When you place your head on the pillow you remember things you did on this day and others you intend to do tomorrow. If your plans involve anything evil do not do it, because you know well that you have neither might nor power. That Allah can take your soul at sleep and never shall He return it. All this is a reminder every night of the Power of Allah, The Exalted and Ever-Majestic, which makes all your life connected with Allah, all praise and glory be to Him.
This is concerning sleep. On awakening the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) also teaches us what to say. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said in his noble hadith:
“All the Praises are to Allah Who has made us alive after He made us die (sleep) and unto Him is the Resurrection.”
Upon awakening the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to say:
“All the Praises are to Allah Who restored to me my soul, made my body healthy and has allowed me to remember Him.”
He also used to say:
“All the Praises are to Allah Alone, He has no partner; Allah is the Most Great; there is neither might nor power except with Allah, the Most High, the Supreme.”
To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return
Thus, we see that on going to sleep we remember Allah; we remember that our souls are with Him. When The Almighty restores this soul to us upon awakening, He, all praise and glory be to Him, deserves from us all thanks and gratitude. But who amongst us before sleep makes remembering Allah the last words on his tongue? Or his first words upon arousing? None pays attention to that except the devoted servants. It is a prayer of praises and asking help in which you only express remembrance and thanking. You harbor no ill will, but you heartily know that to Allah you belong and to Him you shall return.
Does supplication end at sleep and awakening? No, but continue with the movement of your life throughout the night. But is there any action that may arise from a sleeper? Yes, when he is unable to sleep or has a nightmare, to know that the force and course of religion never leave mankind a single moment, but they are always with him the moment he is awake and conscious, meaning all along his conscious life. What does man do upon seeing a bad dream? The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) teaches to say:
“I seek refuge with the Perfect Words of Allah from His Anger and His Punishment, and from the evil of His servants, and from the whisperings of the devils and lest they should attend (or come near) me.” Whoever says them will be safe from all evils on that day.
The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “If anyone of you sees a dream that he likes, then it is from Allah, and he should thank Allah for it and narrate it to others; but if he sees something else, i.e., a dream that he dislikes, then it is from Satan, and he should seek refuge with Allah from its evil, and he should not mention it to anybody, for it will not harm him.”
It is narrated that Ibn Thâbit (may Allah be pleased with him) complained to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) of sleeplessness, so the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) told him to say:
“O Allah! The stars have set and the eyes have calmed and You are the Ever Living, the Sustainer and Protector of all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtakes You. O Ever Living, O Sustainer and Protector of all that exists! Guide my night and bring my eyes to sleep.”
Ibn Thâbit said that after he repeated it Allah dispelled his trouble.
Connection with Allah never ends
The bond between the servant and his Lord never breaks at the hour of sleep or awakening but accompanies him during his night. If he sees a nightmare he hurries to Allah seeking His Refuge. Also, if he was sleepless during the night and tried to sleep but failed he resort to Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, to soothe him to sleep. Honestly, have you ever seen a closer communication with Allah? Have you touched how far Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, wants us to seek His Help in every single move and soft whisper in the wheel of our life?
We are only offering some examples but if we viewed life entirely we would find that to the believer it forms an endless series of links connecting us with Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, their base is the rule saying: supplication is the heart of worship.
If afterwards we moved on to the morning and evening, we would find that every morning has more than an invocation and every evening as well. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) commanded us to remember Allah often through supplication in the morning and evening. He (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
“Whoever says in the morning and in the evening (these words): ‘Gloried be Allah and all praises are due to Him,’ one hundred times, none shall come on the Day of Resurrection with anything better except someone who has said the same or more.’”
In the evening the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to supplicate saying:
“We have reached the night and the whole Kingdom has reached the night belonging (only) to Allah and all praises and thanks be to Allah. There is no god but Allah; the One Who has no partner. His is the dominion, and to Him belong all praises and thanks, and He is Able to do all things. My Lord! I beg of You the blessing that exists in this night and the blessing of that which follows it and I seek refuge in You from the evil that exists in this night and the evil of that which follows it. My Lord! I seek refuge in You from sloth and from the ill of senility. And I seek refuge in You from the torment of hellfire and from the torment of the grave.”
