is accompanied with the humbleness of heart, InshAllah our Dua will head straight towards the skies. 3. During Tahajjud
prayer: Everyone must know the importance and the bliss of performing Tahajjud prayer. This is the time when Allah (swt) comes to the lowest skies and looks for his slaves who are praying in His presence. I have personally heard from many people who Mashallah are fortunate enough to perform Tahajjud that they sometimes get scared because whatever they pray for during the night comes right before their eyes in the true form, the next morning. May Allah (swt) give all of us the ability to benefit from the bliss of Tahajjud prayer. Ameen. Some of the
recommended prayers: Holy Prophet used to pray especially for three things, "for his health, safety and good character". Holy prophet (PBUH) used to pray fervently and frequently for every little thing; from his shoe lace to his biggest Dua for the redemption of his Ummah which he has saved for the Hereafter. It is recommended that we memorize all of his Duas and recite them both with tongues and hearts. However, the safest Dua we can ask from Allah (swt) if we do not have the individual Duas memorized is: " O Allah (swt)! I pray for all those good things that Holy Prophet (PBUH) asked Your favor of and I beg refuge from all things that Holy Prophet (PBUH) sought refuge him." Some helpful tips: - Since we know that Allah (swt) listens to Dua especially after the Fardh Namaz, it will be best if we start making Dua from Allah (swt) and importuning Him after every Fardh Namaz. If we start doing so now and continue it throughout the Ramadan, it will become a habit of ours since practicing something continuously for even 30 days makes it a habit and we are talking about at least 45 days here. - We should also try to memorize Holy Prophet's Duas one by one and integrate it in our Namaz right after Durood and before saying Salam. Many of the times we keep waiting for the imam to say Salam because we are done before him. By memorizing the masnoon Duas, we can lengthen our Namaz and earn more thwab. - Holy Prophet (PBUH) states: "Nothing prevents predestination except Dua and nothing stretches the age except righteousness." (Ibn al-Tirmidhi) Most of the times we do not pray because we think that Allah (swt) has already written our destiny and there is no point asking from Him when He has already decreed our lives. However, this hadith shows that if anything can intercede with our predestination, it is our Dua. One of our major dreams in life is to get a great husband or wife who is perfect in every respect. Though most people contend that we are paired in heavens and it might be true, but still we should always ask from Allah (swt) to give us the best spouse who has a great character, piety, shame, beauty or whatever one desires. I have seen it personally that those who have great husbands or wives have prayed hard in the court of Allah (swt). - Making Dua is always a win-win situation. If it gets accepted, then SubhanAllah, we get whatever we ask for. But even if it does not get accepted, we still get the bliss and the Dua gets stored for us to be weighed in our balance in the Hereafter. It is one of those extra credit points which do not have a lifeline and which always add up to our final grade even if we are in need of them or not. Finally, I will reiterate that we should always believe in the effectiveness of our Dua. Allah (swt) states in Quran: "Doth not man see that it is We Who created him from sperm? yet behold! he (stands forth) as an open adversary! And he makes comparisons for Us, and forgets his own (origin and) Creation: He says, "Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed ones (at that)?" Say, "He will give them life Who created them for the first time! for He is Well-versed in every kind of creation!- "The same Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold! ye kindle therewith (your own fires)! Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like thereof?" - Yea, indeed! for He is the Creator Supreme, of skill and knowledge (infinite)! Verily, when He intends a thing, His Command is, "be", and it is! So glory to Him in Whose hands is the dominion of all things: and to Him will ye be all brought back. (36:77-83)" When Allah (swt) can do such magnanimous and miraculous things such as breathing life in us and in the universe and then taking the breath away and then resuscitating us, then how can he not accept our Duas? If He does not, then there must verily be even more signs and signals for us to ponder. May Allah (swt) give us the ability to only ask from Allah (swt), to believe in the effectiveness of our Duas and to own the decisions made by Allah (swt ) made after our Duas. Ameen. Comments: SID said Just want to add to the topic of Dua: Aisha radiallaahu Anha said, "No believer makes Dua and it is wasted. Either it is granted here in this world or deposited for him in the Hereafter as long as he does not get Frustrated." In the end there can be reasons why the Dua might not be answered such as Divine Wisdom, trying to hurry the response of one's Dua, Dua for what is sinful or the breaking off of relations, eating, drinking, or dressing from what is Haram, not being resolute in making Dua, abandoning the duty of enjoining what is good and shunning the evil, the dominance of unmindfulness, lust and vain desires, not being submissive during Salah, or committing particular sins (not divorcing a bad woman, giving a loan without a witness, and a man who gave his wealth to the foolish) Allah the Exalted, has said: "And your Lord says: Pray unto me: and I will hear your prayer "Call upon your Lord Humbly and in secret” When My servants question thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me" "Is not He (best) who listens to the (soul) distressed when it calls on Him, and who relieves its suffering." We can and should make Dua in every condition, i.e. in
