Hazrat Umer Farooq R.A
Life Before Islam
Umar (R.A.) belonged to "'Adi" family of Quraish tribe. In the 8th generation, his lineage joins with the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam). Abu Hafs was his patronymic name and "al-Faruq" his title given by the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam). He was born in 583 A.C., about forty years before the great Hijrah. The early life of Hadrat Umar is not known in detail. In his youth he was a famous wrestler and orator, and a spirited person. He was one among the few people in Mecca who knew reading and writing before Islam. His main occupation was business.
When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) got revelation and invited people to Islam, Umar became the sworn enemy of Islam and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) and did not hesitate to harm the Muslims and Islam at every opportunity.
Umar's acceptance of Islam
It was the sixth year of Holy Prophet's mission when Quraish leaders called a meeting and asked a volunteer for the assassination of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) Umar offered himself for this job and everybody in the meeting exclaimed that he was the right person for it. While he was on his way with a sword in his hand he met Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas who enquired of him about his destination. Umar told him that he was going to murder the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam). After some discussion Sa'd said, "You had better take care of your own family first. Your sister and brother-in-law both have accepted Islam". Hearing this Umar changed his direction and went straight to his sister's house. When Hadrat Umar knocked at the door, they were studying the Holy Qur'an from Hadrat Khabbab (R.A.). His sister Fatimah was frightened on hearing Umar’s voice and tried to hide the portion of the Holy Qur'an she was reciting. When Umar entered the house he enquired about their Islam and on finding that they had accepted Islam, he first fell upon his brother-in-law and beat him severely. When his sister intervened he smote her so violently on her face that it bled profusely. On this his sister burst out: "Do whatever you like, we are determined to die as Muslims". When Umar saw his sister bleeding, he cooled down and felt ashamed. He loved Fatimah very much but could not tolerate her conversion to Islam. However, deeply moved, Umar asked her to show the pages on which the Holy Qur'an was written. But she was, after all, Umar’s sister and told him straight, "You can not touch it unless you take a bath and make yourself clean" He washed his body and then read the leaves. That was the beginning of Surah Ta Ha (Chapter 20 of the Holy Qur'an). When he came to the verse:
"Lo! I even I, am Allah, there is no god save Me. So serve Me and establish Salat for My remembrance". (20:14)
Umar exclaimed, "Surely this is the Word of Allah. Take me to Muhammad (Sallallahu ’alaihi wa Sallam)".
On hearing this Hadrat Khabbab (R.A.), who had hidden himself in the house, came out from inside and said, "0 "Umar! Glad tidings for you. It seems that the prayer of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam) which he said last night has been answered in your favour. He had prayer to Allah: "O Allah, strengthen Islam with either Umar b. Khattab or Umar b. Hisham whomsoever Thou pleaseth".
Umar then went to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu ’alaihi wa Sallam). On seeing him, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) asked him, "Umar! what brings you here”? He said, "I am here to accept Islam". Hearing this the Muslims shouted with joy, "Allahu Akbar"(Allah is the Greatest) and the sound rent the air of Mecca. As a matter of fact, Umar’s conversion to Islam was a terrible blow to the morale of the disbelieves. 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud, a great Companion, says, "Umar's conversion to Islam was a great triumph, his emigration to Medina a tremendous reinforcement and his accession to Caliphate a great blessing for the Muslims". In some history books there are more details in this connection. I have followed the version of Shaikh Muhammad Zakariya (Damat Barakatuhu) given in his book " Hikayat-i-Sahabah".
Umar (R.A.) gets the title of "Al-Faruq"
Conversion of Hadrat Umar (R.A.) strengthened Islam. Hitherto, Muslims had lived in constant fear of disbelievers, and most of them were concealing their faith. The Muslims were now able to offer their Salat publicly. When Hadrat Umar (R.A.) became a Muslim he declared his faith openly before the Quraish Chiefs. Though they stared at him but could not do any harm to him. Then he requested the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) to offer Salat in the Ka'bah. On getting the consent of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam), Hadrat Umar led a party of the Muslims to that place. Hadrat Hamzah, who had accepted Islam a few days before Umar (R.A.) carried another party of the Muslims to Ka'bah. When all the Muslims gathered in the Ka'bah they offered their Salat in congregation. The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa Sallam) led this first public Salat in the history of Islam. For this courageous and bold action of Hadrat Umar (R.A) the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) gave him the title of "al-Faruq" i.e., the one who makes a distinction between the "Right" (Haqq) and the "Wrong" (Batil).
Migration to Medina
When the Muslims were ordered to migrate to Medina, most of them left Mecca quietly and secretly, but Hadrat Umar (R.A.) declared it openly. He put on his arms and first went to the Ka'bah. After performing the Salat he announced loudly: "I am migrating to Medina. If anyone wants to check me, let him come out. I am sure that his mother would cry for his life". There was no man in Mecca to accept the challenge of Hadrat Umar (R.A.). Then he migrated to Medina boldly.
Umar's services to Islam before his Khilafat (Caliphate)
Hadrat Umar (R.A.) had great love for Allah and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam). He participated in almost all the big battles: Badr, Uhad, Ahzab, Khaibar, Hunain etc. In the expedition to "Tabuk" he gave half of his wealth in the path of Allah. He was next to Hadrat Abu Bakr (R.A.) to sacrifice his belongings for the cause of Allah.
The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) also had a deep love for him. Once he remarked, "were a prophet to come after me, he would have been Umar". In another Hadith mentioned in Bukhari, Hadrat Abu Hurairah (R.A.) narrated that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu'alaihi wa Sallam) said, "In Bani Isra'il (Israelites) there were people who were not prophets but talked to Allah. Were anyone in my Ummah (people) like those persons, he would be Umar".
The death of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) was a great shock to him, and he could not believe it until Hadrat Abu Bakr (R.A.) reminded him of a clear verse of the Holy Qur'an on the subject. He then went to the Council Hall along with Hadrat Abu Bakr (R.A.) where the people of Medina had assembled to select the First Caliph. Hadrat Umar (R.A.) was the first person to pledge loyalty(Bai'at) at the hand of Hadrat Abu Bakr(R.A.), and then helped him throughout the duration of his rule.
Hadrat Umar (R.A.) as the Second Caliph of Islam
As described in connection with the life of Hadrat Abu-Bakr, during his illness he consulted the "Shura" about the next "Khalifah" and then gave his decision in favour of Hadrat Umar (R.A.) who took the charge of Caliphate after the death of Hadrat Abu Bakr (R.A.) on 22nd of Jamadi-uth-Thani 13 A.H. (23rd Aug. 634 A.C.).Umar (R.A.) followed fully the ways of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) and the policy of his predecessor with his characteristic zeal and vigour. It was his strict adherence to the "Sunnah" of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) which helped him to subdue the mighty empires of Persia and Byzantine. His caliphate marked the "Golden Age" of Islam. I would like to discuss only main events which took place during the Caliphate of Hadrat Umar (R.A.) in brief.
Fall of Persian Empire
During the time of Hadrat Abu Bakr (R.A.), Hadrat Khalid bin Walid conquered part of Persian Empire, known as the Kingdom of Hira. Then he was ordered by Hadrat Abu Bakr (R.A.) to join the expedition to Syria.
At the time of his departure, he appointed Muthanna bin Harith as the commander of the Islamic army. The Persians became furious at the loss of the kingdom of Hira and the Emperor sent a large army under the command of a very famous General, Rustam the Commander-in-Chief of Persian armies. In view of the growing pressure of Persians, Muthanna requested Hadrat Umar (R.A.) for reinforcement. At that time there was a large gathering of Muslims in Medina to take pledge of loyalty (Bai'at) at the hand of the new Caliph (Hadrat Umar). He put the matter before the Muslims but did not get any response in the beginning. Then Hadrat Umar (R.A.) in his sermons stressed the importance of Jihad and a large number of Muslims volunteered to help Muthanna against the Persians. Abu‘Ubaid ath-Thaqafi was appointed as the commander of the Islamic army comprising five thousand men. In the meantime Persians attacked the places conquered by Muslims and they lost some of them. In the early stage of the battles Rustam sent his subordinates to face Muslims.
The Severe Famine & Plague
In the year 17-18 A.H., Hijaz (Northern Arabia) and Syria were faced by a severe famine and drought. Hadrat Umar (R.A.) took steps to get food supplies from Egypt, part of which had been conquered by Hadrat'Amr bin al-'As (R.A.). He sent three big ships of grains to Medina which were unloaded in the presence of Hadrat Umar (R.A.). He himself distributed the grains among the needy. Hadrat Umar (R.A.) did not take any delicacy (butter etc.) during the famine period. When he was requested to take care of his health he said, "If I don't taste suffering, how can I know the sufferings of others?"
When the famine became intolerable he prayed to Allah in a big gathering of Muslims. It has been narrated that the prayers had not even finished when rains started to pour down.
About the same time plague spread in most parts of Iraq, Syria and Egypt and it caused great havoc not only to civilians but also to the Muslim armies. After the plague Hadrat Umar went to Syria to inspect the losses caused by the plague. Three important figures Abu 'Ubaidah, Mu'adh bin Jabal and Yazid bin Abu Sufyan (R.A.) had passed away. He appointed Mu'awiyah bin Abi Sufyan as the Governor of Damascus in place of his brother Yazid bin Abi Sufyan.
Martyrdom of Hadrat Umar (R.A.)
The glorious rule of Hadrat Umar (R.A.) came to an end with his death on Wednesday the 27th of Dhil Hijjah, the year 23 A.H. (643 A.C.) when he was 61 years old. There was a Persian slave of Hadrat Mughirah bin Shu'bah, named Abu Lu' Lu' Firoze. One day he complained about the burden his master had imposed upon him. The complaint was not genuine, hence Hadrat Umar (R.A.) ignored it. Next day, early in the morning when Hadrat Umar (R.A.) went to Masjid to perform Fajr Salat, the slave who was hiding in a corner, attacked him with a dagger and stabbed him six times. People overpowered the assassin but he slew himself with the same dagger.
