Outline
Introduction
Alhamdulillah; thanks and praises are, and shall always remain; due to Allah, alone, Lord of the unseen and the seen. May His Peace and Blessings always be upon the best man in invocations and supplications; Habibi Muhammad, his family members, his companions, and all those who follow their guided path, till the Day of Judgment.
Du’a is known to be an essential aid tool, for the survival and happiness of every Muslim. Thus, we pray to (ask) Allah in all situations; in happy and easy times, as well as in difficult times; in our private, as well as in our open. The young does pray and invocate to Allah, as much as the old does. Females turn to Allah in their du’a as much as males do, or more. The (materially) rich humbles before Allah, similarly as the humbled poor does, or even in a better way.
Therefore, one of the endless kindnesses of Allah is that; the more one prays to Him (alone), the closer He brings the person to Him. The less one prays and turns to Him, the more he (the person) will have some empty feelings in his life, although Allah won’t let him alone, as long as he doesn't chose to go astray.
So, what's du'a?
What is Du’a?
In the Islamic terminology, ‘Du’a’ is an Arabic word (دُعَاء) which literally means, ‘invocation’, which is an act of supplication.
Thus, we Muslims, regard du'a as a profound act of worship, based on the teachings of Rasulullah, and based on human natural instinct. Muslims from all over the world connect with Allah and ask him for forgiveness and favours, through performing du’a. Rasulullah, s.a.w. said, in a Hadeeth narrated by Nu'man Ibn Basheer r.a.:
إِنَّ الدُّعَاءَ هُوَ العِبَادَةُ. ثُمَّ قَرَأَ: وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ
It means, “Dua is the very essence of worship” he [s.a.w.] then recited “Your Lord said: “Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)! Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.”
Virtues of Du’a
No one denies that du’a is very important in the life of every living creature. And all creatures are alive, including liquids and metals, let alone plants and trees. Despite that, I still find it important to outline some Hadeeths of Habibi Muhammad, s.a.w., which encourage us for du’a and indicate its virtues.
Abu Hurairah r.a. narrated a Hadeeth which was reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, that the Prophet, s.a.w. said:
يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الآخِرُ فَيَقُولُ: مَنْ يَدْعُونِي فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ، مَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَأُعْطِيَهُ، مَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُنِي فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ
It means, “Our Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and He says, ‘Who will call Me that I might answer him, who will ask of Me that I might give him, who will ask My forgiveness, that I might forgive him?”
Rasulullah also said, “Whoever says the following du’a in the morning, and happens to die before the evening time will be granted Jannah. And whoever says it in the evening, and passes away before the next morning will be granted Jannah.” The du’a is:
اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ
It means, “O Allah, You are my Lord, none has the right to be worshiped except You.You created me and I am Your servant, and I abide to Your covenant and promise as best I can. I take refuge in You from the evil I have committed. I acknowledge Your favour on me, and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for verily none can forgive sin except You.”
This du'a is called ‘Sayyidul Istighfar', meaning ‘the best form of seeking forgiveness [from Allah].
Rasulullah said in a Hadeeth Qudsi, which was narrated by Abu Hurairah r.a., and compiled by Imam Al-Bukhari and Muslim, that Allah said:
أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا ذَكَرَنِي، فَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي نَفْسِي، وَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي مَلَإٍ، ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلَإٍ خَيْرٍ مِنْهُمْ، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ بِشِبْرٍ تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ بَاعًا، وَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً
It means, “I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.”
Abu Al-Dardaa said in a Hadeeth narrated by Imam Muslim, that Rasulullah said:
مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ مُسْلِمٍ يَدْعُو لأَخِيهِ بِظَهْرِ الغَيْبِ إِلاَّ قَالَ المَلَكُ: وَلَكَ بِمِثْل
It means, “No Muslim slave (of Allah) would make du'a for his brother in their absence, unless an Angel would say: “May you be granted the same”.
Allah Loves to be Called
In addition to the abundant virtues of du'a, one of Allah's commands expressed through the Qur'an, is for us, Muslims, to call out to Him, as He loves to be called and to be asked. Who is the Master (Boss) who doesn't want to be asked, in a way which respect and humility will be shown? Then Allah deserves more!