And when he rose in the morning he used to say:
“We have reached the morning and the whole Kingdom has reached the morning belonging (only) to Allah and all praises and thanks be to Allah.”
We can see that upon the arrival of evening or morning time, each has more than a supplication. When you rise at dawn there is a supplication, also at daybreak and when you sleep after nightfall. And that is true faith: to have the Religion of Allah accompanying you in every moment. That you remember Allah always and have your life closely connected with Him. That your tongue is never silent of giving thanks, praises and supplications. Have you ever seen a status closer than this to Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He?
The Master Supplication for begging forgiveness
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said in his noble hadith:
“The superior way of begging forgiveness is that a Muslim says: O Allah! You are my Lord; there is no god but You, You have created me, and I am Your servant and I hold to Your Covenant and Promise as much as I can; I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done: I acknowledge Your Favour upon me, and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for verily none forgives sins except You, glory be to You.”
If you said this blessed supplication, which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) called the master supplication for begging forgiveness, in the morning and you died on that day you would enter Paradise. And if you said it in the evening and you died on that night you would enter Paradise. Truly, what a superb supplication and a superb honor!
If we now moved to your daily life and its usual activities, the first to occur to you is eating and drinking, which are recurring acts. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) teaches us the supplication of eating and drinking:
“When any of you eats, he should pronounce the Name of Allah, the Most Exalted, and if he forgets to pronounce the Name of Allah, the Most Exalted, at the beginning, he should say, ‘In the Name of Allah at the beginning and at the end of it.’”
The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said in another hadith:
“When any of you eats, he should eat with his right hand. And when he drinks, he should drink with his right hand, for Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand.”
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) teaches us the supplication that should be uttered at drinking water:
“When any of you drinks water he should say, ‘Glory be to the One Who gave us sweet water by His Mercy and did not give us saline bitter water by our sins.’”
We shall briefly review few examples of the supplications which the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to repeat during all activities of life. In ablution he used to say:
“O Allah! Forgive my sins, make spacious my abode and give blessings in my sustenance.”
After ablution he used to say:
“I testify that there is no god but Allah, Alone, Who has no partner and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger! O Allah, make me of those who return to You often in repentance and make me of those who remain clean and pure.’
Whoever says that hadith after performing ablution, as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has said it, would have the eight gates of Paradise opened for him to enter from wherever he likes.
All the supplications that we recite between the Azân [The Muslim summons to prayer, called by the muezzin from a minaret of a mosque five times a day] and the Iqâmah [the call for the actual standing for performing the prayers] are the supplications of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). The believer says between the Azân and the Iqâmah:
“O Allah! Lord of this most perfect call (of not ascribing partners to You) and of the regular prayer about to be established, grant Muhammad Al-wasîlah (the highest degree in Paradise) and Al-fadîlah (a rank or place above the rest of creation) and raise him to a position of praise and glory which You have promised him.”
The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) added that whoever says it will be entitled his intercession on the Day of Resurrection.
On starting the prayer – between the Opening Takbîr [Commencement of Prayer by saying Allahu Akbar ‘Allah is the Most Great’] and the recitation of Al-Fâtihah [the first Chapter in the Noble Qur’an] – we say:
“O Allah! Distance me from my sins just as You have distanced the East from the West. O Allah! Purify me from my sins as a white cloth is purified from dirt. O Allah! Cleanse me from my sins with snow, water and hail.”
When you bow in Prayers after thrice repeating, ‘Subhân Raby Al-‘Adhîm ‘(Glory be to my Lord, the Most Great), say: “O Allah! To you I have bowed, and in You I have believed, and to You I have submitted, and before You are humbled my hearing, my sight, my brain, my bones and my nerves.”
When you prostrate yourself in Prayers after thrice repeating, ‘Subhân Raby Al-‘Alâ (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High),’ say as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to say:
“O Allah! To You I have prostrated myself, and in You I have believed and to You I have submitted. My face has prostrated before He Who created it and fashioned it, and brought forth its faculties of hearing and seeing. Blessed be Allah, the Best of creators.”
