Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( اسلامی جمہوریۂ پاکستانBy PirMuhammad Amir Sultan Chishti

Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( اسلامی جمہوریۂ پاکستان ), is a country located in South Asia and the Greater Middle East. It has a 1046 kilometer coastline along the Arabian Sea in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and the People's Republic of China in the far northeast.
Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world and is the second most populous country with a Muslim majority. Its territory was a part of the pre-partitioned British India and has a long history of settlement and civilisation including the Indus Valley Civilisation. Most of it was conquered in the 1st millennium BCE by Persians and Greeks. Later arrivals include the Arabs, Afghans, Turks, Baloch and Mongols. The territory was incorporated into the British Raj in the nineteenth century. Since its independence, the country has experienced both periods of significant military and economic growth, and periods of instability, with the secession of East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh). Pakistan is a declared nuclear weapons state.
Etymology
It was coined in 1934 by Choudhary Rahmat Ali, who published it in the pamphlet Now
or Never. The name was coined from the names of five territories that were proposed as constituents of a separate country for the Muslims in British India, these territories were previously considered as Afghan or Persian domains from a cultural as well as an ethnic point of view; citation needed] the territories consisted of Punjab, Afghania, Kashmir, Sindh, and Tan/Stan (Balochistan/Tokharistan).The name also implies that the people of this land are "pure". Officially, the nation was founded as the Dominion of Pakistan in 1947, and was renamed as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1956.History
Modern day Pakistan consists of four major parts called provinces Punjab, Sind, Balochistan and North-West Frontier Province. It also governs part of Kashmir which is currently split between Pakistan and India. The Indus region was the site of several ancient cultures including Mehrgarh, one of the world's earliest known towns, and the Indus Valley Civilization (2500 BCE - 1500 BCE) at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
Waves of conquerors and migrants including Harappan, Indo-Aryan, Persian, Grecian, Saka, Parthian, Kushan, White Hun, Afghan, Arab, Turkics, and Mughal settled in Pakistan throughout the centuries, influencing the locals and being absorbed among them. The modern state of Pakistan was established on 14 August 1947, but the country has an extensive history that overlaps with the histories of Ancient India, Afghanistan and Iran. The region is a crossroad of historic trade routes, including the Silk Road.
The Indus Valley civilization collapsed in the middle of the second millennium BCE and was followed by the Vedic Civilisation, which extended over much of northern India and Pakistan. Successive empires and kingdoms ruled the region from the Achaemenid Persian empire around 543 BCE, to Alexander the Great in 326 BCE and the Mauryan empire. The Indo-Greek Kingdom founded by Demetrius of Bactria included Gandhara and Punjab from 184 BCE, and reached its greatest extent under Menander, establishing the Greco-Buddhist period with advances in trade and culture. The city of Taxila (Takshashila) became a major centre of learning in ancient times - the remains of the city, located to the west of Islamabad, are one of the country's major archaeological sites.
In 712 CE, the Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Sindh and Multan in southern Punjab, setting the stage for several successive Muslim empires including the Ghaznavid Empire, the Ghorid Kingdom, the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire. During this period, Sufi missionaries played a pivotal role in converting a majority of the regional Buddhist and Hindu population to Islam. The gradual decline of the Mughal Empire in the early eighteenth century provided opportunities for the Afghans, Balochis and Sikhs to exercise control over large areas until the British East India Company gained ascendancy over South Asia.
The War of Independence, also known as the Indian Mutiny, in 1857 was the region's last major armed struggle against the British Raj, and it laid the foundations for the generally unarmed freedom struggle led by the Congress. However, the Muslim League rose to popularity in the late 1930s amid fears of under-representation and neglect of Muslims in politics. On 29 December 1930, Allama Iqbal's presidential address called for a separate Muslim state in northwest and eastern South Asia. Muhammad Ali Jinnah espoused the Two Nation Theory and led the Muslim League to adopt the Lahore Resolution of 1940 (popularly known as Pakistan Resolution), which ultimately led to the creation of Pakistan.The two wings of Pakistan in 1970; East Pakistan separated from the West wing in 1971 as an independent Bangladesh.
Pakistan was formed on 14 August 1947 with two Muslim-majority wings in the eastern and northwestern regions of the British India, separated from the rest of the country with a Hindu majority, and comprising the provinces of Balochistan, East Bengal, the North-West Frontier Province, West Punjab and Sindh. The partition of British India resulted in communal riots across India and Pakistan—millions of Muslims moved to Pakistan and millions of Hindus and Sikhs moved to India. Disputes arose over several princely states including Jammu and Kashmir whose ruler had acceded to India following an invasion by Pashtun warriors, while the majority of the population favored independence, leading to the First Kashmir War (1948) ending with Pakistan occupying roughly one-third of the state. From 1947 to 1956, Pakistan was a Dominion in the Commonwealth of Nations. The republic declared in 1956 was stalled by a coup d'etat by Ayub Khan (1958–69), who was president during a period of internal instability and a second war with India in 1965. His successor, Yahya Khan (1969–71) had to deal with the cyclone which caused 500,000 deaths in East Pakistan.
Economic and political dissent in East Pakistan led to violent political repression and tensions escalating into civil war ( Bangladesh War of Independence) and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and ultimately the secession of East Pakistan as the independent state of Bangladesh.
Civilian rule resumed from 1972 to 1977 under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, until he was deposed and later sentenced to death in what amounted to a judicial murder in 1979 by General Zia-ul-Haq, who became the third military president. Pakistan's secular policies were replaced by Zia's introduction of the Islamic Shariah legal code, which increased religious influences on the civil service and the military. With the death of General Zia in a plane crash in 1988, Benazir Bhutto, daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was elected as the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan. Over the next decade, she alternated power with Nawaz Sharif, as the country's political and economic situation worsened. Pakistan sent 5,000 troops to the 1991 Gulf War as part of a US led coalition and specifically for the defence of Saudi Arabia. [17] Military tensions in the Kargil conflict with India were followed by a Pakistani military coup d'état in 1999 [19] in which General Pervez Musharraf assumed executive powers. In 2001, Musharraf named himself President after the forced resignation of Rafiq Tarar. After the 2002 parliamentary elections, Musharraf transferred executive powers to newly elected Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, who was succeeded in the 2004 Prime-Ministerial election by a professional banker Shaukat Aziz, followed by a brief (temporary) stint in the seat by Chaudhy Shuja'at Hussain.Government and politics
The Muslim League formed Pakistan's first government under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan. The Muslim League's leadership of Pakistani politics decreased significantly with the rise of other political parties, with the Pakistan People's Party in West Pakistan, and the Awami League in East Pakistan, which would ultimately lead to the creation of Bangladesh. The first Constitution of Pakistan was adopted in 1956, but was suspended in 1958 by Ayub Khan. The Constitution of 1973, suspended in 1977 by Zia-ul-Haq, was re-instated in 1991 and is the country's most important document, laying the foundations of government. Pakistan is a federal democratic republic with Islam as the state religion. The semi-presidential system includes a bicameral legislature consisting of a 100-member Senate and a 342-member National Assembly. The President is the Head of State and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and is elected by an electoral college. The prime minister is usually the leader of the largest party in the National Assembly. Each province has a similar system of government with a directly elected Provincial Assembly in which the leader of the largest party or alliance becomes Chief Minister. Provincial Governors are appointed by the President.Parliament house in Islamabad
The Pakistani military has played an influential role in mainstream politics throughout Pakistan's history, ( Politics of Pakistan) with military presidents ruling from 1958–71, 1977–88 and from 1999 onwards. The leftist Pakistan People's Party (PPP), led by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, emerged as a major political player during the 1970s. Under the military rule of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Pakistan began a marked shift from the British-era secular politics and policies, to the adoption of Shariat and other laws based on Islam. During the 1980s, the anti- feudal, pro- Muhajir Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was started by unorthodox and educated urban dwellers of Sindh and particularly Karachi. The 1990s were characterized by coalition politics dominated by the PPP and a rejuvenated Muslim League.Pak Secretariat(Government Offices)in Islamabad
In the October 2002 general elections, the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q) won a plurality of National Assembly seats with the second-largest group being the Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), a sub-party of the PPP. Zafarullah Khan Jamali of PML-Q emerged as Prime Minister but resigned on 26 June 2004 and was replaced by PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as interim Prime Minister. On 28 August 2004 the National Assembly voted 191 to 151 to elect the Finance Minister and former Citibank Vice President Shaukat Aziz as Prime Minister. Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, a coalition of Islamic religious parties, won elections in North-West Frontier Province, and increased their representation in the National Assembly.
Pakistan is an active member of the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the latter of which Pakistan has used as a forum for Enlightened Moderation, a plan to promote a renaissance and enlightenment in the Muslim world. Pakistan is also a member of the major regional organisations of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO). In the past, Pakistan has had mixed relations with the United States especially in the early 1950s when Pakistan was the United States' "most allied ally in Asia" and a member of both the Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) and the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO). During the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s Pakistan was a crucial US ally, but relations soured in the 1990s, when sanctions were applied by the US over suspicions of Pakistan's nuclear activities. The September 11 attacks and the subsequent War on Terrorism have seen an improvement in US–Pakistan ties, especially after Pakistan ended its support of the Taliban regime in Kabul. This was evidenced by a drastic increase in American military aid, which saw Pakistan take in $4 billion more in three years after the 9/11 attacks than in the three years before.
In January 2004, founder of Pakistani nuclear program A. Q. Khan confessed of nuclear proliferation to Libya, Iran and North Korea. On 5 February 2004, the president Pervez Musharraf, announced that he had pardoned A. Q. Khan. At present, A. Q. Khan is ailing and under house arrest.
Pakistan has long had troubled relations with neighbouring India. The long-running dispute over Kashmir resulted in full fledged wars in 1947 and 1965. Civil war in 1971 flared into the simultaneous Bangladesh War of Independence and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Pakistan conducted nuclear weapon tests in 1998 to counterbalance India's nuclear explosion ( Smiling Buddha) of 1974 and Pokhran-II of 1998 respectively. [23] and became the only Muslim nuclear weapons state. The relations with India are steadily improving following peace initiatives in 2002. Pakistan maintains close economic, military and political relationships with the People's Republic of China.
Pakistan also faces instability in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, where some tribal leaders support the Taliban. Pakistan has had to deploy the army in these regions to suppress the local unrest, in Waziristan. The Waziristan conflict ended with a recently declared peace agreement between the tribal leaders and the Pakistani government, that is expected to bring back stability to the region. [24]
Additionally, the country has long faced instability in its largest province, Balochistan. The army was deployed to fight a serious insurgency within the province from 1973–76. Social stability resumed after Rahimuddin Khan was appointed martial law administrator beginning in 1977. After relative peace throughout the 1980s and 1990s, some influential Baloch tribal leaders restarted a separatist movement after Pervez Musharraf took over in 1999. In a recent incident Nawab Akbar Bugti, the leader of the Baloch insurgency, was killed in August 2006 by Pakistani military forces.Administrative divisions Provinces and territories of Pakistan
Pakistan is a federation of four provinces, a capital territory and federally administered tribal areas. Pakistan exercises de facto jurisdiction over the western parts of the Kashmir region, organised as two separate political entities ( Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas), which are also claimed by India.
In 2001 the federal government abolished the administrative entities called " Divisions", which used to be the third tier of government. The entities called " Districts", which used to be the fourth tier, became the new third tier. The provinces and the capital territory are subdivided into a total of 107 districts which contain numerous tehsils and local governments. The tribal areas comprise seven tribal agencies and six small frontier regions detached from neighbouring districts whilst Azad Kashmir comprises seven districts and Northern Areas comprises six districts.
Provinces:Balochistan North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) Punjab Sindh Balochistan and NWFP also have Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) which are being developed into regular districts.
Territories:Islamabad Capital Territory Federally Administered Tribal Areas
Pakistani-administered portions of the Kashmir:Azad Kashmir Northern Areas Geography and climate The world's second-highest mountain, K2
Pakistan covers 803,940 square kilometres (310,403 square miles), approximately the combined land areas of France and the United Kingdom, with its eastern regions located on the Indian tectonic plate and the western and northern regions on the Iranian plateau and Eurasian landplate. Apart from the 1,046 kilometre (650 mi) Arabian Sea coastline, Pakistan's land borders total 6,774 kilometres—2,430 kilometres (1,509 mi) with Afghanistan to the northwest, 523 kilometres (325 mi) with China to the northeast, 2,912 kilometres (1,809 mi) with India to the east and 909 kilometres (565 mi) with Iran to the southwest.
The different types of natural features range from the sandy beaches, lagoons, and mangrove swamps of the southern coast to preserved beautiful moist temperate forests and the icy peaks of the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains in the north. There are an estimated 108 peaks above 7,000 metres (23,000 ft) high that are covered in snow and glaciers. Five of the mountains in Pakistan (including K2 and Nanga Parbat) are over 8,000 metres (26,000 ft). Indian-controlled Kashmir to the Northern Areas of Pakistan and running the length of the country is the Indus River with its many tributaries. The northern parts of Pakistan attract a large number of foreign tourists. To the west of the Indus are the dry, hilly deserts of Balochistan; to the east are the rolling sand dunes of the Thar Desert. The Tharparkar desert in the southern province of Sindh, is the only fertile desert in the world. Most areas of Punjab and parts of Sindh are fertile plains where agriculture is of great importance.