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
“Your Lord says: “Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)!” [Surah Ghafir, 40:60].
This is a real promise and an enough assurance from the real Master to every single of His creatures that, only He, can be there for us at all times. Also, it’s a reminder to us, that no matter how; we are going to need him. Assuming that one is granted everything a man needs to survive in this life, the need for sincere love for Him, plus our natural need and sought for His Pleasure, will definitely trigger one to call upon Him.
So, what do we ask for, when we ask Him?
What do we Ask for, When We Call Allah?
Although we all turn to Allah, especially in times of desperate need, each one of us does present different needs before Allah, s.w.t. Why not; and Allah has promised anyone who turns to Him with immediate response and fulfillment (as quoted above)? Why not; and those who turn to Him are the happiest people on the entire planet? Why not; and the verses in the Qur’an and the sayings in the Sunnah speak by themselves? Why not, and Allah loves to be called and asked?
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ
It means, “When My servants ask you about Me, say (tell them) that I am near. I respond to the call of one who calls, whenever he calls to Me: let them, then, respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they may be rightly guided.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:186].
I’m certain that, when we ask Allah, we ask with specific needs in mind, especially when we are desperately in need. Thus, we certainly ask for things like wealth, knowledge, offspring, the chance to marry a specific person whom we are interested in, a specific need to be granted, the chance of admission into a particular university or school, the ability to take a specific course in the university, college or school, the opportunity to travel to specific countries, the ability to buy certain fashion, recipes, gadgets and toys; and there goes the list to an unknown end.
No doubt, we have to right to, and it’s extremely permissible in Islam, to ask Allah for specific needs, no matter how petty they may seem, but at the same time, we need to realize that, we mostly ask for things which we deem to be good for us, based on our human vision, forgetting that our human vision is very short, in sighting things, and it’s actually incapable of reaching anywhere, without Allah’s assistance (or permision).
In other words, we mostly ask for the means rather than asking for the desired outcome. How often did we notice that, we asked Allah for something in the past, and it happened that Allah didn’t grant them for us, eventually we realized that those things would have not been in our good favour, if they we granted. They could have been harmful instead?
In addition to all that, when we ask Allah, we tend to be in a hasty state for the answer or fulfillment to our needs and requests.
I believe, this is one of the reasons why “Solat Istikharah” was introduced to us, to practise, optionally, as it was strongly encouraged by Rasulullah for us to constantly do, in all affairs and needs. So we may develop some psychological preparation; that Allah is the One, and should remain the One Who decides.
Before we take a look at Solat Istikharah, let us compare our needs (when we ask Allah) to the etiquettes of Rasulillah in his du'a, followed by the etiquettes of other Prophets in their du'as.
The Etiquettes of Rasulullah in His Du’a
Upon looking into the supplications of Habibi Rasulullah, s.a.w.; he would present his request before Allah, and would include words that would mean “if it’s good for me in my religion and my hereafter”. For instance, if he asked for knowledge, he would ask for beneficial knowledge. If he asked for wealth, he would ask for good and blessed wealth. If he asked for deeds, he would ask for deeds that are acceptable, by Allah, s.w.t.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْماً نَافِعًا… وَرِزْقاً طَيِّباً.. وَعَمَلاً مُتَقَبَّلاً
It means, “O Allah, I beg you for beneficial knowledge.. (and I beg you for) good wealth… (and I beg you) that my deeds are acceptable.”
In fact, instead of asking and presenting wish-list straight away, Rasulullah would spent more than 50% of his noble supplications in singing Allah praises. In addition to that, he would make his dua’ very simple, yet deep and significant in its meaning. Thus, he presented himself through the words of his dua in a very humble manner.
When asking, he would generalize his request, in a way, that he won’t narrow his request to instant needs alone, knowing that what he needs instantly may not be the best for him.
اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِـي بِـحَلالِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ، وَأَغْنِنِـي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ
Meaning, “O Allah, give me satisfaction with your ‘halal' that will keep me away from ‘haram', and spare me with Your Grace from anyone else.”
