Islamic Help Desk- Al-Afwan IslamicOrg

⏩How should we observe LAYLATUL QARD, and when is it❓❓❓

Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to strive hard in worship during the last ten days of Ramadaan as he never did at any other time, praying, reading Qur’aan and making du’aa’. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) that when the last ten days of Ramadaan came, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would stay up at night and would wake his family up, and would abstain from marital relations. Ahmad and Muslim narrated that he used to used to strive hard in worship during the last ten days of Ramadaan as he never did at any other time.

Secondly:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined staying up and praying on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and in the hope of reward. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever stays up and prays on Laylat al-Qadr out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.” Agreed upon. This hadeeth indicates that it is prescribed to observe Laylat al-Qadr by spending the night in prayer.

Thirdly:

One of the best du’aa’s that may be recited on Laylat al-Qadr is that which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her). Al-Tirmidhi narrated, and classed the report as saheeh, that ‘Aa’ishah said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, if I know which night is Laylat al-Qadr, what should I say on that night?’ He said, ‘Say: Allaahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibb al-‘afwa fa’affu ‘anni (O Allaah, You are forgiving and You love forgiveness, so forgive me).”

Fourthly:

With regard to specifying which night of Ramadaan is Laylat al-Qadr, this needs specific evidence, but the odd-numbered nights during the last ten nights are more likely than others, and the night of the twenty-seventh is the most likely to be Laylat al-Qadr, because that is mentioned in the ahaadeeth.

Fifthly:

With regard to innovations, they are not permissible during Ramadaan or at other times. It was proven that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours that is not part of it will have it rejected.” According to another report, “Whoever does any action that is not part of this matter of ours will have it rejected.”

We know of no basis for the celebrations that are held during some nights of Ramadaan. The best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the worst of matters are those which are innovated (bid’ah).

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

💌↪↪Your question:
Does listening to Soorat al-Kahf on Friday bring the same reward as that of the one who reads it?

Praise be to Allah.

The reward that results from reading Soorat al-Kahf on Friday is only mentioned for the one who reads the soorah on that day. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever reads Soorat al-Kahf on Friday, Allah will bestow upon him light between those two Fridays.” Narrated by al-Bayhaqi; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) in Saheeh al-Jaami‘.

It is well-known that the one who listens to a soorah is not regarded as having read it. Based on that, if a person wants the reward that is mentioned in the hadith, then he has to read Soorat al-Kahf, and it is not enough just to listen to it.

But if a person cannot read Qur’an well, so he listens to it being recited by someone else, seeking the reward that has been mentioned for that, then there is the hope that he will have the same reward as the one who reads it, because of his good intention and doing what he is able to do.

And Allah knows best.

✒Al-Afwan islamic organisation
Mysore

💌↪↪Is it preferable to Have dental treatment whilst fasting???

Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (May Allaah have mercy on him) was asked,

If a person suffers pain in his teeth and he goes to the dentist who cleans them or does a filling or extracts one of his teeth, does that affect his fast? If the dentist gives him an injection to anaesthetize his tooth, does that affect his fast?

He answered:

The things mentioned in this question doe not have any effect on the validity of the fast, rather that is allowed. But he has to be careful not to swallow any medicine or blood. Similarly, the injection mentioned does not affect the validity of the fast because it is not a kind of food or drink, and the basic principle is that his fast is valid. (Ajwabah Muhimmah tata’allaq bi Arkaan al-Islam).

If you can go to the dentist in the evening, this is preferable.

And Allah knows best!!

Your question:⤵
Can we use moisturiser and lip balm during fasting? Or does any other costmetics used by women breaks her fasting??

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
All kinds of preparations that are put on the outside of the body, whether they are absorbed through the skin or not, and whether they are for treatment, moisturizing, beautification or any other purpose, do not break the fast unless they are swallowed by the fasting person.

The mere fact that it has a taste does not affect the fast so long as one does not swallow anything.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (15/260):

What is the ruling on women using kohl and some cosmetics during the day in Ramadaan? Do these things break the fast or not?

He replied:

Kohl does not break the fast of men or women according to the more correct of the two scholarly opinions, but it is better to use it at night if one is fasting.