The climate varies as much as the scenery, with cold winters and hot summers in the north and a mild climate in the south, moderated by the influence of the ocean. The central parts have extremely hot summers with temperatures rising to 45 °C (113 °F), followed by very cold winters, often falling below freezing. There is very little rainfall ranging from less than 250 millimetres to more than 1,250 millimetres (9.8–49.2 in), mostly brought by the unreliable south-westerly monsoon winds during the late summer. The construction of dams on the rivers and the drilling of water wells in many drier areas have eased water shortages.Flora and fauna The Hunza valley in northern Pakistan. — Agricultural and scenic
The wide variety of landscapes and climates in Pakistan allows for a wide variety of wild animals and birds. The forests range from coniferous alpine and subalpine trees such as spruce, pine, and deodar cedar in the northern mountains to deciduous trees such as the mulberry-type Shisham in the Sulaiman range in the south. The western hills have juniper and tamarisk as well as coarse grasses and scrub plants. Along the coast are mangrove forests which form much of the coastal wetlands.
In the south, there are crocodiles in the murky waters at the mouth of the Indus River whilst on the banks of the river, there are boars, deer, porcupines, and small rodents. In the sandy scrublands of central Pakistan are found jackals, hyenas, wild cats, panthers, and leopards while the clear blue skies abound with hawks, falcons, and eagles. In the southwestern deserts are rare Asiatic cheetahs. In the northern mountains are a variety of endangered animals including Marco Polo sheep, Urial sheep, Markhor and Ibex goats, black and brown Himalayan bears, and the rare Snow Leopard. During August 2006, Pakistan donated an orphaned snow leopard cub called Leo to USA. [30] Another rare species is the blind Indus River Dolphin of which there are believed to be about 1,000 remaining, protected in two major sanctuaries. In recent years the number of wild animals being killed for fur and leather trading led to a new law banning the hunting of wild animals and birds and the establishment of several wildlife sanctuaries and game reserves.Economy Karachi - the financial capital and the largest city of Pakistan
Pakistan is a rapidly developing country which has faced a number of challenges on both political and economic fronts. Despite being a very poor country in 1947, Pakistan's economic growth rate was better than the global average during the subsequent four decades, but imprudent policies led to a slowdown in the late 1990s. [32] Recently, wide-ranging economic reforms have resulted in a stronger economic outlook and accelerated growth especially in the manufacturing and financial services sectors. There has been great improvement in the foreign exchange position and rapid growth in hard currency reserves in recent years. The 2005 estimate of foreign debt was close to US$40 billion. However, this has decreased in recent years with assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and significant debt-relief from the United States. Pakistan's gross domestic product, as measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), is estimated to be US$439.7 billion while its per capita income (PCI) stands at $2,803. Despite clear progress, reports by the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the UN Development Program place the poverty rate in Pakistan between 23-28 percent. The CIA factbook places the poverty rate at 24% in 2006, and notes that levels have fallen by ten percent since 2001. Pakistan's GDP growth rates have seen a steady increase over the last 5 years. However, inflationary pressures and a low savings rate, among other economic factors, could make it difficult to sustain a high growth rate, according to some analysts.
The growth of non-agricultural sectors has changed the structure of the economy, and agriculture now only accounts for roughly 20% of the GDP. The service sector accounts for 53% of the country's GDP with wholesale and retail trade forming 30% of this sector. In recent times, the Karachi Stock Exchange has soared, along with most of the world's emerging markets. Large amounts of foreign investments have been made into several industries. The top industries in Pakistan are telecom, software, automotives, textiles, cement, fertilizer, steel, ship building, and more recently, aerospace.
Pakistan has accomplished many engineering feats such as construction of the world’s largest earth filled dam Tarbela, the world's twelfth largest dam Mangla, as well as the world’s highest international road: the Karakoram Highway. There are also half a dozen additional dams planned such as Kalabagh Dam, Diamer-Bhasha Dam, Munda, Akhori and Skardu Katzara.
In November of 2006 China and Pakistan signed a Free Trade Agreement hoping to triple bilateral trade from $4.2 billion ( USD) to $15 billion ( USD) within the next five years; Pakistan's annual exports in 2005 amounted to $15 billion ( USD), and is poised to cross $18 billion ( USD) in 2006 and $20 billion ( USD) in 2007. Pakistan is also home to a thriving arms industry which exports $200 million ( USD) annually, mostly defence equipment and arms to countries in the Middle East and South Asia, and its defence officials are hopeful that these exports will surpass $500 million ( USD) a year within the next five years. In addition, many overseas Pakistanis send gifts to Pakistan using various online services which adds to national ex-checquer.
In keeping with its rapid economic development in recent years, Pakistan registered an economic growth rate of 7 percent in the financial year 2005-06. In its June 2006 Economic Survey global finance giant Morgan Stanley listed Pakistan on its list of major emerging markets in the world economy, placing it on a list of 25 countries displaying continued moderate to strong growth over a sustained period of time. The report noted "its economy has been growing quickly in recent periods and corporate direct investors have taken notice". Concurrently, highlighting the strides made on the economic front in recent times, Moody's Investors Service in December 2006 upgraded Pakistan's credit rating from B2 to B1, noting a "positive outlook".
In late March 2007, the Asian Development Bank "Outlook 2007" report predicted that strong growth would continue in 2007 and 2008 with growth rates of 6.5 to 7 percent, with manufacturing, exports and consumer expenditure leading the way. Further progress was highlighted by news that the FDI for FY 2006/7 would touch $7 billion, eclipsing the targeted $4 billion. Telecoms, real estate and energy are major industries for FDI.Demographics Major Ethnic Groups in Pakistan and surrounding areas, 1980
Pakistan has an estimated population of 169,270,617, as of in 2007. Pakistan has the world's sixth largest population, placing it higher than Russia, and lower than Brazil. Because of Pakistan's high growth rate, it is expected to surpass Brazil in population in the year 2020. Population projections for Pakistan are relatively difficult because of the apparent differences in the accuracy of each census and the inconsistencies between various surveys related to the fertility rate, but it is likely that the rate of growth peaked in the 1980s and has since declined significantly. The population was estimated at 162,400,000 on July 1, 2005, with a fertility rate of 34 per thousand, a death rate of 10 per thousand, and the rate of natural increase at 2.4%. Pakistan also has a high infant mortality rate of 70 per thousand births.
The demographics of religion in Pakistan were significantly influenced in 1947 by the movement of Muslims to Pakistan, and Hindus and Sikhs to India. Census data indicates that 96% of the population are Muslims, of whom nearly 77% are Sunni Muslims and 20% are Shi'a Muslims according to CIA estimates. [1] The remainder comprises Christians, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs, Parsis, Ahmadis, Buddhists, and Animists (mainly the Kalasha of Chitral). Pakistan is the second most populous Muslim-majority country and also has the one of the largest Shi'a populations of any country. As of 2006, an estimated 2.5 million refugees — approximately 81.5% being ethnic Pashtuns — remain in Pakistan as a result of the wars in Afghanistan.
Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan despite being a non-native Pakistani language, and was installed and promoted by the British Raj in the mid 1800s to supplant the Farsi ( Persian language) formerly spoken for some 2000 years and to tie the western former Afghan, Central Asian, Persian or previously autonomous regions( Panjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Kalat, Bahawalpur, Kashmir and NWFP etc.) to the mainland Asian Subcontinent and the British Raj headquartered in Delhi, while English is the official language, used in the Constitution and widely used by corporate businesses, the educated urban elite, and most universities. Punjabi is spoken by over 60 million people, but has no official recognition in the country. [58]
These major ethnic groups are further broken down into several smaller ethnic groups - Punjabis (44.68)% of the population, Pashtuns (15.42%), Sindhis (14.1%), Seraikis (10.53%), Muhajirs (7.57%), Balochis (3.57%) and others (4.66%).Society and culture
The national dress of Shalwar Kameez is originally of Central Asian origin derived from Turko-Iranian nomadic invaders and is today worn in all parts of Pakistan. The sari is a regional dress that is worn by many women in Sindh and parts of Pakistan. Women wear brightly coloured shalwar qameez, while men often wear solid-coloured ones.
The variety of Pakistani music ranges from diverse provincial folk music and traditional styles such as Qawwali and Ghazal Gayaki to modern forms fusing traditional and western music, such as the synchronisation of Qawwali and western music by the renowned Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Other major Ghazal singers include Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali, Farida Khanum, Tahira Syed, Abida Parveen and Iqbal Bano. In addition Pakistan is home to many famous folk singers such as the late Alam Lohar, who is also well known in the Indian Punjab. Hip-Hop is one of the categories in Pakistan that is rising very fast, especially rappers 2Pac, 50 Cent, and The Game are known throughout the whole country by many elementary schoolers and teenagers. The arrival of Afghan refugees in the western provinces has rekindled Pashto and Persian music and established Peshawar as a hub for Afghan musicians and a distribution centre for Afghan music abroad. Until the 1990s, the state-owned Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) and Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation were the dominant media outlets, but there are now numerous private television channels such as Geo TV, Indus TV, Hum, ARY, KTN and others. Various American, European, and Asian television channels and movies such as AXN, Star Plus are available to the majority of the Pakistani population via private Television Networks ( MTV Pakistan is controlled by Indus Network, etc.), cable, and satellite television. There are also small indigenous movie industries based in Lahore and Peshawar (often referred to as Lollywood and Pollywood). Although Bollywood movies are banned since 1965 , Indian film stars are generally popular in Pakistan.
Pakistani society is largely multilingual and predominantly Muslim, with high regard for traditional family values, although urban families have grown into a nuclear family system due to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system. Recent decades have seen the emergence of a middle class in cities like Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Faisalabad, Sukkur and Peshawar that wish to move in a more liberal direction, as opposed to the northwestern regions bordering Afghanistan that remain highly conservative and dominated by centuries-old regional tribal customs. Increasing globalization has increased the influence of "Western culture" with Pakistan ranking 46 th on the Kearney/FP Globalization Index. There are an approximated four million Pakistanis living abroad, with close to a half-million expatriates living in the United States and around a million living in Saudi Arabia.As well as nearly one million people of Pakistani descent in the United Kingdom, there are burgeoning cultural connections. There is persecution of Christians in Pakistan. The northern parts of Pakistan have many old fortresses, towers and other architecture as well as the Hunza and Chitral valleys, the latter being home to the small pre-Islamic Animist Kalasha community who claim descent from the army of Alexander the Great. In the Punjab is the site of Alexander's battle on the Jhelum River and the historic city Lahore, Pakistan's cultural capital with many examples of Mughal architecture such as the Badshahi Masjid, Shalimar Gardens, Tomb of Jahangir and the Lahore Fort. To promote Pakistan's unique and various cultural heritage, the prime minister launched "Visit Pakistan 2007".Holidays
There are many festivals celebrated annually in Pakistan which may or may not observe as holidays e.g. Pakistan Day ( 23 March)(holiday), Independence Day ( 14 August)(holiday), Defence of Pakistan Day ( 6 September), Pakistan Air Force Day ( 7 September), the anniversaries of the birth ( 25 December)(holiday) and death ( 11 September) of Quaid-e-Azam(holiday), Allama Iqbal ( 9 November) and the birth ( 30 July) and death ( 8 July) of Madar-e-Millat. Labour Day (also known as May Day) is also observed in Pakistan on 1 May (holiday).
Several important festivals are celebrated by Pakistani Muslims during the year, dependent on the Islamic calendar. Ramadan, the ninth month of the calendar, is characterised by daytime fasting for 29 or 30 days and is followed by the festival of Eid ul-Fitr. In a second festival, Eid ul-Adha, an animal is sacrificed in remembrance of the actions of Prophet Abraham (Arabic: Ibrahim) and the meat is shared with friends, family, and the less fortunate. Both Eid festivals are public holidays, serving as opportunities for people to visit family and friends, and for children to receive new clothes, presents, and sweets. Muslims celebrate Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, the birthday of the prophet Muhammad, in the third month of the calendar ( Rabi' al-Awwal (holiday)). Muslims mark the Day of Ashurah on the 9th and 10th days of the first month ( Muharram (holiday)) to commemorate the martyrdom of Husayn bin Ali, (the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad).
Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, and Christians in Pakistan also celebrate their own festivals and holidays. Sikhs come from across the world to visit several holy sites in Punjab, including the shrine of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, at Hassan Abdal in the Attock District, and his birthplace, at Nankana Sahib. There are also several regional and local festivals, such as the Punjabi festival of Basant, which marks the start of spring and is celebrated by kite flying.Sports
The official and national sport of Pakistan is field hockey, although squash and cricket are also very popular. The national cricket team has won the Cricket World Cup once (in 1992), were runners-up once (in 1999), and co-hosted the games twice (in 1987 and 1996). Pakistan is also set to host cricket world-cup jointly with India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in 2011. The team has also won the Australasia Cup thrice (1986, 1990, 1994). Pakistan has produced many famous cricketers, including Javed Miandad, Imran Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Hanif Mohammad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Sarfraz Nawaz, Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram. On November 30, 2006 Mohammad Yousuf broke one of the longest-standing records in cricket, of the most runs scored in a calendar year.
Pakistan has also produced a number of successful world-class squash players such as Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan. Muhammad Yousuf, not to be confused with the above cricketer, was world amateur snooker champion in the 1990s.
At an international level, Pakistan has competed many times at the Summer Olympics in field hockey, boxing, athletics, swimming, and shooting. Pakistan's medal tally remains at 10 medals (3 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze) while at the Commonwealth games and Asian Games it stands at 61 medals and 182 medals respectively. Hockey is the sport that Pakistan has been most successful at the Olympics, with three gold medals ( 1960, 1968, 1984). Pakistan has also won the Hockey World Cup a record four times (1971, 1978, 1982, 1994). Pakistan has hosted several international competitions, including the SAF Games in 1989 and 2004.
A1 Grand Prix racing is also becoming popular with the entry of a Pakistani team in the 2005 season. The Tour de Pakistan, modelled on the Tour de France, is an annual cycling competition that covers the length and breadth of Pakistan. Recently, football has grown in popularity across the country, although the national football team is still considered to be very weak and has yet to qualify for a World Cup