hardship and in prosperity. There are
also some special times to make Dua where it is more likely to be accepted: 1. When one is oppressed 2. Between the time of Adhan and Iqamah 3. At the time of the call for prayer 4. At the time of fighting when warriors are engaged with each other 5. When it is raining 6. When one is sick 7. The last third of the night 8. Ramadan (especially Lailatul Qadr) 9. After the Fard part of prayer 10. When traveling 11. When breaking fast 12. In Sujood 13. Fridays, some say on Friday after Asr prayer 14. While drinking the water from the well of Zamzam 15. At the start of prayer (Dua of Istiftah) 16. When one begins the prayer, i.e. with "all praise be to Allah, the Pure and the Blessed one" 17. While one recites al-Fatihah (which is a Dua) 18. When Ameen is said in the prayer (also relating to Fatihah) 19. At the time of raising the head after the Rukoo 20. In the last part of the prayer after conveying blessings unto the Prophet (SAW) 21. Before finishing the prayer (before Tasleem (saying the Salaam to the angels)) 22. At the end of Wudhu 23. On the day of Arafah 24. On waking up from sleep 25. At times of adversity 26. Prayer after the death of a person 27. Dua when someone's heart is filled with sincerity and when it is focused on Allah 28. Dua of the parent against or for his children 29. When the sun moves from its meridian but before the Dhuhr prayer 30. The Dua of a Muslim for his brother without the latter's knowledge 31. At the time the army advances to fight in the way of Allah. Dua can be beautified
and perfected by certain actions: 1. Have Wudhu, face Qiblah, be neat and clean 2. Raise both hands up to the shoulder with palms open facing up 3. Use words of Allah and Muhammad (SAW)- I.e. Duas found in Quran and Hadith 4. Ask by Asma al-Husna- Allah's Beautiful Names 5. Ask Allah by your good deeds 6. Be insistent-repeat (i.e. 3x's) 7. Glorify Allah and recite Durood for the Prophet (SAW) at both the beginning and end 8. Show humility, entreaty, desire and fear while making Dua 9. Repent and try to make amends where one has wronged 10. Confess mistakes, shortcomings, and sins 11. Keep voice between a whisper and speaking aloud 12. Show the need for Allah's help and implore Him for release from weakness, hardship and tribulation. 13. Seize the opportunity of time, situation and circumstance in which prayers are answered 14. Avoid rhymed prose to keep concentration 15. Crying when making Dua 16. The Dua of Dhun-Nun (Yunus) by which he invoked Allah from within the belly of the whale was: "LAa ilaha illa Anta, Subhanaka innee kuntu min aDH-DHaalimeen." No Muslim ever makes Dua with it but Allah answers it." [at Tirmidhi in his Sunan, Ahmad and hakim reported it and hakim declared it authentic and adh dhahabee agreed] 17. End with "Alhamdulillah Rabbil Aa’lameen" We should ask for Dunya things, but not just for the sake of Dunya itself and for Akhirah things. We should not ask for punishment to be brought forward in this world or for early death. We should not curse any particular human being or animal, abuse a Muslim for no reason, abuse dead people without cause and religious excuse, or abuse fever or the wind. We should not make Dua by saying we have been given rain by this or that star or what Allah willed, and so and so willed. We should not make Dua against family and property or for sinful acts and severing the bonds. In the end there can be reasons why the Dua might not be answered such as not fulfilling conditions like some of the ones listed above or: Divine Wisdom, trying to hurry the response of one's Dua, Dua for what is sinful or the breaking off of relations, eating, drinking, or dressing from what is Haram, not being resolute in making Dua, abandoning the duty of enjoining what is good and shunning the evil, the dominance of unmindfulness, lust and vain desires, not being submissive during Salah, or committing particular sins (not divorcing a vile woman, giving a loan without a witness, and a man who gave his wealth to the foolish) More information on Dua can be found in a book in English, a translation of Kitaab ud-Du`aa' by Shaykh al-`Awaa'ishah (published by Jam`iat Ihyaa Minhaaj al-Sunnah), the Book of Supplications in Al-Bukhari and and Ajawab Alkafi by Imam Shams Adeen Mohamad bin AbiBakr Bin Qayem Ajawyzeyah. Jazakamullahu Khayran to those who corrected and added to the above compilation. May Allah make us of those that oft turn to Him in Dua. Ameen. on November 19, 2005 3:41 AM http://www.hidayaonline.com/archives/000175.html |
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