time to answer me. I am an ordinary Muslim; I donot have great faith
or weak faith. I do the obligatory duties with some shortcomings - and
I hope that Allaah will forgive me - and I do some of the Sunnahs.I
believe in the divine will and decree, both good and bad. About seven
years ago I suffered great distress because of a calamity - which I
will not trouble you with - but I will tell you honestly that
initially I panicked, and Iwas filled with despair, but after
approximately one year Allaah guided me, and good people taught me
that there was something good in it, by Allaah's leave. Theytold me
that the calamity was either because of a sin that I had committed or
it wasa test from Allaah, and they advised me to call upon Allaah
(du'aa') andask for forgiveness, and to ask of Allaah from his bounty,
and to seek to draw closer to Him by means of His beautiful names and
sublime attributes, and to do a lot of good deeds, and that by
Allaah's leave myrequest would never be rejected, and that Allaahwould
answer my prayers. I did all of that, although I do not say that I did
it perfectly, but I did the best I could. I said a lot of du'aa' and
did a lot of good deeds, and I repented to Allaah sincerely from all
my sins, and I asked Allaah to relieve my distress and take away my
worry. I prayed to Allaahfor guidance (istikhaarah) before doing some
things in mylife so that my affairs would be set straight, but after
doing all these things, my worry and distress only increased, and the
calamities and grief grew worse. All thethings about which I prayed
istikhaarah failed, and brought me trouble. All doors were closed in
my face. Allaahforbid that I should complain about Allaah to you,
rather I complain about my sorrow and grief to Allaah. But I want to
know why Allaah did not answer me? And why did I not succeed inany of
my worldly affairs, even though I took the necessary means and put my
trust in Allaah, and I did not do anything without praying istikhaarah
beforehand, and Allaah helps the kaafir in his worldly affairs if he
takes the necessary means. I do not eat haraam things and I do not
intend to do bad things to anyone and I pray for everyone to be
guided. I heard one of the Shaykhs telling the story of Pharaoh and he
said that Allaah said to Moosa: "By My Might and Majesty, if he had
asked Me to save him I would have saved him." Some questions began to
form in my mind: Am Imore insignificant before Allaah that Pharaoh,
even though I have not committed the sins that he did? If that is not
the case, then why is Allaah testing me with these trials even though
I do not have a lot of faith? If the reason is my sins, then I have
repented from all sins, and I have said a lot of du'aa'. If Allaah
wants to raise me in status in Paradise thereby, how can that be when
Allaah knows that I am not able to bear this trial?
Many questions are going around in my mind, they are haunting me and I
cannot find anyanswer. In fact my resolve has started to failand my
faith is beginning to weaken, and I feel very distressedabout
everything in this world. I can no longer bear this burden. It has
gone on too long and I am filled with deep despair and doubt is
entering my heart. Were it not that Allaah has forbidden suicide, I
would have done it and given myself a break. I apologize for going on
at such length.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We ask Allaah to accept your repentance and forgive your sin, and to
help you to do that which He loves and which pleases Him.
Secondly:
Undoubtedly there is some error in your understanding of the issue of
du'aa' and response and calamity. What you are suffering from is
something natural, if you do not have a proper understanding of these
and similar matters. We empathize with you and feel your pain, and we
hope that you will pay attention to what we are going to explain to
you, and follow it. We see from your letter that you are prepared to
accept what we want to tell you, and this had encouraged us to write
back to you and tell you what will be good for you in this world and
in the Hereafter.
Thirdly:
Many people think that all they have to do is to declare their
repentanceto their Lord, then they will immediately have it easy and
be relieved of trouble, and wealth will come to them, and they will
live a life of luxury! But none of that is necessarily the case.