Amir Khusrau

Amir Khusrau

Amir-Ul-Shaura Hazrat Khawaja Abul Hasan Amir Khusrau Dehlavi

His name was Abul Hasan, pseudonym Amir Khusrau, and title Yamin Uddin. His poetic name (pseudonym) became so popular that people forgot his original name. He was a great and prolific poet.

Title

He wished not had a title similar to the rich men and mentioned it to the Mahboobe-e-Ilahi. He said, "On the day of Resurrection People will call you Mohammed's admirer."

ROZA SHARIF HAZRAT AMEER KHUSRAU (NEW DELHI)

Birth and Parentage

Born in 653 Hijri of Amir Saif Uddin Mahmud who was one of the nobles of Hazara, Balakh. Chingez Khan's incursions loomed large on them so he migrated to India during the reign of Sultan Altutmish, joined the court, and settled down at Patiali in the district of Etah. Because of his abilities he rose to a high and trusted rank in the court. Here he was married to the daughter of a noble, Imad-Ul-Mulk, who bore him three sons: Aiza-Uddin, Ali Shah, Hisam Uddin, and Abul Hasan; the later was the youngest.

Education

His first tutor was his father who died when he was nine years old and his maternal grand father, Imad Ul Mulk, took over the responsibility of their education and up-bringing. His two elder brothers also gave their attention to his education. Consequently, he acquired proficiency in all material and intellectual subjects and was regarded a scholar of high repute. He was an intelligent and prolific poet, and sang melodiously innovated Qawwali, and invented several musical instruments. In addition to, he was a good prose writer.

Pledge of Obedience and Spiritual Heir

When eight he went with his father and other members of family to Hazrat Nizam Uddin's residence. His father wished him to select his guide and teacher himself. Others went in but he stayed outside thinking that if he (Hazrat Nizam Uddin) were a perfect saint he would summon him himself. Hazrat Nizam Uddin's spiritual powers revealed to him his dilemma. He sent his servant to bring him in. Amir Khusrau was so much impressed of his personality that he accepted him his guide and teacher and entered the fold. Soon he became the dearest of his disciples and in course of time was granted the robe of his spiritual heir.

Prayers and Meditation

Despite his association with the court he continued to pray and meditate and traveled speedily on the road of conduct. Every night he recited seven chapters of the Qu'Oran melodiously after the Tahajjud prayer. The chronicles mention that he kept fasts continuously for forty years. He was engrossed every time in the intense love of God. There was so much incinerating heat generated in his heart that whatever he wore burnt on the chest. Hazrat Nizammuddin once said about it "If asked on the Resurrection day what have you brought? I would say the heat from the bosom of the Turk."

Deep attachment to his Teacher

He loved his teacher deeply and spent most of his time with him. His teacher 'Hazrat Nizam-Uddin loved him more than any other of his disciples even more than his spiritual heir, Hazrat Nasir Uddin Roshan Chiragh Dehlavi. Once the Mahboob-e-Ilahi said, "I am annoyed by all, even by myself sometimes but never by you."

Buying his teacher's sandals for five lakhs rupees and carry them back on his head in the presence of Hazrat Nizam Uddin shows his deep love and faith for him.

His Poetry

He was not only a mystic but also a Persian poet of great caliber. His verses are available. One of his Urdu ghazal is found. Besides, he was sweet of tongue and interested in music.

Books

He wrote about 92 books some of them are Rahat-Ul-Mohibbeen' Tohfat-us-Saghir, Gharra-tul-Kamal, Moghzan-e-Asrar-e-Nizami, Sheerin-Khusrau, Laila-Majnoon, Aina-e-Sikandari, Hasht-Bahisht, Taj-Ul-Futuh, Tughlaq-Nama, Manaquib-e-Hind.

Revelations and Miracles

It is said that when Sheikh Abul Fateh Multani said his funeral prayers, raised hands to bless him, he got tip and recited a Persian couplet.

Death

Amir Khusrau was extremely grieved at the demise of his teacher. He was not in Delhi at the time and had gone to Lucknow. On hearing the news he returned to Delhi post haste and retired to his teacher's grave; resigned the service, gave away all his wealth to the poor, and needy, spent six months in mourning and in the end died in 725 Hijri. He was buried near the tomb of his teacher on a slightly raised platform popularly called "Chabootra-e-Yaran.

DUHADaily Du'as
Morning and evening
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ
Alhamdu lillahil ladhe ahyaana ba'da ma amaatana wa ilayhin nushur
(Praise be to Allah Who gives us life after He has caused us to die and unto Him is the Return)
[Sahih al-Bukhari](c) Intellectual Copyright Mutmainaa, 2002, 2003. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce elsewhere without prior permission and consent. Respect this, and e-mail the webmaster for more inforamtion.www.geocities.com/mutmainaa
ل ط
La ilaha ilAllahu wah-dahu la sharika lahu, lahul Mulku, wa lahul Hamd, wa Huwa ala kulli shaiy'in Qadeer. SubhanAllahi, wal-Hamdu lillahi, wa la illaha ilAllahu, waAllahu Akbar, wa la Hawla wa la Quwwata illa Billahil 'aliyyal 'adheem, Rabbighfirli.
There is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, Who has no Partner.
His is the dominion and to Him belongs all Praise, and He is able to do all things. Glory be unto Allah. Praise be to Allah. There is none worthy of worship but Allah. Allah is the Greatest. There is no Might and Power except by Allah's leave, the Exhalted, the Mighty. My Lord, Forgive me.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي عَافَانِي فِي جَسَدِي وَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ رُوحِي وَأَذِنَ لِي بِذِكْرِهِ
Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi aafaani fi jasadi, wa radda 'alaiyya ruhee, wa 'adhina li bidhikriki
(Praise be to Allah Who gave Strength to my body and returned my soul to me and permitted me to remember Him.)
When looking into a mirror
اللَهُمّ اَنْتَ حَسَّنْتَ خَلْقِى فحسِّنْ خُلُقِى وَحرِّمْ وجْهىِ عَلى النَّار ، الحمْدُ لِلّهِ الِّذِى سَوَّى خَلْقى فَعَدَلهُ ، وَكَرَّمَ صُرَةَ وجْهى فاَحْسنهاَ وَجعَلنِى مِنَ الْمسلِمين
Allahumma anta Hassanta khalqi fa-hassin khuluqi, waharrim wajhi 'al-an-naar. Alhamdulilahil-lathi sawwa khalqi fa'adalah, wakarrama suurata wajhi fa'ahsanaha, waja'alna minal-Muslimeen
(O Allah! You made my physical constitution good so make my disposition good too and keep my face safe from the hellfire. Praise be to Allah Who fashioned and made me proportionate, and honoured my face and made me of the Muslims)
[ibn Hibban, at-Tabarani]Eating
&
Allahumma barik lana fima razaqtana, waqina adhab-an naar. Bismillah
O Allah! Bless (the food) you provided us and save us from the punishment of the fire. In the Name of Allah.
[ibn as-Sunni]Upon forgetting to say the du'a:
بسم الله. في أوله وآخره.
Bismillahi fi awwalihi wa akhirihi
In the Name of Allah, in the beginning and the end.
[abu Dawud 3:347, at-Tirmidhi 4:288]Upon completing the meal
الحمد لله الذي أطعمنا وسقانا وجعلنا مسلمين.
Alhamdulilahil la dhi a'tamana, wa saqana, waja'alana muslimeen.
Praise be to Allah Who has fed us, and given us drink,
and made us Muslims
[abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i, ibn Majah]
الحمد لله الذي أطعمني هذا, ورزقنيه, من غير حول مني ولا قوة.
Alhamdulilahil la dhi a'tamana hadha warazaq-aanihi, min ghairi hawlin minni, wa la quwwattin
Praise be to Allah, who has fed us this food, and sustained me with it when I was unable to do it Powerless.
[at-Tirmidhi, abu Dawud, ibn Majah]
Du'as for the restroom
Entering the restroom
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْخُبُثِ وَالْخَبَائِثِ
Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-khubuthi wal-khaba-ith
(Oh Allah! I seek refuge in You from male and female devils)
[Sahih al-Bukhari; 1:45, Muslim; 1:283; al-Asqalani's Fath al-Bari; 1:244]
Exiting the restroom
غفرانك
Ghufranaka
(I seek Your Forgiveness)
[abu Dawud, ibn Majah, at-Tirmidhi]

After wudhu
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Ash-hadu ana-la ilaha illAllah, wahdahu la shareeka lahu, wa-anna Muammadan abduhu wa-rasuuluhu
(I testify that there is No God but Allah, alone without partners, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.)
[Muslim; 1:209]
اللهم اجعلنى من التوابين و اجعلنى من المتطهرين
Allahumma ij'alni min at-tawwabiin, wa'ajalni minal mutat-tahhiriin
O Allah! Make me among those who are Repentant and of those who purify themselves
[Muslim, at-Tirmidhi; 1:78]

After the Adhan
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ وَالصَّلاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ، آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ ، وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ
Allahumma rabba haaihid-dawatit-tamma, was-salaatil-qaa-ima, aati Muammadan al-waseelata wal-faDeela, wa-bathhu maqaamam mahmuudan-il-laee waattah
(O Allah! Lord of this perfect call and the established prayer! Grant Muhammad the privilege of intercession (on the Day of Judgment) and superiority, and take him to the exalted place You have promised him)
[Sahih al-Bukhari]

Upon Going to the Mosque
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ فِي قَلْبِي نُورًا، وَفِي بَصَرِي نُورًا، وَفِي سَمْعِي نُورًا ، وَعَنْ يَمِينِي نُورًا وَعَنْ يَسَارِي نُورًا، وَفَوْقِي نُورًا وَتَحْتِي نُورًا ، وَأَمَامِي نُورًا وَخَلْفِي نُورًا، وَعَظِّمْ لِي نُورًا
Allahumma-jal fee qalbee nuura, wa-fee baSaree nuura(w), wa-fee samee nuura, wa-ay-yameenee nuura, wa-ay-yasaari nuura, wa-fawqee nuura, wa-tahtee nuura, wa-amaamee nuura, wakhalfee nuura, wajal lee nuuraa
(Oh Allah! Let there be light in my heart, light in my eye-sight, light in my hearing, light on my right, light on my left, light above me, light under me, light in front of me and light behind me, and provide me with light)
[Sahih al-Bukhari; 11:116:6316, Muslim; 1:526, 529-530]

Upon entering the Mosque
بِسمِ اللهِ، والصَّلاةُ والسَّلامُ على رسولِ اللهِ ، اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ
bismillahi was-salaatu was-salaamu ala rasuulillah. Allahumma-ftah li abwaba ramatik
(In the Name of Allah; may His prayers and peace be upon Allah’s Messenger. Oh Allah! Open for me the gates of Your mercy.)
[ibn as-Sunni: 38, abu Dawud 1:126, Muslim; 1:494, ibn Majah 1:128-9]

Upon exiting the Mosque
بِسمِ اللهِ، والصَّلاةُ والسَّلامُ على رسولِ اللهِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ
bismil-lahi(i) was-salatu was-salaamu alaa rasuulil-laahi. Allahumma inni as-aluka mi fadlik
(In the name of Allah, and may His blessings and peace be upon Allah’s Messenger. O Allah! I am asking You to give me from Your Bounty)
[Muslim; 1:494, ibn Majah 1:128-9]

Upon dressing
بِسْمِ اللّهِ الَّذِى لا إلهَ إلّا هُوَ
Bismillahi, al-ladhi, La illaha illa huwa
(In the Name of Allah. There is no God but He.)
[to be recited when undressing]
[ibn as-Sunni]
اللّهُمَّ إنَّى أسْألُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِهِ وَ خَيْرِ مَا هُوَلَهُ، وَ أعُوذُبِكَ مِنْ شَرِّهِ وَ شَرِّ مَا هُوَلَهُ
Allahumma inni as'aluka min khairihi wa khairi ma huwa lah. Wa a'udhu bika min sharri wa sharri ma huwa lah
(O Allah! I ask You (for) the good in it and the good for which it is made. And I seek Your Protection from the evil in it and the evil for which it is made.)
[to be recited when dressing]
[ibn as-Sunni]
الْحَمْدُ للّهِ الَّذِي كَسَانِي هَذَا (الثَّوبَ) وَرَزقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَ لا قُوَّةٍ
Alhamdulilahil-ladhi kasaani haadha (ath-thawba) wa razaqanihi min ghairi hawlim-minni wa la qawwatin
(Praise be to Allah who has clothed me with this (garment) and provided it for me, through which I was powerless myself and incapable.)
[to be recited when dressing]
[sahih al-Bukhari, Muslim, abu Dawud, ibn Majah, at-Tirmidhi]

Upon exiting the Home
بِسْمِ اللهِ ، تَوَكَلْتُ عَلَى اللهِ وَلا حَوْلَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللهِ
Bismillah, Tawwakaltu ala-Allah, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah
(In the name of Allah, I place my trust in Allah, and there is no might nor power except with Allah.)
[abu Dawud; 4:325, at-Tirmidhi 5:490]
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَضِلَّ ، أَوْ أُضَلَّ ، أَوْ أَزِلَّ ، أَوْ أُزَلَّ أَوْ أَظْلِمَ أَوْ أُظْلَمَ ، أَوْ أَجْهَلَ أَوْ يُجْهَلَ عَلَيَّ
Allahumma inni a'udhubika an adh-dhilla, aw udhalla, aw azzilla, aw uzzalla, aw adhlima, aw udhlama, aw ajhala aw yujhala 'alayya
(O Allah, I take refuge with You lest I should stray or be led astray, or slip or be tripped, or oppress or be oppressed, or behave foolishly or be treated foolishly.)
[abu Dawud, ibn Majah, Nasa'i, at-Tirmidhi]

Upon entering the Home
بِسْمِ الله وَلَجْنَا ، وَ بِسْمِ الله خَرَجْنَا وَعَلَى رَبِّنَا تَوَكَلْنَا
Bismillahi walajnaa, wa bismillahi kharajnaa, wa 'ala Rabbinaa Tawakkalna
(In the name of Allah we enter and in the name of Allah we leave, and upon our Lord we place our trust.)
[abu Dawud; 4:325, Muslim 2018]

Upon Waking up
الحَمْدُ لله الَّذِي أَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا أَمَاتَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ
Alhamdulilahil-ladhi ahyaana ba'da ma amaatana, wa ilayhin nushuur
(All praise is for Allah who gave us life after having taken it from us and unto Him is the return.)
[Sahih al-Bukhari; al-Asqalani in Fath al-Bari; 11:113, Muslim: 4:2083]

