We previously covered ‘The Adab of Calling Upon Allah‘ followed by ‘The Best Times to Call Upon Allah‘ so we’ll not cover the same points here again. I’d recommend reading those first before continuing with this piece InshaAllah.
Sajdah – The closest one can feel to their Rabb. It is a meeting with the King of Kings without a mediator nor any prior appointments. The slave can run and turn back to their Rabb at any time before death and for sure they will find our Rabb turning with mercy.
Sheikh Ibrahim Nuhu حفظه الله while teaching the Fiqh of Salah tells us how while we are in prayer we slowly become more humbled as a slave as the salah progresses. First you stand, then you bow down and finally you fall down in prostration. Completely humbled and helpless in front of your Lord. It is as this lowest point that the strained whispering mingled with tears are elevated and heard in the highest of courts.
Many a times what happens is that we have loads and loads of duas to make but when we stand to pray, we may end up forgetting or just blanking out. In this blessed month of Ramadan when the reward for every deed is multiplied, let's show some Ihsan when it comes to making dua. Let's not just show up like a robot mumbling some random duas without even understanding what we are saying. In Surah al-Baqarah, sandwiched between the ayah of Ramadan (185) and the ayah of fasting (187), is an ayah exclusively on Dua. This as many scholars say is a sign for the believer to increase in making dua and has an increased chance of getting a response. Write down what you want to ask Allah, make a dua list or journal and keep it nearby while praying so you can have a look before or after praying.
Whenever we make dua we don’t generally just make a single dua but a bunch of duas. There are certain techniques which increase the chances of a dua being accepted as has been covered in the previous articles. A person can ask whatever they like from Allah but there are certain things which should ALWAYS accompany your dua. Think of it like guards who safeguard your dua till it reaches the court of Allah.
Remember to supplement every dua by calling upon Allah with His Beautiful Names and telling Him of your situation. Now, think of your dua as a big juicy burger (not something you’d like to do while fasting lol). This analogy will only make sense if you’ve read the previous articles in this series or maybe not, you are smart people after all.
Start with making salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ. This forms your base. Follow this up by making dua for your parents because it is their right upon you, something liked by Allah and we see that Allah mentions obedience to Him immediately followed by obedience to parents.
رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا
“My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.” [Surah Al-Isra, Ayah 24]
Then make the comprehensive dua:
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
“Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”
[Surah al-Baqarah, Ayah 201]
Irrespective of what you ask after this, you have covered everything possible in this short and beautiful dua. This forms your patty along with some toppings. In the middle of your burger again send salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ. Now that you have covered all the important parts of the dua, add an extra patty and that is the dua that you want to make. This is what I like to call the focus dua, where you can focus on something exclusively without worrying too much that you have missed out on asking Allah for something because the dua we made before this encompasses asking for all good in the deen and the dunya. After making that dua close your burger by again send salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ. This is just an analogy to make understanding easy. You can make your dua as you like with any kind of toppings you like or as many number of patties, there’s no hard and fast rule.
At the end it should look something like this:
I’m no one to judge. Make you burger as big as you want, every man their own 1/3 haha.
No matter how many sins we have, we must never think that Allah won’t answer our duas. This is the month of Ramadan. Keep knocking on the door of Allah for help and just like a mother doesn’t remain angry for long for the mistake of her child, Allah will eventually open the door for us. What matters is that we keep knocking having complete faith in Allah.
Imam Sufyan ibn `Uyaynah said, “Don’t ever leave off making Dua nor allow what bad deeds you commit to prevent you from it, for indeed Allah answered the Dua of Iblees and he is the most evil of creation [when he said to Allah]
“Grant me respite until the Day in which they will be resurrected.’ He (Allah) said, ‘Indeed you are from those who are granted respite.” [Ash-Shu’ab, 2/1147]
Since this is Ramadan we (hopefully) have an increase in our nawafil prayers, and the qiyam al-layl aka taraweeh and tahajjud. It would be the best time to converse with Allah in the sajdah’s of these prayers. Remember that Allah already knows everything that you tell Him but still, He loves it when His slave calls upon Him and explains his plight and need for help. Since its a voluntary prayer and not necessarily in congregation we can extend our prostration for as long as we like. Our dear brother Ejaz Taj brilliantly writes on how we can break down and divide our sajdah’s and I see no way how I could add anything else to it. Couple this with our burger analogy and we are good to go InshaAllah.