After you recite At-Tashahud [Testification: a certain invocation to be recited at the middle or the end of the Prayers] and before offering the Salutation ending the Prayer, invoke with the supplication of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), saying:
“O Allah! I seek refuge with You from the torment of the grave, and from the torment of Fire and from the trials and tribulations of life and death and from the evil affliction of Al-Masîh Ad-Dajjâl (the Antichrist).”
After you offer the Salutation ending the Prayer, say:
“O Allah! You are As-Salâm (One free from all defects and deficiencies) and from You comes Salâm (peace, or safety), blessed are You, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor.”
The supplications that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has taught us include all the activities of life. Among the supplications of traveling is the one saying:
“O Allah, You are the Companion on the journey, and The Successor over the family; O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the hardship of traveling, an unhappy return, and a distressing scene regarding family and wealth. O Allah, fold for us the land (i.e., make the distance shorter and draw closer for us the lands), and make easy our journey.”
And when the traveler returns home he should say as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to say:
“Returning, repenting, worshipping and praising our Lord.”
On the wedding night, the groom should repeat the supplication of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), saying:
‘O Allah, I ask You for the goodness within her and the goodness that you have made her inclined towards, and I seek refuge with You from the evil within her and the evil that you have made her inclined towards.’
And when man holds a newborn he should repeat the supplication of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), saying:
“I commend you to the Protection of Allah’s Perfect Words from every devil and vermin, and from every (evil, harmful,) envious eye.”
Upon seeing natural phenomenon as rainfall the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) invoked Allah saying:
“(Let it rain) around us and not on us.”
Because when it rains outside the city prosperity and verdure will reign among all people, but if it rained inside perhaps people may be harmed.
When suffering a hardship say as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to say:
“There is no god but Allah, the Majestic, the Most Forbearing. There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the Tremendous Throne. There is no god but Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and the Lord of the Honorable Throne. O Allah! Your Mercy is what I hope for, so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye, and rectify for me all of my affairs. There is no god but You.”
These supplications express the weakness and want of man, who in the life of this world has power over nothing. In traveling he is either leaving behind someone who needs his care as his parents, his children or his wife, so he wants a Guardian to hold his place, or parting with someone he needs. In both cases he should leave all to Allah, whether to help him in his travel or help his family he left behind. To you people in this world are one of two: those who need you and those whom you need. Therefore, you want Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, to help those who need you while you are away, or help you tolerate the want of people you need.
For every state there is an invocation
We clearly see that Islam assigned an invocation to every state man lives in order to strengthen the ties between the Creator and His creatures.
For instance, as though when you sleep, which is a period of total unconsciousness of worldly existence, you are trying to say, ‘O Lord! Though unconscious of the entire universe still I remember You.’ And upon rising, to have your movement in life given to you by Allah right and complete, you have to seek the Help of Allah in doing good.
The Truth, all praise and glory be to Him, has restored your soul to your body after you slept unconscious of the entire universe, so you welcome Allah’s Bestowment with praise and contentment. Usually man does not remember Allah and turn to Him imploringly except at hard times. Hard times that bare man’s inability, make him turn to Allah, Whose Majesty reigns supreme. For instance, you do not appreciate that you have feet, eyes and hands except when these organs are injured. But when sound, to you they simply exist carrying their job while you are insensible or even unaware of their existence!! Familiarity and monotony of life make you receive all the Blessings of Allah as common, so you never contemplate them. But when they become unsound or no longer capable of performing their role, in such case you feel and appreciate the greatness of the bestowed Blessings of Allah, for which you failed to pay thanks because of your negligence.
