Series: Prayers of the Pious

In this episode, Sh. Omar Suleiman goes over a narration that gives us insight into some do’s and don’ts of du’a, especially about praying for patience.

[ Day 20 Du’a ]

حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي الْوَرْدِ، عَنِ اللَّجْلاَجِ، عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ، قَالَ سَمِعَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَجُلاً يَدْعُو يَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ تَمَامَ النِّعْمَةِ . فَقَالَ ” أَىُّ شَيْءٍ تَمَامُ النِّعْمَةِ ” . قَالَ دَعْوَةٌ دَعَوْتُ بِهَا أَرْجُو بِهَا الْخَيْرَ . قَالَ ” فَإِنَّ مِنْ تَمَامِ النِّعْمَةِ دُخُولَ الْجَنَّةِ وَالْفَوْزَ مِنَ النَّارِ ” . وَسَمِعَ رَجُلاً وَهُوَ يَقُولُ يَا ذَا الْجَلاَلِ وَالإِكْرَامِ فَقَالَ ” قَدِ اسْتُجِيبَ لَكَ فَسَلْ ” . وَسَمِعَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَجُلاً وَهُوَ يَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الصَّبْرَ . فَقَالَ ” سَأَلْتَ اللَّهَ الْبَلاَءَ فَسَلْهُ الْعَافِيَةَ ” 

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنِ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ 

Mu`adh bin Jabal narrated that the Prophet heard a man supplicating, saying: “O Allah! Verily, I ask You for the bounty’s completion (Allāhumma, innī as’aluka tamāman-ni`mah).” So he said: “What thing is the bounty’s completion?” He said: “A supplication that I made, that I hope for good by it.” He said: “Indeed, part of the bounty’s completion is the entrance into Paradise, and salvation from the Fire.” And he heard a man while he was saying: “O Possessor of Majesty and Honor (Yā Dhal-Jalāli wal- Ikrām)” So he said: “You have been responded to, so ask.” And the Prophet heard a man while he was saying: “O Allah, indeed, I ask You for patience (Allāhumma, innī as’alukaṣ-ṣabr)” He said: “You have asked Allah for trial, so ask him for Al-`Āfiyah.”

This reminder especially applies to those in the public eye. Sh. Omar Suleiman discusses the dangers of destructive praise and the prayer Abu Bakr made to avoid it.

[ Day 19 Du’a ]

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِى خَيْرًا مِمَّا يَظُنُّونَ وَاغْفِرْ لِى مَا لَا يَعْلَمُونَ وَلَا تُؤَاخِذْنِى بِمَا يَقُولُون

“O Allah, make me better than what they think of me, and forgive me for what they do not know about me, and do not take me to account for what they say about me.”

Be grateful to Allah and remember the promises you make to Him. Sh. Omar Suleiman explains this lesson through the prayer of Uwais al-Qarni.

[ Day 18 Du’a ]

“Oh Allah cure all of my leprosy except for the space of a coin.”

A du’a from an unknown Bedouin who called to Allah with so much praise he amazed the Prophet ﷺ.

[ Day 17 Du’a ]

يَا مِنْ لا تَرَاهُ العُيُوْنُ، وَلا تُخَالِطُهُ الظُّنُوْنُ، وَلا يَصِفُهُ الوَاصِفُوْنَ، وَلا تُغَيِّرُهُ الحَوَادِثَ، وَلا يَخْشَى الدَّوَائِرَ، يَعْلَمُ مَثَاقِيْلَ الجِبَالِ، وَمَكايِيْلَ البِحَارِ، وَعَدَدَ قَطَرِ الأَمْطَارِ، وَعَدَدَ وَرَقِ الأَشْجَارِ، وَعَدَدَ مَا أَظْلَمَ عَلَيْهِ اللَّيْلُ وَأَشْرَقَ عَلَيْهِ النَّهَارُ، وَلا تُوَارِيْ مِنْهُ سَمَاءٌ سَمَاءً، وَلا أَرْضٌ أَرْضاً، وَلا بَحَرٌ مَا فِيْ قَعْرِهِ، وِلا جَبَلٌ مَا فِيْ وَعْرِهِ، اجْعَلْ خَيْرَ عُمْرِيْ آخِرَهُ، وَخَيْرَ عَمَلَيْ خَوَاتِيْمَهُ، وَخَيْرَ أَيَّامِيْ يِوْمَ أَلقاكَ فِيْهِ