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ، مَا عَلِمْتُ مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ أَعْلَمْ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ، مَا عَلِمْتُ مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ أَعْلَمُ. اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِمَّا سَأَلَكَ مِنْهُ مَحَمَّدٌ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِمَّا اسْتَعَاذَ مِنْهُ مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، اللَّهُمَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ لِي مِنْ قَضَاءٍ فَاجْعَلْ عَاقِبَتَهُ لِي رُشْدًا
It means, “O Allah, I ask You for all goodness, now and later on, that which I know and that which I do not know; I seek refuge in You from all evil, now and later on, that which I know and that which I do not know. O Allah, I ask you for Paradise and the words and deeds that will bring me closer to it, and I seek refuge in You from Hell and from the words and deeds that would bring me closer to it. O Allah, I ask You for that which Muhammad asked You for, and I seek refuge in You from that, which Muhammad s.a.w. sought refuge. O Allah, whatever You decreed for me, make its consequences good.”
Also, as we may have observed, by now, Rasulullah, s.a.w. would give Akhirah a strong presence in his du’a.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِـي أَسْأَلُكَ مُوجِبَاتِ رَحْـمَتِكَ، وَعَزَائِمَ مَغْفِرَتِكَ، وَالسَّلامَةَ مِنْ كُلِّ إِثْـمٍ، وَالغَنِـيمَةَ مِنْ كُلِّ بِرٍّ، وَالفَوْزَ بِالـجَنَّةِ، وَالنَّجَاةَ مِنَ النَّارِ
Meaning, “O Allah, I ask You for the entitlement for Your Mercy, the wills that lead to Your forgiveness, safety from all sins, treasure to all righteousness, success to heaven, and escape from the Hellfire.”
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ رِضَاكَ وَالجَنَّةَ. وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ وَالنَّارِ
It means, “O Allah, I ask you for Your Pleasure and Your Heaven, and I seek refuge in You, from Your Anger and the Hell fire.”
يَا مُقَلِّبَ القُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِـي عَلَى دِينِكَ
It means, “O Allah, the Controller of the hearts, make my heart firm to your religion.”
The Etiquettes of Du’as of Other Prophets
Some of the du’as which were said, by other Prophets were mentioned in the Qur’an. Obviously their du’a are similar to those of Rasulullah, in terms of style and humbleness. I mean, Rasulullah's du'as were not much different from theirs. Only that, none could supplicate in a better way, as Sayyidina Muhammad, the best of mankind, could do.
Our father Adam and our mother Hawwa
When the first parents of mankind accidentally committed the first disobedience in human history, they were told of the mistake committed; they quickly regretted and sought for forgiveness. Was forgiveness all they sought? No. In addition to forgiveness, they sought for Allah's Mercy, too.
قَالَا رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
It means, “They replied, “Our Lord, we have wronged our souls: if You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we shall be among the lost.” [Surah Al-A’raf, 7:23].
Thus, if Allah only forgave them their wrongdoing, without granting them His Mercy, life could not be, to them, meaningful anymore.
Imagine yourself to have wronged someone and have apologized to the person. The person has agreed to forgive you, but never forgets. Isn’t this going to constantly affect your relationship with the person?
Sayyiduna Nouh
In Surah Houd, Sayyiduna Nouh called out to his Lord, saying, “My Lord, my son was a part of my family. Your promise was surely true. You are the most just of all judges.”Allah said, “Nouh, he was not one of your family. For, indeed, he was unrighteous in his conduct. Do not question Me about something of which you have no knowledge; I admonish you lest you become like an ignorant man.”
Sayyiduna Nouh too, after asking for forgiveness for failing to understand Allah’s decision and Hikmah, he asked for His Mercy and Sympathy, too.
قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَإِلَّا تَغْفِرْ لِي وَتَرْحَمْنِي أَكُن مِّنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
It means, “He said, “My Lord, I take refuge with You from asking You something of which I have no knowledge. If You do not forgive me and show me mercy, I shall be one of the losers.” [Surah Houd, 11:47].
Sayyiduna Ibrahim
When Sayyiduna Ibrahim aged without being granted any offspring, he asked Allah for an offspring. But, instead of being specific in asking, he asked Allah to grant him a child from among the righteous, and he refrained from specifying a gender, although any desperate couple would ask for a specific gender.
