Some Verdicts Pertaining to Du’a
By Al-Imam
An-Nawawi (rahimahullāh)
In the name of
Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;
All the praise
and Thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-‘ālamīn. I testify that there is
none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa
sallam, is His Messenger
1496. Usamah bin
Zaid (radiyallāhu’anhu) reported: The Messenger of
Allah (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said, “He who is favoured by another and
says to his benefactor: ‘Jazak-Allah
khairan (May Allah reward you well)’ indeed praised (the benefactor)
satisfactorily.”
[At-Tirmidzi].
Commentary: If
one is unable to return someone’s kindness with kindness, he should say,
“Jazak-Allahu khairan (May Allah reward you well).” This means: “I am unable to
reciprocate your kindness. May Allah grant you the best reward for it.”
Obviously there is no match for the reward that one gets from Allah. For this
reason the Prophet (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam) said that it was the best of
the praise for a benefactor.
1497. Jabir
(radiyallāhu’anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam)
said, “Do not invoke curses on yourself or on your
children or on your possessions lest you should happen to do it at a moment
when the supplications are accepted, and your prayer might be granted.”
[Muslim].
Commentary:
Almighty Allah always listens to everyone’s prayer but He has fixed certain
times when He grants more prayers addressed to Him. Therefore, one should never
curse oneself or one’s own children or one’s own business, etc., lest this is
done at the time when prayers are accepted by Allah and then one has to regret
it all his life.
1498. Abu
Hurairah (radiyallāhu`anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said: “A slave
becomes nearest to his Rabb when he is in prostration. So increase
supplications in prostrations.”
[Muslim].
Commentary: This
Hadith points out the excellence of supplicating while prostrating in Solat, as
one gets closer to Allah in this position.
1499. Abu
Hurairah (radiyallāhu’anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi
wasallam): “The supplication of every one of you
will be granted if he does not get impatient and say (for example): ‘I
supplicated my Rabb but my prayer has not been granted’.”
[Al-Bukhari and
Muslim].
The narration of
Muslim is: “The supplication of a slave continues
to be granted as long as he does not supplicate for a sinful thing or for
something that would cut off the ties of kinship and he does not grow
impatient.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allah! What does growing impatient
mean?” He (Sallallāhu `alayhi wasallam) said, “It is one’s saying: ‘I
supplicated again and again but I do not think that my prayer will be
answered.’ Then he becomes frustrated (in such circumstances) and gives up
supplication altogether.”
Commentary: We
learn from this Hadith that one should continue beseeching Allah without ever
thinking that in spite of praying for a long time, his prayer has not been
granted. One should never allow frustration to overcome in his mind. If a
person’s supplication is not granted for a long time, there would be certainly
some good for him in that delay the reason of which is known to Allah Alone. It
is, therefore, essential that he should never cease to pray whether his prayer
is granted or not. Persistence in prayer is certainly beneficial to him.
1500. Abu Umamah
(radiyallāhu`anhu) reported: The Messenger of Allah
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) was asked: “At what time does the supplication
find the greatest response?” He (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) replied, “A
supplication made during the middle of the last part of the night and after the
conclusion of the obligatory prayers.”
[At-Tirmidzi].
Commentary: “Al-’Akhir” is the characteristic of “Jauf” and in the present context it means the
late hours of night. “Jauf” can also mean
here “middle”, that is in the later-half of
the night.
In other words,
if the night is divided between two equal parts then it (Jauf) would be the
middle of the second part. In either case it is the time of the night which in
other Ahadith has been termed as the third part of the night. It is the time
when Almighty Allah comes to descend on the sky of this world.
Prayers are also
granted by Allah after the obligatory Solat.
1501. ‘Ubadah
bin As-Samit (radiyallāhu`anhu) said: The Messenger of Allah (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) said: “Whenever a Muslim
supplicates Allah, He accepts his supplication or averts any similar kind of
trouble from him until he prays for something sinful or something that may
break the ties of kinship.” Upon this someone of the Companions said: “Then we
shall supplicate plenty.” The Messenger of Allah (Sallallāhu `alayhi wa sallam)
said, “Allah is more plentiful (in responding).”
[At-Tirmidzi].
Commentary: We
learn from this Hadith that prayer (supplication) is beneficial to us in any
case, because Almighty Allah either grants the prayer we make, or if the
supplication is not being accepted, He removes some future trouble that was
destined for us, or He grants us in full in the Hereafter.
A Muslim should
never feel shy of praying to Allah. In fact, he should persistently pray
because there is no end to His Treasures.
1502. Ibn ‘Abbas
(radiyallāhu'anhu) said: The Messenger of Allah (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) used to say when he was in
distress: “La ilaha
illallahul-Azimul-Halim. La ilaha illallahu Rabbul-’Arshil-’Azim. La ilaha
illallahu Rabbus-samawati, wa Rabbul-ardi, wa Rabbul-’Arshil-Karim. (None
has the right to be worshipped but Allah the Incomparably Great, the
Compassionate. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah the Rabb of the
Mighty Throne. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah the Rabb of the
heavens, the Rabb of the earth, and the Rabb of the Honourable Throne).”
[Al-Bukhari and
Muslim].
Commentary: The
only medicine in a time of distress is the remembrance of Allah Whose Help
alone should be sought. This Du’a contains words which glorify Allah and exalt
Him far above all else. It is desirable to recite these words when one is in
distress as this is exactly what the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) used
to recite in such situations.
And Allāh
Almighty Knows best.
[Excerpted from "Some
Verdicts Pertaining to Du’a (Supplications) Chapter 252, Riyad-Us-Saliheen", Compiled by Al-Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya
bin Sharaf An-Nawawi Ad-Dimashqi Via Guided Ways]