Rather there is a test andtrial of this person's repentance: is it
sincere or not? Is it for the sake of Allaah or not? All of that means
he will face anew test. Indeed the purpose and wisdom behind this life
is that it is a test and trial. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Verily, We have created man from Nutfah (drops)of mixed semen (sexual
discharge of man and woman), in order to try him, so We made him
hearer and seer"
[al-Insaan 76:2]
If he understands this fact, then he should surrender in his heart to
his Lord and accept it, but if he does not understand that, then
hewill not be able to surrender in his heart to his Lord, even if he
seems to have surrendered outwardly. Hence it was narrated that some
of the salaf said: "If the kings and sons of kings knew whatjoy we
experience, they would fight us for it with their swords." Whatjoy
could be referred to here? It is the joy of the heart that has certain
faith in its Lord, may He be exalted, and the joy of obeying Him and
the happiness of drawing closer to Him, even if they were going
through hardships. This is the measure of a goodlife, as Allaah says
in His Holy Book, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Whoever works righteousness -- whether male or female -- while he (or
she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will
give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful
provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to
the best ofwhat they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)"
[al-Nahl 16:97]
Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaanal-Sa'di (may Allaah havemercy on him) said:
The one who combines faith and good deeds, "to him We will give a good
life" by giving himtranquillity in his heart and peace of mind, and by
causing him not to pay any attention to thatwhich could disturb his
heart. Allaah will grant him a goodly provision from sources he could
not imagine, and "We shall pay them certainly"in the Hereafter "a
reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do", all kinds
of delight such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard and it has not
crossed the mind of any man. So Allaah will give him good in this
world and good in the Hereafter.Tafseer al-Sa'di(p. 448).
With regard to others, such as the kuffaar and sinners, listen to what
Allaah says about them (interpretation of the meaning):
"But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in
this Qur'aan nor acts on its teachings) verily, for him is a life of
hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection"
[Ta-Ha 20:124]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"But whosoever turns away from My Reminder" means: goes against My
command and that which I have revealed toMy Messenger, and turns away
from it and ignores it, and follows something other than itsguidance,
"verily, for him is a life of hardship"i.e., in this world, so he will
have no tranquillity or peace of mind, rather he will be in a state of
anxiety because of his misguidance, even if he appears outwardly to
beliving a life of luxury, wearing what he wants, eating what he
wants, living where he wants, but so long as his heart has no certain
faith and is not guided, then he will be in a state of anxiety and
confusion and doubt, and he will remain doubtful and hesitant. This is
part of the life of hardship.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer(5/322, 323)
Is it in any way wise or reasonable to give up that which Allaah has
given you of different kinds of worship, and has honoured you with
belief in it, because you are deceived by the easeand ample provision
enjoyed by the kuffaar in this world?
"Do they think that in wealth and children with which We enlarge them
56. We hasten unto themwith good things. Nay, [it is a Fitnah (trial)
in this worldly life so that they will have no share of good things in
the Hereafter] but they perceive not"
[al-Mu'minoon 23:55]
Moreover you are ignoring the clear evidence in the Book of Allaah and
the Sunnah ofHis Messenger about du'aa' and its great importance, and
the causes of it being answered, and you are focussing on things such
as the phrase "By My Might and Majesty, if he had asked Me to save him
I would have saved him" which is more akin to the words of story
tellers and reports from the Children of Israel.
Even if we assume it is sound, is simply getting what one wants in
this world of good living andample provision a sign that he is
accepted by his Lord?
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"As for man, when his Lord tries him by giving him honour and
bounties, then he says (in exultation): "My Lord has honoured me."
16. But when He tries him by straitening his means of life, he says:
"My Lord has humiliated me!"
17. Nay! But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity
(i.e. you neither treat them well, nor give themtheir exact right of
inheritance)!
18. And urge not one another on the feeding of Al-Miskeen (the poor)!
19. And you devour the inheritance -- all with greed.
20. And you love wealth with much love.
21. Nay! When the earth is ground to powder.
22. And your Lord comes with the angels in rows.
23. And Hell will be brought near that Day. On that Day will man
remember, but how will that remembrance (then) avail him?
24. He will say: "Alas! Would that I had sent forth (good deeds) for
(this) my life!"
25. So on that Day none will punish as He will punish.
26. And none will bind (the wicked, disbelieversand polytheists) as He
will bind"
[al-Fajr 89:15-26]
Even if we assume that this provision came to him after a great deal
of du'aa', does this indicatethat this person is acceptable and
pleasing to his Lord?
"He it is Who enables you to travel through land and sea, till when
you are in the ships, and they sail with them with a favourable wind,
and they are glad therein, then comes a stormy wind and the waves come
to them from all sides, and they think that they are encircled
therein. Then they invoke Allaah, making their Faith pure for Him
Alone, (saying): "If You (Allaah) deliver us from this, we shall
truly, be of the grateful."