In some cases, some can be desperate that all they need is the child, regardless of who and what the child may come to be. So Sayyiduna Ibrahim said:
رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
It means, “My Lord, grant me [a child] from among the righteous.” [Surah Al-Saffat, 37:100].
So, it doesn’t matter what the gender of a child may be. What matters most is that, the child can be righteous when they grow up. Eventually, Sayyiduna Ibrahim was not only granted a righteous child, he was also granted two children, whom were chosen and given revelation (wahyu) each!
Sayyiduna Ayyub
Sayyiduna Ayyub fell sick and had gone through difficult times due to that. He eventually complained to Allah, and asked for Allah's Mercy; he didn't ask for the pain to be lifted, because, the pains could be a mercy and blessing in itself, therefore, he asked for Allah's Mercy. For that, he said:
أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
It means, “I have been afflicted with great distress: but You are the most merciful of the merciful.” [Surah Al-Anbiyaa, 28:83].
And Allah's Mercy, with regards to the situation of Sayyidina Ayyub was represented in lifting his pains, plus granting him family who were doubled in number. For that, Allah said:
فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ فَكَشَفْنَا مَا بِهِ مِن ضُرٍّ وَآتَيْنَاهُ أَهْلَهُ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَابِدِينَ
It means, “We heard his prayer and relieved his suffering, We restored to him his family, doubling their number as an act of Our Grace, and as a reminder for the worshippers.” [Surah Al-Anbiyaa, 21:84].
Sayyiduna Yusuf
After the entire ordeal which Sayyiduna Yusuf had to go through, as a result of the evildoing of his own blooded brothers, he looked at it positively and was appreciative to what Allah had granted him in return; the knowledge of interpreting dreams, in addition to prophecy and power to rule. Being a Prophet, having knowledge and power was not the utmost desire of Sayyiduna Yusuf, anymore. Therefore, he asked for the best, when he said:
رَبِّ قَدْ آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِي مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِيِّي فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ
It means, “My Lord, You have given me power and taught me the interpretation of dreams. Creator of the heavens and the earth, You are my patron in this world and the Hereafter! Make me die in submission to You (as a Muslim) and admit me among the righteous.” [Surah Yusuf, 12:101].
Sayyiduna Musa
When Sayyiduna Musa saw the two ladies on the way to Midian, when he was a bachelor, and (and I assume he) wished he could marry one of them, after he has witnessed their modesty, his request, with regards to that was simply polite, as it goes:
رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ
It means, “Lord, I am truly in need of whatever blessing You may send down for me.” [Surah Al-Qasas, 28:24]. In other words, if this is meant for me, make it happen. If it’s not, I beg You for an absolute better alternative.
Sayyiduna Isa, a.s.
Sayyidina Isa did not suggest a solution to Allah with regards to what to do with those who associated him with Allah, s.w.t., instead, he left it up to Allah and asked for the end result; which in anyway would signify Allah's power. He said:
إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
It means, “and if You punish them, they are surely Your servants; and if You forgive them, You are surely the Mighty and Wise.” [Surah Al-Ma-idah, 5:118].
What about the Believers and People of Piety?
Allah has told us what the true believers ask for, when they go for Hajj. At the time some people would only be material-conscious, the true believers balance their consciousness between Dunia and Akhirah.
فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ * وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ * أُولَـٰئِكَ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا كَسَبُوا، وَاللَّـهُ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ
It means, “And among the people is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world,” and he will have in the Hereafter no share. But among them is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. Those will have a share of what they have earned, and Allah is swift in account.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:200-202].
The Bottom Line
The minimum in our usual du’a, if we opt not to follow the path of Rasulullah in his invocation to Allah, is to include something like, “O Allah, I (we) beg you to grant me (us) this and that, if it’s good for me (us). Or else, please grant me (us) something better and more blessed”.
