Relief Through Supplication

Relief Through Supplication

Shaykh Saalih Muhammad Aal Taali

Muharram 18, 1424 (March 21, 2003

All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. Peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon the Prophet, his household and companions.

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah and be dutiful to Him. Stay away
from sins. For sins destroy. Know that you have a Lord Whom you
are going to meet and a house in which you are going to live after
your death. Seek the pleasure of your Lord before you meet Him
and properly build your house before you move into it.

Fellow Muslims! We are the ummah of Qur’aan and Sunnah,
the ummah of divine guidance. We are the ummah of
the right path but we did not stay on this path.

Brethren in faith! All hardships and tribulations that afflict
the Muslims are just like whips that drive them back to Eemaan and
Tawheed. They remind them of Allaah the Almighty; they encourage
them to turn back to Him in repentance and to fear the Day of Judgement.
Allaah says:

“See they not that they are tried once or twice every year (with
different kinds of calamities, disease, famine)? Yet, they turn
not in repentance, nor do they learn a lesson (from it).” (At-Tawbah
9:126)

Materialism has prevailed over the hearts of many
people, and as a result they see nothing except in the light of
materials. It is when man keeps away from the light of Eemaan and
his relationship with Allaah becomes weak that his soul lives in
spiritual isolation and his heart becomes hardened. He then lives
a disturbed and fearful life. All this is a result of his abandonment
of the real source of life and his forgetfulness of Allaah. He forgets
that it is Allaah Who created the soul and Who knows the means by
which it lives. The life is not that of the body but of the soul.
Allaah says,

“Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance and disbelief)
and We gave him life (by knowledge and Faith) and set for him a
light (of Belief) whereby he can walk amongst men - like him who
is in the darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy) from
which he can never come out?” (Al-An‘aam 6:122)

Hence, belief in Allaah is the source of security and peace. And
the hearts that are devoid of Eemaan are always far from Allaah
and are full of fright and confusion.

Fellow Muslims! When a man’s heart is full of Eemaan, he knows his
place of refuge and the remedy for his ailments. For this life is
based on toil and man is seldom free from dangers. He suffers ailments
and calamities; sorrows and wars; injustice and transgression and
all kinds of tribulations. However, Allaah is Ever Compassionate
with His slaves. He always provides for them relief through a door
of His mercy and blesses them with tranquillity and peace of mind.
That door is the door of supplication to Allaah, humbling oneself
before Him and putting one’s trust in Him. For supplications are
the security of the frightened, the refuge of the weak and the solace
of invocators. Who is He that has sought refuge with Allaah and
has not been protected and who is he that has relied on Him and
has not been given guidance?

Supplication is the essence of worship. Allaah says,

“And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, I will respond to your (invocation).
Verily! Those who scorn My worship (i.e. do not invoke Me, and do
not believe in My Oneness, they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!”
(Ghaafir 40:60)

He also says,

“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). So let them obey Me and believe in Me,
so that they may be led aright.” (Al-Baqarah 2:186)

Supplication is the dearest thing to Allaah. It is the way to patience
in the cause of Allaah. It is a sign of sincere dependence on Allaah
and keeping away from incapacity and laziness. It is an easy-to-make
act of worship and it can be done at all places and times. Allaah
tells us that Prophet Ibraaheem said,

“And I shall turn away from you and from those whom you invoke
besides Allaah. And I shall call on my Lord and I hope that I shall
not be unblessed in my invocation to my Lord.” (Maryam 19:48)

Many are the afflictions that have been removed by supplications!
Many are the sins that have been forgiven through invocations! And
many are the blessings that have been endowed through supplications!
The Messenger of Allaah said, “What has been destined cannot be
prevented from happening. Invocation is helpful in things that have
happened and things that have not happened. Calamity and supplication
sometimes meet and engage in duel till the Day of Resurrection.”
(Al-Haakim)

Supplication is the worship of the Prophets. Allaah says about them,

“Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used
to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves
before Us.” (Al-Anbiyaa 21:90)