The same applies to soaps, creams etc that are used to beautify the face and are applied to the surface of the skin, including henna, makeup and the like. There is nothing wrong with using them for one who is fasting, but makeup should not be used if it will cause harm to the face. And Allaah is the source of strength. End quote.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about the ruling on a fasting person using ointment to treat dryness of the lips.

He replied:

There is nothing wrong with a person using ointment to moisturise the lips or nose, or moistening them with water, or with a cloth and the like, but he should avoid anything that could reach the throat. But if anything reaches the throat without him intending it to, there is no sin on him, just as if he rinses his mouth and some water reaches his throat by accident, his fast is not invalidated by that. End quote.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (19/224).

Shaykh Ibn Jibreen (may Allaah preserve him) said in Fataawa ‘Ulama’ Balad al-Haraam (201):

There is nothing wrong with applying creams to the body when fasting if there is a need for that, because the cream only reaches the surface of the skin and does not enter the body. Even if it is absorbed by the pores it is not regarded as breaking the fast. End quote.

And Allaah knows best.

💌↪↪your question:
⏩What was the hairstyle of the Prophet ? And what hairstyles are disallowed specifically ?

Answer👇👇👇
Praise be to Allaah.
The hairstyle of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is mentioned in a number of ahaadeeth, such as the following:

1 – His hair was neither curly nor straight.

It was narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said, describing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), he was of average height, neither very tall nor very short. He had a ruddy complexion, neither very white nor very dark, and his hair was neither curly nor straight. The revelation came to him when he was forty years old.

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3354; Muslim, 2338)

2 – His hair came down to his earlobes.

It was narrated that al-Bara’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah hbe pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was of average height and broad shouldered. He had hair that came down to his earlobes. I saw him wearing a red garment and I never saw anyone more handsome than him.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3358; Muslim, 2337

3 – His hair sometimes came down to his shoulders

It was narrated that Qutaadah said: I asked Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) about the hair of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He said, The hair of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was neither curly nor straight, and came down to a point between his ears and his shoulders.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5565; Muslim, 2337

According to another report, his hair used to touch his shoulders.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5563; Muslim, 2338

Sometimes his hair was shorter than that. All of this may be understood as referring to different situations, and each of the Sahaabah narrated what he had seen.

4 – The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to dye his hair sometimes.

It was narrated that ‘Uthmaan ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Moohib said: I entered upon Umm Salamah and she brought out to us one of the hairs of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which was dyed.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5558.

Ahmad (25328) added: … dyed with henna and katam.

Katam is a plant that is used to dye the hair. When mixed with henna it gives the hair a colour between black and red. See ‘Awn al-Ma’bood, commentary on hadeeth no. 4205

5 – He used to part his hair.

It was narrated from ‘Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to let his hair hang down over his forehead and the mushrikoon used to part their hair, and the People of the Book used to let their hair hang down over their foreheads. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) liked to be like the People of the Book in matters where there was no specific command. Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) parted his hair.

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3365; Muslim, 2336). Some of the scholars discussed the meaning of this hadeeth, and their comments were summed up by Imam al-Nawawi as follows:

The correct view is that both letting the hair hang down over the forehead and parting it are permissible, but that parting is better.

Sharh Muslim, 15/90

6 – The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did his Farewell Pilgrimage when his hair was stuck together.

(This means) making some parts of the hair stick to others using gum or something similar, so that the hair is held together and avoids getting dirty and does not need to be washed. This is easier for the person who is in ihraam, especially in the past when the person in ihram was faced with a lot of dirt and little water.

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) raising his voice in the Talbiyah, with his hair stuck together.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5570; Muslim, 1184

7 – The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sometimes used to braid his hair, especially when travelling, to keep it from getting dusty.

It was narrated that Umm Haani’ said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came from Makkah with four braids.

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1781; Abu Dawood, 4191; Ibn Maajah, 3631. Classed as saheeh by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari, 10/360.

With regard to the kinds of hairstyles that are forbidden, they are characterized by the following:

1 – al-Qaza’ (lit. tufts), which is where part of the head is shaved and part is left.

It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade al-qaza’.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5466; Muslim, 3959.

One of the narrators of this hadeeth defines al-qaza’ as shaving part of a child’s head and leaving some of his hair.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

With regard to shaving part of the head and leaving part, this is of varying degrees.

