Friday 11 June 2010

Remember Allah in times of ease,

Understanding that We are in constant need of Allah the Most High, is crucial to a believer, and therefore the tool of dua (supplication) is vital to a believers success. How, when, where.

Blow over the sick person and make Dua for his recovery

Hadrat Aa'isha (Radiyallaahu anha) relates: Whenever anyone of us would become sick, Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam)  would pass his right hand over the affected part of the sick person's body and recite the following dua:
Azhubil ba'sa rabban naas washfi. Antash shaafie. Laa shifaa-a illaa shifaa-uk. Shifaa-al laa yughaa diru saqamaa 0 Allah, Lord and Sustainer of mankind, remove his difficulty and cure him You are the only One who cures. There is no cure but Yours. Grant such (complete) cure that leaves no trace of illness. (Bukhaari and Muslim)

Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) once visited a Muslim man who was sick. His voice was very feeble and he had become very thin and weak. Seeing his condition, Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam)  asked him, 'What dua have you been making to Allah?' He said, 'Yes, I used to say: 0 Allah! Whatever punishment was in store for me in the Aakhirah, let it descend upon me now.' Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam)  said, 'Subhaanallah! You do not have the strength to bear it. Why do you not say this dua:

Rabbanaa aatinaa fid dunyaa hasana taw wafil aakhirati hasana taw wa qinaa azaaban naar O Allah, our Lord and Sustainer, grant us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the Fire of Jahannam.
The narrator, Hadrat Anas(R.A.), says that the man thereafter began to make this dua (abundantly), and Allah Ta'ala cured him.   (Musnad Ahmad)

Another Hadith has it that whoever visits a sick person, not yet destined to die, and he recites the following dua seven times, Allah Ta'ala will certainly cure him of his sickness:
As-alul laahal azeem Rabbal arshil azeem Ay yashfi yak I beg Allah the Almighty, the Owner of the Majestic Throne, that He should cure you. (Abu Dawood)

Hadrat Ibn Abbaas(R.A.) relates that when Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) would visit any sick person he would say:
Laaba-sa tahoorun, lnshaa Allah Have no fear ! If Allah wills, your sickness will purify you of your sins. (Sahih Bukhaari)

Hadrat Usmaan bin abil-Aas(R.A.) says that he once complained about pain in his body to Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam). Rasulullah(Sallallaahu alaiyhi wassallam) instructed him: Place your hand on the area of the pain and recite:
 Bismillah thrice and say (the following) seven times: A'oozu bi'izza tillaahi wa qudratihi min sharri maa ajidu wa uhaaziru I seek protection in the great might of Allah and His power against the evil I am experiencing and dread. (Sahih Muslim)
Usmaan(R.A.)thereafter says, 'I did this and Allah removed my pain.' 

Our Lord! accept from us; surely Thou art the Hearing, the Knowing. (Aameen)

Dua (supplication) is one of the most excellent forms of worship, one of the deeds most beloved to Allah, one of the best gifts that a Muslim can give to another and one  of the most formidable weapons in the armoury of a believer. That said, the number of instances mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah where dua is mentioned alone, without any accompanying action, are very few. Rather, the norm in the Quran and the life of the Messenger (SAWS) and his Companions and the Pious Predecessors is dua accompanied by action
For example, at the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet (SAWS) and the believers did not just sit in Madinah and make dua. Rather, they went out to face the army of their enemy and then made dua before, during and after the battle. After establishing authority in Madinah, the Prophet (SAWS) did not just make dua for the spreading of the Message. Rather, he sent out emissaries, propagators and scholars to call the masses to the Message, but made dua before, during and after his efforts. There are numerous other examples in the Quran and Sunnah.

In the above verse, Allah the Exalted mentions actions WITH dua: He does not mention dua alone, without actions. Dua is mentioned without action only in a few, emergency circumstances,
where action was all but impossible.