You do not realize the value of money and the want you may fall into except at its loss. You do not realize the high blessing of having a water drop except when about to perish of thirst, or the worth of a morsel of bread except when you are dying of hunger. For each of these sublime blessings Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, assigned an invocation to keep it and ensure the continuity of your benefiting from it. The events of life that pass on you without thinking of them are from the Grace of Allah upon you. Therefore, there is a supplication for everything. If you remember Allah at your happy prosperous moments, He will surely remember you at the time of your distress. A servant should never forget that he is created to worship Allah, the Creator, as states the noble Qur’anic verse (what means):
“And I (Allah) created not the jinn and humans except they should worship Me (Alone). I seek not any provision from them (i.e. provision for themselves or for My creatures) nor do I ask that they should feed Me (i.e. feed themselves or My creatures).” (Az-Zâriyât, 51: 56-57)
This noble Qur’anic verse applies to all life events, in every movement we make in life there is a blessing, a rule and a supplication and they all are acts of worship. Supplication in all life events is meant to obtain the Blessing of Allah, the Power of Allah and the Might of Allah. Therefore, if you seek the Help of Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, your life would be good, good in everything. Any food eaten after pronouncing the Name of Allah on it, the devil will never eat from it. Any deed started by invoking Allah, the devil will never spoil it, and he will never enter a house in which supplications are recited.
Blessing is not in abundance but in winning the Good Pleasure of Allah. Also money is not in large amounts but in having the Blessing of Allah in it, to spend it while enjoying it instead of spending it while suffering some illness. Spending it in such case will give you nothing but pain and sorrow, while seeing before you things you love of worldly delights but you stand deprived of them.
Mercy, blessings and peace of mind
Thus was the life of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in all the affairs of his life. He wants us to always remember Allah, in every single step and move we take. At sleep, arousing, leaving home, going to work, during work, returning home, drinking water, in facing the events life unfolds, those pleasant and those bitter. By such remembrance, you will obtain mercy, blessings and calm of mind. When you say them you will surely lead a good, safe and tranquil life. But if you forget them you will lead a wretched life full of tension, anger and discontentment. Allah has decreed all the life incidents that befall you, so turn to the Remembrance of Allah to help you face them. Recite the Qur’anic verse in which The Exalted and Ever-Majestic addresses his believing servants, assuring them of the good care He will give them in worldly life if they abide by His Law and of the great reward He has prepared for them in the Hereafter:
“We have been your friends in the life of this world and are (so) in the Hereafter. Therein you shall have (all) that your inner-selves desire, and therein you shall have (all) for which you ask for.” (Fussilat, 41: 31)
And the Qur’anic verse saying (what means):
“Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter).” (An-Nahl, 16: 97)
Naammee ooff AAlllaahh,, tthhee M Moosstt BBeenneeffiicceenntt,, tthhee M Moosstt M Meerrcciiffuull
Chapter Five Best Times For Answering Prayers
The question that is on the tip of everyone’s tongue is when the supplication is answered? And whether there are certain favorable times and places that should be sought to have our supplication answered.
There are Sanctified and Prophetic hadiths that deal with the time and place of supplication. As for the time, it is known that the last third of the night has its special secrets and bestowments, also when one performs Tahajjud [spending part of the night in Supererogatory Prayers] before Fajr (Dawn) Prayer time, while people are sound asleep. As for the blessed nights, there is the night before the fifteenth of Sha‘bân [The eighth month of the year in the Muslim calendar] and the Night of Qadr [the Night of Revelation]. Among the other blessed times for answering the supplication is the time when the faster breaks his fast, for his supplication is never turned down, as no barrier comes between it and Allah. Also supplication for good is answered during the time between the Azân [The Muslim summons to prayer, called by the muezzin from a minaret of a mosque five times a day] and the Iqâmah [the call for the actual standing for performing the prayers in rows].
These are some of what was mentioned in the hadiths concerning time. As for place, there are the places that Allah has glorified their sanctity. In the forefront is the Sacred House of Allah [in Mecca], also the Masjid of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in Medina), Al-Aqsâ Masjid, and other Masjids of Allah.
But people have failed to grasp the depth of meaning conveyed by all the hadiths that were narrated regarding the best times and places for answering prayers, but rather interpreted them according to the literal sense of the word. For if we limited the answering of supplication to a certain time or place, we would be restricting the Will of Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, and His Absolute Power in His universe. And if we said that the supplication would only be answered in the Sacred House, or in the Prophetic Masjid, we would be then restricting the Presence of Allah, be He highly blessed and exalted, and Allah is indeed Mightily Present in all times and places.