23. But when He deliversthem, behold! They rebel(disobey Allaah) in
the earth wrongfully. O mankind! Your rebellion (disobedience to
Allaah) is only against your ownselves, -- a brief enjoyment of this
worldly life, then (in the end) unto Us is your return, and We shall
inform you of that whichyou used to do"
[Yoonus 10:22-23]
Shaykh Ibn al-Sa'di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
They understood that they were doomed, so they ended their dependence
on created beings and they realizedthat no one could save them from
this hardship except Allaah alone, so they called upon Him, making
their Faith pure for Him Alone and promising that they would adhere to
that, and they said: "If You (Allaah) deliver us from this, we shall
truly, be of the grateful" but "whenHe delivers them, behold! They
rebel (disobey Allaah) in the earth wrongfully" i.e., they forget that
hardship and that du'aa', and what they committed themselves to, and
they associate others with Allaah whomthey acknowledge cannot save
them from hardships or protect them from difficulty. Why are they not
sinceretowards Allaah in worship in times of ease as they are at times
of hardship?
But they will face the consequences of their rebellion, hence Allaah
says: "Your rebellion (disobedience to Allaah) is only against your
ownselves, -- a brief enjoyment of this worldly life" i.e., everything
that you hope when you rebel and turn away from Allaah, is to make
some worldly gains, which willsoon come to an end, then you will leave
thembehind: "then (in the end) unto Us is your return" on the Day of
Resurrection, "and We shall inform you of that which you used to do".
This is the ultimate warning to them againstpersisting in what they
are doing. End quote.Tafseer al-Sa'di(361).
Think about the meaning of the words ofAllaah (interpretation of the meaning):
"Whoever desires the quick-passing (transitory enjoyment of this
world), We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then,
afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will burn therein
disgraced and rejected __far away from Allaah's Mercy).
19. And whoever desires the Hereafter and strivesfor it, with the
necessaryeffort due for it (i.e. does righteous deeds of Allaah's
obedience) while he is a believer (in the Oneness of Allaah __ Islâmic
Monotheism) -- then such are the ones whose striving shall be
appreciated, (thanked and rewarded by Allaah).
20. On each __ these as well as those __We bestow from the Bounties of
your Lord. And the Bounties of yourLord can never be forbidden.
21. See how We prefer one above another (in this world), and verily,
the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in preferment"
[al-Isra' 17:18-21]
You should understand that the matter is not as you think, that the
one who gets his share or has his du'aa' answered is better, and that
the one who does not get anything is of lesser status. No, it is not
like that.
Fourthly:
Many people are mistaken about the issueof du'aa' in many ways. With
regard to your question we want to point out two mistakes:
1 - You think that du'aa' is answered just becauseyou say du'aa'. This
is wrong, because there are conditions for du'aa's to be answered and
there are impediments which prevent it from being answered.
For a detailed discussion concerning this matter, please see the
answer toquestion no. 5113.
In that discussion you will see that one of the impediments to du'aa'
being answered in your case is your being impatient and getting
frustrated.
It was narrated from AbuHurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "A person will still be
answered so long as his du'aa' does not involve sin or severing ties
of kinship, and so long as he does not become impatient." It was said:
O Messenger ofAllaah, what does being impatient mean? He said:
"Saying, I said du'aa', and I said du'aa', and I did not receive
anyresponse, then he becomes frustrated and stops saying du'aa'."
Narrated by Muslim (2735).
2 - You think that the response can only be of one kind, which is
getting what you asked for in du'aa' such as wealth, children, a job
and so on. This is wrong,because the response may be of three types:
it may be by getting what one asked for in du'aa', or it may be that
evil commensurate with one's du'aa' is warded off, or that may be
stored up for one as reward for the Day of Resurrection.
It was narrated from AbuSa'eed that the Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said:"There is no Muslim who does not offer any
du'aa' in which there is no sin or severing of family ties but Allaah
willgive him one of three things in return: either He will answer his
du'aa'sooner, or he will store itup for him in the Hereafter, or He
will divert an equivalent evil away from him because of it." They
said: "We willsay a lot of du'aa'." He said: "Allaah is more
generous." Narrated by Ahmad(10749), classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
inSaheeh al-Targheeb wa'l-Tarheeb(1633).
Fifthly:
If a Muslim is falling short in his worship and obedience, that should
make him feel that he is not worthy of having hisdu'aa' answered, and
perhaps that will motivate him to do moreacts of worship and obedience
that will bring him closer to Allaah. If the caller believes that he
has done that which Allaah loves and is pleased with, and that he
deserves an answer, thatwill make him think badly of his Lord, may
Hebe exalted, and will make him feel let down and begin to despair,
until he wishes that he could escape from life bycommitting suicide.