The worst is shaving the middle of the head and leaving the sides, as the Christian monks do.

After that comes shaving the sides and leaving the middle, as many of the foolish and worthless people do.

After that comes shaving the front of the head and leaving the back.

These three types all come under the heading of qaza’ which was forbidden by the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but some of them are worse than others.

Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah, 3/1294

2 – Imitating the kaafirs or immoral people.

There are many such hairstyles, some of which come under the heading of qaza’ – such as the “Marines” haircut, which is forbidden for two reasons, the fact that it is a kind of qaza’ and the fact that it is an imitation of the kuffaar. Some of them do not involve qaza’ but they are styles that belong to the kuffaar, such as making some of the hair stand up and letting the rest hang down, and so on.

This also includes every hairstyle that belongs to the kaafirs or immoral people, because it is not permissible for a Muslim to resemble them in that, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4031. Classed as hasan by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari, 10/271. its isnaad was classed as jayyid by Shaykh al-Islam in Iqtida’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, p. 82.

Shaykh al-Islam said:

The least that we can say about this hadeeth is that it implies that it is haraam to imitate them, although the apparent meaning is that the one who imitates them is a kaafir, as in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa’), then surely, he is one of them”

[al-Maa’idah 5:51]

Iqtida’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, p. 83.

💌↪↪your question:
Q :❓JO BUDHAPE YA BIMAARI KI WAJEH SE ROZE NA RAKH SAKE USKE LIYE FIDYE KI MIQDAAR KITNI HAI❓KYA FIDYA PAISE KI SHAKAL MEI DIYA JA SAKTA HAI❓AUR AGAR NA-MALOOMIYAT MEI PAISA DEDIYA TOU KYA FIDYA PHIRSE DENA PADEGA❓


ANS ; ALHAMDULILLAH ;


Maaliki, Shaafa'i aur Hanbali fuqaha' karaam ki aksariyat ka nuqta e nazar hai ki naqad rakham(paisa/cash) ki adaegi roza na rakhne ke fidye ke taur par shumaar nahi hoga, aur jo dena chahiye wo asal khana hai, kyunke Allah tala farmaata hai ;

"aur iski takhat rakhne wale fidye mei ek miskeen ko khana de"
📕Surah Al-Baqarah : 184.

Ibn Abbas r.z ne kaha "Isse bûdhe mard aur bûdhe aurat muraad hai jo roze nahi rakh sakte, so unko har din ke badle ek miskeen ko khana khilana chahiye"
📕Sahih bukhari : 4505.

Fatawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah(10/198) mei kaha gaya hai : Agar doctors ne kaha hai ke bimaari ki wajeh se aap roza nahi rakh sakte aur shifayabi ki koi umeed nahi hai, tou maazi(past) aur mustaqbil(future) mah(months) ke liye aapko har din ke badle ek miskeen ko khaana khilana hoga, muqaami ghiza ki nisf/aadhi SAA deni hogi, chahe khajoor ho ya aur kuch. Agar aap apne chute hue rozon ki ta'adad(numbers) ke badle ek miskeen ya ghareeb shakhs ko naashta(ya shehri) aur raat ka khaana(ya iftaar) khilate hai tou wo kaafi hojayega. Naqad paisa dene ke talluq se tou wo fidya shumaar nahi hoga.

lihaza jis buzrug ya mareez ke liye shifayaab hone ki koi umeed nahi hai wo tou wo har din ke badle ek miskeen ko khana khilaye, gandum(wheat), khajoor, chawal(rice) ya isi tarha ka mukhaami khane ka nisf Saa de. Ye taqreeban deedh kilogram(1.5 kg) ke baraabar hoga.
Dekhiye Fataawa Ramadaan, Pg : 545.

Agar chahe tou mahine ke aakhir mei ek baar mei saara de sakte hai, 45kg chawal(rice) hoga, ya misaal ke taur par agar koi khaana banata hai aur ghareeb logon ko khane ke liye dawat deta hai tou aisa karna acha hai aur yahi Anas r.z ne kiya tha.

Agar kisine fidya paise ya naqd ki shakal mei diya aur ek fatwa jaari karne wale aalim ke fatwe ke paesh e nazar aisa kiya tou aapko dobara fidya dene ki zaroorat nahi hai. Lekin agar aapne apne aapse aisa kiya tou ehtiyaat ke taur par aapko fidya phirse dena hoga.