The injuries were so serious that the Caliph died the next morning.
Before his death the Muslims asked him about his successor, he appointed a panel of six persons, Hadrat 'Uthma Zubair, Talha, Sa'd bin Waqqas and 'Abdur Rahman bin 'Auf (R.A.) to select a "Khalifah" from amongst them within three days after him.
He requested Hadrat Aisha (R.A.) for permission for his burial by the side of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam). Though she had reserved that place for herself but on Umar's request she gave it to him where he was buried.
Review of Hadrat Umar's service to Islam
The period of Hadrat Umar's caliphate undoubtedly is the "Golden Age" of Islam in every respect. He was a man of extraordinary genius who not only moulded the destiny of the nation but made history of his own. He followed the footsteps of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) to the fullest extent. It was Umar under whose rule Islam became a world power and the mighty empires of Persia and Byzantine (Eastern Roman) crumbled before the arm of Islam. Within ten years of his glorious rule, the whole of the Persian Empire, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and a part of Turkey came under the banner of Islam and the nations entered the fold of Islam. He was not only a conqueror but also an exemplary administrator who originated an efficient system of administration, and thus he was the real founder of political system of Islam (to be discussed in brief in the next chapter). He enforced Divine Law (Shari'ah) as the code of a newly formed International Islamic State; he safeguarded the internal safety by introducing the police force: he gave stipends to the poor; he constructed cantonments and forts for the safety of Islamic armies; he founded new cities for the growth of Islamic culture and civilisation; he improved agriculture and economics of the Islamic State; he founded the educational system in an Islamic State; in brief he was the founder of a great Islamic State. We would discuss his achievements more elaborately in the next section.
Character
He was a very pious Muslim. His success lay in two things-fear of Allah and his love for the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam). He never used even oil from the Bait-ul-Mal (Public Treasury) to burn a lamp at night for his personal needs. Whenever he finished the official work he put off the lamp. He used to patrol in the city at night to find out the needs and requirements, and conditions of the people. He did not hesitate to take his wife to work as a midwife for a poor woman. The salary he got from the Bait-ul-Mal was so low that it was hardly enough for him and his family's needs. When some of the eminent Muslims requested him to increase the amount he, said, "The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) has left a standard by his personal example. I must follow him".
Hadrat Umar was the most just ruler in the Islamic History. All the citizens, including the Caliph himself, were equal before law. Once he appeared before a court at Medina to clarify his position against a complaint. The Qadi (Judge) wanted to stand in his honour, but he did not allow him to do so, so that there would be no distinction between him and an ordinary person before Law. He was really the founder of modern democratic system.
In short he was the best example of an ideal character, and was the greatest "Khalifah" of Islam after Abu Bakr (R.A.). He selflessly devoted his whole energy for the cause of Islam. Muslims will always be indebted to him for his great achievements. As a matter of fact a separate book is required to describe his character and his services to Islam.
Hadrat Umar (R.A.) as a great scholar
Before the advent of Islam there was no tradition in Arabia of reading or writing. There were only seventeen people among Quraish who could read or write at the time when the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) started to receive Divine revelations. Hadrat Umar was one of those seventeen persons. His writing and lectures are still found in some old books. The first address he gave as a Caliph is as under
"O Allah, I am strict, make me soft. I am weak give me power. The Arabs are like refractory camels, I will endeavour to bring them to the straight path"
He was also interested in poetry and sometimes he composed verses. Umar (R.A.) was one of the most fluent Quraish. Arabic knowing persons can appreciate the fluency of his writings and addresses. Many of his sayings became aphorisms of literature.
He was a great Jurist and Theologian of Islam. Because of the fear of making any mistake he did not quote many Ahadith (Sayings of the Holy Prophet) even though he was fully conversant with them. He never allowed a person (companion) to quote any Hadith which was not well known without producing any attestator in support of it. If somebody quoted a Hadith before him which he had never heard, he at once asked him to bring a witness failing which he would be punished. He was expert in deriving laws from the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith. A full volume could be complied out of the verdicts and judgements given by Hadrat Umar (R.A.). As a matter of fact he opened a new door of Ijtihad' "(Disciplined judgement of a Jurist) in the history of Islamic Law and Jurisprudence, and settled a number of disputable cases during his caliphate.
Preaching of Islam
As the viceroy of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) his foremost duty was to spread and preach Islam. As mentioned above, the aim of various battles and wars was to clear the way for the Muslims for preaching Islam. Whenever any army had to attack a place it had to call the inhabitants of the place to Islam. Hadrat Umar was very strict in this respect and he had given standing orders to the commanders not to start war unless they had first invited the people to Islam. If they accepted it, there was no question of war and if they did not, then the war was fought only with those who were not giving a free hand to Muslims to preach the Right Path. No Person was ever forced to forsake his own faith and accept Islam.
The method adopted to preach Islam was demonstration by actual practice. For this purpose he ordered Muslims to establish their own quarters and present the practical shape of Islam before the population. Seeing the truthful way, the inhabitants of the glace were attracted towards Islam. No soldier was allowed to take any property or anything by force from the conquered people.
Because of fair treatment by the Muslims sometimes the whole army of the enemy accepted Islam. After the battle of Qadisiya a battalion of four thousand Persians accepted it. After the victory of Jalula, the chiefs of the place entered the folds of Islam along with the inhabitants. A commander of the army of Yadzgird, named Siyah accepted Islam with his battalion during a battle in Persia. All the inhabitants of the town of Bulhat in Egypt accepted Islam at one time without the use of any force only by seeing the piety of Muslims. A rich merchant and the chief of a place in Egypt, named Shata, accepted Islam with all the inhabitants of the place only after hearing about the character and piety of Muslims at the time when Muslims had not even reached that place. These are orally a few examples to show that Islam spread because of the character of Muslims at that time.
Umar (R.A.) was very strict in ensuring that no Muslims forced any non-Muslim to accept Islam. Through his advice, letters and addresses he made it clear to all the Muslims that they had to adhere to the ways of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) which was the only method to preach Islam.
Wives and Children
Hadrat Umar (R.A.), married the following women during his lifetime
1. Zainab (R.A.), she accepted Islam but died in Mecca. She was sister of 'Uthman bin Maz'un. 'Abdullah Abdur Rahman (Ist) and lady Hafsah (wife of the Holy Prophet) were the children she bore to Hadrat Umar.
2. Malkiah bint Jarwal, she did not accept Islam and was divorced in 6 A.H. according to Islamic law. She gave birth to'Ubaidullah.
3. Quraibah bint Abi Ummiyah, she also did not accept Islam and was divorced in 6 A.H.
The above three marriages had taken place before Umar (R.A.) accepted Islam. After accepting Islam he contracted marriages with the following
4. Ummi Hakim bint-ul-Harith, she gave birth to a girl named Fatimah.
5. Jamilah bint Asim, she gave birth to a son who was named Asim. Though she was a Muslim she was di-vorced because of some other reason.
6. Umm Kulthum bint Hadrat'Ali (R.A.), she was married in the year 17 A.H. She gave birth to Ruqayyah and Zaid.
7. 'Atikah (R.A.)
Children
1. Umm-ul-Mu'minin Hadrat Hafsah (R.A.) the chaste wife of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) .
2. Ruqayyah, she was the youngest daughter of Hadrat Umar.
3. 'Abdullah........son
4. 'Ubaidullah...........son
5. 'Asim...........son
6. Abu Shahmah.......son
7. 'Abd-ur-Rahman.......son
8. Zaid........son
Umar the pioneer of the Islamic democracy
Hadrat Umar (R.A.) was the pioneer of modern civilisation to form a state based upon the Islamic democratic system, the system which was incorporated in the West as late as 19th and 20th centuries. He was the greatest democratic administrator whose example is unparalleled not only in the history of Islam but also in the history of modern civilisation. A vast part of the Middle East, Persian Empire and Byzantium, was conquered during the ten years of his "Khilafat" (Caliphate) which he consolidated into a state governed by Islam i.e. laws. "As an administrator", says Prof. K. Ali, a Muslim writer, "he remained a model for all great Muslim rulers during the whole Islamic history". Another famous historian, Amir Ali says, "During the thirty years that the Republic lasted, the policy derived its character chiefly from Umar both during his life-time and after his death."
The constitution of Islamic caliphate during the time of Hadrat Umar (R.A.) was based entirely on the Islamic democratic system. All matters were decided after consultation with the "Shura"(The Council of Advisors) the details of which would be given in the following pages. He remarked, "It is essential for a "Khalifah" to consult his "Shura". Once he said, "I do not desire that you may follow anything that arises from my caprice". Hadrat Umar had clearly stated on various occasions that he should be obeyed as long as he was obeying Allah and the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam).
Muslims and non-Muslims were treated alike. Although the Arab peninsula was declared to be purely an Islamic State, his attitude towards the non-Muslims was very tolerant. He allowed the Jews and the Christians, living in the Peninsula, to stay there if they so wished and nobody would interfere in their religious affairs. To those who desired to migrate he ensured safe journey up to the borders. Hadrat Umar (R.A.) also gave compensation for their properties and other facilities.
Islamic Republic based upon "Shura"
As stated before all matters were decided after consultations with the "Shura", the Advisory Council during his time. There were three main types of "Shura". The first "Shura" consisted of very prominent and popular Companions like: Hadrat Uthman, Ali, 'Abdur Rahman bin Auf, Mu'adh bin Jabal, Ubayy bin Ka'b, Zaid bin Thabit, Talha and Zubair (R.A.). They were permanent members of the "Shura". All the important matters were decided in consultation with these persons. This "Shura" could be named as the Higher Advisory Council.
The second "Shura" was the General Advisory Council which consisted of many companions from amongst the Ansar and Muhajirin (R.A.). The Companions who participated in the battle of Badr were given priority in this "Shura". All matters of general interest were discussed with this "Shura". In this "Shura" were also included the chiefs of various clans and tribes.