When you supplicate Allah, while sitting near the sanctified Ka’bah or inside the Prophetic Masjid, Allah will hear you, and when you supplicate Him while in Paris or London, He will also hear you. His Presence here is the same as His Presence there, for Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, is mightily present in all places, and the heavenly bestowments are even all over the world, with no distinction between one place and another. But what decides the fulfillment of supplication is the closeness or remoteness of the servant from Allah, all praise and glory be to Him. For the closer the servant steps towards Allah by performing good deeds and lawfully earned food, the more promising is his supplication to be answered, whereas if the servant was far away from Allah by committing sins, and does not differentiate between the lawful (Halal) and the unlawful (Haram), he would be far away from being answered.
If we review the Sanctified and Prophetic hadiths that endear to us supplication at certain places or during prostration, we will find that they all choose the times at which the Muslim enjoys tranquility and call him to supplicate during them, for by virtue of worship you are near Allah. When you are in the Sacred Masjid
the whole world recedes away from your mind, and nothing remains of thoughts save mentioning Allah, getting closer to Him, and glorifying Him. In such a state one becomes the closest he can ever be to Allah, and more disposed to receive His Bestowments. Similarly, when sitting in the Masjid of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) mercies descend upon you. Also, at the last third of the night when silence and calmness prevail, and people go to sleep. At such a time slumber tickles all eyes, even the sinful, for when the last third of the night approaches, you find him hastening home to sleep. But those who keep vigil at that time specifically, who forsake their beds to invoke Allah, are those who truly love Allah. In return, Allah manifests Himself to them and showers on them His Blessings and Mercy they are worthy of.
The fact that many people fail to perceive is that supplication is unbound by time or place, but bound by the person himself, his deeds, and his closeness to Allah by keeping away from things unlawful.
It was narrated that Anas bin Mâlik (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “O Messenger of Allah! Ask Allah to make me one whose supplication is answered,’ so the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘O Anas! Earn your living honestly and your supplications will be answered. For the man lifts up the ill-gotten morsel to his mouth, thus none of his supplications are answered for forty days.”
If a person gets his food, drink, and clothes from unlawful means, how could he be answered, when he supplicates to Allah?
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “A person who travels widely [in acts of piety like Hajj, visiting sacred places, maintaining ties of kinship….], his hair disheveled and covered with dust. He lifts his hand towards the sky (and thus makes the supplication): ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ whereas his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful and he is nurtured unlawfully. How then can his supplication be accepted?’”
It has been also narrated that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “It will not enter Paradise, a body nurtured by ill-gotten sustenance.”
Unlawful money corrupts the lawful
Thus, the first condition to have your supplication answered is to shut unlawful money out of your house, and never make your children eat or clothe themselves from it, but your entire life must stem from lawful honest money. If you earnestly cared about keeping unlawful money away from your house and your children, you would be closer to Allah, and closer to have your prayers answered. Such care should be observed even in small things, like taking a bunch of pens and some papers from your office, and giving them to your children to use, thinking there is nothing wrong with that. We tell you no, for this is unlawful, even if the thing taken is trivial, still it distances blessings and acceptance of prayers from your house. For by taking something unlawfully - be it of little value - Allah will empower against you what will consume from your money a lot, thus you might find the children in need of private lessons, and in need of expenditures that will consume many times as much as the value of the thing you unrightfully took.
The second thing that you should be observant of, in order that no unlawful money worms into your house, is to question your children from where did they get certain things they have. If you give your child a certain pocket money, then you find him writing with an expensive golden pen, you should ask him from where he got it. And if you see your daughter or your wife wearing an expensive dress your income cannot afford it, or the pocket money you give them cannot buy it, you should ask them how they got it?
But to turn a blind eye to all what is going inside your house, and to wink at things that are not justifiable in light of your income, all this opens the door to unlawful money, and sends away blessings, Allah forbid.
