As-salaamu'Alaykum,
I just wanted to post a reminder that we don't lose hope in Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta'aala) answering our supplications. I wanted to share some pieces of information that I feel will strengthen our determination and confidence that Allah will answer our supplications.
I posted some of this information in a different post although I felt the need to post a thread about this (as a reminder that simply 'don't lose hope, remain steadfast' also I tried not to copy and paste, rather I feel the information expresses what I'm trying to say).
This is because we are all asking Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta'aala) for guidance to His straight path, to keep us steadfast, to have mercy on us from the punishments in the grave, to give us Jannah and protect us from the fire. No doubt we are asking Allah for worldly things (interlinks with the first point) as well, some of us for companionship (i.e. a spouse), children, those asking to guide their children to the straight path, those asking Allah that He guides their family members and them to the straight path, those asking Allah that He blesses them to get their desired exam results, those asking Allah that He blesses them with some wealth or something particular to a person.
Whatever the supplication, Allah hears as per the information lower down. We all need to remember that we fear Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta'aala) as much as we can so that our supplication is more likely to be accepted. Also remember even if you feel constrained (because some opposite happened to what you supplicated for), remain steadfast because and Allah knows best it could be a test and it Insha'Allaah it could lead to a good outcome. Beseech Only to Allah.
And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation).
(Qur'aan, 40: 60)
Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors.
(Qur'aan, 7: 55)
And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor).
(Qur'aan, 2: 186).
Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls on Him, and Who removes the evil?
(Qur'aan, 27: 62)
Question
I spent the last ten years, on and off, asking Allah Almighty to provide me with a righteous husband and with righteous children. But some of this never happened, and I know that it is Allah's will and that there is nothing that can ward off his decree. My question is this: I have stopped supplicating since a short time ago, not from despair for an answer to my prayers, but because I began to think that what I was asking for was not in my best interests. I thought this because Allah Almighty did not answer me. I decided to desist from supplicating because Allah Almighty knows best what will benefit me, regardless of my strong and persistent desire to have my prayers realized. What must I do in this situation? Do I continue supplicating, or do I resign myself to the fact that what I am asking for is not in my best interests, and thus stop asking?
Answer
It is mentioned in a Hadith that the worshipper's supplication will be answered, as long as he does not hurry, feeling that the answer is delayed, then lamenting the delay, and then abandoning supplicating altogether. This person says, "I supplicated and I supplicated, but I was not answered." Allah Almighty may delay answering a prayer for a number of reasons. And in one Hadith, it is mentioned that Allah Almighty gives one of three things to the one who invokes Him: He answers his prayer by giving to him what he asks, He saves his reward for the Hereafter, or He repels an evil from him.
So, sister, you should not be hasty; rather, you should continue supplicating, even if this continues for many more years. Also, you should not reject an equal (equal in looks, lineage, wealth, etc.) if he proposes to you, even if he is old or is already married. Perhaps, Allah will give you much good in that.
Ibn Jibreen (may Allah have mercy on him).
(Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 7, Supplication).
Abu Hurayrah (radhiyAllaahu anh) reported: The Messenger of Allah :
“The supplication of every one of you will be granted if he does not get impatient and say (for example):
‘I supplicated my Rubb 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 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.
(Riyaad-us-Saaliheen, The Book of Supplications).
We know that Allah (The Exalted), bears the attribute of knowledge, and that He has called Himself by a number of Names which reflect this attribute, such as Al-‘Aleem (All-Knowing):
Verily, He only He, is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.
(Qur’aan 26: 220)
Another of these Names is Al-Khabeer (the All-Aware), which means that He knows what will be before it happens; Al-Hakeem (the Wise), which means that He knows the details of things; Ash-Shaheed (the Witness), which that He knows what is unseen and what is seen, i.e. that nothing is unknown to Him; Al-Haafiz (the Protector), meaning that He does not forget what He knows; Al-Muhsiy (the Reckoner), which means that the fact that He knows so much does not distract Him from knowing the tiniest of details, such as the light of the day and how strong the wind is, and when the leaves fall. He knows the numbers and the movements of each leaf.
Allah (The Exalted), hears and sees the righteous, and reward them:
Who sees you (O’ Muhammad ) when you stand up (along at night for Tahajjud prayers). And your movements among those who fall prostrate (to Allah in the five compulsory congregational prayers). Verily, He, only He, is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.
(Qur’aan 26: 218-220)
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, explaining the vastness of Allah’s hearing:
“Praise be to Allah Whose hearing encompasses all sounds.”