- The “Aakhirah” Sajdah – Ask for steadfastness during the questioning of the grave and to be saved from its punishments. Ask for safety on Qiyamah, to be saved from Hell and to be entered into Jannah without reckoning (always aim high with conviction). Ask to be put under the shade of the Throne on the day there will be no shade except His. Ask to be saved from the great terrors of that long and arduous Day and to be saved from humiliation and instead to be honoured. Ask to cross the Sirat (the bridge over Hell) in the blink of an eye and to have the brightest of lights over it. Count this “Aakhirah Sajdah” as the most important one. Make sure it comes first as believe me, no matter what trials you face in your life, they will be forgotten and will pale in comparison to these horrors.
- The “Deen” Sajdah – Ask for steadfastness in the Deen for you, your family and your believing friends. Ask for the strength to continue in worship until your final breath and to increase in worship both in quantity and quality. Ask for high Iman and to be saved from the dangers of low Iman. Ask for a close connection with the Quran, to understand and benefit from its verses fully and for a soft heart that absorbs its messages without arrogance or ignorance.
- The “Dunya” Sajdah – Ask Allah to grant you what you desire of the good and permissible of this world. Supplicate for your family, alive and deceased. Ask for a righteous spouse, halal income, a strong body, a heart that beats with taqwa, righteous children, acceptance of repentance, acceptance of charity and good deeds, relief from grief, anxiety, hardships and whatever trials you are going through as well as the strength to the endure them patiently.
- The “Ummah” Sajdah – Ask Allah to remove the afflictions and trials placed upon us collectively and to ask for relief for our brothers and sisters suffering in various parts of the world. This sajdah truly is a sign of a living heart.
He continues by writing another gem that really hits home: “It’s all too easy to know in the back our minds that all of the above mentioned are important things which we must ask for, but in reality days will go past and we’ll not supplicate for any of them. We may even dedicate frequent tweets and Facebook posts to each one but lack in our own personal supplication. Even worse we may even rely solely on our own efforts in achieving the above, knowing full well that it is Allah and Allah alone who gives one the ability for success in any of the aforementioned. Allah Loves to see subservience, and so subservient we shall be until the last breath.”
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ هَلْ مِنْ خَالِقٍ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَأَنَّىٰ تُؤْفَكُونَ
“O mankind! Remember the Grace of Allah upon you! Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the sky and the earth? None has the right to be worshipped but He! How then are you turning away (from Him)?”
[Surah al-Fatir, Ayah 3]
Dua of Adam: رَبَّنَا ظَلَمْنَا أَنفُسَنَا وَإِن لَّمْ تَغْفِرْ لَنَا وَتَرْحَمْنَا لَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
“Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers.” [Surah Al A’raf, Ayah 23]
Dua of Ayyub: أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
“Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.” [Surah Al Anbiya, Ayah 23]
Dua of Ibrahim: رَّبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ
“Our Lord! In You (Alone) we put our trust, and to You (Alone) we turn in repentance, and to You (Alone) is (our) final Return” [Surah Al Mumtahanah, Ayah 4]
Dua of Musa: رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ
“My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!” [Surah Al Qasas, Ayah 24]
Dua of the People of the Cave: رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
“Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!”[Surah Al Kahf, Ayah 10]
Dua of Yusuf: فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِيِّي فِي الدُّنُيَا وَالآخِرَةِ تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ
“My Lord, You have given me [something] of sovereignty and taught me of the interpretation of dreams. Creator of the heavens and earth, You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous.” [Surah Yusuf, Ayah 101]
Dua of Yunus: لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
“There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.” [Surah Al Anbiya, Ayah 87]
Dua of Talut and Lut: رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
“Our Lord, pour upon us patience and plant firmly our feet and give us victory over the disbelieving people.” [Surah Al Baqarah, Ayah 250]
رَبِّ انصُرْنِي عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
“My Lord, support me against the corrupting people.” [Surah Al Ankabut, Ayah 30]
There are many many more authentic duas from the Quran and Sunnah, but I’d like to mention one from the Sunnah which I feel really stands out especially for the youth nowadays.
Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered the masjid one day while a man from the Ansar was there who was called Abu Umamah. The Prophet said, “O Abu Umamah, what is the matter that I see you sitting in the mosque while it is not time for prayer?” He said, “O Messenger of Allah, I am compelled by worries and debt.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Shall I not teach you a word to say by which Allah the Exalted will remove your worry and relieve your debt?” He said, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.”
The Prophet said, “Say in the morning and evening:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وَقَهْرِ الرِّجَالِ
“O Allah, I seek refuge in you from worry and sadness. I seek refuge in you from inability and laziness. I seek refuge in you from cowardice and miserliness. And I seek refuge in you from being overwhelmed by debt and the force of men.” [Sunan Abu Dawud]
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