The Messenger of Allaah said, “No Muslim makes a supplication in
which there is no sin or severing of the tie of kinship except that
Allaah gives him by that one of three things: He gives him what
he asked for immediately or He saves for him by that supplication
some reward (which He gives him on the Day of Resurrection) or He
saves him from a calamity which is equivalent to the supplication
he made.” The companions then said: ‘We will then make more supplications.’
The Messenger of Allaah replied: “And Allaah also will give more.”
(Ahmad)

When Prophet Ibraaheem called upon Allaah after he was thrown into
fire, Allaah commanded the fire saying:

"O fire! Be you coolness and safety for Ibraaheem (Abraham)!”
(Al-Anbiyaa 21:69)

Allaah also says about Prophet Ayyoob,

“And (remember) Ayyoob (Job), when he cried to his Lord: "Verily,
distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those
who show mercy. So We answered his call, and We removed the distress
that was on him, and We restored his family to him (that he had
lost) and the like thereof along with them, as a mercy from Ourselves
and a Reminder for all those who worship Us.” (Al-Anbiyaa 21:83-84)

He says about Prophet Yoonus,

“So We answered his call, and delivered him from the distress.
And thus We do deliver the believers (who believe in the Oneness
of Allaah, abstain from evil and work righteousness).” (Al-Anbiyaa
21:88)

And about Prophet Zakariyya He says,

“And (remember) Zakariyya (Zechariah), when he cried to his Lord:
"O My Lord! Leave me not single (childless), though You are the
Best of the inheritors. So We answered his call, and We bestowed
upon him Yahyaa (John), and cured his wife (to bear a child) for
him.” (Al-Anbiyaa 21:89-90)

O you who is afflicted with calamities! O you who has been weakened
by ailments! O you who have been overwhelmed by debts! Why don’t
you call upon Allaah the Self-Sufficient and the Most Gracious?
O you who have been submerged by sins! Why can’t you call upon Allaah
the Oft-Forgiving to forgive you? O you who lives in fear and distress!
Why can’t you call upon Allaah to give you relief?

Brethren in Islaam! The nation of Islaam has experienced many crises
and hardships and it was only through sincere return to Allaah that
it was able overcome those hardships. Allaah says,

“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad)
And We seized them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and
loss in health (with calamities) so that they might humble themselves
(believe with humility). When Our Torment reached them, why then
did they not humble themselves (believe with humility)? But their
hearts became hardened.” (Al-An’aam 6:42)

Even some ancient polytheists would sincerely call
upon Allaah alone whenever they were faced with calamities.

The Muslim nation is now in dire need of the mercy
of its Lord as it is in need of His help. Let us return to Allaah,
invoke His blessings and hope for His mercy.

Fellow Muslims! Supplication has its condition and manners, which
every Muslim must learn in order to have his supplications answered.
Foremost among these is that the intention and means of supplication
should be compatible with Islaamic Monotheism. It is this condition
that makes supplication an act of worship that must be solely directed
to Allaah alone. Man must call, seek assistance from and seek refuge
with Allaah alone.. He must seek forgiveness, victory, guidance,
realization of his goals and aid from Allaah alone. He should ask
only Allaah for the removal of his afflictions and for security
against all evils.

All these are rights of Allaah over His slaves. Man must call upon
Allaah alone. For neither does slumber or sleep overtakes Him. It
is He alone who hears the supplication of the supplicants wherever
they are and whichever language they speak. He is never distracted
by a slave whom he listens to from listening to another and He is
never annoyed because of the multitude of those who call upon Him.
He alone has the power to give benefit or harm.