The third type of "Shura" ranked in between the Higher and the General Advisory Councils. It consisted of some selected Companions among the Muhajirin and Ansar. Matters of special interest were put before the "Shura"
Whenever a "Shura" was called everyone of its members was fully allowed to give his opinion without any fear or hesitation. On various occasions Hadrat Umar said, "I am but an ordinary person like you. I can only request you to co-operate in the work with which I have been entrusted by you".
The way to call the General "Shura"
Since the Special "Shura" comprised only few members there was no special way to call it. The way to call the General Council of Advisors was that a man used to call the following words loudly: "As-Salatu Jami'ah," in the Prophet's Mosque from at high place. Hearing this call the people would know that a meeting of the "Shura" has been called and assembled in the mosque. Hadrat Umar first of all offered two raka'at Nafl (optional) Salat and then put the matter before the "Shura" Every person was allowed to give his opinion. Decisions were usually taken on the basis of unanimity or sometimes by majority. But the Khalifah was not bound to accept the decision of majority. In the interest of Islam and Muslims he could use power of veto if he considered it proper.
Freedom of Opinion
Freedom of opinion was not only allowed at the time of meeting of the "Shura" but on all occasions. As a matter of fact Hadrat Umar’s period was an exemplary period as far as this principle of the democratic way of government is concerned. There is no other example in history when people gave their opinion so freely, and criticised the ruler (i.e., the Government) so openly.
The Caliph had himself introduced this principle, novel in those days, through his addresses. A part of one of his addresses is quoted as under
"0 people! I am but a trustee of your property and wealth, like a person who is trustee of the property and wealth of an orphan child. Had I been rich I would not have taken any allowance for my services. In case I needed I would have accepted only to the extent of the need. Friends! you have certain rights over me and you are fully allowed to claim your rights anytime. One of such rights is: Don't allow me to misappropriate the Indemnity Tax and the Booty. You have the right to check that the poor, the needy and disabled person amongst you should get allowances for their livelihood. You have the right to make sure that the borders of the State are safe and that you are not in danger."
Introduction of Islamic Calendar
For the first time in the history of Islam, Islamic calendar was introduced in the present form by Hadrat Umar (R.A.). The date of start of this calendar was fixed as the date of the "Hijrah" (Migration) of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam). Thus the calendar is also known as the Hijrah Calendar.
Umar's (R.A.) Period was the GOLDEN AGE of ISLAMIC History
Thus we see that Hadrat Umar’s period was the Golden Age of the Islamic history when Islam was practised in its true form. Hadrat Umar (R.A.) Initiated 41 good practices during his period, which were based upon the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu'alaihi wa Sallam). These are known as "Awliat-i-Umar (the Initiations Of Umar). The details can be seen in the books of Islamic History like Tabari, Ibn-i-Athir, and Tarikh-i-Khulafa etc. Most of these initiations have been mentioned in the preceding pages in brief. Actually Hadrat Umar (R.A.) was the founder of ISLAMIC DEMOCRACY based upon the Holy Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam). The words of the Holy Prophet are very true
"IF THERE WERE TO BE A PROPHET AFTER ME HE WOULD HAVE BEEN UMAR IBN AL-KHATTAB." (Tirmidhi)
AND
"AMONG THE NATIONS BEFORE YOUR TIME THERE HAVE BEEN INSPIRED PEOPLE (WHO WERE NOT PROPHETS), AND IF THERE IS ONE AMONG MY PEOPLE HE IS UMAR". (Bukhari and Muslim)
The grave of Hazrat Umar (RA)
The resting place of beside the great prophet
Hazrat Mohammad (SAW)
Handling Nightmares
Praise be to Allaah.
Dreams that disturb a person and keep him awake come from the Shaytaan. In general, the dreams that people see are either good dreams which come from Allaah, a reflection of things which a person is thinking about, or a third type, which are dreams that come from the Shaytaan.
It was reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Towards the end of time, hardly any dreams that the Muslim sees will not come true. The one whose dreams are the most truthful will be the one whose speech is the most honest. The dreams of the Muslim form one of the forty-five parts of Prophecy. Dreams are of three types: the good dream which is good news from Allaah; dreams which cause distress, which come from the Shaytaan; and dreams concerning matters which a person is thinking about…" [Narrated by Muslim, 2263]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us how to rid ourselves of the influence of Shaytaan during sleep. This can be achieved by reciting verses from the Qur’aan and du’aa’s narrated from him, before going to sleep.
It was reported that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put me in charge of guarding the zakaah of Ramadaan. Someone came and started to scatter the food. I took hold of him and said, 'I will take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).’… He said, 'When you go to bed, recite Aayat al-Kursi and you will be protected by Allaah, and no shaytaan (devil) will come near you until morning.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, 'He told you the truth even though he is a liar. That was a shaytaan.’" [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3101]
It was reported that Abu Mas’ood al-Badri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'The last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah – whoever recites them at night, they will be sufficient for him.’" [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3786; Muslim, 807]
Al-Nawawi said: "Concerning the phrase, 'The last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah – whoever recites them at night, they will be sufficient for him’, it was said that it means, they will be sufficient for him instead of praying qiyaam al-layl, or as protection from Shaytaan, or as protection from vermin. It could mean all of these things." [Sharh Muslim, 6/91, 92]
It was reported that 'Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: "When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to his bed, he would blow into his hands and recite Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad (Soorah 112) and the Mi’wadhatayn (Soorahs 113 and 114). Then he would wipe his hands over his face and his body, as far as they could reach." 'Aa’ishah said: "When he fell ill, He would ask me to do that for him." [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5416; Muslim, 2192]
It was reported that Abu Hurayrah said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to tell us, when any one of us wanted to sleep, to lie on his right side, then say 'Allaahumma Rabb al-samaawaati wa Rabb al-ard wa Rabb al-'Arsh il-'Azeem, Rabbana wa Rabba kulli shay’in, faaliq al-habb wa’l-nawa wa munazzil al-Tawraata wa’l-Injeeli wa’l-Furaan, a’oodhu bika min sharri kulli shay’in anta aakhidhun bi naasiyatihi. Allaahumma anta al-awwal fa laysa qablaka shay’un, wa anta al-aakhir fa laysa ba’daka shay’un. Wa anta al-zaahir fa laysa fawqaka shay’un wa anta al-baatin fa laysa doonaka shay’un. Iqdi 'annaa al-dayna wa aghninaa min al-faqr (O Allaah, Lord of the heavens and the earth, and Lord of the Mighty Throne, our Lord and Lord of all things, Splitter of the seed and the date stone, Revealer of the Tawraat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel) and the Furqaan (Qur’aan), I seek refuge in You from the evil of all things that You will seize by the forelock (i.e., have full control over them). O Allaah, You are the First and there is nothing before You; You are the Last and there is nothing after You. You are the Manifest (al-Zaahir) and there is nothing above You; You are the Hidden (al-Baatin) and there is nothing beyond You. Settle our debt and spare us from poverty).’" [Narrated by Muslim, 2713]
It was reported that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "Abu Bakr said: 'O Messenger of Allaah, teach me something that I can say in the morning and in the evening.’ He said: 'Say, Allaahumma 'Aalim al-ghaybi wa’l-shahaadah, Faatir al-samawaati wa’l-ard, Rabba kulli shay’in wa maleekahu, ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta. A’oodhi bika min sharri nafsi wa min sharr il-shaytaan wa shirkih (O Allaah, Knower of the seen and the unseen, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Lord and Sovereign of all things, I bear witness that there is no god except You. I seek refuge in You from the evil of my own self and from the evil and shirk of the Shaytaan). Say this in the morning and in the evening, and when you go to bed.’" [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3392; Abu Dawood, 5067]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also taught us what to do when someone sees something unpleasant in a dream and wakes up as a result. That is: to spit drily to the left, to seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan, to change the side on which one was sleeping, and to pray if one wishes.
It was reported that Abu Qutaadah said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'Good dreams come from Allaah and bad dreams come from the Shaytaan. If any one of you sees a bad dream which makes him afraid, let him spit drily to his left and seek refuge with Allaah from its evil, then it will not harm him." [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3118; Muslim, 2261]
It was reported from Jaabir that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If any one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit drily to his left three time, and seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan three times, and change the side on which he was sleeping." [narrated by Muslim, 2262]
It was reported that Abu Hurayrah said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'If any one of you sees something that he dislikes (in a dream), let him get up and pray, and not tell people about it.’" [narrated by Muslim, 2263]
And Allaah knows best.
Dreams that disturb a person and keep him awake come from the Shaytaan. In general, the dreams that people see are either good dreams which come from Allaah, a reflection of things which a person is thinking about, or a third type, which are dreams that come from the Shaytaan.
It was reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Towards the end of time, hardly any dreams that the Muslim sees will not come true. The one whose dreams are the most truthful will be the one whose speech is the most honest. The dreams of the Muslim form one of the forty-five parts of Prophecy. Dreams are of three types: the good dream which is good news from Allaah; dreams which cause distress, which come from the Shaytaan; and dreams concerning matters which a person is thinking about…" [Narrated by Muslim, 2263]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us how to rid ourselves of the influence of Shaytaan during sleep. This can be achieved by reciting verses from the Qur’aan and du’aa’s narrated from him, before going to sleep.