Upon Reitiring to Sleep
بِاْسْمِك ربيِّ وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِى وَبِكَ اَرْفَعُهُ ، اِن اَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسى فَاغْفِرْلَهَا ، وَاِنْ اَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بماَ تَحْفَظُ بِه عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Bismika Rabbi wad'atu janbi wa bika arfa'a'hu. Fa'in amsakta nafsi faghfir laha. Wa'in arsaltaha fahfadh-ha bima tahfadhu bihi 'iibadakas-salihiin
(In Your Name, O Lord, I lay my side (to sleep). And by (Your leave) I raise it up. So if You take away my soul (during sleep) forgive it, and if You send it back (after sleep) protect it even as You Protect Your pious servants.)
[Sahih al-Bukhari;, Muslim, abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i, ibn Majah]
Best Times to make Du'a
There are certain times dua (supplication) is more likely to be accepted by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) as mentioned by Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam). These times are as follows:
1. The Last Third Of The Night Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'In the last third of every night our Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) (Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala)) descends to the lowermost heaven and says; "Who is calling Me, so that I may answer him? Who is asking Me so that may I grant him? Who is seeking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?."'[Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith Qudsi] Amr ibn Absah narrated that the Prophet said: 'The closest any worshipper can be to His Lord is during the last part of the night, so if you can be amongst those who remember Allah at that time, then do so.'[at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i, al-Hakim - Sahih]
2. Late at night When people are sleeping and busy with worldly pleasures Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) gives the believers an opportunity, or an answer hour if they can fight sleep and invoke Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) for whatever they need.The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'There is at night an hour, no Muslim happens to be asking Allah any matter of this world or the Hereafter, except that he will be given it, and this (occurs) every night.'[Muslim #757]
3. Between Adhan and Iqamah Anas (radiAllahu anhu) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'A supplication made between the Adhan and Iqama is not rejected.'[Ahmad, abu Dawud #521, at-Tirmidhi #212, Sahih al-Jami #3408, an-Nasai and Ibn Hibban graded it sahih (sound)]
4. An Hour On Friday Narrated Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu): Allah’s Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) talked about Friday and said:'There is an hour on Friday and if a Muslim gets it while offering Salat (prayer) and asks something from Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala), then Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) will definitely meet his demand.' And he (the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) pointed out the shortness of that particular time with his hands.[Sahih al-Bukhari] Some have said that this hour is from the time the Imam (prayer’s leader) enters the mosque on Friday’s prayer until the prayer is over (ie between the two khutbahs), whereas others have said that it is the last hour of the day (ie after the Asr prayer until the Maghrib prayer).(Note: when we say an hour here we do not mean the hour everyone knows (60 minutes) but an unspecified period of time because the time counters which we use today came after the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) had died.
5. While Drinking Zamzam Water Jaber (radiAllahu anhu) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'Zamzam water is for what it is drunk for.'[Ahmad 3: 357 and Ibn Majah #3062]This means that when you drink Zamzam water you may ask Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) for anything you like to gain or benefit from this water such as healing from illness.... etc.
6. While Prostrating Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), said: 'The nearest a slave can be to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so invoke (supplicate) Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) much in it.[Muslim, abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i and others, Sahih al-Jami #1175]When a Muslim is in his Salat (prayer) he is facing Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) and when he prostrates he is the nearest he can be to Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) so it is best to invoke Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) at this time.It is said that while in prostration, one should not ask for worldy needs (ie a nice car, a new job, etc), but for the Hereafter.
7. When Waking Up at Night Narrated Ubada Bin As-Samit that Allah’s Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'Whomever wakes up at night and says La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shrika lahu lahulmulku, wa lahul hamdu, wa huwa ala kulli shai'in qadir. Alhamdu lillahi, wa subhanallahi wa la ilaha illallahu, wallah akbir, wa la hawla wala quwata illa billah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) He is the only one who has no partners. His is the kingdom and all the praises are for Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) All the glories are for Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) And none has the right to be worshipped but Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) and Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) is the most Great and there is neither might nor power except with Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) and then says, Allahumma ighfir li (O Allah! Forgive me) or invokes Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala),he will be responded to and if he makes ablution and performs Salat (prayer), his Salat (prayer) will be accepted.[Sahih al-Bukhari]
8. At The End Of The Obligatory Salat: Narrated Abu Omamah (radiAllahu anhu): that Allah’s Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) was asked, O Messenger of Allah, which supplication is heard (by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala), he said the end of the night and at the end of the obligatory Salat (prayer)[at-Tirmidhi]This time is after saying 'At-tahyat' , and before making Tasleem (finishing prayer)
9. The Night Of 'Qadr' (Decree) This night is the greatest night of the year. This is the night which the almighty Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) said about it, "The night of Al-Qadar (Decree) is better than a thousand months."[Surah al-Qadr, 97: 3] The Night of Decree is one of the odd nights of the last ten nights of the blessed month of Ramadan. The angels descend down to the earth, and the earth is overwhelmed with peace and serenity until the break of dawn and when he doors of Paradise are opened, the worshipper is encouraged to turn to Allah to ask for his needs for this world and the Hereafter.
10. During The Rain Narrated Sahel Ibn Sa'ad (radiAllahu anhu): that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'Two will not be rejected, Supplication when the Adhan (call of prayer) is being called, and at the time of the rain'.[Al-Hakim 2: 114, and Abu Dawud #2540, ibn Majah]'Seek the response to your du'as when the armies meet, and the prayer is called, and when rain falls'[reported by Imam al-Shafi' in al-Umm, al-Sahihah #1469] The time of the rain is a time of mercy from Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) so, one should take advantage of this time when Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) is having mercy on His slaves.
11. At the Adhan 'Seek the response to your du'as when the armies meet, and the prayer is called, and when rain falls'[reported by Imam al-Shafi' in al-Umm, al-Sahihah #1469] In another hadith; 'When the prayer is called, the doors of the skies are opened, and the du'a is answered'[al-Tayalisi in his Musnad #2106, al-Sahihah #1413]
12. The One Who Is Suffering Injustice and Opression The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said to Mua'ad Ibn Jabal (radiAllahu anhu), 'Beware of the supplication of the unjustly treated, because there is no shelter or veil between it (the supplication of the one who is suffering injustice) and Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala)'[Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim] The prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) declared,'Three men whose dua is never rejected (by Allah) are: the fasting person until he breaks his fast (in another narration, when he breaks fast), the just ruler and the one who is oppressed.'[Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi - Hasan] In another hadith; The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) declared:'Three du'as are surely answered: The du'a of the oppressed, the du'a of the traveler, and the du'a of the father/mother (upon their child)'The One who is suffering injustice is heard by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) when he invokes Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) to retain his rights from the unjust one or oppressor. Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) has sworn to help the one who is suffering from injustice sooner or later as the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said.
13. The Traveler The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said; Three supplications will not be rejected (by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala)), the supplication of the parent for his child, the supplication of the one who is fasting, and the supplication of the traveler.[al-Bayhaqi, at-Tirmidhi - Sahih]During travel supplication is heard by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) if the trip is for a good reason, but if the trip is for a bad intention or to perform illegal things (making sins) this will not apply to it.
14. The Parent's Supplication for their Child The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said; Three supplications will not be rejected (by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala)), the supplication of the parent for his child, the supplication of the one who is fasting, and the supplication of the traveler.[al-Bayhaqi, at-Tirmidhi - Sahih]
15. Dua after praising Allah and giving salat on the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) in the tashahhud at the end of salat. Narrated Faddalah ibn Ubayd (radiAllahu anhu): that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'When anyone of you makes du'a, let him start by glorifying his Lord and praising Him, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), then let him pray for whatever he wants'[abu Dawud #1481, at-Tirmidhi #3477]In another hadith; Baqiy ibn Mukhallid (radiAllahu anhu) narrated that that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'Every du'a is not responded to until one sends blessings upon the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)'[al-Bayhaqi]In another hadith; Umar (radiAllahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'Du'a is detained between the heavens and the earth and no part of it is taken up until you send blessings upon your Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)'[at-Tirmidhi #486] After a person has finished his tashahhud and before saying the 'salam', supplication at this time is one likely to be responded to.Ibn Mas'ud narrates: I was once praying, and the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), Abu Bakr and Umar (were all present). When I sat down (in the final tashahhud), I praised Allah, then sent salams on the Prophet, then started praying for myself. At this, the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'Ask, and you shall be given it! Ask, and you shall be given it!'[at-Tirmidhi #593 - hasan, Mishkat al-Misbah #931]
16. The dua of a Muslim for his absent brother or sister Muslim stemming from the heart. The prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'There is no believing servant who supplicates for his brother in his absence where the angels do not say, 'the same be for you''[Muslim]
17. Dua on the Day of Arafat The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'The best supplication is the supplication on the day of Arafat'. [at-Tirmidhi and Malik]The day of Arafat is the essence and pinnacle of Hajj. On this great and momentous day, millions of worshippers gather together on one plain, from every corner of the world, with only one purpose in mind - to respone to the call of their Creator. During this auspicious day, Allah does not refuse the requests of His worshippers.
18. Dua during the month of Ramadan Ramadan is month full of many blessings, thus the du'a of Ramadan is a blessed one. This can be inferred from the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) saying:'When Ramadan comes, the Doors of Mercy (another narration says Paradise) are opened, and the doors of Hell are closed, and the Sahitans are locked up'Thus, it is clear that du'a during Ramadan has a greater chance of being accepted, as the Gates of Paradise and Mercy are opened.[Sahih al-Bukhari #1899, Muslim #1079 and others]
19. Dua when the Armies meetWhen the Muslim is facing the enemy in battle, at this critical period, the du'a of a worshipper is accepted.Sahl ibn Sa'd (radiAllahu anhu) narrtaed the the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'Two duas are never rejected, or rarely rejected: the du'a during the call for prayer, and the du'a during the clamity when the two armies attack each other'[abu Dawud #2540, ibn Majah, al-Hakim]In another narration: 'Seek the response to your du'as when the armies meet, and the prayer is called, and when rain falls'[reported by Imam al-Shafi' in al-Umm, al-Sahihah #1469]
20. When Muslims gather for the purpose of invoking and remembering Allah (Dhikrullah). The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:If a group of people sit together remembering Allah, the angels will circle them, mercy will shroud them, peace will descend onto them and Allah will remember them among those with Him.[Muslim]
21. First Ten days of Dhul-HijjahThe Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'There are no days during which good deeds are more beloved to Allah than during these ten days'[Sahih al-Bukhai #969 and others]
22. Dua when the heart reaches out to Allah and is ready to be totally sincere
23. At MidnightAbu Umamah (radiAllahu anhu) said, the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) was questioned; 'Which du'a is heard (by Allah)?' He answered,'At midnight and at the end of every obligatory prayer.'[at-Tirmidhi - Hasan]
25. Dua of people after the death of a person In a long hadith, Umm Salamah (radiAllahu anha) narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, when Abu Salamah had just passed away, and had closed his eyes,'Do not ask for yourselves anything but good, for the angels will say 'Ameen' to all that you ask for. O Allah, forgive Abu Salamah, and raise his ranks among those who are guided.'[Muslim, abu Dawud, Ahmad]
26. Dua of the one fasting until he breaks his fast. The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said; Three supplications will not be rejected (by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala)), the supplication of the parent for his child, the supplication of the one who is fasting, and the supplication of the traveler.[al-Bayhaqi, at-Tirmidhi - Sahih]
27. Dua of the one fasting at the time of breaking fast The prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) declared,'Three men whose dua is never rejected (by Allah) are: when a fasting person breaks fast (in another narration, the fasting person until he breaks his fast), the just ruler and the one who is oppressed.'[Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi - Hasan]
29. Dua of a just Ruler The prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) declared,'Three men whose dua is never rejected (by Allah) are: the fasting person until he breaks his fast (in another narration, when he breaks fast), the just ruler and the one who is oppressed.'[Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi - Hasan]
30. Dua of a son or daughter obedient to his or her parents It is well known in the story narrated in hadith os three men who were trapped by a huge stone in a cave. One of them who was kind to kis parents asked Allah to remove the stone, and his du'a was answered.[Sahih al-Bukhari 3:36 #472]
31. Dua immediately after wuduUmar ibn Al-Khattab reported that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'There is not one of you that makes wudu, and does it perfectly, then says: I testify that there is no diety worthy of worship except Allah. he is Alone, having no partners. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger', except that the eight gates of Paradise are opened for him, and he can enter into it through whichever one he pleases'[Muslim #234, abu Dawud #162, Ahmad, an-Nasa'i]Saying what has been mentioned in the hadith that is directly related to it (ablution)
32. Dua after stoning the Jamarat at HajjThe stoning of the small Shaitan (jamrat sugra), or the middle Shaitan (jamrat wusta) pillars during Hajj. It is narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) would stone the small Jamarah (one of the three pillars that is stoned in the last days of Hajj), then face the qiblah, raise his hands, and make du'a for a long time. He would then stone the middle Jamarah and do the same. When he stoned the large Jamarah, he would depart without making any du'a.[Sahih al-Bukhari #1753 and others]
33. At the Crowing of a RoosterAbu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'When you hear a rooster crowing, then ask Allah for His bounties, for it has seen an angel, and when you hear a donkey braying, then seek refuge in Allah from Shaitan, for it has seen a Shaitan'[Sahih al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Sahih al-Jami #611]
34. Du'a made inside the Ka'bahThe Ka'bah is a sanctuary that has no comparison in the entire world. The du'a of one who prays inside the hijr is considered as being made inside the ka'bah, as it is part of the house (Baitullah). [This is the semicircle to the right of the Ka'bah if you face the door, opposite to the Yemeni corner and the Black stone wall.]Usamah ibn Zayd narrated, 'When the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) entered the House (Ka'bah), he made du'a in all of its corners[Muslim 2: 968 and others]
35. Du'a on the mount of Safa or Marwah during Umrah or Hajj It is narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) would make long du'as at Safa and Marwah.[Muslim #1218 and others]
36. Dua at any of the holy sites.
37. While reciting Surah al-FatihahThe Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said that Allah the Exalted had said:' I have divided the prayer into two halves between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for. When the servant says: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe, Allah the Most High says: My servant has praised Me. And when he (the servant) says: The Most Compassionate, the Merciful, Allah the Most High says: My servant has lauded Me. When he (the servant) says: Master of the Day of Judgment, He remarks: My servant has glorified Me, and sometimes He will say: My servant entrusted (his affairs) to Me. When he (the worshipper) says: Thee do we worship and of Thee do we ask help, He (Allah) says: This is between Me and My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for. Then, when he (the worshipper) says: Guide us to the straight path, the path of those to whom Thou hast been Gracious -- not of those who have incurred Thy displeasure, nor of those who have gone astray, He (Allah) says: This is for My servant, and My servant will receive what he asks for.[Muslim 4: 395]
