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breaking off ties of the womb (breaking off ties from relatives), and as long as he does not rush.”

It was said, ““O Messenger of Allah, and what is rushing?” He said,

fara “He (the slave of Allah) says, ‘I supplicated and I supplicated,

Chapter - 22 The Manners Of Supplication 491

but I did not see my [supplications] answered; at that point he becomes weary and forsakes supplication.’"")

Related Issue: Abu Sa’eed # reported that the Prophet 2 said, wi ast Sy pos ea VS ph Gs ash Bi st ye oD Wek SF ty ayes

“No Muslim invokes with a supplication that doesn’t contain sin or the severing of ties with relatives, except that Allah gives him one of three things for it: either He will quicken [the answer] of his supplication, or He will save it for him in the Hereafter, or He will ward off from him an evil that is equal to it.” The Companions said, ‘Then we will [invoke] even more.” He #% said, “Allah [answers] more [than you invoke] (This is another possible meaning: What Allah 3 gives you from His favor and generosity and kindness is more than what He 8€ gives you in return for your supplications. Scholars have mentioned other possible meanings as well).’"7)

Second Related Issue: The answer to one’s supplication might be delayed due to some wisdom that is hidden to him, but that Allah 3€ knows. Every slave of Allah 3 should therefore realize that Allah’s choice for him is better than his choice for his own self. If one invokes his Lord, if one continues to persistently invoke Him, if one invokes with humility, and if one avoids those matters that prevent his supplications from being answered, then he should not become impatient when the answer to his supplication is delayed.

Even when a suppliant does all that is required of him for his supplication to be answered, he still might not get what he asked

"I Related by Bukhaaree, Muslim (2735), Ahmad (9939), At-Tirmidhee (3387), Abu Daawood (1484), Ibn Maajah (3853), and Maalik (495). And the above-mentioned wording is from Muslim’s narration of the hadith.

! Related by Ahmad (10794).

for. This does not mean that Allah 3 does not love him. Tbraaheem #4 asked for his father to be forgiven, and Nooh #3 asked for his son to be saved; yet the supplications of these two noble Messengers were not answered. Allah 4€ willed for something else to happen, and because of a wisdom that He 4 knows, He 3€ didn’t give them what they asked for. Allah 4¢ is the Creator of all creation; all of creation is under His dominion and control. That being the case, one should not become impatient or forsake invoking Allah 4; rather, he should continue and persist in his supplications, knowing that the act of supplication is worship, for which he will be rewarded.

21) Eating From Unlawfully Derived Wealth Prevents One’s Supplications From Being Answered

Abu Hurairah 4 related that the Messenger of Allah #¢ said, SA ty Seehdhi saf at Oy ch YY Se Yoh al by 01 gh

“O people, verily Allah is Tayyib (Good, Pure), and He accepts only that which is Tayyib (good and pure). And Allah gave the believers the same command that He 8% ordered the Messengers with: “‘O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayibaat [all kinds of Halal (legal) foods which Allah has made legal (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits, etc.J, and do righteous deeds. Verily! I am WellAcquainted with what you do.’’ (Quran 23:51)

And Allah said, deb e535 € ale tabs 25 655 Gt J 4 WAY SEE JE ssl Bibs piss hacky ts Sky

“O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided

Chapter - 22 The Manners Of Supplication 493

you with.” (Quran 2:172) The Prophet # then mentioned the man who was on a long journey, whose hair was disheveled, and who was dust-covered. That man extended his hands to the sky [and said], “O my Lord, O my Lord,” but his food was Haram (unlawful), his drink was Haram, and his clothing was Haram: “So then how could his [supplications] have been answered,"

“So then how could his supplications have been answered,” means, how could a person of that description hope for his supplications to be answered.

Consider his outward description: he had endured the hardship of a long journey; his hair was disheveled; his feet and body were dust-covered; and he raised his hands, asking of his Lord. A person of that description should be very hopeful of having his supplications answered. Yet the suppliant in question had an added element to his description, one that was not visibly perceivable on his person: he ate from Haram (unlawful) sources, and from the evil effects of eating from unlawful sources is being prevented from having one’s supplications answered.