It was reported that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put me in charge of guarding the zakaah of Ramadaan. Someone came and started to scatter the food. I took hold of him and said, 'I will take you to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).’… He said, 'When you go to bed, recite Aayat al-Kursi and you will be protected by Allaah, and no shaytaan (devil) will come near you until morning.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, 'He told you the truth even though he is a liar. That was a shaytaan.’" [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3101]
It was reported that Abu Mas’ood al-Badri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'The last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah – whoever recites them at night, they will be sufficient for him.’" [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3786; Muslim, 807]
Al-Nawawi said: "Concerning the phrase, 'The last two aayahs of Soorat al-Baqarah – whoever recites them at night, they will be sufficient for him’, it was said that it means, they will be sufficient for him instead of praying qiyaam al-layl, or as protection from Shaytaan, or as protection from vermin. It could mean all of these things." [Sharh Muslim, 6/91, 92]
It was reported that 'Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: "When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to his bed, he would blow into his hands and recite Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad (Soorah 112) and the Mi’wadhatayn (Soorahs 113 and 114). Then he would wipe his hands over his face and his body, as far as they could reach." 'Aa’ishah said: "When he fell ill, He would ask me to do that for him." [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5416; Muslim, 2192]
It was reported that Abu Hurayrah said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to tell us, when any one of us wanted to sleep, to lie on his right side, then say 'Allaahumma Rabb al-samaawaati wa Rabb al-ard wa Rabb al-'Arsh il-'Azeem, Rabbana wa Rabba kulli shay’in, faaliq al-habb wa’l-nawa wa munazzil al-Tawraata wa’l-Injeeli wa’l-Furaan, a’oodhu bika min sharri kulli shay’in anta aakhidhun bi naasiyatihi. Allaahumma anta al-awwal fa laysa qablaka shay’un, wa anta al-aakhir fa laysa ba’daka shay’un. Wa anta al-zaahir fa laysa fawqaka shay’un wa anta al-baatin fa laysa doonaka shay’un. Iqdi 'annaa al-dayna wa aghninaa min al-faqr (O Allaah, Lord of the heavens and the earth, and Lord of the Mighty Throne, our Lord and Lord of all things, Splitter of the seed and the date stone, Revealer of the Tawraat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel) and the Furqaan (Qur’aan), I seek refuge in You from the evil of all things that You will seize by the forelock (i.e., have full control over them). O Allaah, You are the First and there is nothing before You; You are the Last and there is nothing after You. You are the Manifest (al-Zaahir) and there is nothing above You; You are the Hidden (al-Baatin) and there is nothing beyond You. Settle our debt and spare us from poverty).’" [Narrated by Muslim, 2713]
It was reported that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "Abu Bakr said: 'O Messenger of Allaah, teach me something that I can say in the morning and in the evening.’ He said: 'Say, Allaahumma 'Aalim al-ghaybi wa’l-shahaadah, Faatir al-samawaati wa’l-ard, Rabba kulli shay’in wa maleekahu, ashhadu an laa ilaaha illa anta. A’oodhi bika min sharri nafsi wa min sharr il-shaytaan wa shirkih (O Allaah, Knower of the seen and the unseen, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Lord and Sovereign of all things, I bear witness that there is no god except You. I seek refuge in You from the evil of my own self and from the evil and shirk of the Shaytaan). Say this in the morning and in the evening, and when you go to bed.’" [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3392; Abu Dawood, 5067]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also taught us what to do when someone sees something unpleasant in a dream and wakes up as a result. That is: to spit drily to the left, to seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan, to change the side on which one was sleeping, and to pray if one wishes.
It was reported that Abu Qutaadah said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'Good dreams come from Allaah and bad dreams come from the Shaytaan. If any one of you sees a bad dream which makes him afraid, let him spit drily to his left and seek refuge with Allaah from its evil, then it will not harm him." [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3118; Muslim, 2261]
It was reported from Jaabir that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If any one of you sees a dream that he dislikes, let him spit drily to his left three time, and seek refuge with Allaah from the Shaytaan three times, and change the side on which he was sleeping." [narrated by Muslim, 2262]
It was reported that Abu Hurayrah said: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 'If any one of you sees something that he dislikes (in a dream), let him get up and pray, and not tell people about it.’" [narrated by Muslim, 2263]
And Allaah knows best.
Dealing with Worries and Stress
Having described a number of kinds of distress and anxiety experienced in this world, we will now discuss ways of dealing with them.
Undoubtedly the first thing we should mention when discussing worries and anxiety is: aqeedah (belief) and eeman (faith), and the effects they have on dealing with stress. One can see many of the kuffaar and Muslims who are weak in faith suffering breakdowns and committing suicide in an effort to rid themselves of depression, frustration and despair when they get into trouble or when disaster strikes. Hospitals are full of patients who are suicidal or have suffered nervous breakdowns, or other kinds of psychological trauma. These problems affect many of those who are strong, let alone those who are weak. How often they lead to complete incapacity and loss of sanity!
The person who has been guided to Islam, if his 'aqeedah is sound and his eemaan is strong, will find the cure in that which has come from Allaah, the All-Knowing and All-Aware, Who created all things and Who knows best what befits His creation.
"Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous (to His slaves) All-Aware (of everything)." [al-Mulk 67:14 -interpretation of the meaning].
Let us now discuss some of the different kinds of remedies and treatments taught by Islam:
Equipping oneself with eemaan (faith), accompanied by righteous deeds.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer, 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)." [al-Nahl 16:97]
The reason for this is clear: the believers in Allaah whose faith is correct and motivates them to do righteous deeds that reform their hearts and characters, and change their status in this world and the next, have the basic principles according to which they deal with every kind of joy and grief that they may face. They receive blessings and joys with acceptance and thanksgiving, and put them to use in beneficial ways. When they do this, they feel happy and hope that it will last and will bring them reward for their gratitude, as well as other things that will supercede the original goodness and blessings.
When faced with distress, harm, worries and anxieties, they try to resist them and reduce them as much as they can, and they react with befitting patience to the things in which they have no choice. They gain a lot of benefits as a result, such as: resilience and toughness as is appropriate; useful experience, strong willpower, patience, the hope of reward, and many other benefits which reduce the distress felt. Thus their anxiety is replaced with joy and the hope of blessings and reward from Allaah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated in the saheeh hadeeth: "How marvellous is the affair of the believer! Everything that happens to him is good, and this does not apply to anyone except the believer. If something good befalls him, he gives thanks for it, and that is good for him. If something bad befalls him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him."
This is the way in which we may view calamities in a positive light.
Another example is:
Thinking of how the Muslim may earn expiation for his sins, purify his heart and raise his status, when he is stricken with distress and worry in this life.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Nothing of fatigue, illness, distress, worry, grief or harm befalls the Muslim, not even a prick from a thorn, but Allaah will accept it as expiation for some of his sins."
According to a report narrated by Muslim: "No illness, fatigue, sickness or grief befalls the Muslim, not even worries, but it will be an expiation for some of his sins."
The one who is distressed or worried should know that whatever psychological pain afflicts him is not wasted, but serves a purpose in increasing his hasanaat (good deeds) and expiating for his sayi'aat (bad deeds). The Muslim should realize that if it were not for disasters and afflictions, we would come empty-handed on the Day of Resurrection, as some of the salaf (early generations of Islam) pointed out, which is why they would rejoice when misfortune struck just as we rejoice at times of ease.
When a person understands how the disasters that befall him expiate for his sins, he will rejoice and be of good cheer, especially if that happens to him straight after he has committed a sin, as happened to some of the Sahaabah, may Allaah be pleased with them. 'Abd-Allaah ibn Mughaffal (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that a man met a woman who had been a prostitute during the time of Jaahiliyyah. He started to joke with her, then he touched her. She told him, "Watch it! Allaah has destroyed shirk (once 'Affaan said: has destroyed Jaahiliyyah) and has brought us Islam." The man went away, and walked into a wall, cutting his face. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came along, so the man told him what had happened, and he said: "You are a slave for whom Allah wishes good. When Allaah wishes good for His slave, He hastens the punishment for his sin; when He does not wish good for His slave, he withholds the punishment until the matter is settled on the Day of Resurrection, when all of his sins will be brought forth together."
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When Allaah wishes good for His slave, He hastens to bring about his punishment in this world, and if He does not wish good for him, He withholds the punishment until he is dealt with for his sin on the Day of Resurrection."
Understanding the reality of this world
The believer knows that this world is only temporary, that its luxuries are few, and that whatever pleasures exist here are always imperfect. If it causes a little laughter, it gives many reasons to weep; if it gives a little, it withholds far more. The believer is only detained here, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "This world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the kaafir."
This world is also fatigue, pain, misery and suffering, so the believer feels relief when he departs from it. Abu Qutaadah ibn Rib'i al-Ansaari used to say that a funeral passed the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he said: "He is now relieved, and people feel relieved of him." The people asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, how can he be relieved and people feel relieved of him?" He said, "The believing slave (who dies) is relieved of the fatigue and pain of this world and has gone to the mercy of Allaah; when the rebellious slave dies, people, land, trees and animals are relieved of him."
For the believer, death brings a respite from the distress, worries and pain of this life, as is stated in the hadeeth: "When the believer is about to die, the angels of mercy bring white silk and say, 'Come out content, with the pleasure of Allaah upon you, to the mercy of Allaah and sweet fragrance and a Lord who is not angry.' So (the soul) comes out like the best fragrance of musk and the angels hand it to one another until they bring it to the gate of heaven. They say, 'How good is this fragrance that has come from the earth' They bring it to the souls of the believers, and they rejoice over it much more than you do when one who has been absent returns. They ask him, 'What did So-and-so do? What did So-and-so do?' then (the angels) say, 'Leave him alone, for he was suffering the distress of the world.' When he asks, 'Did not So-and-so come to you?' they say: 'He was taken to his home in the Pit (i.e., Hell).' When the kaafir is about to die, angels of punishment bring sackcloth and say, 'Come out discontent, with the wrath of Allaah upon you, to the punishment of Allaah.'So (the soul) comes out like the worst stench of rotten meat, and they take it to the gate of the earth. They say, 'How foul is this stench,' until they bring it to the souls of the kuffaar."
Undoubtedly the first thing we should mention when discussing worries and anxiety is: aqeedah (belief) and eeman (faith), and the effects they have on dealing with stress. One can see many of the kuffaar and Muslims who are weak in faith suffering breakdowns and committing suicide in an effort to rid themselves of depression, frustration and despair when they get into trouble or when disaster strikes. Hospitals are full of patients who are suicidal or have suffered nervous breakdowns, or other kinds of psychological trauma. These problems affect many of those who are strong, let alone those who are weak. How often they lead to complete incapacity and loss of sanity!