38. Saying 'Ameen' during prayerAfter finishing the recitation of al-Fatihah, the saying of'Ameen' in congregation.The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'When the Imam says 'Ameen', then recite it behind him (as well), because whoever's Ameen coincides with the Ameen of the angels will have all of his sins forgiven.'[Sahih al-Bukhari #780, Muslim #410 and others]
39. While visiting the sick, and dua made by the sickUmm Salamah narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'When you visit the sick, or the dead then say good, because the angels say 'Ameen' to whatever you say[Muslim #2126] Ali (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'When a Muslim visits his sick Muslim brother in the morning, seventy thousand angels make dua for his forgiveness till the evening. And when he visits him in the evening, seventy thousand angels make dua for his forgiveness till the morning, and he will be granted a garden for it in Jannah.'[at-Tirmidhi, abu Dawud]
Etiquette and Adab of Du'a
'O supplicant, ask Allah and your prayer will be answered.'[narrated by at-Tirmidhi]Du'a (supplication) is more likely to be accepted by Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) as mentioned by Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), if the correct adab (manner) and etiquette is used. Listed below are some of the etiquettes of du'a.
Any Muslim who supplicates Allah with a supplication that does not contain any sin or cutting off of family relations, Allah will give him one of three things for it:1. Either He will speedily answer his du'a2. or He will save it for him until the Hereafter3. or He will avert something bad from him equal to the value of his du'a.(Explanation: a du'a has a certain relative value determined by Allah, so if a person says a particular dua, say 15 times in a day, then Allah protects him from something bad that is equal to the valued amount of his du'a.)
Faithfulness to Allah
To start with thanking Allah and praising Him and then giving salat on the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and ending the du'a with the sameThe Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'When one of you has prayed, then let him begin with praising Allah and Glorifying Him, then let him pray upon the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam). After that, he may make any du'a that he wishes'[Ahmad, abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, - sahih, narrated by Fadalah ibn Ubayd]
To ask Allah by His Names and AttributesAllah Ta'ala says,"And to Allah belongs the beautiful names, so invoke Him by them."[7:180]Buraidah reported that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) heard a man saying, 'O Allah! I ask You, I bear witness that there is no god but You, the One, the As-Samad (the One upon Whom all creatures depend). He begets not, nor was He begotten; and there is none like unto Him.' The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,'You have asked Allah by His Greatest Name. When one asks Him by this name, He gives, what one desires, and when supplicated by this name He answers.'[reported by abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi, who regard it a sound hadith]Ibn Mas'ud (radiAllahu anhu) said, 'Allah does not accept du'a from the conceited, the one who flaunts and the one who is not serious, (He accepts only) from a person who praises and asks from his heart.'
Raising One's HandsAbu Musa al-Ash'ari narrated:'The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) made the du'a, and I saw him raise his hands, until I could see the whiteness of his armpits'[Sahih al-Bukhari #4323]Ibn Umar narrated:'The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) raised his hands and said:'O Allah! I ask your protection for what Khalid had done!'[Sahih al-Bukhari #4339]Salman al-Farsi narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'Indeed, Allah is Shy and Beneficent. His is Shy when His servant raises his hands to Him (in a du'a) to return them empty, disappointed!'[Ahmad, abu Dawud #1488, at-Tirmidhi #3556, ibn Majah #3865 and others] Ibn 'Abbas is reported as saying, "When asking for something from Allah, you should raise your hands opposite to your shoulders; when asking for forgiveness you should point with one finger; and when making an earnest supplication you should spread out both your hands."[abu Dawud]
Face the Qiblah when making du'a.It has been narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) would face the qiblah when making du'a.Abdullah ibn Zayd (radiAllahu anhu) narrated:'The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) left (Madinah) to this prayer, seeking rain. So he made a du'a, and asked for rain, then he faced the qiblah and turned his cloak inside-out'[Sahih al-Bukhari #6343, Muslim #894 and others]In another narration, it is reported that when the Quraish tormented the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), he 'faced the Ka'bah and made a du'a against them..'[Sahih al-Bukhari #3960 and others]
Performing Wudu.One of the etiquettes of du'a is that a person is in a state of wudu when making du'a.Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (radiAllahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), after the battle of Hunayn, called for water, performed wudu, then raised his hands and said:'O Allah! Forgive Ubayd ibn Amir!'[Sahih al-Bukhari #4323, Muslim #2498]
Trust in Allah and have Yaqeen (certainty) that it will be answered One must be certain that Allah does whatever He wishes, whenever He wishes. Allah tells us in the Qur'an: "And there is nothing, but with Us are the stores thereof. And We do not send it down except with a known measure"[Qur'an 15:21].In a Hadith Qudsi narrated by Abu Dharr, Allah revealed through the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam),'O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request from Me, and were I to give everyone what they requested, that would not decrease what I have anymore than a needle decreases the sea if put into it'[Muslim].Anas ibn Malik (radiAllahu anhu) narrates that the prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,'When one of you makes a du'a, then let him be firm and determined in his du'a, and let him not say, 'O Allah! If You will, then please forgive me', for there is noone who can force Allah to do anything'.[Sahih al-Bukhari #6339, Muslim #2678, Ahmad and others]Therefore, what is desired is that a person be firm in his du'a asking from Allah in a determined manner, i.e. not stating 'O Allah! please forgive me inshaAllah'The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'Ask Allah with certainty that He will answer your prayers, and know that Allah will not accept the supplication from an absent heart.'[at-Tirmidhi]The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) also said, 'When you ask Allah, ask with confidence.'
Persistence in du'a, not being hasty and abandoning du'aOne must be patient for ones Du'a to be accepted, as hastiness is one of the causes for its rejection or disapproval. We must attend to our Du'a with perseverance, repetition and persistence.Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi waalam) said,The du'a of any worshipper will continue to be responded to, as long as he does not ask for a sin or breaking the ties of kinship, and as long as he is not hasty'.It was asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, and what does it mean to be hasty? He responded,'A worshipper says, 'I have prayed and prayed, and I don't see that it will be accepted,' so he gives up hope of being answered and leaves du'a'[abu Hurairah narrated in Muslim in Sahih al-Jami #7705]Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiAllahu anhu) said: "I do not carry the worry of acceptance but the worry of du'a. If I am inspired on how du'a is made, acceptance will accompany it."A'isha (radiAllahu anha) said: "No believer makes du'a and it is wasted. Either it is granted here in this world or deposited for him in the Hereafter as long as he does not get frustrated."Thus, don't rush or be impatient. Allah dislikes that.
Abandonment of obligatory deeds Just as doing good deeds is a reason for the acceptance of Du'a, similarly, abandoning good deeds is a reason for the rejection of Du'a.Hudaifah (radiAllahu anhu), narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,'By Him, in whose hand is my soul, you should enjoin good and forbid evil or else it is likely that Allah will send a punishment upon you and then you will invoke Him and you will not be answered'[at-Tirmidhi]So, for example, how could those who have constantly neglected and abandoned Fajr prayers in the Masjid expect that their Du'a will be answered?
Presence of the heart in the du'a Make the du'a from your heart (even if you are reading the words, i.e., mean what you say)The whole point of du'a is that a person calls out with a sincere heart to his Creator. This sincerity cannot be achieved if one calls out heedlessly, without earnestness.Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasalam) said,Make du'a to Allah in a state that you are certain that your du'a will be responded to, and know that Allah does not respond to a du'a that originates from a negligent, inattentive heart.[at-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim]Abdullah ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasalam) said: "Hearts are like vessels, some more attentive and capacious than others. When you supplicate Allah you should be certain of being answered, and know that Allah does not answer a supplication that comes from a careless and inattentive heart."[Ahmad]
Say du'a at times of trouble and of pleasure One must not make it a habit to remember Allah only at the time of trouble but he must constantly remember Allah in all circumstances. Not to just say du'a in times of need only.Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasalam) said,(Anyone who is pleased) that Allah responds to him at the time of trouble and distress, (should) increase Du'a at the time of calmness.[at-Tirmidhi]
Ask Allah aloneInstead of complaining to people when struck by calamity, one must make it a habit to ask Allah alone for refuge. However, there is no harm to mention your problem to people and share their opinions.The Prophets of Allah (alayhum salam), whenever they were in severe situations and extenuating circumstances, would turn to Allah, and show their need for Allah's help.When Ibrahim (alayhis salam), for example, left his wife and child in the middle of the desert, without any support or help, he prayed to Allah, describing their pitiful situation:"O our Lord! I have settled some of my family in a valley having no cultivation, near Your Sacred House - O our Lord! So that they may keep the prayer established, therefore incline some hearts of men towards them, and provide them fruits to eat - perhaps they may be thankful."[Surah Ibrahim, 14: 37]When Yaqub (alayhis salam) did not know the fate of his favourite son Yusuf (alayhis salam), and his oldest son stayed behind in Egypt, while Yusuf's brother Benyamin was also taken captive, all he could cry out was,"I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah, and I know from Allah that which ye know not"[Surah Yusuf, 12: 86]In the hadith narrated by Ibn Abbas (radiAllahu anhu), RasulAllah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said to him while he was riding behind him on the same mount,'Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask only Allah and if you seek help, seek help only from Allah. And know that if all the nations were to gather together to benefit you, they would benefit you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you, and if they gather together to harm you, they would harm you only with something that Allah had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages are dry.'[at-Tirmidhi]
To Cry with the fear of AllahOne of the ways in which sincerity is shown in du'a is through crying. This brings about a feeling of humility in front of Allah, and shows the importance of one's request. It displays the great need that the servant has from his Lord, and that he can never be without His Aid and Help.Abdullah bin Umar narrated that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) recited the verse in which Ibrahim (alayhis salam) is invoking Allah:“O my Lord, they [the idols] have indeed led astray many among mankind. But whoever follows me, he verily is of me. and whoever disobeys me, still you are indeed Most Forgiving, Most Merciful"[Surah Ibrahim, 14: 36].In another verse, Isa (alayhis salam) is invoking Allah:"If you punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily You-only You are the Almighty, the All-wise"[Surah Ma’idah, 118].And the prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) then raised his hands and said,'Allahumma! Ummati! Ummati! (O Allah! my ummah! my ummah!)' and then he started crying - out of concern for his followers, just like Ibrahim and Isa (alayhum salam) were concerned for their followers.[Muslim #202 and others]
Make Du’a for oneself before making Du’a for othersIt is Sunnah in du'a to start with yourself prior to mentioning others. This is so for a number reasons. Firstly a person should desire all good for himself, so it does not make sense to pray for others and forget one's self. Secondly, the fact that a person prays for himself shows what he is praying for is an important goal anf objective. In other words, this ensures that he desires that he his brothers what he desires for himself. Thirdly, it increases him in his sincerity in this du'a, for verily mankind is weak, so when he makes du'a only for his brother, it is possible that it will not be as sincere as when he makes du'a for himse;f and his brother.Likewise, this principle is affirmed by the hadith, as was collected by at-Tirmidhi in the narration of Ubay bin Ka'ab (radiAllahu anhu) that if someone was mentioned to the Prophet, he would invoke Allah for him but would begin with himself. [Sahih at-Tirmidhi, abu Dauwd, an-Nasa'i, Sahih al-Jami #4723]However, this was not the constant habit of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), for there are other narrations to show that sometimes he would not begin with himself, while still prying for another person.Thus, it is permissible to make du'a without mentioning one's self, but in general it is recommended to do so.
Perform the Du'a in conformity with the Shari'ah The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,'Whoever innovates in this matter of ours, something which is not part of it, it will be rejected.' If a person is sincere but is not following the Sunnah, his worship is rejected. Similarly, if a person is following the Sunnah but his work is not sincerely done for the sake of Allah, his worship is still rejected.
Make du'a in a moderately low voice Invoke Allah in a low tone - not silent yet not completely out loud, as it is closer to sincerity:"Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He does not like the aggressors" [Surah A'raf, 37: 55]And He also tells us:“And remember your Lord by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and with fear without loudness in words, in the morning and in the afternoon and be not of those who are neglectful.”[Surah A'raf, 37: 205]This principle is also mentioned in a hadith. Once, the sahabahs were travelling and loudly engaging in dhikr. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,'O people! Be gentle on yourselves, for you are not calling someone who is deaf or absent. Rather, you are calling the One Who hears everything, Ever-Close.'[Sahih al-Bukhari #6384]
To Repeat the Du'a three timesIt is preferable to repeat you Du’a three times as it is more likely to be answered. It shows a sense of urgency in obtaining what is asked for. The act of repeating a du'a three times is narrated in many ahadith.One reported by ibn Mas'ud (radiAllahu anhu) states that when the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) finished his prayer, he raised his voice, and prayed against the leaders of the Quraish who had persecuted him - when they placed the abdominal contents of a camel on his back whilst in sajdah, and that whenever he made a du'a, he repeated it 3 times. So he then said, 'O Allah! Upon you is (the retaliation) of the Quraish' (3 times).
Do not make dua against oneself, ones family, wealth and childrenThat is, don't say I wish that that person's family be destroyed, or I pray that she loses all her money, or I wish his oldest son would fail or I wish that he would die.It is possible that a person, in a state of severe anger, curses and makes du'a against himself, his family and friends, or his wealth. This is definitely an act that does not befit a Muslim, and the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) warned against this.Jabir narrated a hadith about a man who cursed his animal. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Who is this who cursed his animal?” The man replied, “It is me O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Get down from it for a cursed one must not escort us.Do not pray against yourselves, do not pray against your children and do not pray against your servants, and do not pray against your wealth, for it is possible that it might correspond to an hour/time during which all prayers are answered, and your du'a (prayer) will be answered'.[Muslim, abu Dawud]No one wishes to inflict Allah's curse and anger upon his loved ones, so we should be careful what we say in a state of anger, so as not to cause pain and grief not only upon our loved ones but also upon ourselves.
Acknowledging One's sinsKnow your sins (faults) and seek forgiveness for them and know and acknowledge the benefits and blessings you have been given and thank Allah for them.Part of the etiquette of du'a is to acknowledge one's shortcomings and sins in front of one's Creator, and expressing sincere regret for them. It is also worthwhile to acknowledge all of Allah’s mercy bestowed upon you.The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) taught his ummah the Sayyid al-Istighfar (the best du'a to ask for forgiveness) which acknowledges the favour of Allah upon oneself. The best du'a in which a person can ask for forgiveness contains a pure and sincere acknowledgement of one's deficiencies and sins.The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,'The sayyid al-Istighfar is that a person says: O Allah! You are my Lord, there is no one worthy of worship except You. You created me, and I am Your slave. And I am (following) Your covenant and Promise as much as I can. I seek Your refuge in the evil that I have done. I acknowledge Your favours upon me, and I acknowledge my sins. So forgive me, since no one forgives sins except You!'So when one raises one's hands to Allah, expecting a response from Him, one should also ponder over one's own relationship with Allah, and the shortcomings that one possesses. in this way the person should recall his many sins, and feel his own humility - that is, he should remember that he is asking One whom he has disobeyed, and sinned against, and not fulfilled his rights upon Him. Let him taste his impudence when he asks Allah for more and more, without fuilfilling the basic deeds that are obligatory upon him.