It is therefore an act of associating partners with Him to call upon
the dead, the angels, the jinn and others besides Him. He says about
Himself,

“He is the Ever Living. None has the right to be worshipped but
He; so invoke Him making your worship pure for Him Alone (by worshipping
Him Alone, and none else, and by doing righteous deeds sincerely
for Allaah’s sake only, and not to show off, and not setting up
rivals with Him in worship).” (Ghaafir 40:65)

The observer of the invocations of the Prophets will
notice that Tawheed characterizes them. An example of this is the
invocation made by Prophet Yoonus,

“He cried through the darkness (saying): None has the right to
be worshipped but You (O, Allaah) Glorified (and Exalted) are You
(above all that (evil) they associate with You). Truly, I have been
of the wrong-doers.” (Al-Anbiyaa 21:87)

Allaah answered his supplication through Tawheed.

Brethren in Islaam! The supplicant should make sure that he follows
the Sunnah while making the supplication. He should call upon Allaah
with His sublime Names and Attributes. He should seek for His forgiveness
and acknowledge His favour on him. It is good if he starts his supplication
with praising Allaah as it is due and invoking His blessing on His
Prophet, Muhammad –peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him. The
supplicant should also not transgress while making supplication
nor be in haste to have his supplication answered. He should also
not despair. For the One he calls is the Graceful Lord.

Further, the supplicant must be a sincere believer. He should face
the qiblah while making the supplication and should be sure
that he is in the state of purity. He should raise his hands to
Allaah. He should be resolute in his supplication, supplicate at
the times when invocations are most likely answered and select the
supplications that are authentically reported from the Prophet.
He should also not forget to make a sadaqah before his supplication.
If he can do all these, his supplication will never be rejected.
If he however does not see a sign of the acceptance of his supplication,
let him examine himself.

The Messenger of Allaah said, “O you people! Allaah is Pure and does
not accept but only that which is pure. He indeed commands the believer
with that which He commanded the Messengers. He says:

“O (you) Messengers! Eat of the lawful foods (meat of slaughtered
eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits, etc.),
and do righteous deeds. Verily! I am Well-Acquainted with what you
do.” (Al-Mu’minoon 23:51)

And He commands the believers saying:

“O you who believe! Eat of the lawful things that
We have provided you with, and be grateful to Allaah, if it is indeed
He Whom you worship.” (Al-Baqarah 2:172)

The Messenger of Allaah then mentioned a man who was on a long journey,
and he was shoeless and dust-covered. He was raising his hands to
heavens saying: O my Lord! O my Lord!’ while his food, drink, dress
and nourishment were all from unlawful sources. How could his supplication
be answered?” (Muslim)

Brethren in faith! Listen to this call from your Lord:

“Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the
aggressors. And do not do mischief on the earth, after it has been
set in order, and invoke Him with fear and hope. Surely, Allaah’s
Mercy is (ever) near unto the good-doers.” (Al-A‘raaf 7:55-56)

Fellow Muslims! Whoever fears Allaah in times of ease Allaah, Allaah
will stand by him in times of hardship. Allaah says about Prophet
Yoonus when the whale swallowed him:

“Had he not been of them who glorify Allaah, He would have indeed
remained inside its belly (the fish) till the Day of Resurrection.”
(As-Saaffaat 37:143-144)

Which means: Had it not been for the good deeds that he had done
before, he would have been made to remain in the belly of the whale
till the Day of Resurrection.

The Muslim must therefore remain steadfast during afflictions and
return to Allaah in repentance.

Brethren in Islaam! We are also in dire need of uniting our ranks
and removing our differences. For disunity is the cause of failure.
Allaah says,

“O you who believe! When you meet (an enemy) force, take a firm
stand against them and remember the Name of Allaah much (both with
tongue and mind), so that you may be successful. And obey Allaah
and His Messenger, and do not dispute (with one another) lest you
lose courage and your strength depart, and be patient. Surely, Allaah
is with those who are patient.” (Al-Anfaal 8:45-46)

Fellow Muslims! Let us always follow the teachings of Qur’aan and
Sunnah. It is the duty of the scholars to teach people and direct
them to all that can benefit them and remove their distress. They
should remind people of Allaah and teach them the importance of
unity and the harm of disunity.