The person who has been guided to Islam, if his 'aqeedah is sound and his eemaan is strong, will find the cure in that which has come from Allaah, the All-Knowing and All-Aware, Who created all things and Who knows best what befits His creation.
"Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous (to His slaves) All-Aware (of everything)." [al-Mulk 67:14 -interpretation of the meaning].
Let us now discuss some of the different kinds of remedies and treatments taught by Islam:
Equipping oneself with eemaan (faith), accompanied by righteous deeds.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer, 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)." [al-Nahl 16:97]
The reason for this is clear: the believers in Allaah whose faith is correct and motivates them to do righteous deeds that reform their hearts and characters, and change their status in this world and the next, have the basic principles according to which they deal with every kind of joy and grief that they may face. They receive blessings and joys with acceptance and thanksgiving, and put them to use in beneficial ways. When they do this, they feel happy and hope that it will last and will bring them reward for their gratitude, as well as other things that will supercede the original goodness and blessings.
When faced with distress, harm, worries and anxieties, they try to resist them and reduce them as much as they can, and they react with befitting patience to the things in which they have no choice. They gain a lot of benefits as a result, such as: resilience and toughness as is appropriate; useful experience, strong willpower, patience, the hope of reward, and many other benefits which reduce the distress felt. Thus their anxiety is replaced with joy and the hope of blessings and reward from Allaah, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) stated in the saheeh hadeeth: "How marvellous is the affair of the believer! Everything that happens to him is good, and this does not apply to anyone except the believer. If something good befalls him, he gives thanks for it, and that is good for him. If something bad befalls him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him."
This is the way in which we may view calamities in a positive light.
Another example is:
Thinking of how the Muslim may earn expiation for his sins, purify his heart and raise his status, when he is stricken with distress and worry in this life.
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Nothing of fatigue, illness, distress, worry, grief or harm befalls the Muslim, not even a prick from a thorn, but Allaah will accept it as expiation for some of his sins."
According to a report narrated by Muslim: "No illness, fatigue, sickness or grief befalls the Muslim, not even worries, but it will be an expiation for some of his sins."
The one who is distressed or worried should know that whatever psychological pain afflicts him is not wasted, but serves a purpose in increasing his hasanaat (good deeds) and expiating for his sayi'aat (bad deeds). The Muslim should realize that if it were not for disasters and afflictions, we would come empty-handed on the Day of Resurrection, as some of the salaf (early generations of Islam) pointed out, which is why they would rejoice when misfortune struck just as we rejoice at times of ease.
When a person understands how the disasters that befall him expiate for his sins, he will rejoice and be of good cheer, especially if that happens to him straight after he has committed a sin, as happened to some of the Sahaabah, may Allaah be pleased with them. 'Abd-Allaah ibn Mughaffal (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that a man met a woman who had been a prostitute during the time of Jaahiliyyah. He started to joke with her, then he touched her. She told him, "Watch it! Allaah has destroyed shirk (once 'Affaan said: has destroyed Jaahiliyyah) and has brought us Islam." The man went away, and walked into a wall, cutting his face. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came along, so the man told him what had happened, and he said: "You are a slave for whom Allah wishes good. When Allaah wishes good for His slave, He hastens the punishment for his sin; when He does not wish good for His slave, he withholds the punishment until the matter is settled on the Day of Resurrection, when all of his sins will be brought forth together."
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When Allaah wishes good for His slave, He hastens to bring about his punishment in this world, and if He does not wish good for him, He withholds the punishment until he is dealt with for his sin on the Day of Resurrection."
Understanding the reality of this world
The believer knows that this world is only temporary, that its luxuries are few, and that whatever pleasures exist here are always imperfect. If it causes a little laughter, it gives many reasons to weep; if it gives a little, it withholds far more. The believer is only detained here, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "This world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the kaafir."
This world is also fatigue, pain, misery and suffering, so the believer feels relief when he departs from it. Abu Qutaadah ibn Rib'i al-Ansaari used to say that a funeral passed the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he said: "He is now relieved, and people feel relieved of him." The people asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, how can he be relieved and people feel relieved of him?" He said, "The believing slave (who dies) is relieved of the fatigue and pain of this world and has gone to the mercy of Allaah; when the rebellious slave dies, people, land, trees and animals are relieved of him."
For the believer, death brings a respite from the distress, worries and pain of this life, as is stated in the hadeeth: "When the believer is about to die, the angels of mercy bring white silk and say, 'Come out content, with the pleasure of Allaah upon you, to the mercy of Allaah and sweet fragrance and a Lord who is not angry.' So (the soul) comes out like the best fragrance of musk and the angels hand it to one another until they bring it to the gate of heaven. They say, 'How good is this fragrance that has come from the earth' They bring it to the souls of the believers, and they rejoice over it much more than you do when one who has been absent returns. They ask him, 'What did So-and-so do? What did So-and-so do?' then (the angels) say, 'Leave him alone, for he was suffering the distress of the world.' When he asks, 'Did not So-and-so come to you?' they say: 'He was taken to his home in the Pit (i.e., Hell).' When the kaafir is about to die, angels of punishment bring sackcloth and say, 'Come out discontent, with the wrath of Allaah upon you, to the punishment of Allaah.'So (the soul) comes out like the worst stench of rotten meat, and they take it to the gate of the earth. They say, 'How foul is this stench,' until they bring it to the souls of the kuffaar."
This understanding of the reality of this world makes it easier for the believer to bear afflictions, pains, distress and anxiety, because he knows that they are an inevitable part of the nature of this life.
Following the examples of the Prophets and the righteous
The Prophets and the righteous suffered more distress in this world than other people. Each person is tested according to the strength of his faith. If Allaah loves a person, He tests him. Sa'd (may Allaah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "O Messenger of Allaah, which of the people suffers the most distress?" He said: "The Prophets, then those who come after them (in terms of status), then those who come after them. A man will be tested according to the strength of his faith. If his faith is strong, then the distress with which he is tried will be greater; if his faith is weak, he will be tested in accordance with the level of his faith. Distress will keep on befalling the slave until he walks on the face of the earth free from sin."
Making the Hereafter one's main concern
The concerns of this world overwhelm and confuse people, but if the slave makes the Hereafter his main concern, Allaah will help him to focus and be determined, as was narrated by Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever has the Hereafter as his main concern, Allaah will fill his heart with a feeling of richness and independence; he will be focused and feel content, and this world will come to him in spite of it. Whoever has this world as his main concern, Allaah will cause him to feel constant fear of poverty; he will be distracted and unfocused, and he will have nothing of this world except what was already predestined for him."
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "When a person spends his entire day with no other concern but Allaah alone, Allaah, may He be glorified, will take care of all his needs and take care of all that is worrying him; He will empty his heart so that it will be filled only with love for Him, free his tongue so that it will speak only in remembrance of Him (dhikr) and cause all his faculties to work only in obedience to Him. But if a person spends his entire day with no other concern but this world, Allaah will make him bear its distress, anxiety and pain; He will leave him to sort himself out, and cause his heart to be distracted from the love of Allaah towards the love of some created being, cause his tongue to speak only in remembrance of that creation instead of remembering Allaah, and cause his faculties to work in obeying and serving them.
So he will strive hard, labouring like some work-animal, to serve something other than Allaah. Everyone who turns away from being a true slave of Allaah and obeying Him and loving Him will be burdened with servitude, love and obedience to some created being." Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allaah), We appoint for him a shaytaan (devil) to be a qareen (intimate companion) to him." [al-Zukhruf 43:36].
A surprisingly effective remedy: remembering death
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Remember frequently the one who will destroy all your pleasures: death, for there is no-one who remembers death when in straitened circumstances, but his situation will become easier, and there is no-one who remembers death during times of ease, but his circumstances will become straitened."
Praying to Allaah, may He be exalted
Du'aa (prayer or supplication) is very beneficial, and includes both protection and treatment. As far as protection in concerned, the Muslim is obliged to turn to Allaah and pray to Him for refuge from distress and to keep him away from it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do. His servant Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) tells us: "I used to serve the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he stayed in Madeenah (i.e. was not travelling). I often used to hear him saying: 'Allaahumma inni a'oodhu bika min al-hamm wal-hazn wal-'ajz wal-kasal wal-bukhl wal-jubn wa dala' al-dayn wa ghalbat al-rijaal (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from distress, grief, incapacity, laziness, miserliness, cowardice, the burden of debt and from being overpowered by men).'"
This du'a is very effective in preventing distress before it happens; prevention is better, and easier, than cure.
When one is worried about what may happen in the future, the following du'a is very beneficial.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to say: "Allaahumma aslih li deeni alladhi huwa 'ismat amri wa aslih li dunyaaya allati fihaa ma'aashi wa aslih li aakhirati allati fihaa ma'aadi w'aj'al al-hayaata ziyaadatan li fi kulli khayri w'aj'al al-mawta raahatan li min kulli sharr (O Allaah, make me adhere properly to my religion, on which all my affairs depend; make this world good for me in which is my livelihood; make my Hereafter good for me, in which is my ultimate destiny; make my life increase in every good thing and make my death a respite from every evil)."
When distress and pain befall a person, the door of du'a is always open to him; it is never closed. When one calls upon the Most Generous, He will respond and give. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And when My slaves ask you 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]
One of the greatest du'aas which take away distress and anxiety and bring joy is the famous du'a which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged everyone who hears it to learn it by heart:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no-one who is afflicted by distress and grief, and says: 'Allaahumma inni 'abduka ibn 'abdika ibn amatija naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya hukmuka, 'adlun fiyya qada'uka. As'aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw 'allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista'tharta bihi fi 'ilm il-ghayb 'indaka an taj'al al-Qur'aana rabee'qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa' huzni wa dhihaab hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Qur'aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety),' but Allaah will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with joy." He was asked: "O Messenger of Allaah, should we learn this?" He said: "Of course; everyone who hears it should learn it."