To say 'Ameen'When a person is listening to another person make du'a, it is recommended that he say 'Ameen', which means O Allah! Please accept (this du'a).It is stated that the phrase 'Ameen' is one of the specialities of this nation. This is inferred from the hadith in which the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,The Jews do not envy you for any matter as much as they envy you for Ameen, and for giving salams to one another.[Sahih al-Bukhari]One is recommended to remember the Muslims and the Mu’mins around the globe in his invocation. Allah said "Ask forgiveness for your sin and also for the believing men and women" [Qur’an 47:19]The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) also said,Whoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and women, then a good deed will be written for him for every single believing man and woman (that he prayer for)[al-Tabarani]
To make du'a for all mattersA common mistake that people fall into is that they only Ask Allah Ta'ala for matters that are of great importance to them. However, we should make du'a for every matter, large or small. You want forgiveness? Ask Allah. You want a car? Ask Allah.This is beacuse everything occurs by Allah Ta'ala's Will, so if Allah does not Will it, it will not occur, no matter how trivial the matter may be.This is why A'isha (radiAllahu anha) said,Ask Allah for everything, even if it is only a shoe-lace, beacuse if Allah does not make it easy, then it will not be possible[as reported in a hadith in at-Tirmidhi 4:292 and others]
Doing good deeds and asking Allah by one’s good deedsQasim bin Abd said: "I said to Anas bin Malik: 'O Abu Hamzah pray to Allah for us.' He said: 'Du'a is elevated by good deeds.'"Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim relate the hadith of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) of the story of three men, who each supplicated to Allah by (mentioning) a good deed they had done earlier in their lives.'Three persons of a people before you were on a journey when they were overtaken by a storm; therefore, they took shelter in a cave. A rock slipped down from the mountain and blocked the exit of the cave. One of them said, 'The only way for deliverance is to beseech Allah and (to mention) some virtuous deed (he did purely for His sake).'One of the men mentioned a good deed which they had done for Allah, and supplicated, 'O Lord! If I did this thing seeking only Thy pleasure, then do Thou relieve us of the distress wrought upon us by this rock.'The rock moved, but not enough to free the men. So, the other two made similar supplications while mentioning their good deeds until the rock moved enough to free them.[Sahih al-Bukhari, Muslim]
To make du'a plentifullyA person should ask for everything that he desires (as long as it is permissible), for he is asking the Most Generous of all those who are generous, and the Most Beneficent of all those who are beneficent.This is why our Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,When one of you wishes for something, then let him increase (his wishes), for verily he is asking his Lord, the Most Exhalted and High[reported by Adh ibn Humayd in his Muntakhab 1:193]He also (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said,When one of you asks something (from Allah), then let him be plentiful (in what he asks for), for indeed he is asking his Lord[ibn Hibban #2403]
To make Du'a for all MuslimsPart of the completeness of one's iman is that a person loves for his brother what he loves for himself. Therefore, just as he desires that he be guided to the truth, and be forgiven for his sins, so too should he desire the same for his fellow Muslims.Allah Ta'ala says in the Qur'an, "Ask forgiveness for your sin and also for the believing men and women"[Qur'an 47:19]Abdallah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As reported that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'The supplication that gets the quickest answer is the one made by one Muslim for another in his absence.''[abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi]The Prophet, (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) also said,'Whenever you make a supplication for another believer and he is not present, an angel will say ‘and same to you.’'
Not to use rhymed prose when making du'aThis means is using excessive rhyming of words, and going out of their way to match word patterns in each sentance, since this does not befit the humility that should acompany du'a. However, if such rhyming is not excessive, then it is allowed.Ibn Abbas, while giving his students advice, reported,'...And beward of poetry and rhyming in your du'a, for verily i encountered the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and his Companions avoiding this'[Sahih al-Bukhari #6337]
Not to transgress when making du'aWhen appealing to Allah Ta'ala in Du'a, we should not get into much detail by asking for the different rewards of Jannah, etc. Keep it simple. If a person is granted Jannah, he will be granted Jannah and all that is present in it.It was reported of Abi Nu'mah that Abdullah bin Mughaffal heard his son saying (in invocation), 'O Allah! I ask You for the white palace on the right of Paradise if I were to enter it.' So he said, 'Dear son, ask Allah (Ta'ala) for Paradise and seek refuge from the Hellfire for I have heard the Messenger of Allah saying, 'There will come in this nation people who will transgress (or exceed) in ablution and Du'a.''[abu Dawud]
Not to make du'a for prohibited and impossible thingsIt is the height of transgression in du'a to demand from your Creator those things that He has prohibited for you, either in this life or in the life Hereafter. A person should realise his place and status in front of his Creator, and beward of exalting himself to where he thinks he can ask for that which he is prohibited from.One should also avoid making du'a for pre-determinded things. For example, a woman should not make a du'a of being transformed into a man, or a tall person should not make Du'a thus: "O Allah! Make me short." etc.Ibn Abbas, while giving his students advice, reported,'...And beward of poetry and rhyming in your du'a, for verily i encountered the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and his Companions avoiding this'[Sahih al-Bukhari #6337]
To make a Du'a that encompasses most of the needs of Deen and the dunyaOne should make du'a for matters in both this world and the Hereafter.Allah Ta'ala says in the Qur'an'And there are men who say: "Our Lord! Give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the Fire!" These will have a share of what they earned, and Allah is swift in Reckoning.'[surah al-Baqarah 2:201-202]
Not to make du'a against oneself and familyIt is possible that a person, in a state of severe anger, curses and makes du'a against himself, his family and friends, or his wealth, etc. This is definately an act that does not befit a Muslim, and the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) warned against this:Jabir narrated a hadith about a man who cursed his animal. The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "Who is this who cursed his animal?" The man replied, "It is me O Messenger of Allah."The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "Get down from it, for a cursed one must not escort us. Do not make Du'a against yourselves, do not make Du'a against your children and do not make Du'a against your wealth. It might coincide with a time when Allah answers what you asked for."[Muslim, abu Dawud]
Not to consume Haram (unlawful) and keep to the Halal (lawful)On the authority of Abu Hurairah, The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'Allah the Almighty is good and accepts only that which is good. Allah has commanded the faithful to do that which he commanded the messengers and the Almighty has said: 'O Messengers! Eat of the good things and do right.’ And Allah the Almighty has said, 'O you who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you.''Then he (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) mentioned [the case of] a man who having journeyed far was disheveled and dusty and spreads out his hands to the sky [saying] "O Lord! O Lord!" His (the traveler’s) food is unlawful, his drink unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully; so how can he be answered?![Muslim]
Not to ask for sin or break ties of kinshipThe Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, 'Any Muslim who supplicates to Allah in a Du'a which contains no sin or breaking of kinship, Allah will give him one of three things: either his Du'a will be immediately answered or, it will be saved for him in the hereafter, or it will turn away an equivalent amount of evil (from him)'.The companions said '...so we will ask for more.' He replied, 'Allah is more (generous).'[Ahmad]
Duas for Health and Well-being
"رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ "
Rabbu inni massani-yadh-urru wa 'anta arhamur-Raahimeen
O my Rubb, Surely, distress has touched me, and You are the most Merciful of the merciful ones.
[surah al-Anbiya; 21:83]- what Prophet Ayyub (alayhis salam) recited
For Distress and anguish
اللِّهُمَّ إنِّي عَبْدُكَ ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ ، ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ ، نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ ، مَاضِ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ ، سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ ، أَوْ أنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَاَبِكَ ، أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ ، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ ، أنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي ، وَ نُورَ صَدْرِي ، وَ جَلاءَ حُزْنِي ، وَ ذَهَابَ هَمِّي
Allahumma inni 'abduka, ibnu 'abdika, ibnu amatika, naasiyati biyadika, maadhin fiyya hukumuka, 'adhlun fiyya qadha'uka asaluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka, sammaita bihi nafsaka, aw an-zaltahu fi kitabika, aw 'allamtahu ahadan min khalqika, awista'tharta bihi fi 'ilmil-ghaibi 'indaka, an taj'alal-Qur'ana Rabbi'a qalbi, wa nura sadri, wa jalaa'a huzni, wa dhahaba hammi
Oh Allah, I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, the son of your maid-servant, and entirely at Your service. You hold me by my forelock. Your Decree is what controls me, and Your Commands to me are just. I beseech You by every one of Your Names, those which You use to refer to Yourself, or have revealed in Your Book, or have taught to any one of Your creation, or have chosen to keep hidden with You in the Unseen, to make the Qur’an Al-Karim the springtime of my heart, the light of my eyes, the departure of my grief, and the vanishing of my affliction and my sorrow.
[Ahmad 1:391, ibn Hibban]The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, there is no-one who is afflicted by distress and grief, and says (the above), but Allah will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with joy." He was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, should we learn this?" He said: "Of course; everyone who hears it should learn it
لا إلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ ، لا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمُ ، لا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّموَاتِ وَ رَبُّ الأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمُ
La ilaha ilAllah al-‘Adheem al-Haleem, la ilaha ilAllah Rabb al-Arsh al-‘adheem, la ilaha ilAllah Rabb as-Samawat wa Rabb al-Ard wa Rabb al-Arsh al-Kareem
There is no god but Allah, the All-Powerful, the Forbearing; there is no god but Allah, Lord of the mighty Throne; there is no god but Allah, Lord of heaven, Lord of earth, and Lord of the noble Throne.
[Sahih al-Bukhari, 8/154, Muslim, 4/2092]Ibn Abbas (ra) reported that when the Prophet (saws) felt distressed he would say (the above)
يَا حَيُّ ، يَا قَيُّومُ ، بِرَ حْمَتِكَ أسْتَغِيثُ
Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyoom bi Rahmatika astagheeth
O Ever-Living, O Eternal, by Your Mercy I seek help.
[Sahih al-Hakim 1/545, Sahih al-Jami 4791, at-Tirmidhi - Sahih]Anas (ra) reported that when the Prophet (saws) was distressed by something, he would say (the above)
اللَّهُ اللَّهُ رَبِّي لا أُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا
Allah Allah rabbi la ushriku bihi shay’an
Allah Allah is my Lord, I do not associate anything with Him
[abu Dawud, 2/87, Sahih anb Majah 2/335]Asma bint ‘Umayr (ra) said: "The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said to me: ‘Shall I not teach you some words which you can say at times of distress?Another narration says that these words should be said 7 times.
اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَ الْحَزَنِ ، وَ الْعَجْزِ وَ الْكَسَلِ ، وَ الْبُخْلِ وَ الْجُبْنِ ، وَ ضَلَعِ الدِّيْنِ وَ غَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ
Allahumma inni 'a'udhubika minal hammi walhuzni Wal'ajzi walkasali walbukhli waljubni, Wa dal'id-daiyni wa ghalabatir-rajal
Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being over powered by men.
[sahih al-Bukhari 7:158, Al-Asqalani - Fath al-Bari 11:173]said in times of worry and grief
ح
...wakeel
Glory to Allah, the Holy, the King, Lord of the angels and of Gabriel. Your power and glory encompass the heavens and the earth[Fiqh as-Sunnah]Bara' b. Azib (radiAllahu anhu) reported that a man complained to the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) about fear and depression. The Prophet said to him, 'Say (the above). The man said these words and Allah healed him of his depression and fear.
حَسْبُنَا اللَّهُ وَ نِعْمَ الْوَكِيلُ
hasbunal-lahu wa ni'mal wakeel
Allah is sufficient for us and the Best of those on whom to depend[sahih al Bukhari 5:172]When frightened or meet an adversary or powerful ruler
اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو فَلا تَكِلْنِي إلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَعَيْنٍ ، وَ أَصْلِحْلِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ ، لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ Allahumma rahmataka arju falaa takilni illa nafsi tarfata 'aiinan, wa as-ih-li sha'ni kuulahu, la illaha illa antaO Allah, I hope for Your Mercy. Do not leave me to myself even for the blinking of an eye. Correct all of my affairs for me. There is none worthy of worship but You[Abu Dawud 4/324, Ahmad 5/42]Supplication during times of distress and anguish
اللَّهُُمَّ اِنِّىْ اَسْئَلُكَ تَعْجِيْلَ عَافِيَتِكَ وَ دَفَعَ بَلآئِكَ ، وَ خُرُوْجًا مِنَ الدُّنْيَآ اِلى رَحْمَتِكَ Allahumma inni as'aluka ta'jila 'afiyatika wa daf'a balaika, wa khurujan min ad-dunya ila rahmatikaO Allah, I ask for Your haste in granting me peace, and taking me out of the trials of this world to Your Mercy[hadith]
اللَّهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إلَّا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلاً وَ إنْتَ تَحْعَلُ الْحزْنَ إذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلاً
Allahumma la sahla illa ma ja'altu sahla, wa 'anta taj-alul hazna idha shi'ta sahla
O Allah, there is nothing easy except what You make easy, and You make the difficult easy if it be Your Will.[Ibn Hibban, ibn as-Sunni]When confronted with a difficult situation
ا&#;ا
La ilaha illa Anta subhanaka, inni kuntu minadh-dhalimeen
There is no god but You, You are Glorified, I was indeed the wrongdoer
[at-Tirmidhi]Sa'd ibn Waqas (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (salAllahu allayhi wasalam) said, "The supplication made by the Companion of the Fish (Prophet Yunus (as)) in the belly of the fish was (the above). If any Muslim supplicates in these words, his supplication will be accepted."In another report we read, "I know words that will cause Allah to remove one's distress. These are the words (of supplication) of my brother Yunus, peace be upon him"
General Health
" رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَآ أَنتَ مَوْلاَنَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
Rabbanna la tu'a-khidhna in-nasina aw akh-ta'na, Rabbanna wa la tahmil 'alayna isran kama hamaltahu 'ala-lladhina min qablina, Rab-bana wa la tuhammilna ma la taqata lana bih, wa-'fu 'anna waghfirlana warhamna anta Maulana fansurna 'alal-qawmil kaafirin.
"Our Lord! do not punish us if we forget or make mistake; Our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! do not impose upon us that which we have not the strength to bear; and pardon us and grant us protection and have mercy on us, Thou art our Patron, so help us against the unbelieving people." [surah al Baqarah; 2:286]
"رَبَّنَا اكْشِفْ عَنَّا الْعَذَابَ إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ "
Rabban ak-shiff 'annal-adhaaba 'inna mu'minoon "Our Rabb! remove from us the punishment, surely we are Believers."[surah ad-Dhukan; 44:12]
".رَّبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ رَبَّنَا لَا تَجْعَلْنَا فِتْنَةً لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ "
"Rabbana 'alaika tawakkalna wa ilaika anabna wa ilaikal-masir. Rabbana la taj'alna fitnatan li-lladhina kafaru waghfir lana Rabbana innaka Antal 'Azizul-Hakim."
"Our Lord! on Thee do we rely, and to Thee do we turn, and to Thee is the eventual coming. Our Lord! do not make us a trial for those, who disbelieve, and forgive us, Our Lord! surely Thou are the Mighty, the Wise."[surah al-Saff; 60:4-5]
اله الحق سبحنك لا اله اله غيرك اغفرلى ذنبى واصلح لى عملى انك تغفر الذنوب لمن تشآء و انت الغفور الرحيم
illahil Haqqi Subhanaka la ilaha ghairuka ighfir li dhanbi wa aslih-li 'amali, innaka taghfir-udh-dhuubaka liman tashaa'u wa Anta-GhafururRaheem
O True God, Glory be to You, there is no God but You, forgive my sins, and direct my actions aright, for You Pardon the sins of any one You please, and You are the Forgiving, the Merciful
رَبَّنَا أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْراً وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانصُرْنَا عَلَى القَوْمِ الكَافِرِينَ
"Rabbana afrigh 'alayna sabran wa thabbit aqdamana wansurna 'alal-qawmil-kafirin."
"Our Lord! Bestow on us endurance, make our foothold sure, and give us help against the disbelieving folk" [surah al-Baqarah 2:250]
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا
"Rabbana atina min ladunka rahmatan wa hayyi' lana min amrina rashada." "Our Lord! give us mercy from Thy presence, and shape for us right conduct in our plight." [surah al Kahf 18: 10]
&
Allahumma inni a'udhu bika minal-barasi, wal-jununi, wal-judhami, wa sayyi'il-asqami' O Allah! I seek refuge in You from leucoderma, insanity, leprosy and evil diseases[abu Dawud, #8/1549]Anas (ra) reported that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) used to supplicate (the above)
اللهم انى اسئلك فرجا قريبا وصبرا اجميلا ورزقا و اسعا و العافية من جميع البلآء و اسئلك تمام العافية و اسئلك دوام العافية واسئلك الشكر على العافية و اسئلك الغنى عن الناس و ا حول و لا قوة الا با لله العلى العضيم
Allahumma inni as'aluka farajan qariban, wa sabran jameelan, wa rizqan wasi'an, wal 'afiyata min jami'il-bala'i, wa as'aluka tammamal-'afiyati wa as'aluka dawamal-'afiyati, wa as'aluka-sh-shukha'alal 'afiyati, wa as'alukal-ghina 'anin-naasi, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil 'aliyyil-adhim.
O Allah, I ask You of immediate prosperity, and beautiful patience against misery and affliction, and abundance in sustenance, and peace from all misfortunes; and I also ask You for perfect and perpetual peace of mind, and I ask You to enable me to give thanks for granting me peace, and I ask You (to make me prosperous enough) to be needless of other people, and I cannot be saved (from sins) nor have I power (for good deeds), but by the help of Allah, the Sublime, the Great.
Invocations for visiting the sick
لا بَأسَ طَهُورٌ إِنْ شَاءَ اللّهُ
La ba'sa tahuroon insha'Allah
(Do not worry, it will be a purification (for you), God Willing)[Sahih al-Bukhari, cf. Al-Asqalani - Fath al-Bari 10/118]
أسْألُ اللّهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ
As'allulLahal adheem Rabb al arshil 'adheemi 'an yashfiyaka (7 times)