What I like to lay stress on is that the believer when supplicating Allah should not rely on time or place – nevertheless we admit their holiness – but he has in the first place to divest his soul from its impurity and sinning. Then he can supplicate Allah as he pleases, for whatever he wishes, at any time or place. For as we have already said the crucial factor in answering supplication, is the person, provided that the acceptance conditions are met.
In the sanctified hadith, the Lord of Majesty says:
“Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, Stretches out His Hand during the night so that the people repent for the fault committed from dawn till dusk and He stretches out His Hand during the day so that the people may repent for the fault committed from dusk to dawn.”
But which night or day, is it the night in Egypt, or that in Europe, America, or Australia? Night and day coexist simultaneously all the time, for when night falls on a place, it is morning at another, and vice versa. Hence, the Hand of Allah is ever stretched out, accepting penitence of His servants. Do not think that there is a time when Allah stretches out His Hands to accept prayers, and other times when His Hands are folded, thus turning down supplication and penitence, rather His Hands are evermore stretched out to accept supplication and penitence.
Such meaning is further emphasized in another sanctified hadtih:
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “When it is the last third of the night, our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, descends every night to the heaven of the world and says, ‘Is there anyone who invokes Me (demand anything from Me), that I may respond to his invocation; Is there anyone who asks Me for something that I may give (it to) him; Is there anyone who begs My forgiveness that I may forgive him?’”
Has Allah specified which third of the night and at which place on the earth? Surely not, for the last third of night is always there on the earth, it ends by sunrise at one place, to start at another. Every moment the last third of the night exits at some place on the earth, traveling in succession from one place to another.
It signifies that Almighty Allah manifests Himself to His servants all the time, answering the seekers of His Forgiveness, the supplicants, and the penitents.
Consequently, all what is said about restricted times for answering supplications is untrue, as Allah answers prayers all the time, and at all places. If we say that supplication at the Sanctified Ka’bah or the Prophetic Masjid is surely answered, we should add that Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, is mightily present everywhere, not only at the Sanctified Ka’bah or the Prophetic Masjid.
The Supplication of the Faster is never turned down
When we say that the supplication of the faster at the moment he breaks his fast is never turned down, we should also add that breaking the fast during the month of Ramadan happens every minute everywhere. For we break our fast in Cairo, then after a minute or two people in Banha break their fast, followed by the fasters in Alexandria, then in Europe, and before us there is Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Aswan. Thus in every minute the sun rises somewhere and sets in another.
What then makes the supplication fulfilled? As we said the key is your closeness to Allah by good deeds, for Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, says (what means):
“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). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!’” (Ghâfir, 40: 60)
The Noble Qur’an has specified that the fulfillment of supplication is mainly grounded on submission and awe shown to Allah, worshipping Him, and abiding by His Law. For those who are too proud to supplicate Allah and do not follow His rules, will not have their prayers answered, and Allah will never care for them whether in this worldly life or in the Hereafter. Heavenly boons are evenly bestowed on earth; hence the guiding lights of faith descending from heaven to earth are of equal strength.
The Justice of Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, dictates that His Bestowments be even among all His servants, whether believers or nonbelievers. But the distinction lies in how far the person receives such guiding lights of faith. For some will receive these guiding lights with a believing heart, and a serene soul, thus their acceptance of them will be strong. Others will receive them with a denying heart to the Blessings of Allah, thus taking from them but little, while another group will receive them with a disbelieving heart, therefore will get nothing from them.
Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, teaches us in the Noble Qur’an how this difference of acceptance is found between the believer and the nonbeliever, as Allah, the Most Exalted, says (what means):
“And among them are some who listen to you (O Muhammad) till, when they go out from you, they say to those who have received knowledge: ‘What has he said just now? Such are men whose hearts Allah has sealed, and they follow their lusts (evil desires).’” (Muhammad, 47: 16)
In the light of this glorious verse we can see that there are two parties: those who believed and Allah granted them knowledge, and those who disbelieved and Allah has sealed their hearts, Allah forbid! The message conveyed by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is one to both parties. But the Noble Qur’an has touched the hearts of the believing party, thus they understood the wisdom of the verses and their knowledge deepened. While those whose hearts have been sealed, failed to see through the verses, and said: ‘What has he said just now?’ About them Allah, praise and glory be to Him, says (what means):
“Say: ‘It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur'ân) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand).’” (Fussilat, 41: 44)
While on a visit to London with the late Doctor Abdul-Halîm Mahmoud, he said to me, ‘If Allah wills, we shall perform ‘Umrah [minor pilgrimage to Mecca] after we end our visit to London, to purify ourselves of what we have seen here,’ so to him I said, ‘If only we evoke (in our hearts) the Presence of Allah here, as we do in Mecca, we will certainly feel His Presence.’