WALLAHU AALAM.

Amount of fidyah to be paid by one who is unable to fast because of old age or sickness -... My father did not fast during Ramadaan because he was not able to fast due to his being old and sickthen he passed away without making up the fasts of that mont

💌↪↪Your question:
How to perform salat-al-istiqhara? And its importance..

Answer
👇👇👇
The description of Salaat al-Istikhaarah was reported by Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Salami (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said:

“The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to teach his companions to make istikhaarah in all things, just as he used to teach them soorahs from the Qur’aan. He said: ‘If any one of you is concerned about a decision he has to make, then let him pray two rak’ahs of non-obligatory prayer, then say: Allaahumma inni astakheeruka bi ‘ilmika wa astaqdiruka bi qudratika wa as’aluka min fadlika, fa innaka taqdiru wa laa aqdir, wa ta’lamu wa laa a’lam, wa anta ‘allaam al-ghuyoob. Allaahumma fa in kunta ta’lamu haadha’l-amra (then the matter should be mentioned by name) khayran li fi ‘aajil amri wa aajilihi (or: fi deeni wa ma’aashi wa ‘aaqibati amri) faqdurhu li wa yassirhu li thumma baarik li fihi. Allaahumma wa in kunta ta’lamu annahu sharrun li fi deeni wa ma’aashi wa ‘aaqibati amri (or: fi ‘aajili amri wa aajilihi) fasrifni ‘anhu [wasrafhu ‘anni] waqdur li al-khayr haythu kaana thumma radini bihi (O Allaah, I seek Your guidance [in making a choice] by virtue of Your knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your great bounty. You have power, I have none. And You know, I know not. You are the Knower of hidden things. O Allaah, if in Your knowledge, this matter (then it should be mentioned by name) is good for me both in this world and in the Hereafter (or: in my religion, my livelihood and my affairs), then ordain it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge it is bad for me and for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs (or: for me both in this world and the next), then turn me away from it, [and turn it away from me], and ordain for me the good wherever it may be and make me pleased with it.”

(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 6841; similar reports are also recorded by al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa’i, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah and Ahmad).

Ibn Hijr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, commenting on this hadeeth:

“Istikhaarah is a word which means asking Allaah to help one make a choice, meaning choosing the best of two things where one needs to choose one of them.

Concerning the phrase ‘The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to teach us to make istikhaarah in all things,’ Ibn Abi Jamrah said: ‘It is a general phrase which refers to something specific. With regard to matters that are waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb (liked or encouraged), there is no need for istikhaarah to decide whether to do them, and with regard to matters that are haraam (forbidden) or makrooh (disliked), there is no need for istikhaarah to decide whether to avoid them. The issue of istikhaarah is confined to matters that are mubaah (allowed), or in mustahabb matters when there is a decision to be made as to which one should be given priority.’ I say: it refers to both great and small matters, and probably an insignificant issue could form the groundwork for a big issue.

The phrase ‘If any one of you is concerned…’ appears in the version narrated by Ibn Mas’ood as: ‘if any one of you wants to do something…’

‘Let him pray two rak’ahs of non-obligatory prayer.’ This is mentioned to make it clear that it does not mean fajr prayer, for example. Al-Nawawi said in al-Adhkaar: He can pray istikaarah after two rak’ahs of regular sunnah prayer done at zuhr for example, or after two rak’ahs of any naafil prayers whether they are regularly performed or not… It seems to be the case that if he made the intention to pray istikhaarah at the same time as intending to pray that particular prayer, this is fine, but not if he did not have this intention.

Ibn Abi Jamrah said: The wisdom behind putting the salaat before the du’aa’ is that istikhaarah is intended to combine the goodness of this world with the goodness of the next. A person needs to knock at the door of the King (Allaah), and there is nothing more effective for this than prayer, because it contains glorification and praise of Allaah, and expresses one's need for Him at all times.

The phrase ‘then let him say’ would seem to imply that the du’aa’ should be said after finishing the prayer, and the word thumma (then) probably means after reciting all the words of the salaat and before saying salaam.