(I ask Allah the Almighty, Lord of the Magnificent Throne, to make you well) (7 times)[at-Tirmidhi 2/210, abu Dawud, Sahih al-Jami as-Saghir 5/180]
Invocation for the terminally ill
اللَّهُمََّ اغْفِرْلِى وَارْحَمْنِي وَألْحِقْنِي بِالرَّفِيقِ الأعْلَى
Allahumma aghfirli, warhamni, wal hiqni bir-rafeeqil 'ala
O Allah, Forgive me, and have Mercy upon me, and join me with the most highest Companion (Allah)[Sahih al-Bukhari 7/10, Muslim 4/1893]
اللَّهُمَّ أذْهِبَ الْبَاسَ رَبَّ النَّاسِ، اشْفِ وَ أنْتَ الشَّافِى، لا شِفاَءَ إلّا شِفاَؤُكَ، شِفاَءً لَا يُغاَدِرُ سِقَماً
Allahumma adhhibal-bas, Rabb-annaas, ishfi wa Anatal Shaafi, la shifaa' 'illa Shiaa'uk, Shifa'al la youghadiru saqama
O Allah, Remove the Hardship, Oh Lord of Mankind, Grant cure, for You are the Healer, There is not Cure but from You, cure which leaves no illness behind(while patting the sick person, recite)[Sahih al-Bukhari]
بِسْمِ اللّهِ (ثَلاثَ مَرَّتٍ) أعُوذُ بِعِزَّةِ اللّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أجِدُ وَ أحَاذِرُ (٧ مَرَّاتً
Bismillah (3 times)A'udhu bi'izzatil-Lahi waqudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa'ohadhir (7 times)
In the Name of Allah (3 times)I seek Refuge in Exalted Power and Glory of Allah from that which I feel and fear (7 times)[Muslim]
اللَّهُمَّ بِعِلْمِكَ الْغَيْبَ وَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ أَحْيِنِي مَا عَلِمْتَ الْحَيَاةَ خَيْرا ً لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا عَلِمْتَ الْوَفَاةَ خَيْرا ً لِي، هُمَّ وَأَسْأَلُكَ خَشْيَتَكَ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ فِي الرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبِ وَأَسْأَلُكَ الْقَصْدَ فِي الْفَقْرِ وَالْغِنَى ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ نَعِيما ً لَا يَنْفَدُ وَأَسْأَلُكَ قُرَّةَ عَيْن ٍ لَا تَنْقَطِعُ ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضَاءَ بَعْدَ الْقَضَاءِ ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ بَرْدَ الْعَيْشِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ فِي غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّة ٍ وَلَا فِتْنَة ٍ مُضِلَّة
Allahumma bi-Ilmikal ghaiba wa qudratika 'alal-khalqi 'ahyini ma 'alimtal-hayaata khairan li, wa tawaffan idza'alimtal-wafata khairan li. Allahumma as'aluka khashyataka Fī al-ghaybi wa ash-shahādati, wa as'aluka Kalimata Al-haqqi fī ar-riđā, wa al-ghađabi wa as'aluka Al-Qaşda Fī al-Faqri wa al-ghiná, Wa as'aluka na`īmāan Lā Yanfadu Wa 'As'aluka Qurrata `Aynin Lā Tanqaţi`u, wa as'aluka Ar-Riđā'a Ba`da Al-Qađā'i, wa as'aluka Barda al-ayshi Ba`da Al-Mawti, Wa as'aluka ladhdhata An-Nažari 'Ilá Wajhika wa ash-shawqa Ilá Liqā'ika Fī ghayri Đarrā'a Muđirratin Wa Lā fitnatin muđillatin
Our Lord, by Your Knowledge of the Unseen, and by Your Power over Your creation, grant me life so long as You know life to hold good for me, and grant me death when You know death to hold good for me. O Lord, I ask You to make me fear You in secret and in the open, I ask You to make me speak sincerely (the truth) at times of contentment and at times of anger, I ask You to make me be moderate (frugality) in poverty and in wealth, I ask You for a blessing that does not end, contentment that never ceases, and for acceptance of Your decree. I ask You for a good life after death, and I ask You for the joy of looking upon Your face and the longing to meet You, with no harmful adversity or misleading trial (fitnah).[al-Nisa’i in al-Sunan, 3/55; al-Hakim, Sahih al-Jaami, 1301]
اللهم لا تجعلني بدعائك شقيا ، وكن بي رؤوفا رحيما يا خير المسئولين ويا خير المعطين
O Lord! Do not make me one of the damned, but be Merciful and Compassionate towards me, O the Finest of those Petitioned and the Finest of Bestowers Duha Salah
Duha salah is know by some other names such as Ishraq (Shuruk) and Sibhat al-Duha. Sibha means a supererogatory prayer in general and Duha means morning, mid-morning, or late morning (forenoon).Shuruk/Ishraq means sunrise; and this name for the prayer is cited in the Qur'an: 38:18It is prayed soon after Fajr salah. After the sun has risen. It consists of two to eight (some scholars cite 12) rak'ats and may be offered any time after the Salat al lshraq (Shurook) till the Sun's declination. It is a Sunnah mu'akkada (an emphasised sunnah) and extends until the time of Duhr prayer (noon prayer).The Prophet is reported to have said that whoever, after finishing Fajr salah, kept sitting at the place of prayer till the sun has completely arisen (length of a spear from the horizon, approx after 20 minutes of sunrise), and prayed the Ishraq (Duha) Salah before getting up from there, provided he did not engage in any worldly act or conversation during that time, and instead, remained in Allah's dikr (remembrance), then all his sins are forgiven, even if they are as much as the foam of an ocean.[abu Dawud]Related Hadith:'Whoever prays the Fajr prayer then sits in his place of prayer remembering Allah until sunrise, then prays two rak`ats of Duha, Allah shall make him forbidden to the Fire, nor shall it touch him nor consume him'[al-Bayhaqi]'Whoever prays the dawn prayer in congregation then waits patiently until he offers the Duha prayer, there shall be for him the reward of a pilgrim for both the major and minor pilgrimages, complete and not missing anything.'[at-Tabarani, abu Dawud]'Whoever prays the Fajr prayer then sits in his place of prayer remembering Allah until sunrise, then prays two rak`ats of Duha, Allah shall make him forbidden to the Fire, nor shall it touch him nor consume him' [al-Bayhaqi] 'Whoever gets up when the sun is before his eyes, performs a thorough ablution then stands and prays two rak`ats, his sins are forgiven as when his mother gave birth to him.'[abu Ya'la]Narrated abu Huraira (radiAllahu anhu); 'Whoever regularly prays the two rak`ats of Duha, his sins are forgiven even if they are as numerous as the foam of the sea'[at-Tirmidhi, ibn Majahm and Ahmad]'The person who did his Salatul Fajr with Jama'ah and kept sitting till sunrise doing Dhikr of Allah and then performed two rak'ah of Salah will receive the thawab (reward) of 1 Hajj and 1 Umrah. The narrator Anas RA has mentioned that after this the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: 'Thawab of one full Hajj and Umrah, full Hajj and Umrah, full Hajj and Umrah.[at-Tirmidhi, Mishkat]The Prophet Muhammad has said The person who after finishing his Salatul Fajr, continues sitting at his place till the sun rises and then performs 2 rak'ah of Salatul Ishraq and in-between does speak but good, has his sins forgiven though they are more than the foam of a river.[abu Dawud, Mishkat] Other related ahadith:Narrated Anas bin Malik (radiAllahu anhu): The Prophet said,'A single endeavor (of fighting) in Allah's Cause in the forenoon or in the afternoon is better than the world and whatever is in it.[Sahih al-Bukhari; 4;52,50]Ka'b b. Malik reported (radiAllahu anhu): The Messenger of Allah did not come back from the journey but by day in the forenoon, and when he arrived, he went first to the mosque, and having prayed two rakaah in it he sat down in it.[Muslim; 4,1545]Mu'adha (radiAllahu anhu) asked 'Aisha (radiAllahu anha) how many rakah Allah's Messenger prayed at the forenoon prayer. She replied: Four rakah, but sometimes more as he pleased[Muslim; 4,1549]'Urwa (radiAllahu anhu) reported 'Aisha to be saying: I have never seen the Messenger of Allah observing the supererogatory prayer of the forenoon, but I observed it. And if the Messenger of Allah abandoned any act which he in fact loved to do, it was out of fear that if the people practiced it constantly, it might become obligatory for them.[Muslim 4, 1548]Abu Murra (radiAllahu anhu) narrated on the authority of Umm Hani that the Messenger of Allah on the day of the Conquest of Makkah observed in her house eight rak'abs of prayer in one cloth, its opposite corners having been tied from the opposite sides.[Muslim; 4, 1556]Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah (radiAllahu anhu): I went to the Prophet in the mosque (the sub-narrator Mas'ar thought that Jabir had said, "In the forenoon.") He ordered me to pray two Rakat. He owed me some money and he repaid it to me and gave more than what was due to me.[Sahih al-Bukhari 1:8, 434]Narrated Ibn Abu Laila (radiAllahu anhu): Only Um Hani told us that she had seen the Prophet offering the Duha (forenoon prayer). She said, "On the day of the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet took a bath in my house and offered eight Rakat. I never saw him praying such a light prayer but he performed perfect prostration and bowing. Narrated 'Abdullah bin amir that his father had told him that he had seen the Prophet praying Nawafil at night on the back of his Mount on a journey, facing whatever direction it took.[Sahih al-Bukhari; 2,20,207]Abu Dharr (radiAllahu anhu) reported Allah's Apostle as saying: In the morning charity is due from every bone in the body of every one of you. Every utterance of Allah's glorification is an act of charity. Every utterance of praise of Him is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Oneness is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Greatness is an act of charity, enjoining good is an act of charity, forbidding what is disreputable is an act of charity, and two rak'ah which one prays in the forenoon will suffice.[Muslim; 4,1557]Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib (radiAllahu anhu): I heard the Apostle of Allah say: A human being has three hundred and sixty joints for each of which he must give alms. The people asked him: Who is capable of doing this? He replied: It may be mucus in the mosque which you bury, and something which you remove from the road; but if you do not find such, two rak'ahs in the forenoon will be sufficient for you.[abu Dawud; 41, 5222]
PRAYER
Our Fajr Double Advantage
"Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise" - a famous maxim coined by the American scientist, writer and inventor, Benjamin Franklin. And he was not alone in these beliefs. The writer Samuel Johnson also warned that "nobody who does not rise early will ever do any good".This is not just opinion but proven scientific fact. A study by researchers at Brigham Young University in Provo in the American state of Utah found that:"students who habitually go to bed late and sleep late the next day have lower grade point averages (GPAs) than students with early-to-bed and early-to-rise sleeping habits. The later students slept in the morning, the lower their grades tended to be. Out of all the factors studied, weekday and weekend wakeup times had the strongest association with students' GPAs. Each hour over the average that students slept in on weekdays was associated with a 0.13-point drop on the GPA (0.0-4.0 scale)."Source: Journal of American College Health 2000; 49: 125-130Of course, we Muslims are well used to getting up not just at the crack of dawn but actually half an hour before it to begin the day with the ritual worship of fajr salat (and even earlier in Ramadan before starting the day's fast).Spiritual SuccessWhat are the spiritual blessings of Fajr salat?According to a hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim, prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) stated that the action which is dearest to God is salat at its proper times. On another occasion prophet Mohammed also said to his companions:'The five set prayers may be compared to a stream of fresh water, flowing in front of your house, into which you plunge five times each day. Do you think that would leave any dirt on your body?' When they replied: 'None at all!' Mohammed said: 'Indeed the five prayers remove sins, just as water removes dirt.'[Sahih al-Bukhari, Muslim]And once while standing beside a tree in autumn, he stated:'When a Muslim observes his salat with due attention and devotion, he sheds his sins just like this tree is shedding its leaves.'[Ahmad]Moreover, in the Quran we are told that prostrating (in salat) brings us closer to God (96:1).Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) also tells us that fajr salat along with isha is particularly rich in blessings:'If people only knew what blessings are in the fajr and isha prayers, they would come to them, even if they had to crawl.'[Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim]And according to Utham, (radiAllahu anhu), prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'To perform the dawn prayer, [fajr], in congregation is like keeping vigil throughout the night.'[Muslim]. Material SuccessIn Surah 23, ayats 1-2 of the Qur'an we learn that:"Certainly the believers have succeeded, those who offer salat with devotion."Spiritual success certainly. But as Muslims we are also called upon not just to earn spiritual blessings for the next world but also to be materially successful in this one. Despite the obvious call to work hard and make the most of our abilities demonstrated in the parable of the talents, the Christian West has often had an ambiguous attitude towards wealth, sometimes glorifying poverty and misinterpreting Jesus's gospel statement that "love of money is the root of all evil" to mean that money itself is the root of all evil. As a Muslim, I am more inclined to agree with the playwright George Bernard Shaw who is reported to have said that "lack of money is the root of all evil".[Shaw was an admirer of prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and in the 1936 book The Genuine Islam referred to him as "the wonderful man" and "the saviour of humanity".]Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) himself stated:'There will dawn a time over people when the destruction of a man will be at the hands of his wife, parents, and children. They will humiliate him because of his poverty and will make such demands which will induce him to engage in such activities (to gain more money) which will finally destroy his religion.'[Baihaqi. Narrated by Ibn Mas'ud and Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhum)]The other side of the coin, so to speak, is:'How excellent is the wealth of the Muslim'.[Sahih al-Bukhari hadith 4.95 Narrated by Abu Said Al Khudri (radiAllahu anhu)]It is wealth which enables us to take care of our families, keep on the straight path and avoid doing wrong in order to make ends meet. It is wealth which enables us to meet our obligation to pay Zakat. It is wealth which enables us to help others and contribute to Dawah through additional charity. It is wealth which enables us to meet our obligation to go on Hajj.It was wealthy Muslim traders who peacefully spread Islam throughout West Africa and the areas we now know as Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. And if we look at the first generation of Muslims, we find the shining example of Abdur-Rahman Ibn Awl. The eighth person to embrace Islam, he migrated twice to Abyssinia. Abdur-Rahman distinguished himself in both the battles of Badr and Uhud, suffering more than twenty wounds at the latter. Then starting with nothing, he went on to achieve tremendous success as a merchant, becoming the richest of the companions. From his great wealth, Abdur-Rahman financed the Muslim armies, contributed to the upkeep of the family of Mohammed after the prophet's death and was universally renowned for his fabulous generosity.So how can we turn getting up for Fajr to our material advantage? Certainly not by slinking back into bed again and snuggling up for another few hours. As prophet Mohammed (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said:'The most excellent jihad is that for the conquest of self.'[Sahih al-Bukhari]In the context of fajr, what this means is, once up, stay up! Stay up and do something useful. Work on your goals. If you don't have any, set some. Decide what you want to achieve in life. Devise a plan to make those goals a reality then take action. You will be amazed at what you can get done in those few quiet hours when most of the rest of the world is still asleep. You can organise your day, learn a language, work on your degree course or get fit by going jogging in the coolness of the morning.You can also turn staying up after Fajr to your career advantage by driving into work earlier, beating the traffic then packing so much productive work into the next hour without interruption because no one is there to pop into your office and the phone hasn't started ringing yet.A further Fajr advantage is that along the way you can listen on cassette to the wisdom and inspiration of motivational and business speakers. We spend hundreds of ours commuting in our cars every year, by some estimates the equivalent to two full terms of university tuition. Put this time to good use, especially first thing in the morning when you are relaxed and driving on a virtually empty road, when you are bright and fresh and can best take it all in. Turn your car into a university on wheels.Each of our lives is different, but you know how to apply these ideas to your own situation.Take action now!"Ah, that's too hard", I hear you say. Well Allah assures us in the Qur'an that:"We do not lay a burden on anyone beyond his capacity."[23: 62]It is possible to turn these early hours to great advantage. It's desirable and it's beneficial. We are obliged to get up for fajr anyway. From this we derive a spiritual advantage. Let's stay up and get to work. Why have just one type of advantage when we can have two - spiritual and material. As Muslims we are uniquely placed. The next fajr is less than 24 hours from now. First thing tomorrow morning make sure that you take advantage of your fajr double advantage.
The Five Levels of Prayer
Ibn al-Qayyim writes in his book al-Wabil al-Sayyib:"When it comes to prayer, people are of five levels:
The first is the level of the one who wrongs himself and is negligent. He does not do wudu properly, or pray at the right time or make sure he does all the necessary parts of prayer.
The second is one who observes the outward essentials of prayer, prays on time and does wudu, but he has lost the battle against his own self and is overwhelmed with waswaas (insinuations).
The third is one who observes the outward essentials of prayer, prays on time and does wudu, and also strives against his own self and against waswaas, but he is preoccupied with his struggle against his enemy (Shaytan), lest he steal from his prayer, so he is engaged in salah and jihad at the same time.
The fourth is one who when he stands up to pray, he fulfils all the requirements of the prayer, and his heart is fully focused and alert lest he omit anything, and his concern is to do the prayer properly and perfectly. His heart is deeply immersed in his prayer and worship of his Lord.
The fifth is one who does all of that, but he takes his heart and places it before his Lord, looking at his Lord with his heart and focusing on Him, filled with love and adoration, as if he is actually seeing Him. That waswaas and those thoughts diminish, and the barriers between him and his Lord are lifted. The difference between the prayer of this person and the prayer of anyone is else is greater than the difference between heaven and earth. When this person prays, he is preoccupied with his Lord and content with Him. The first type is punishable; the second is accountable; the third is striving so he is not counted as a sinner; the fourth is rewarded and the fifth is drawn close to his Lord, because he is one of those for whom prayer is a source of joy. Whoever finds their joy in prayer in this life, will find their joy in being close to Allah in the Hereafter, and will also find his joy in Allah in this world. Whoever finds his joy in Allah will be content with everything, and whoever does not find his joy in Allah, will be destroyed by his feelings of grief and regret for worldly matters.