In the morning the late Doctor Abdul-Halîm Mahmoud told me that he had seen the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in his dream. Thus, it is rather a matter of a mightily Divine Presence, accompanied by the predisposition of the soul, evocation (in the heart), and detachment (from all). If such matters are met anywhere, be it in Mecca, or somewhere else, supplications will be answered.
Presence in Mecca or the Prophetic Masjid makes you spiritually more prepared, thus you become in your utmost state of serenity, why is that? Because any person no matter how serious are his domestic concerns and problems, when he goes on Hajj or ‘Umrah will not remember any of his concerns; he will neither remember his wife, nor his children nor anything, only Allah will be in his mind, and his soul will attain serenity for remembering Allah, and consequently his supplications will be answered.
This is concerning the factor of place.
As for time: the month of Ramadan constitutes the time of bringing oneself into perfect harmony with Allah’s Way, as Allah has forbidden you from certain things always and forever, like intoxicants, gambling, adultery, theft, and others, on the other hand, He has sanctioned other things. Time and habit are enough to make such illegal things sink into oblivion; meaning that when I do not drink intoxicants, it grows to be my habit not to drink alcoholic beverages, and I will not exert myself to avoid them, the same applies to abstaining from eating pork, and all other prohibitions. But worship can fade and lose vigor here, why? Because it has become a matter of habit and familiarity, where I do not need to resist myself, as I never desire these things.
Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, wants the honor of enjoinments upon us to lasts, and to strengthen the ties of worshipping Him, eliminating any monotony or habituation that can affect His servants. Thus, the month of Ramadan comes to prohibit what is lawful to you, like food and drink, from dawn till sunset in a way that shifts you from the state of familiarity with worship and the monotony that can affect it to the strife of worshipping you are unused to, thus you step close to Allah, your soul serenity heightens, and ultimately your supplication becomes answered.
The meaning of the choice of time and place
It is true that Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, has favored certain times and places with the acceptance of supplication, provided that the supplicant fulfills all conditions for answering the supplication. Allah, Whose Majesty reigns supreme, wants to pull man out of his inattention and desires, therefore He has singled out certain places, asking you whenever in them to shy away from committing anything that may displease Him. He has also chosen times where you are demanded to show more piety, as during the month of Ramadan. If you abstain from whatever may displease Allah at such times and places, your soul transcends. Also if you strived after attaining such transcendence at any time or place, you would arrive at the same end, the important factor is that you show yourself to be worthy of acceptance from Allah.
For instance, during Ramadan you experience an overwhelming state of obedience to Allah, abandoning your food, drink, and conjugal relations in obedience to Allah. Although food is before you, lawful and not forbidden, you abstain from eating it to please Allah, all praise and glory be to Him. Through this straight faithful behavior you elate your soul to a state of utmost serenity in unity with Allah’s Will. As there is no limit to the grace Allah may bestow upon you, for you may turn to a godly servant, just say to the thing: ‘Be!’ and it is, as states the following sanctified hadith:
“O My servant! Obey Me, and you will be a godly servant saying to the thing: ‘Be!’ and it is.”
The second in having his supplication readily answered is the aggrieved. The sanctified hadith says:
“Fear the invocation of an aggrieved person, for there is no barrier between it and Allah.”
Another narration tells that the prayer of the aggrieved person is raised highly above the clouds and The Lord, Blessed and Exalted be He, says: “By My Might and Majesty I will grant you victory even if it shall be after a while.”
But what is meant by the aggrieved?