This important hadeeth indicates the following: the slave should admit that he belongs to Allaah and that he cannot do without Him and has no other master than Allaah; that he should be a slave to Allaah, announce his submission to Him, obey His commandments and heed His prohibitions; that Allaah is directing and controlling him as He wills; that he should demonstrate his submission to Allaah and his acceptance of His decree; that he should pray to Allaah, using all His Names, then ask for what he needs.
A number of other du'as to do with distress and anxiety have also been narrated in the Sunnah. They include the following:
Ibn 'Abbaas reported that when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) felt distressed, he would say: "Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah al-'Azeem al-Haleem, laa ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb al-'Arsh al-'azeem, la ilaaha ill-Allaah Rabb al-samawaat wa Rabb al-ard wa Rabb al-'Arsh al-kareem (There is no god but Allaah, the All-Powerful, the Forbearing; there is no god but Allaah, Lord of the mighty Throne; there is no god but Allaah, Lord of heaven, Lord of earth, and Lord of the noble Throne)."
Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was distressed by something, he would say: "Yaa Hayyu yaa Qayyoom bi rahmatika astagheeth (O Ever-Living, O Eternal, by Your mercy I seek help)."
Asmaa' bint 'Umayr said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me: 'Shall I not teach you some words which you can say at times of distress?' 'Allaah Allaah rabbee laa ushriku bihi shay'an (Allaah Allaah is my Lord, I do not associate anything with Him)."
Another of the beneficial du'as which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us is the one he told us about when he said: "The du'a of the person who is in distress is: 'Allaahumma rahmataka arjoo fa laa takilni ilaa nafsi tarfat 'ayn wa'aslih li sha'ni kullahu laa ilaaha illa anta (O Allaah, for Your mercy I hope, so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for the blink of an eye; rectify all my affairs. There is no god except You)'"
If a person thinks about the meaning of these du'as and prays with concentration and a sincere intention, doing all those things that can help to bring about a response, Allaah will fulfil his hopes and do the things asked for; He will turn his distress into joy.
If the du'a comes from a heart which is filled with faith, it will dispel worry and bring comfort. The scholars have mentioned many stories of people who prayed to Allaah in times of calamity and distress, and Allaah responded to their prayer and saved them from an enemy, or from drowning, or from starvation or disaster. One example is the story of what happened to the great Sahaabi al-'Alaa al-Hadrami, who was one of the most prominent scholars and devoted worshippers, one of the close friends (awliyaa') of Allaah whose du'as are answered. During the campaign against the apostates of Bahrain, he pitched camp, but before the people could settle down, the camels bolted, carrying away all the provisions of the army, including their tents and water, leaving them with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. It was night-time, and they could not restrain even one camel. The people were filled with indescribable distress and alarm, and some of them began making wills to one another (because they felt that death was inevitable). Al-'Alaa called the people together and said: "O people, are you not Muslims? Are you not striving for the sake of Allaah? Are you not the ansaar (supporters) of Allaah?" They said, "Of course." He said, "Then be of good cheer, for Allaah will not forsake anyone who is in your situation." When the time for Fajr prayer came, he called the people to pray and led them in prayer, then he knelt up, and the people did likewise. He started to pray (make du'a), raising his hands, and the people did likewise. They prayed until the sun rose, and the people began to look at the mirages caused by the sun, shimmering one after another, all the while fervently praying. When he reached the third [??], Allaah created a great stream of fresh water beside them. ['laa] walked towards it, and the people followed him, then they drank and washed themselves. Before the sun had reached its zenith, the camels started to come back from all directions, bringing the supplies loaded on them, so the people did not lose anything at all, and they were able to give water to the camels. This is one of the signs of Allaah witnessed by the people during that campaign. (Al-Bidaayah wal-Nihaayah: Dhikr riddat ahl al-Bahrayn wa 'awdatihim).
Allah not Answering our Supplications
Praise be to Allaah.
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"Du'aa's and ta'awwudhaat (prayers seeking refuge with Allaah) are like a weapon, and a weapon is only as good as the person who is using it; it is not merely the matter of how sharp it is. If the weapon is perfect and free of faults, and the arm of the person using it is strong, and there is nothing stopping him, then he can lay waste the enemy. But if any of these three features is lacking, then the effect will be lacking accordingly." [al-Daa' wa'l-Dawaa', p. 35]
From this it will be clear that there is an etiquette and rulings which must be fulfilled, in the du'aa' and in the person making the du'aa'. There are also things that may prevent the du'aa' reaching Allaah or being answered – these things must be removed from the person making the du'aa' and from the du'aa'. When all of these conditions are fulfilled, then the du'aa' may be answered.
Sincerity in making du'aa'. This is the most important condition. Allaah has commanded us to be sincere when making du'aa', as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"So, call you (O Muhammad and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allaah making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allaah's sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship)." [Ghaafir 40:14]
Sincerity in du'aa' means having the firm belief that the One upon Whom you are calling – Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted – is alone Able to meet your need, and it also means avoiding any kind of showing off in your du'aa'.
Repentance and turning back to Allaah. Sin is one of the main reasons why du'aa's are not answered, so the person who is making du'aa' should hasten to repent and seek forgiveness before he makes du'aa'. Allaah tells us that Nooh (peace be upon him) said:
"I said (to them): ‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.'" [Nooh 71:10-12]
Beseeching, humbling oneself, hoping for Allaah's reward and fearing His punishment. This is the spirit, essence and purpose of du'aa'. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors." [al-A'raaf 7:55]
Urgently beseeching and repeating the du'aa', without getting exasperated or bored; this is achieved by repeating the du'aa' two or three times. Restricting it to three times is preferable, in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) liked to say a du'aa' three times and ask for forgiveness three times. [Narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Nasaa'i]
Making du'aa' at times of ease, and saying more du'aa's at times of plenty. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Remember Allaah during times of ease and He will remember you during times of hardship." [Narrated by Ahmad]
Seeking to draw closer to Allaah by calling upon Him by His Most Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes at the beginning of the du'aa' or at the end. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them" [al-A'raaf 7:180].
Choosing the clearest and most concise words and the best of du'aa's. The best of du'aa's are the du'aa's of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but it is permissible to say other words according to the specific needs of a person.
Other aspects of the etiquette of making du'aa', although they are not waajib (obligatory), are: to face the Qiblah; to make du'aa' in a state of tahaarah (purity); to start the du'aa' with praise of Allaah and blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It is also prescribed to raise the hands when making du'aa'.
One of the things that helps to bring a response to du'aa' is to seek the best times and places.
Among the best times is the time just before Fajr (dawn), the last third of the night, the last hour of Jumu'ah (Friday), when rain is falling, and between the Adhaan and iqaamah.
Among the best places are mosques in general, and al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Makkah) in particular.
Among the situations in which du'aa' is more likely to be answered are: when one is mistreated or oppressed, when one is travelling, when one is fasting, when one is in desperate need, and when a Muslim makes du'aa' for his brother in his absence.
Things which may prevent du'aa' from being answered
When the du'aa' is weak in itself, because it involves something inappropriate, or involves bad manners towards Allaah, may He be exalted, or it is inappropriate, which means asking Allaah for something which it is not permitted to ask, e.g. when a man asks to live forever in this world, or he asks for a sin or something haraam, or he prays that he will die, and so on. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "A person's du'aa's will continue to be answered so long as he does not pray for something sinful or for the breaking of family ties." [Narrated by Muslim]
When the person who is making du'aa' is weak in himself, because he is faint-hearted in his turning towards Allaah. This may be either because of bad manners towards Allaah, may He be exalted – such as raising his voice in du'aa' or making du'aa' in the manner of one who thinks he has no need of Allaah; or because he pays too much attention to the wording and tries to come up with unnecessarily ornate phrases, without paying attention to the meaning; or because he tries too hard to weep or shout without really feeling it, or he goes to extremes in that.
The reason why his du'aa' is not answered may be because he has done something that Allaah has forbidden, such as having haraam wealth – whether it be food or drink or clothing or accommodation or transportation, or he has taken a haraam job, or the stain of sin is still in his heart, or he is following bid'ah (innovation) in religion, or his heart has been overtaken by negligence.
Consuming haraam wealth. This is one of the major reasons why du'aa's are not answered. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "O people, Allaah is Good and only accepts that which is good. Allaah commanded the pious to follow the same commandments as He gave to the Messengers. He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halaal (lawful) foods which Allaah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits)] and do righteous deeds. Verily, I am Well-Acquainted with what you do." [al-Mu'minoon 23:51]
"O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah — Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with." [al-Baqarah 2:172]
Then he mentioned a man who has travelled on a long journey and is dishevelled and covered with dust; he stretches forth his hands to the heaven, (saying) "O Lord, O Lord", but his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, all his nourishment is haraam, so how can he du'aa' be accepted? [Narrated by Muslim]
The man described by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had some of the characteristics which help du'aa's to be answered – he was travelling and he was in need of Allaah, may He be exalted and glorified – but the fact that he consumed haraam wealth prevented his du'aa' from being answered. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.
Trying to hasten the response. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The du'aa' of any one of you will be answered so long as he is not impatient and says, ‘I made du'aa' but it was not answered.'" [Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Making the du'aa' conditional, such as saying, "O Allaah, forgive me if You will" or "O Allaah, have mercy upon me if You will." The person who makes du'aa' has to be resolute in his supplication, striving hard and earnestly repeating his du'aa'. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Let not any one of you say, ‘O Allaah, forgive me if You will, O Allaah, have mercy on me if You will.' Let him be resolute in the matter, whilst knowing that no one can compel Allaah to do anything." [Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
In order for du'aa's to be answered, it is not essential to adhere to all of these points and be free of all that could prevent one's du'aa's from being answered. That is something which happens very rarely. But one has to try hard and strive towards achieving this.
Another important point is to realize that the response to the du'aa' may take different forms: either Allaah will respond and fulfil the desire of the person who made the du'aa', or He will ward off some evil from him because of the du'aa', or He will make something good easy for him to attain because of it, or He will save it with Him for him on the Day of Resurrection when he will be most in need of it.
And Allaah knows best.