Means are expected to lead to their destinations (desired outcome), but they don't necessary lead to expected destination. For instance, if one wants to get married, and happen to be in love with someone specifically, that ‘someone specifically' should not be the desired outcome. No doubt, marriage can take place without that ‘someone specifically'. Therefore, the person is just a mean to reaching the desired outcome of marriage, which is protecting our modesty, seeking Allah's Pleasure and producing good offspring for the good of the Ummah. So, we should ask Allah to connect us with the person who can help us to achieve the desired outcome, which are (in this case): Protecting our modesty, seeking Allah's Pleasure and producing good offspring for the good of the Ummah.
Another example is, when we ask for wealth (money) which we may do anything to make. Wealth is just a mean, which is supposed to lead us to a desired outcome, which is good life. Good life that is supposed to bring us happiness. At the time many people who own lots of wealth are not happy in this life, there are so many poor (materially) who are very happy, and are at absolute peace of mind. That's why, Rasulullah would say in his noble du’a:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْماً نَافِعًا… وَرِزْقاً طَيِّباً.. وَعَمَلاً مُتَقَبَّلاً
It means, “O Allah, I beg you for beneficial knowledge.. (and I beg you for) good wealth… (and I beg you) that my deeds are acceptable.”
This comes to tell us that if knowledge is not useful (once attained), and wealth is not good (once granted) and deeds are not accepted (once achieved), one’s time has gone wasted. All they may achieve would be the temporal honour, happiness, and fake praises from people.
We should not narrow our du'a to ask for petty things or means. Instead, it will be wise to widen the scope of our request and generalize it, as possible. Especially that, sometimes, what we ask for may be granted, but in a form that may be better for us, in our Dunia and Akhirah. Simple examples are:
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنِّي عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
It means, “O Allah, help me to remember You, be grateful to You and worship You in a better way.”
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْماً كَثِيراً، وَلاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ، وَارْحَمْنِي، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
It means, “Oh Allah, I have done a lot of great injustice to myself, no one forgives sins except You, so grant me a forgiveness from You, and have mercy on me, for You are Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ، فَأَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ وَلا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ
It means, “On You Who is Everlasting, who sustains and protects everything, I seek assistance through the means of Your Mercy, correct for me all my affairs and do not entrust me to my Nafs (myself) for the moment of a blink of an eye.”
The Idea of Istikhara
When we look at the du’a of ‘Istikharah', which Rasulullah taught us (his Ummah) to supplicate with, when we intend to commit to any affair, either pertaining this life or life in the next, we understand that, although we humbly pray and submit requests, before Allah, s.w.t., we don’t make choice. Instead, we leave things up to Him to decide the best for us, although we still have to follow-up, with effort been put in.
For that, Rasulullah, s.a.w. would teach the companions to make Istikharah in all matters, just as he would teach them surahs (chapters) from the Qur’an.
So let’s, together, take a look at the du’a of Istikharah, its meaning, and then contemplate on them:
Du'a Istikharah
اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلا أَقْدِرُ، وَتَعْلَمُ وَلا أَعْلَمُ، وَأَنْتَ عَلامُ الْغُيُوبِ. اللَّهُمَّ إنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي، فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَيَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِي فِيهِ. اللَّهُمَّ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي، فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي، وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ، وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ، ثُمَّ ارْضِنِي بِهِ.
The meaning:
“O Allah, I seek Your guidance [in making a choice] by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, I have none. And You know, I know not. You are the Knower of hidden things. O Allah, if in Your knowledge, this matter is good for me both in this world and in the Hereafter, then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge it is bad for me and for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs, then turn me away from it, [and turn it away from me], and ordain for me the good wherever it may be and make me pleased with it.”
How do we perform Istikharah?
When Rasulullah s.a.w. taught the companions the above du'a, he said, prior to saying the dua' itself: “If any one of you is deliberating about a decision he has to make, then let him pray two raka’ahs of non-obligatory prayer, then say…(the du’a above)”
This simplicity in the Prophet's teaching with regards to Istikharah makes it easy for any Muslim who intends to commit to any affair, ranging from small matters to bigger and major issues. All you need is to perform two raka'ahs in a permissible time for prayer, and raise up your hands, and supplicate with the du'a (of Istikharah) after your ‘salam’. Initiate your du'a with singing Allah praises, and saying solawat upon Habibi Muhammad, s.a.w., and then follow it with the du'a (above).