All of that, unfortunately, we can see in your words.
This is unlike the one who is aware of his shortcomings before his
Lord. This will make him think badly of himself, not of his Lord, may
He be glorified and exalted,and that will motivate him to keep away
from forbidden things and do obligatory things, and tofollow the path
of piety, and to avoid overindulging in permissible things whichmay
distract him from obeying his Lord.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: It was
narrated that 'Umar Ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: By avoiding that which Allaah has forbidden, Allaah will accept
du'aa' and tasbeeh. And it was narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: "The amount of du'aa' with righteousness that
is sufficient is like the amount of salt that is sufficient with
food." And Muhammad ibn Waasi' said: A little du'aa' is sufficient
with piety.
One of the salaf said: Do not expect a response when you have blocked
the way with sins. One ofthe poets also commented on this by saying:
We call upon Allaah for every hardship, then we forget Him when the
hardship is relieved.
How can we hope for an answer to our du'aa's, when we have blocked its
way with sins?
Jaami' al-'Uloom wa'l-Hukam(1/107, 108).
Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It was said to Ibraaheemibn Adham: Why is it thatwe supplicate and
receive no response?
He said because you know Allaah but you do not obey Him, and you know
the Messenger butyou do not follow his Sunnah, and you know the
Qur'aan but you do not act in accordance with it, and you eat fromthe
blessings of Allaah but you do not give thanks for them, and you know
Paradise but you do not seek it, and you know Hell but you do not flee
from it, and you know the shaytaan but you do not fight himrather you
agree with him, and you know death but you do not prepare for it, and
you have buried the dead but you do not learn a lesson from that, and
you ignore your own faults and are preoccupied with other people's
faults.
Tafseer al-Qurtubi(2/312).
Study this brilliant passage from the writings of Ibn al-Jawzi
concerning this matter. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
I think part of the test is when a believer supplicates and receives
no response, and he repeats the du'aa' for a long time and sees no
sign of a response. He should realize that this isa test and needs
patience.
What a person experiences of waswaas when the response is delayed is a
sickness which needs medicine, I have experienced this myself. A
calamity befell me and I supplicated and did not see any response, and
Iblees started to lay his traps. Sometimes he said : The generosity
(of Allaah) is abundant and He is not miserly, so why is there adelay?
I said to him: Be gone, O cursed one, for I have noneed of anyone to
arguemy case and I do not want you as a supporter!
Then I told myself: Beware of going along with his whispers, for if
there was no other reason for the delay except that Allaah is testing
you to see whether you will fight the enemy, that is sufficient
wisdom.
My soul (nafs) said: How could you explain the delay in the response
of Allaah to your prayers for relief from this calamity?
I said: It is proven with evidence that Allaah, may He be glorified
and exalted, is the Sovereign,and the Sovereign may withhold or give,
so there is no point in objecting to Him.
2 - The wisdom behind that is proven in definitive evidence. I may
think that something is good, but wisdom does not dictateit, but the
reason for that may be hidden, just as a doctor may do things that
appear outwardly to be harmful,intending some good purpose thereby.
Perhaps this is something of that nature.
3 - There may be an interest to be served by delay, and haste may be
harmful. The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"A person will be fine so long as he does not become impatient and
says, 'I prayed but I did not receive any answer.'"
4 - The response may be withheld because of some fault in you. Perhaps
there was something dubious in what you ate or your heart was heedless
at the time when you said the du'aa', or your punishment is being
increased by means of your need being withheld, because of some sin
from which youhave not repented sincerely.
So look for some of these reasons, so that you might achieve your aim.
5 - You should examine the intention behind thisrequest, because
attaining it may lead to more sin, or prevent youfrom doing some good,
so withholding it is better.
It was narrated that one of the salaf used to ask Allaah to help him
to go out on campaign, but a voice called out to him: If you go out on
campaign you will be taken prisoner, and if you are taken prisoner you
will become a Christian!
6 - Perhaps losing what you have missed out on will cause you to turn
to Allaah and getting it will distract you from Him. This is obvious,
based onthe fact that were it not for this calamity you would not have
turned to Him, because the real calamity is what distractsyou from
Him, but what makes you stand before Him is good for you and is in
your best interests.
If you ponder these things you will focus on what is more beneficial
for you, such as correcting a mistake or seeking forgiveness or
standing before Allaah and beseeching Him, and forget about what you
have missed out on .End quote.
Sayd al-Khaatir(59-60).
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
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