For example, Yunus (AS) made dua alone in the belly of the whale because there was nothing else practical that he could do in his situation. When Musa (AS) had delivered his people from Firoun, only to be sandwiched between the sea and Firoun’s army, he made dua alone because he had exhausted all of his efforts. Likewise, after the Prophet (SAWS) had called the people of Taif to Islam, and been mocked and beaten by them until his sandals were flowing with blood; he made dua to Allah, having exhausted his efforts. In the hadith of the three men trapped by a rock in a cave, each one in turn made dua alone to Allah because there was practically no action that they could undertake.

 Virtues of  Supplication (Dua)

Ayah:  "And your Lord says:  Call on me; I will answer (your prayer).  But those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell in humiliation."
[Ghafur / Mu'min: 60]

Ayah:  "When my servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them).  I listen to the prayer of every supplicant when he calls on Me. . ."
[Baqarah:186]

Hadith:  "Dua is (a form) of worship; your Lord said, "Call on Me; I will answer you (your prayer).

Hadith:  "Verily, your Lord (Blessed is He and Almighty) is alive, generous and if His servant raises his hands towards Him, He feels reluctant not to return anything to him."

Hadith:  "Any Muslim who supplicates Allah with a supplication that does not contain any sin or cutting off of family relations, Allah will give him one of three things for it:
        1.  Either He will speedily answer his dua
        2.  or He will save it for him until the Hereafter
        3.  or He will avert something bad from him equal to the value of his dua.
(Explanation:  a dua has a certain relative value determined by Allah, so if a person says  a particular dua, say 15 times in a day, then Allah protects him from something bad that is equal to the valued amount of his dua.)


               Customs and Manners of Making duas and the Causes for their Being Answered:

1. Faithfulness to Allah
2. To start with thanking Allah and praising Him and then giving salat on the Prophet (SAW) and ending the dua with the same.
3. To be serious in dua and certain that it will be answered
4. Persistence in the dua and not rushing it (Hadith says don't rush or be impatient.  Don't say "I prayed for such and such a thing and Allah didn't answer my prayer.  Allah dislikes that.)
5. To put your heart into the dua -- make it from your heart (even if you are reading the words, i.e., mean what you say)
6. Say dua in times of  crises as well as times that are good -- don't just say dua in times of need only.
7. Ask Allah alone -- and no one else.
8. Do not make dua on someone's family or money or child or life -- that is, don't say I wish that that person's family be destroyed, or I pray that she loses all her money, or I wish his oldest son would fail or I wish that he would die.
9. Make dua in a moderately low voice -- not silent yet not completely out loud.
10. Know your sins (faults) and seek forgiveness for them and know and acknowledge the benefits and blessings you have been given and thank Allah for them.
11. The oppressor should make amends for what he has done and repent.
12. Turn to Allah with humility, desire and fear of Him.
13. Do not use rhymed prose when making dua.
14. The supplication is (said) three (times).  [Hadith that states that the Messenger of Allah (SAW)  when making dua, repeated it 3 times.]
15. Face the Qiblah when making dua.
16. Raise the hands during dua [sunnah, not wajib]
17. Make wudu before making dua when possible.
18. Don't pray for injurious or harmful things to happen to people (like praying someone has an unfortunate mishap, or falls down, or chokes or breaks his leg, etc.)  Also remember, that the Angels say "Ameen" and the same for you," after your dua.
19. The person making dua should start with himself if he is going to pray for someone else.
20. To make intercession to Allah by use of His beautiful Names and superior Attributes, or by some good deed that the supplicator performed or by the dua of a good man living, who is in his presence (e.g., asking someone who is a good Muslim to make dua for you)
21. That the food and drink and clothing is halal and of a halal source
22. Do not make dua for a sin or cutting off of family ties.
23. To order that which is good and forbid that which is forbidden
24. Distancing one's self from all types of sin.

 ......                 THE PREFERRED TIMES,
CONDITIONS AND PLACES SUPPLICATIONS ARE ANSWERED: (bearing in mind that one can make dua at any time and in any place; however, the following are the most preferable times, conditions and places.)