The meaning of being aggrieved is that someone has gained the upper hand over you, thus wronged you and seized your right. Mostly the aggrieved is helpless and downtrodden, having none by his side but Allah. His means fails to ward off injustice, thus he lives moments of serenity with Allah, for he turns to Him seeking His Protection, saying, ‘O Lord,’ night and day. He mentions Allah all the time, for only Allah has the power to help him vanquish his oppressor.
Also, among those whose prayers are answered is the traveler that is because he left all his sources of strength on earth: he left his family, his house, and his post, thus remaining with no means. Those whom he left behind are in need of him, but his means fails to support them, thus he commits them to the keeping of Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, Who watches over them. Therefore, all invocations emanating from faith and love to Allah, undefiled by hypocrisy and dissimulation are answered by Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, but as for those supplications that are tainted by hypocrisy and dissimulation, meant only for worldly gains, are never accepted.
There are hierarchies in supplication, the highest of which is Qur’anic supplications, why? Because they are expressed in the Words of The One you pray to. When Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, tells you to supplicate Him using His Words, He is relieving you from the trouble of choosing, and spare you the possibility of falling into error, and it becomes more likely to be accepted, being recited spontaneously.
As we have afore clarified, Islam has connected all your activities in life with Allah. Not to forget your Lord for a twinkle, He made an invocation for each state. You should never bind supplication to its fulfillment, but rather make it a prayer of submissiveness and humility; if answered, a blessing for you; if not, it is also a blessing. Allah, all praise be to Him, may defer answering the servant’s prayer to keep him in a state of invocation, as He Loves to hear his voice.
But has the faithful person the right to pray for a worldly matter, saying, ‘O Lord, give me in this world,’ and insists on asking. Would those who ask for worldly gains lose their share in the Hereafter? And was the following verse revealed to affirm this, with no distinction between the one who seeks worldly life for its worldly sake and the one who seeks it for the sake of the Hereafter?
“Whosoever desires (with his deeds) the reward of the Hereafter, We give him increase in his reward, and whosoever desires the reward of this world (with his deeds), We give him thereof (what is written for him), and he has no portion in the Hereafter"(Ash-Shûra, 42: 20)
The Justice of Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, willed that man be given what he asks for. Meaning, an asker for worldly life for its worldly sake should be given it, and an asker for the Hereafter, while a believer, should be given it. Thus, the key lies in the hand of the person; he is the one who opens the door he desires, hence no one should say that he has been unjustly treated, as he is the one who has chosen the path he treads.
All those who have achieved works that humanity profited from, without heeding Allah, or believing in Him, but achieved such deeds for the sake of wealth or public estimation, Allah has granted them their reward in this world. They had streets, cities, and squares named after them, they were given lasting fame through books of history, they had statues erected for them, and anniversaries are celebrated in their memorials each year. They received a reward akin to the things they craved after; hence they will have no share in the Hereafter.
We say that the believer knows well that this world is only his road to the Hereafter. To him it is just a period of trial and work, as hard as man strives in it he will be rewarded in the Hereafter. The believer desires nothing of this world except that it leads him to Paradise. He knows where goodness lies so he begs for it. One should never regard the believer as a fool, but he is so shrewd and exceedingly intelligent, for if he has a pound, he knows he can have of worldly enjoyment as much as its value can afford, but at the same time he knows that if he gives it as charity, his reward will be a hundredfold, and then he will enjoy it, not according to extent of enjoyment that the value of one pound can offer him, but according to the Infinite Capability of Allah, all praise and glory be to Him, “And Allah gives manifold increase to whom He pleases.” (Al-Baqarah, 2: 261)
The almsgiver knows that by spending his money in charity he missed but little joy, but in the world to come, he has gained a great everlasting joy to be given him infinitely as the Capability of Allah is. Who is then the smarter? Is it he who wastes his money on worldly desires, or the one who spends his money to win the delights of the Hereafter?
Undoubtedly, the smarter is he who dedicates his deeds to the Hereafter, and the same applies to all his other deeds, for he deprives himself of a flying joy in this worldly life, that offers but transient pleasure, to have in the Hereafter pleasures that are endless.
Sagacity and insight of the believer