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"Du'aa's and ta'awwudhaat (prayers seeking refuge with Allaah) are like a weapon, and a weapon is only as good as the person who is using it; it is not merely the matter of how sharp it is. If the weapon is perfect and free of faults, and the arm of the person using it is strong, and there is nothing stopping him, then he can lay waste the enemy. But if any of these three features is lacking, then the effect will be lacking accordingly." [al-Daa' wa'l-Dawaa', p. 35]
From this it will be clear that there is an etiquette and rulings which must be fulfilled, in the du'aa' and in the person making the du'aa'. There are also things that may prevent the du'aa' reaching Allaah or being answered – these things must be removed from the person making the du'aa' and from the du'aa'. When all of these conditions are fulfilled, then the du'aa' may be answered.
Sincerity in making du'aa'. This is the most important condition. Allaah has commanded us to be sincere when making du'aa', as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"So, call you (O Muhammad and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allaah making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allaah's sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship)." [Ghaafir 40:14]
Sincerity in du'aa' means having the firm belief that the One upon Whom you are calling – Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted – is alone Able to meet your need, and it also means avoiding any kind of showing off in your du'aa'.
Repentance and turning back to Allaah. Sin is one of the main reasons why du'aa's are not answered, so the person who is making du'aa' should hasten to repent and seek forgiveness before he makes du'aa'. Allaah tells us that Nooh (peace be upon him) said:
"I said (to them): ‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.'" [Nooh 71:10-12]
Beseeching, humbling oneself, hoping for Allaah's reward and fearing His punishment. This is the spirit, essence and purpose of du'aa'. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors." [al-A'raaf 7:55]
Urgently beseeching and repeating the du'aa', without getting exasperated or bored; this is achieved by repeating the du'aa' two or three times. Restricting it to three times is preferable, in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) liked to say a du'aa' three times and ask for forgiveness three times. [Narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Nasaa'i]
Making du'aa' at times of ease, and saying more du'aa's at times of plenty. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Remember Allaah during times of ease and He will remember you during times of hardship." [Narrated by Ahmad]
Seeking to draw closer to Allaah by calling upon Him by His Most Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes at the beginning of the du'aa' or at the end. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them" [al-A'raaf 7:180].
Choosing the clearest and most concise words and the best of du'aa's. The best of du'aa's are the du'aa's of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but it is permissible to say other words according to the specific needs of a person.
Other aspects of the etiquette of making du'aa', although they are not waajib (obligatory), are: to face the Qiblah; to make du'aa' in a state of tahaarah (purity); to start the du'aa' with praise of Allaah and blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It is also prescribed to raise the hands when making du'aa'.
One of the things that helps to bring a response to du'aa' is to seek the best times and places.
Among the best times is the time just before Fajr (dawn), the last third of the night, the last hour of Jumu'ah (Friday), when rain is falling, and between the Adhaan and iqaamah.
Among the best places are mosques in general, and al-Masjid al-Haraam (in Makkah) in particular.
Among the situations in which du'aa' is more likely to be answered are: when one is mistreated or oppressed, when one is travelling, when one is fasting, when one is in desperate need, and when a Muslim makes du'aa' for his brother in his absence.
Things which may prevent du'aa' from being answered
When the du'aa' is weak in itself, because it involves something inappropriate, or involves bad manners towards Allaah, may He be exalted, or it is inappropriate, which means asking Allaah for something which it is not permitted to ask, e.g. when a man asks to live forever in this world, or he asks for a sin or something haraam, or he prays that he will die, and so on. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "A person's du'aa's will continue to be answered so long as he does not pray for something sinful or for the breaking of family ties." [Narrated by Muslim]
When the person who is making du'aa' is weak in himself, because he is faint-hearted in his turning towards Allaah. This may be either because of bad manners towards Allaah, may He be exalted – such as raising his voice in du'aa' or making du'aa' in the manner of one who thinks he has no need of Allaah; or because he pays too much attention to the wording and tries to come up with unnecessarily ornate phrases, without paying attention to the meaning; or because he tries too hard to weep or shout without really feeling it, or he goes to extremes in that.
The reason why his du'aa' is not answered may be because he has done something that Allaah has forbidden, such as having haraam wealth – whether it be food or drink or clothing or accommodation or transportation, or he has taken a haraam job, or the stain of sin is still in his heart, or he is following bid'ah (innovation) in religion, or his heart has been overtaken by negligence.
Consuming haraam wealth. This is one of the major reasons why du'aa's are not answered. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "O people, Allaah is Good and only accepts that which is good. Allaah commanded the pious to follow the same commandments as He gave to the Messengers. He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halaal (lawful) foods which Allaah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits)] and do righteous deeds. Verily, I am Well-Acquainted with what you do." [al-Mu'minoon 23:51]
"O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah — Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with." [al-Baqarah 2:172]
Then he mentioned a man who has travelled on a long journey and is dishevelled and covered with dust; he stretches forth his hands to the heaven, (saying) "O Lord, O Lord", but his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, all his nourishment is haraam, so how can he du'aa' be accepted? [Narrated by Muslim]
The man described by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had some of the characteristics which help du'aa's to be answered – he was travelling and he was in need of Allaah, may He be exalted and glorified – but the fact that he consumed haraam wealth prevented his du'aa' from being answered. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.
Trying to hasten the response. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The du'aa' of any one of you will be answered so long as he is not impatient and says, ‘I made du'aa' but it was not answered.'" [Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Making the du'aa' conditional, such as saying, "O Allaah, forgive me if You will" or "O Allaah, have mercy upon me if You will." The person who makes du'aa' has to be resolute in his supplication, striving hard and earnestly repeating his du'aa'. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Let not any one of you say, ‘O Allaah, forgive me if You will, O Allaah, have mercy on me if You will.' Let him be resolute in the matter, whilst knowing that no one can compel Allaah to do anything." [Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
In order for du'aa's to be answered, it is not essential to adhere to all of these points and be free of all that could prevent one's du'aa's from being answered. That is something which happens very rarely. But one has to try hard and strive towards achieving this.
Another important point is to realize that the response to the du'aa' may take different forms: either Allaah will respond and fulfil the desire of the person who made the du'aa', or He will ward off some evil from him because of the du'aa', or He will make something good easy for him to attain because of it, or He will save it with Him for him on the Day of Resurrection when he will be most in need of it.
And Allaah knows best.
A Delayed Response
While talking to himself Ibn Al-Jawzi was blaming his soul in a gentle way. He said:
I found myself in trouble, and so I made Du'aa consistently, all the while requesting relief and comfort. The response to my Du'aa seemed to be delayed, and so my soul became disturbed and worried.
However, I rebuked it saying, "Woe unto you; look attentively at yourself, are you the one possessed or are you the possessor? Are you the one that is controlled or are you the controller? Are you not aware that this world is the abode of tests for you? If you desire that your goals be fulfilled and become impatient when they are not, then, where is your test? Is it not the ultimate test when you get the opposite of whatever you desired?"
"So, (dear restless soul) try to understand the meaning of the word 'Abd, and whatever is dear to you will become worthless, and whatever is difficult will become easy."
After it deliberated over what I said, it became a little appeased. I informed it that I had a second argument for it, and so I said, "Allah (azza wajal) is a necessary requirement in order for any of your aims to be fulfilled; yet you do not exhort yourself to work for His (azza wajal) pleasure. This is ignorance, as the matter should have been opposite to what you desire, primarily because you are the one possessed. (You should note) that the mindful 'Abd should make sure that he fulfills the rights due to the Master, and that it is not necessary that He (azza wajal) gives to Al-'Abd whatever he desires or loves."
It made it quieter yet I then mentioned that I had a third argument for it, and so I said, "You are under the impression that the response to your Du'aa has been slow; yet you were responsible for this because you closed the door of response (to your Du'aa) because of your constant sinning. If, however, you open the door [by developing Taqwa for Allah (azza wajal)], then the response (to your Du'aa) would arrive quicker, because having Taqwa for Allah (azza wajal) is the cause of all comfort."
Allah (azza wajal) said: "…And whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him (Taqwa), He will make a way for him, to get out (from every difficulty), and will provide for him from sources that he never could imagine." [At-Talaaq:2-3]
"Therefore, understand that if you do not develop this Taqwa for Him (subhana wa ta'ala), the result will be different from what you expect. Woe is me from the drunkenness of mindlessness which became stronger than any other drunkenness in confronting the soul's aims to prevent them from reaching its hopes."
It (the soul) knew that this was the truth, and so it became more tranquil still. I said to it, "I have a fourth argument for you, and it is that you seek a particular answer (to your Du'aa); yet you are not aware of the consequences that would result (if you were granted what you desire) because what you seek might be to your detriment. In this state you are like a feverish child asking for candy."
"(O soul) be conscious that your Master is more aware about your well-being than you are."
As He (azza wajal) said: "… And maybe you will dislike something that is good for You." [Al-Baqarah:216]
When this became clear to the soul, it became more tranquil still. I then said to it, "I have a fifth argument for you, and it is that your demands would lessen your rewards and would reduce your status (with Allah). However, if you would request that which is good for your eternal abode (Al-Aakhirah), it would be better for you. (O soul) it is crucial that you understand what I have explained."
It said, "I meandered in the garden of your explanation, and as such I wandered when I understood."
I found myself in trouble, and so I made Du'aa consistently, all the while requesting relief and comfort. The response to my Du'aa seemed to be delayed, and so my soul became disturbed and worried.
However, I rebuked it saying, "Woe unto you; look attentively at yourself, are you the one possessed or are you the possessor? Are you the one that is controlled or are you the controller? Are you not aware that this world is the abode of tests for you? If you desire that your goals be fulfilled and become impatient when they are not, then, where is your test? Is it not the ultimate test when you get the opposite of whatever you desired?"
"So, (dear restless soul) try to understand the meaning of the word 'Abd, and whatever is dear to you will become worthless, and whatever is difficult will become easy."