“Oh He whom the eyes do not see, nor can be mixed with doubts, nor can be described by any who describe, nor is changed by any events, nor fears any officer, who knows the weights of the mountains, the measurements of the seas, the number of raindrops, the number of leaves on trees, and the number of whatever is shrouded in the darkness of night and brightened by the light of day, for whom no heaven or earth is concealed, nor a sea in its depths, nor a mountain in its ruggedness! Make the best of my life the end of it, the best of my deeds the last of them, and the best of my days the Day I meet You.”

Sh. Omar Suleiman reflects upon the story of a burning town, and the power of making du’a with conviction and trust in Allah.

[ Day 16 Du’a ]

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

“In the name of Allah; with His name, nothing whatsoever on earth or heaven can inflict any harm; He is All-Hearing and All-Knowing.”

 

Sh. Omar Suleiman reflects upon a tree’s prayer and the beauty of prostration.

[ Day 15 Du’a ]

اللّهُمّ اكتُبْ لي بِهَا عِنْدَكَ أَجْراً، وَضَعْ عَنِّيْ بِهَا وِزْراً، وَاجْعَلْهَا لِيْ عِندَكَ ذُخْراً، وَتَقَبّلْهَا مِنِّيْ كَمَا تَقَبَّلْتَهَا مِنْ عَبْدِكَ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلاةُ والسَّلامُ

“O Allah, write for me a reward with You because of it (the prostration), and remove from me a sin because of it, and stow it for me as a treasure with You, and accept it from me as You accepted it from Your servant David (Dawud), upon him be blessings and peace.”

This prayer is about acknowledging to Allah the bad deeds we have done to invoke the good that He can bring to us.

[ Day 14 Du’a ]

اللَّهُمَّ لا تَحْرِمْنِي خَيْرَ مَا عِنْدَكَ لِشَرِّ مَا عِنْدِي

“O Allah dont forbid me from the good you have, for the evil I have.”

Sh. Omar Suleiman covers the prayer of Salaam ibn Mutee’, whose du’a encourages us to have faith that Allah is capable of granting you the best of this life and the next.

[ Day 13 Du’a]

اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ بَلَغْتَ أَحَداً مِنْ عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِيْنَ دَرَجَةً بِبَلَاءٍ فَبَلِّغْنِيْهَا بِالعَافِيَةِ

“O Allah, if you have granted any righteous servant of Yours a station because of a trial they faced, then grant it to me while sparing me that trial.”

Sh. Omar Suleiman relates a previous du’a to the prayer of another great man. Where ibn al-Jawzi worried his students would not find him in paradise, al-Mutarraf ibn Abdullah worried he would be made into a bad example for others.

[ Day 12 Du’a]

اللَّهُمَّ لا تَجْعَلْنِيْ عِبْرَةً لِغَيْرِيْ ، وَلا تَجْعَلْ أَحَداً أَسْعَدَ بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنِيْ مِنِّيْ

“O Allah, do not make a lesson out of me for others, and do not let there be anyone who benefits more than me from what You’ve taught me.”

A du’a from Imam ibn al-Jawzi encourages us to do good and to share knowledge, then invoke Allah with our good deeds in prayer.

[ Day 11 Du’a]

إِلَهِيْ لَا تُعَذِّبْ لِسَاناً يُخْبِرُ عَنْكَ، وَلا عَيْناً تَنْظُرُ إِلَى عُلُوْمٍ تَدُلُّ عَلَيْكَ ، وَلا يَداً تَكْتُبُ حَدِيْثَ رَسُوْلِكَ؛ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لا تُدْخِلَنِي النَّارَ

“My God, do not punish a tongue that informs about You, nor an eye that looks upon (Islamic) sciences which point to You, nor a hand that writes the traditions of Your Messenger. So by Your honor, do not admit me into the Fire.”