The phrase ‘O Allaah, I seek Your guidance by virtue of Your knowledge’ is explaining ‘because You know best.’ Similarly, ‘by virtue of Your power’ most likely means ‘seeking Your help.’ ‘I seek ability’ (astaqdiruka) means ‘I ask You to give me the power or ability (qudrah) to do’ whatever is being asked for, or it probably means ‘I ask You to decree (tuqaddir) this for me.’ So it may mean making it easy.

‘I ask You of Your great bounty’ refers to the fact that Allaah gives out of His great generosity, but no one has the right to His blessings. This is the opinion of Ahl al-Sunnah.

‘You have power, I have none. And You know, I know not’ refers to the fact that power and knowledge belong to Allaah alone, and the slave has no share of them except what Allaah decrees for him.

‘O Allaah, if in Your knowledge this matter…’ According to one report, he should mention it by name. It is apparent from the context that he should state it, but it is probably sufficient to be thinking of the matter whilst making this du’aa’.

‘Then ordain it for me’ means ‘make it happen for me’ or it may mean ‘make it easy for me.’

‘Then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it’ means ‘so that my heart will no longer feel attached to it after it has been turned away.’

‘Make me pleased with it’ means ‘make me content with it, so that I will never regret asking for it or be sorry that it happened, because I do not know how it will turn out, even if at the time of asking I am pleased with it.’

The secret is that one’s heart should not be attached to the matter in question, because that will result in a person becoming restless. Being pleased with something means that one’s heart is content with the decree of Allaah.

(Summarized from the commentary of al-Haafiz Ibn Hijr (may Allaah have mercy on him) on the hadeeth in Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab al-Da’waat and Kitaab al-Tawheed.).

💌↪↪ Your question:
What is the etiquette of making du’aa’ and what are the obligatory duties and Sunnahs thereof? How should it start and how should it end? Can we ask for worldly things before asking with regard to the Hereafter?
How correct is it to raise the hands when making du’aa’, and how should it be done if it is correct?

Answer:
👇👇👇

Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:

Allaah loves to be asked, and He encourages that in all things. He is angry with the one who does not ask of Him and He encourages His slaves to ask of Him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And your Lord said: “Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation)”

[Ghaafir 40:60]

Du’aa’ is very important in Islam, so much so that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Du’aa’ is worship.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3372; Abu Dawood, 1479; Ibn Maajah, 3828; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2590.

Secondly:

The etiquette of du’aa’:

1 – The one who is making du’aa’ should believe in Tawheed with regard to the divinity, Lordship, names and attributes of Allaah. His heart should be filled with Tawheed. In order for Allaah to respond to the du’aa’, it is essential that the person should be responding to his Lord by obeying Him and not disobeying Him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright”

[al-Baqarah 2:186]

2 – Sincerity towards Allaah alone in making du’aa’. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)”

[al-Bayyinah 98:5]

Du’aa’ is worship, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, so sincerity (ikhlaas) is a condition of its being accepted.

3 – We should ask of Allaah by His most beautiful names. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names”

[al-A’raaf 7:180]

4 – We should praise Allaah as He deserves before we call upon Him. Al-Tirmidhi (3476) narrated that Fadaalah ibn ‘Ubayd (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: Whilst the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sitting, a man came in and prayed and said, “O Allaah, forgive me and have mercy on me.” The Messenger of Allaah (S) said, “You have been too hasty, O worshipper. When you have prayed and are sitting, praise Allaah as He deserves to be praised, and send blessings upon me, then call upon Him.” According to another version (3477): “When one of you prays, let him start with praise of Allaah, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then let him ask whatever he likes after that.” Then another man prayed after that, and he praised Allaah and sent blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O worshipper, ask and you will be answered.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2765, 2767.

5 – Sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every du’aa’ is kept back until you send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).” Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat, 1/220; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4399.

6 – Facing towards the qiblah. Muslim (1763) narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) looked at the mushrikeen, who were one thousand strong, and his companions numbered three hundred and nineteen. Then the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned to face the qiblah, then he stretched forth his hands and started to cry out to his Lord: “O Allaah, grant me what You have promised me, O Allaah, give me what You have promised me. O Allaah, if this small band of Muslims perishes, You will not be worshipped on earth.” He kept on crying out to his Lord, stretching forth his hands, facing towards the qiblah, until his cloak fell from his shoulders…

al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim: This shows that it is mustahabb to face towards the qiblah when making du’aa’, and to raise the hands.