After it deliberated over what I said, it became a little appeased. I informed it that I had a second argument for it, and so I said, "Allah (azza wajal) is a necessary requirement in order for any of your aims to be fulfilled; yet you do not exhort yourself to work for His (azza wajal) pleasure. This is ignorance, as the matter should have been opposite to what you desire, primarily because you are the one possessed. (You should note) that the mindful 'Abd should make sure that he fulfills the rights due to the Master, and that it is not necessary that He (azza wajal) gives to Al-'Abd whatever he desires or loves."
It made it quieter yet I then mentioned that I had a third argument for it, and so I said, "You are under the impression that the response to your Du'aa has been slow; yet you were responsible for this because you closed the door of response (to your Du'aa) because of your constant sinning. If, however, you open the door [by developing Taqwa for Allah (azza wajal)], then the response (to your Du'aa) would arrive quicker, because having Taqwa for Allah (azza wajal) is the cause of all comfort."
Allah (azza wajal) said: "…And whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him (Taqwa), He will make a way for him, to get out (from every difficulty), and will provide for him from sources that he never could imagine." [At-Talaaq:2-3]
"Therefore, understand that if you do not develop this Taqwa for Him (subhana wa ta'ala), the result will be different from what you expect. Woe is me from the drunkenness of mindlessness which became stronger than any other drunkenness in confronting the soul's aims to prevent them from reaching its hopes."
It (the soul) knew that this was the truth, and so it became more tranquil still. I said to it, "I have a fourth argument for you, and it is that you seek a particular answer (to your Du'aa); yet you are not aware of the consequences that would result (if you were granted what you desire) because what you seek might be to your detriment. In this state you are like a feverish child asking for candy."
"(O soul) be conscious that your Master is more aware about your well-being than you are."
As He (azza wajal) said: "… And maybe you will dislike something that is good for You." [Al-Baqarah:216]
When this became clear to the soul, it became more tranquil still. I then said to it, "I have a fifth argument for you, and it is that your demands would lessen your rewards and would reduce your status (with Allah). However, if you would request that which is good for your eternal abode (Al-Aakhirah), it would be better for you. (O soul) it is crucial that you understand what I have explained."
It said, "I meandered in the garden of your explanation, and as such I wandered when I understood."
The reality and virtue of death
موت
اس زمین کی سطح پر اربوں انسان چل چکے ہیں۔ ان سب کا تعلق مختلف قوموں اور ثقافتوں سے تھا۔ ان میں سے چند ایک نے تاریخ رقم کی، جس کے لیے انھیں یاد رکھا گیا، جب کہ دوسروں کا دوبارہ کبھی ذکر نہ کیا جائے۔ اگرچہ ہر ایک شخصی طور پر ایک دوسرے سے مختلف تھا لیکن ان کی عادات، سوچ اور ذوق مختلف تھا اور ان سب میں دو چیزیں مشترک تھیں۔ اول، وہ سب اپنی ماں کے پیٹ سے پیدا ہوئے اور دوم، ان سب نے موت کا ذائقہ چکھا۔
موت کیا ہے؟
موت اس وقت ہوتی ہے جب روح جسم سے جدا ہو جاتی ہے۔ اس کو جزا اور سزا ملتی ہے اور روح کے جسم سے جدا ہونے کا مطلب جسم پر روح کی قوت کا ختم ہو جانا ہے۔ روح جسم کو اپنے کاموں میں استعمال کرتی ہے۔ یہ ہاتھ سے پکڑتا ہے، کانوں سے سنتا ہے، آنکھوں سے دیکھتا ہے اور ہر چیز کا علم حاصل کرتا ہے۔
ہر ذی روح کو موت کا مزہ چکھنا ہے۔
اللہ تعالیٰ نے قرآن مجید میں فرمایا ہے: ’’ہر نفس کو موت کا مزہ چکھنا ہے۔‘‘ اس آیت سے ہمیں معلوم ہوا کہ موت ایک ایسی چیز ہے جس سے آپ بچ نہیں سکتے خواہ آپ کسی ایسے گھر میں ہوں جو دھات کی دیواروں سے بنا ہوا ہے اور اس میں بہت بڑا تالا لگا ہے۔ موت صرف اس وقت نہیں آئے گی جب بال اور داڑھی سفید ہو جائے، بلکہ یہ کسی بھی وقت آسکتی ہے، چاہے آپ بچے ہوں، یا بوڑھے ہوں یا نوجوان ہوں یا ادھیڑ عمر ہوں۔ یہاں تک کہ اگر آپ بادشاہ، وزیر اعظم یا قبیلوں میں سے کسی ایک کے رہنما ہیں۔
موت رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کو بھی آئی اور صحابہ کرام کو بھی، تو اگر موت ایسی عظیم ہستیوں کو آ سکتی ہے تو ہم اس سے بے نیاز کون ہوتے ہیں؟
موت کی یاد کی فضیلت
اے پیارے بھائیو جان لو کہ وہ آدمی جو دنیا میں مگن ہے اور اس کی دلکش لذتوں سے دھوکا کھاتا ہے موت کی یاد سے غافل ہے۔ اسے موت یاد نہیں اور جب اسے یاد کیا جاتا ہے تو وہ اسے پسند نہیں کرتا۔ اللہ تعالیٰ نے ایسے شخص کے بارے میں فرمایا ہے: ’’وہ موتیں تم سے ملیں گی جن سے تم بھاگتے ہو۔ اس کے بعد آپ کو ظاہر اور غیب کے جاننے والے کی طرف لے جایا جائے گا۔ اس کے بعد آپ کو بتایا جائے گا کہ آپ نے کیا کیا۔"
بنی نوع انسان کی تین اقسام
بنی نوع انسان کو تین قسموں میں تقسیم کیا گیا ہے:
(1) دنیا کا عادی، (2) توبہ کرنے والا، (3) اللہ کے سامنے سر تسلیم خم کرنے والا۔
1. دنیا کے عادی آدمی کو موت یاد نہیں رہتی۔ وہ موت سے نفرت کرتا ہے اور اللہ کی یاد سے دور رہتا ہے۔
2. توبہ کرنے والا آدمی موت کو یاد کرتا ہے اور اس سے ڈرتا ہے۔ وہ اکثر موت کو پسند نہیں کرتا کیونکہ وہ سچی توبہ کرنے سے پہلے مرنے سے ڈرتا ہے یا وہ اپنے نفس کو فاسد اعمال سے پاک کرتا ہے اور وہ موت اور اللہ سے ملاقات کو برا نہیں سمجھتا کیونکہ وہ اس کے لیے پوری طرح تیار نہیں ہوتا بلکہ وہ ہر وقت مصروف رہتا ہے۔ اس سے ملنے کی تیاری میں۔
3. خدا کا عادی آدمی موت کو ہمیشہ یاد رکھتا ہے، جیسا کہ وہ اپنے محبوب سے ملنا پسند کرتا ہے۔ اکیلا اپنے محبوب سے ملنا نہیں بھول سکتا۔ یہ شخص اپنے آپ کو گناہ کی دنیا سے بچانے کے لیے موت سے ملنا پسند کرتا ہے۔ ایسے شخص کے لیے نبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے فرمایا: موت مومن کے لیے تحفہ ہے۔ وجہ یہ ہے کہ دنیا مومن کے لیے قید خانہ ہے کیونکہ وہ یہاں مشکلات میں رہتا ہے۔ موت اسے ان مشکلات سے نجات دلاتی ہے۔ ایک دفعہ نبی صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم باہر تشریف لائے.مسجد راستے میں اس نے بعض صحابہ کو لطیفے سنانے اور کہانیاں سنانے میں مصروف پایا۔ اُس نے اُن سے کہا: ”موت کو یاد رکھو! اس ذات سے بچو جس کے ہاتھ میں میری جان ہے، اگر تمہیں معلوم ہوتا کہ میں کیا جانتا ہوں تو تم کم ہنستے اور زیادہ روتے۔"
موت کا سوچنا
اے بھائیو جان لو کہ موت بہت خوفناک ہے کیونکہ لوگ موت سے بے خبر ہیں۔ جو شخص موت کو یاد کرتا ہے وہ دل سے نہیں سوچتا۔ موت کے بارے میں سوچنے کا طریقہ یہ ہے کہ آپ اپنے دماغ کو تمام خیالات سے آزاد کر دیں اور صرف اس کے دماغ کو موت پر رکھیں۔ اس شخص کی طرح بنو جو خطرناک سمندری سفر پر نکلتا ہے۔ جب موت کا خیال اس کے دماغ میں بھر جاتا ہے اور ایک سایہ بن جاتا ہے تو اس کی دنیاوی خوشی گھٹ جاتی ہے اور اس کا دل ٹوٹ جاتا ہے۔ موت کے بارے میں سوچنے کا بہترین طریقہ یہ ہے کہ دوستوں، گھر والوں اور پڑوسیوں کی موت، زمین کے نیچے دبی ان کی لاشوں اور قبروں میں ان کے حالات کو یاد کیا جائے۔ ان کے خوبصورت چہرے کیڑوں اور کیڑوں کی خوراک کیسے بن گئے ہیں! کیسے ان کی بیویاں بیوہ اور بچے یتیم ہو گئے ہیں! کس قدر غربت کے مارے وہ ایک ایک کر کے اپنے دن بری طرح گزار رہے ہیں! سوچئے موت کیسے اچانک ان پر بغیر کسی اطلاع اور وارننگ کے آ گئی۔ وہ موت اور آخرت کے لیے کتنے تیار نہیں تھے!
پس اے بھائیو! اپنی روزمرہ کی زندگی کے 24 گھنٹے میں موت کو جتنی بار یاد کر سکتے ہیں اسے اپنی عادت بنالیں۔ اگلی باری آپ کی ہو سکتی ہے پھر آپ کے دوست، خاندان اور پڑوسی آپ کو زمین کے نیچے رکھیں گے۔
اس سے پہلے کہ اگر بہت دیر ہو جائے تو ابھی شروع کریں!
اللہ ہم سب کو محفوظ رکھے، آمین
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