(Bukhari, 13/372. Ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Baari (13/373): Ahmad, Nasaai and Ibn Majah narrated this, with the same wording.)
When the woman who disputed (Al-Mujaadilah – Khawlah bint Tha’labah) came to speak to the Prophet in a corner of his house, I could not hear her, but Allah revealed the words:
Indeed Allah has heard the statement of her (Khawlah bint Tha’labah) that disputes with you (O’ Muhammad) concerning her husband *Aus ibn As-Saamit), and complains to Allah. And Allah hears the argument between you both. Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Seer.
(Qur’aan 58: 1)
(This conversations is narrated by Ahmad, Nasaai and Ibn Majah, as stated by Al-Haafiz in Fath al-Baari, 13/374)
Bukhari narrated that Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We were with the Prophet on a journey, and whenever we climbed up we would shout Allahu Akbar (Allah is All-Great). He said:
“Take it easy! You are not calling the One Who is deaf or absent, you are calling the One Who is All-Hearing, All-Seeing and Who is near.”
(Bukhari, 13/372, hadith no. 7386)
Also ask Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta'aala) by His Beautiful Names when supplicating:
Question
Is this form of supplication correct: "O Allah, I ask by your Beautiful Names and Attributes, to..."
Answer
It is from the Sunnah to petition Allah by His Beautiful Names and His Exalted Attributes, by one's good deeds, or by one's love for the righteous. This is a means of having one's prayers answered, regardless whether one does this before or after his supplication. But it is not permitted to petition Allah Almighty by mentioning people, like saying, "I ask you by so and so," because this leads to associating partners with Allah Almighty.
Ibn Jibreen (may Allah have mercy on him)
So ask Allah by His Beautiful Names such as Ar-Rabb - The Lord, Sustainer, Cherisher, Ar-Rahmaan - The Most Beneficient, Ar-Raheem - The Most Merciful, Al-'Azeez - The All-Mighty, Al-Hayy - The Ever-Living, Al-Qayyoom - The Self-Sufficient, the One Who sustains and protects all, Al-Wahhaab - The Bestower, Dhul-Jalaali wa'l Ikraam - Owner of Majesty and Honour. (http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?p=403961#post403961).
May Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta'aala) accept our supplications, help us to remain strong in difficult times and worship Him with fear during the easy times. Ameen.
I just wanted to post a reminder that we don't lose hope in Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta'aala) answering our supplications. I wanted to share some pieces of information that I feel will strengthen our determination and confidence that Allah will answer our supplications.
I posted some of this information in a different post although I felt the need to post a thread about this (as a reminder that simply 'don't lose hope, remain steadfast' also I tried not to copy and paste, rather I feel the information expresses what I'm trying to say).
This is because we are all asking Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta'aala) for guidance to His straight path, to keep us steadfast, to have mercy on us from the punishments in the grave, to give us Jannah and protect us from the fire. No doubt we are asking Allah for worldly things (interlinks with the first point) as well, some of us for companionship (i.e. a spouse), children, those asking to guide their children to the straight path, those asking Allah that He guides their family members and them to the straight path, those asking Allah that He blesses them to get their desired exam results, those asking Allah that He blesses them with some wealth or something particular to a person.
Whatever the supplication, Allah hears as per the information lower down. We all need to remember that we fear Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta'aala) as much as we can so that our supplication is more likely to be accepted. Also remember even if you feel constrained (because some opposite happened to what you supplicated for), remain steadfast because and Allah knows best it could be a test and it Insha'Allaah it could lead to a good outcome. Beseech Only to Allah.
And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation).
(Qur'aan, 40: 60)
Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors.
(Qur'aan, 7: 55)
And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor).
(Qur'aan, 2: 186).
Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls on Him, and Who removes the evil?
(Qur'aan, 27: 62)
Question
I spent the last ten years, on and off, asking Allah Almighty to provide me with a righteous husband and with righteous children. But some of this never happened, and I know that it is Allah's will and that there is nothing that can ward off his decree. My question is this: I have stopped supplicating since a short time ago, not from despair for an answer to my prayers, but because I began to think that what I was asking for was not in my best interests. I thought this because Allah Almighty did not answer me. I decided to desist from supplicating because Allah Almighty knows best what will benefit me, regardless of my strong and persistent desire to have my prayers realized. What must I do in this situation? Do I continue supplicating, or do I resign myself to the fact that what I am asking for is not in my best interests, and thus stop asking?