 1.   Lailatul Qadr
 2.   Deep in the last third of the night
 3.   Immediately after the mandatory prayers
 4.   Between the adhan and iqamah
 5.   An hour during every night -- [hadith states that Allah comes down to the sky of the earth during the last 3rd of the night and hears the duas of the believers]
 6.   At the time of the call to the mandatory prayers
 7.   At the time of rain
 8.   During jihad when the ranks of fighters (mujahidoun) advance in the path of Allah
 9.   An hour every Friday -- the soundest opinion regarding this hour is the last hour between the hours of Asr on the day of Juma, and it could be the hour of the khutba and salat.
 10.  At the time of drinking Zamzam water with true intentions
 11.  During sajda
 12.  At the time of waking up at night and there are hadith regarding what the Prophet r said in these duas
 13.  If you sleep after having made wudu then wake up at night and then make supplication
 14.  After you say dua Yunus, make your personal dua or one from Qur'an or sunnah and it is La illah ila Allah subhannaka inni kuntu min al thaalimeen.
 15.  Dua of people after the death of a person (e.g. the dua of a person who is praying for someone who has just died)
 16. Dua after praising Allah and giving salat on the Prophet (SAW)  in the tashah-hud at the end of salat.  Make your dua  before the 2 tasleems.
 17. At the time of dua, call upon Allah by the greatest of His names that, if called by them, He answers, and if asked by them, He gives (e.g. Ya Rahman, Ya Raheem, Ya Thal Jalaali wal Ikraam, Ya Al Ahad As Samad, lam yalid wa lam yulad wa lam yakum kuf wan ahad)
 18. The dua of a Muslim for his brother or sister Muslim stemming from the heart.
 19. Dua on the Day of Arafat
 20. Dua during the month of Ramadan
 21. Dua at the time of a Muslim gathering for the purpose of remembering Allah.
 22. Dua at the time of a crisis by saying Inna lilahi wa inna ilaihi raje'oon, Allahuma ajurni fi museebati, wa akhlif li khairun minha. Verily, we belong to Allah, and verily, to Him is our return.  O Allah, Bless me in my problem and replace it for me with something better than it.
 23.  Dua when the heart reaches out to Allah and is ready to be totally sincere
 24.  Dua of the oppressed against the one who is oppressing him
 25.  Dua of the father or mother for or against the son
 26.  Dua of the traveler
 27.  Dua of the one fasting until he breaks his fast.
 28.  Dua of the one fasting at the time of breaking fast
 29.  Dua of a desperate person
 30.  Dua of a just Imam
 31.  Dua of a son or daughter obedient to his or her parents
 32.  Dua immediately after wudu saying what has been mentioned in the hadith that is directly related to it (ablution)
 33.  Dua after stoning the small Shaitan (jamrat sugra) during Hajj
 34.  Dua after stoning the middle Shaitan (jamrat wusta) during Hajj.
 35.  Dua made inside the Ka'aba and the dua of one who prays inside the hijr as it is part of the house (bait Allah).  [This is the semicircle to the right of the Ka'aba if you face the door.]
 36.  Dua on the mount of Safa during Umrah or Hajj
 37.  Dua on the mount of Marwa during Umrah or Hajj
 38.  Dua at any of the holy sites.

 Note:  The believer can call to his Lord at any time, wherever he is but these times and conditions and places are special and more care should be taken.

 Note:  All of these circumstances are substantiated by hadith

“Remember Allah in times of ease, and He will remember you in times of distress. What hit you could not have missed you, what missed you could not have hit you. Remember that victory comes with patience, relief comes with affliction and ease comes with hardship.”

Remember the time when we wanted something from our mother and she said “NO, it is not good for you”
Therefore, surely Allah knows what is best for us, more than a mother. Whenever a duaa is not answered, try to accept that it is actually what is best for us and say Alhamdulillah.
He is the Merciful, He gave us things that we did not even ask for.

 Are you making Dua's.( Don’t be lazy, make Dua!)

Allah’s Messenger, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, would often pray,

    “O Allah! I seek your protection from anxiety and grief,from incapacity and laziness, from stinginess and cowardice, and from the burden of debt and the domination of people.”{Bukhari}

[Lessons from this Hadith]

None of us wants to live in depression or in debt or be lazy. Seek Allah’s protection from all of this, just like your Prophet, salAllah alayhi wa sallam, did. Learn the dua, and say it often

Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua  for me. !! .

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