7 – Raising the hands. Abu Dawood (1488) narrated that Salmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Your Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, is Kind and Most Generous, and He is too kind to let His slave, if he raises his hands to Him, bring them back empty.” Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1320.

The palm of the hand should be raised heavenwards, in the manner of a humble beggar who hopes to be given something. Abu Dawood (1486) narrated from Maalik ibn Yasaar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “When you ask of Allaah, ask of Him with the palms of your hands, not with the backs of them.” Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1318.

Should the hands be held together when raising them or should there be a gap between them?

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) stated in al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (4/25) that they should be held together. What he said is: “As for separating them and holding them far apart from one another, there is no basis for that in the Sunnah or in the words of the scholars.” End quote.

8 – Having certain faith that Allaah will respond, and focusing with proper presence of mind, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Call upon Allaah when you are certain of a response, and remember that Allaah will not answer a du’aa’ that comes from a negligent and heedless heart.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3479; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 2766.

9 – Asking frequently. A person should ask his Lord for whatever he wants of the good things in this world and the Hereafter, and he should beseech Allaah in du’aa’, and not seek a hasty response, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The slave will receive a response so long as his du’aa’ does not involve sin or severing of family ties, and so long as he is not hasty.” It was said, “What does being hasty mean?” He said: “When he says, ‘I made du’aa’ and I made du’aa’, and I have not seen any response,’ and he gets frustrated and stops making du’aa’.” Narrated by al-Bukahari, 6340; Muslim, 2735.

10. He should be firm in his du’aa’, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one of you should say, ‘O Allaah, forgive me if You wish, O Allaah, have mercy on me if You wish’; he should be firm in his asking, for Allaah cannot be compelled.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6339; Muslim, 2679.

11 – Beseeching, humility, hope and fear. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret”

[al-A’raaf 7:55]

“Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us”

[al-Anbiya’ 21:60]

“And remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and with fear and without loudness in words in the mornings and in the afternoons”

[al-A’raaf 7:205]

12 – Saying du’aa’s three times. Al-Bukhaari (240) and Muslim (1794) narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Whilst the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was praying at the Ka’bah, Abu Jahl and his companions were sitting nearby. They had slaughtered a camel the previous day, and Abu Jahl said: “Which of you will go and get the abdominal contents of the camel of Banu So and so and put it on the back of Muhammad when he prostrates?” The worst of the people went and got it, and when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prostrated, he placed it between his shoulders. They started laughing, leaning against one another. I was standing there watching, and if I had had any power, I would have lifted it from the back of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) remained in prostration, not lifting his head, until someone went and told Faatimah. She came with Juwayriyah, and lifted it from him, then she turned to them and rebuked them. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had finished his prayer, he raised his voice and prayed against them – and when he made du’aa’ or asked of Allaah he would repeat it three times – and he said: “O Allaah, punish Quraysh” three times. When they heard his voice, they stopped laughing and were afraid because of his du’aa’. Then he said, “O Allaah, punish Abu Jahl ibn Hishaam, ‘Utbah ibn Rabee’ah, Shaybah ibn Rabee’ah, al-Waleed ibn ‘Uqbah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf and ‘Uqbah ibn Abu Mu’ayt,” and he mentioned the seventh but I cannot remember who it was. By the One Who sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with the truth, I saw those whom he had named slain on the day of Badr, then they were dragged and thrown into the well, the well of Badr.

13 – Ensuring that one’s food and clothing are good (i.e., halaal). Muslim (1015) narrated that 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 does not accept anything but that which is good. Allaah enjoins upon the believers the same as He enjoined upon 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 travels for a long distance and is disheveled and dusty, and he stretches forth his hands towards heaven saying, ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ but his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, his clothing is haraam, he has been nourished with haraam, so how can he be responded to?

Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Ensuring that one’s food, drink and clothing are halaal, and that one is nourished with halaal, is a means of having one’s du’aa’ answered. End quote.

14 – Saying du’aa’ silently and not out loud. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret”

[al-A’raaf 7:55]

And Allaah praised His slave Zakariyyah (peace be upon him) by saying (interpretation of the meaning):

“When he called to his Lord (Allaah) a call in secret”

[Maryam 19:3]