22) Times, Places, And Situations Wherein One's Supplications Are Most-Likely To Be Answered

a) During the last third of the night: Among the authentic narrations that prove this point, is the hadith of Abu Hurairah , who related that the Messenger of of Allah # said,

“Our Lord, Tabaaraka Wa-Ta’aalah (Blessed and Exalted is He!), descends every night to the lowest heaven, when the last third of the night remains. He says, ‘Who will invoke Me, so that I will answer him. Who will ask Me, so that I will give him. And who

'] Related by Muslim (1015), Ahmad (8148), At-Tirmidhee (2989), and AdDaarimee (2717).

will ask forgiveness from me, so that I will forgive him.’

b) While one is prostrating: Abu Hurairah 4 related that the Messenger of Allah #% said,

“The closest a slave is to his Lord occurs when he is prostrating; so supplicate much [while you are prostrating].’")

A slave of Allah is closest to his Lord while he is prostrating perhaps because of the servitude, the submission, the humility, and the poverty that are all implied by the position of prostration, meanings that are not found to the same degree in any other position. A person who prostrates places his forehead on the same ground that people walk on, yet that does not bother him. In that position of humility and lowness, he verbally acknowledges the perfection of Allah %é, saying, “Subhaana Rabbiyal ‘Aalaa (How perfect Allah is, the Most-High!).” Being in such a position, the suppliant is the closest he becomes to his Lord, and is therefore likely to have his supplications answered. And Allah 8 knows best.

c) Between the Adhaan and the Iqaamah: Anas Ibn Maalik 4 reported that the Prophet 3 said,

BBY OB gh 33 VY ten

Chapter - 22 The Manners Of Supplication 495

d) On Friday, during an hour wherein supplications are answered: Abu Hurairah & reported that the Messenger of Allah #8 mentioned Friday and then said,

“During it there is an hour - no Muslim is in harmony with it as he stands, praying and asking Allah, the Exalted, for something, except that He (Allah) gives it to him.”

The Prophet # then signaled with his hand, indicated how short that [special] period of time is.)

Related Issue: “An hour” does not necessarily mean ‘hour’ in the commonly used sense - sixty minutes. In fact, scholars greatly disagree about when exactly the aforementioned hour is; Ibn Hajr enumerated 42 different opinions. Two of those views stand out as being strongest and best supported by proofs. According to the first view, the hour begins when the Imam sits down (for the Friday sermon) until the time that the Friday (Jumu‘ah) prayer ends. Abu Burdah, the son of Abu Moosa AlAsh’aree 4, said, “Abdullah Ibn ‘Umar & said to me, ‘Did you hear your father relate anything from the Messenger of Allah #¢ about the hour of Jumu’ah (Friday).’ I said, ‘Yes, I heard him say: 1 heard the Messenger of Allah #% say:

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“Tt is from when the Imam sits down until the prayer (i.e., the Jumu’ah prayer) ends’

And according to the second view, it is the last hour of Friday (meaning, the hour before sunset on Friday; what follows sunset on Friday, according to the Islamic meaning, is referred to as the

{1 Related by Bukhaaree (935), Muslim (852), Ahmad (7111), An-Nassaaee (1431), Abu Daawood (1046), At-Tirmidhee (491), Ibn Maajah (1137), and Maalik (242). At-Tirmidhee said, “This hadith is Hasan sahih.”

"1 Related by Muslim (853) and Abu Daawood (1049).

night of Saturday). Jaabir Ibn ‘Abdullah # related that the Messenger of Allah 2 said,

“The day of Friday is 12 - he #% means one of those hours ~ and there is no Muslim who asks Allah (during that hour) ‘Azza WaJall (The Possessor of Might and Majesty) for something, except

that Allah ‘Azza Wa-Jall gives to him, so search out for it in the last hour after Al-‘Asr. va

Ibn Al-Qayyim combined the two views when he said: “Both (both during the Jumu’ah prayer - from when the Imam sits until the prayer is over - and the last hour of the day) are hours wherein supplications are answered, even though the specified hour is the hour after ‘Asr, for it is a specific time during the day that does not vary. Conversely, the hour of the [Jumu’ah] prayer varies in its time, yet it too is an hour wherein supplications are answered. Muslims gather, pray, and beseech Allah 4 with humility, and all of that makes it more likely that their supplications will be answered. Hence, the different Ahadeeth are in harmony with one another; the Prophet # exhorted his Nation to supplicate and sincerely beseech Allah # during the aforesaid two hours.”

Ibn Hajr said, ‘This is similar to the saying of Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr: one should strive to supplicate during the said two times. And before him, Imam Ahmad said the same. This view is best because it combines the meanings [of different Ahadeeth, as opposed to ruling by one and disregarding the others]. Ibn AlMuneer said, ‘It becomes known, then, that the benefit of not specifying the exact hour is so that people will pray and supplicate often [in the hope of finding that hour]. If the hour