An easy example of singing Allah praises and saying solawat upon Rasulullah will be as follows:
اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الحَمْدُ كُلُّهُ.. وَلَكَ الشُّكْرُ كُلُّهُ.. وَبِيَدِكَ الخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ.. وَإِلَيْكَ يَرْجِعُ الأَمْرُ كُلُّهُ.. لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ.. نَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَنَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ
اللَّهُمَّ صَلٍّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ
It means, “O Allah, all praises are due to You… All thanks are due to You… All good are in Your Hands… To You, shall all affairs return… No god (deserves to be worshiped) but You… We seek Your Forgiveness, and we repent to You”
“O Allah, send Your Peace and Blessings upon our Master Muhammad, his family members and all his companions”.
Any permissible time in which we can perform Solat Istikharah can be within any time, in which we can perform any other optional solat (nawafil), i.e. before and after Zuhr, before Asr, before and after Maghrib, before and after Isha, anytime between Isha and Fajr (Qiyamullail) and when Dhuha. Thus, we shouldn't do it between Subh prayers and sunrise, nor in the time that falls between after Asr and sunset.
What after Istikharah?
After one has successfully done their Istikharah, all one has to do is to go ahead with what affair they made the Istikharah for. Many expect to see some [kind of] dreams related to their Istikharah. The Hadeeth in which Rasulullah taught the companions Istikharah is so simple in its wordings, such that no confusion can be made in understanding it, especially that, dream is never mentioned. However, if someone else sees dream (be it good or bad) related to their Istikharah, then, that may be a kind of honour for him, but it's not a requirement related to Istikharah, as far as the common Muslims are concerned. Moreover, I'm afraid; some dreams that one may see, may be due to the psychological impact (eagerness or fear) of the affair, rather than an answer for Istikharah.
It's also important that, before we make the Istikharah, we consult experts in what we intend to do. Only after we have come to conclusion related to that, we can proceed to the next level, which is Istikharah.
In short…, when we want to commit to any worldly or religious affair, we think about it thoroughly, beforehand, after which, we consult experts in that field, as well as seek advice from people we trust. After we have reached to the conviction that the affair is something good to be considered, we have certainly reached where human can reach. Next… Istikharah!
Once the Istikharah (the final stage) is done, go ahead with the affair… If it's good (for you) and meant for you, the doors will open, widely and broadly, for you. If it's not, you won't go further.
Let’s go back and spend some five minutes to re-reflect on the meaning of the du’a of Istikharah, mentioned above.
Conclusion
Our du'as are answered, if we fulfill the requirement for making them. Also, they are answered in the way that Allah deems better for us; and in our good favour. They are not granted in the way that we think is good for us. “Allah knows but you know not” [Qur'an, 2:216].
Rasulullah said in a Hadeeth narrated by Abu Saeed Al-Khudri:
مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يَدْعُو دَعْوَةً لَيْسَ فِيهَا إِثْمٌ وَلا قَطِيعَةُ رَحِمٍ إِلاَّ أَعْطَاهُ اللهُ إِحْدَى ثَلاثٍ: إِمَّا أَنْ يُعَجِّلَ لَهُ دَعْوَتَهُ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَدَّخِرَهَا لَهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَكُفَّ عَنْهُ مِنَ الشَّرِّ مِثْلَهَا. قَالُوا إِذاً نُكْثِرُ. قَالَ: اللهُ أَكْثَرُ
It means, “No Muslim would make du’a to Allah, in which there’s no sin committed, or untying of kinship, unless Allah could grant him one of three things: Either He grants his wish immediately, or he delays it, to fulfill it for him in the Akhirah, or he avoids him (with it) from something bad supposed to occur on him.” Then the companions said, “Then we will ask for more!” Rasulullah said, “Allah is even more!”
We have come to the end of Part 1 of ‘Dua's and its Etiquettes’. Insha Allah, Part 2 will highlight ‘The general etiquettes of du'a in Islam’, ‘People whose du'as are likely to be answered, and ‘Places in which du'as are likely to be answered’.
Until then, I leave you in the Good Protection of Allah.
Allah knows best.
Allahu Hafiz 🙂
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