Answer
It is mentioned in a Hadith that the worshipper's supplication will be answered, as long as he does not hurry, feeling that the answer is delayed, then lamenting the delay, and then abandoning supplicating altogether. This person says, "I supplicated and I supplicated, but I was not answered." Allah Almighty may delay answering a prayer for a number of reasons. And in one Hadith, it is mentioned that Allah Almighty gives one of three things to the one who invokes Him: He answers his prayer by giving to him what he asks, He saves his reward for the Hereafter, or He repels an evil from him.
So, sister, you should not be hasty; rather, you should continue supplicating, even if this continues for many more years. Also, you should not reject an equal (equal in looks, lineage, wealth, etc.) if he proposes to you, even if he is old or is already married. Perhaps, Allah will give you much good in that.
Ibn Jibreen (may Allah have mercy on him).
(Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 7, Supplication).
Abu Hurayrah (radhiyAllaahu anh) reported: The Messenger of Allah :
“The supplication of every one of you will be granted if he does not get impatient and say (for example):
‘I supplicated my Rubb 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 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.
(Riyaad-us-Saaliheen, The Book of Supplications).
We know that Allah (The Exalted), bears the attribute of knowledge, and that He has called Himself by a number of Names which reflect this attribute, such as Al-‘Aleem (All-Knowing):
Verily, He only He, is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.
(Qur’aan 26: 220)
Another of these Names is Al-Khabeer (the All-Aware), which means that He knows what will be before it happens; Al-Hakeem (the Wise), which means that He knows the details of things; Ash-Shaheed (the Witness), which that He knows what is unseen and what is seen, i.e. that nothing is unknown to Him; Al-Haafiz (the Protector), meaning that He does not forget what He knows; Al-Muhsiy (the Reckoner), which means that the fact that He knows so much does not distract Him from knowing the tiniest of details, such as the light of the day and how strong the wind is, and when the leaves fall. He knows the numbers and the movements of each leaf.
Allah (The Exalted), hears and sees the righteous, and reward them:
Who sees you (O’ Muhammad ) when you stand up (along at night for Tahajjud prayers). And your movements among those who fall prostrate (to Allah in the five compulsory congregational prayers). Verily, He, only He, is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.
(Qur’aan 26: 218-220)
‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, explaining the vastness of Allah’s hearing:
“Praise be to Allah Whose hearing encompasses all sounds.”
(Bukhari, 13/372. Ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Baari (13/373): Ahmad, Nasaai and Ibn Majah narrated this, with the same wording.)
When the woman who disputed (Al-Mujaadilah – Khawlah bint Tha’labah) came to speak to the Prophet in a corner of his house, I could not hear her, but Allah revealed the words:
Indeed Allah has heard the statement of her (Khawlah bint Tha’labah) that disputes with you (O’ Muhammad) concerning her husband *Aus ibn As-Saamit), and complains to Allah. And Allah hears the argument between you both. Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Seer.
(Qur’aan 58: 1)
(This conversations is narrated by Ahmad, Nasaai and Ibn Majah, as stated by Al-Haafiz in Fath al-Baari, 13/374)
Bukhari narrated that Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We were with the Prophet on a journey, and whenever we climbed up we would shout Allahu Akbar (Allah is All-Great). He said:
“Take it easy! You are not calling the One Who is deaf or absent, you are calling the One Who is All-Hearing, All-Seeing and Who is near.”
(Bukhari, 13/372, hadith no. 7386)
Also ask Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta'aala) by His Beautiful Names when supplicating:
Question
Is this form of supplication correct: "O Allah, I ask by your Beautiful Names and Attributes, to..."
Answer
It is from the Sunnah to petition Allah by His Beautiful Names and His Exalted Attributes, by one's good deeds, or by one's love for the righteous. This is a means of having one's prayers answered, regardless whether one does this before or after his supplication. But it is not permitted to petition Allah Almighty by mentioning people, like saying, "I ask you by so and so," because this leads to associating partners with Allah Almighty.
Ibn Jibreen (may Allah have mercy on him)
So ask Allah by His Beautiful Names such as Ar-Rabb - The Lord, Sustainer, Cherisher, Ar-Rahmaan - The Most Beneficient, Ar-Raheem - The Most Merciful, Al-'Azeez - The All-Mighty, Al-Hayy - The Ever-Living, Al-Qayyoom - The Self-Sufficient, the One Who sustains and protects all, Al-Wahhaab - The Bestower, Dhul-Jalaali wa'l Ikraam - Owner of Majesty and Honour. (http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?p=403961#post403961).
May Allah (Subhaanahu wa ta'aala) accept our supplications, help us to remain strong in difficult times and worship Him with fear during the easy times. Ameen.