The Different Types of Voluntary Prayers
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In addition to the five daily prayers, are nafl (optional/voluntary) prayers which can be recited. Those which are nawafil, or voluntary, include every extra prayer prayed in the times when prayer is allowed.There is no limit to these nawafil, and the more nawafil one offers the greater will be the credit and reward for them. There have been such servants of Allah who used to offer Nafl prayers throughout the night and did not sleep. Nafl prayers were a regular and unchanging practice of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam). Some of these are:(i) Ishraq(ii) Duha/Chasht(iii) Awwabin(iv) Tahajjud(v) Tasbih(vi) Safar/Musaffir(vii) Istikhara(viii) Hajat(viii) Tawba(ix) Tahiyatul Wudu(x) Khawf
Salat al-Ishraq (Post-Sunrise Prayer)Ishraq Prayer is a nafl prayer which is performed about 45 minutes (three quarters) after sunrise (according to the Hanafi school of thought) or 20 minutess after sunrise (according to the Shafi school).A person prays between 2 and 12 units of prayers in multiples of 2.After completing Fajr salat, one does not move from one’s place and remains there reciting dhikr, tasbih, Qur’an, etc., avoiding participation in worldly affairs until the sun has fully risen (about minutes after sunrise). Then, one stands and offers two or four rakat of nafl. Hadiths are replete with the high merits of this prayer. Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) relates that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) has said that "He who says Ishraq prayers without fail shall have his lesser sins forgiven even though they may be as numerous as foam specks on the surface of the sea."[at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah]RasulAllah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) is reported to have said that Allah Ta'ala says, 'O son of Adam, perform 4 Rakats of Salat (Ishraq) in the early part of the day. I shall help you in accomplishing all your responsibilities during the rest of the day.'[Mishkaat pg.116]In another narration of at-Tirmidhi, RasulAllah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) is reported to have said, 'He who performs Fajr Salat with Jamaat and remains seated in the same place while engaging in Dhikr until after sunrise and thereafter performs 2 Rakats Nafil Salat, (Ishraq), he will obtain the reward of one Hajj and one Umrah.'[at-Tirmidhi]
Salat ad-Duha (Morning Prayer)This prayer is also known as Chaasht salah/namaz. It is performed after the sun has risen high in the morning, after about one-third of the day has passed and it lasts until zawal. One may perform 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 rakat of nafl.A'isha (radiAllahu anha) was asked how much the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) used to pray for the Duha prayer. She said, “Four rakat or he increased it as Allah wills.”[Muslim]The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) was reported as saying, “Whoever prays 12 rakat for the Duha prayer, Allah will built a golden castle for him in Paradise.”[at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah]
Salat al-Awwabin (Prayer of the Oft-Repentant)Awwabin are the plural of Awwab and this refers to the one who is obedient, or one who turns to obedience, or 'the one who submits himself to the worship of Allah by asking for forgiveness'.After performing the fard and sunnah of Maghrib, one may perform from 6 to a maximum of 20 rakat nafl, in sets of 2 units. This prayer has been called as Awwabin. (This name is sometimes also applied to the morning prayer.) It is said that the one who recites this prayer is one of the Awwabin.“Whoever prays, after the Maghrib, 6 rakat without talking of anything indecent in between them, it would be equivalent to 12 years of worship for him.”[at-Tirmidhi]“The one who prays twenty rakat after Maghrib- Allâh will build for him a house in Paradise.”[at-Tirmidhi]Narrated Ibn Nasr (radiAllahu anhu), that whoever prays six units after Maghrib is written among the Awwabeen (oft-repentant) and he recited the verse of the Qur'an "innahu kaana li l-awwabeena ghafuran".[Jalaladin al-Suyuti in Jami' al-Saghir vol. 2 pg. 159]
Salat at-Tahajjud (Late-night prayer)Of all the nafl prayers, that prayer which is offered in the middle of the night, known as Tahajjud or Salat al-Layl, is the most rewarding and beneficial.Salat at-Tahajjud is offered after Isha prayer but before Fajr prayer (or 12 hours from the time of the Duhr prayer). The number of rakat prayed in tahajjud should be between 4 to 12 rakats, offered in even numbers, in units of two or four rakat each.If one divides the night into six parts, the fourth and fifth part are the best for prayer. If divided in half, the second half is best. If into thirds, the middle part is best.It is recommended to begin one's night Tahajjud with two brief rakats, to have intended to make the Tahajjud before going to sleep, and to not make a practice of more prayer than one can regularly perform without harm to oneself.It is best to wake up in the middle of the night to perform the tahajjud. However, if one is not sure that one will be able to do so, then one can pray 4 rakat right after the 2 sunnah mu’akkadah of Isha with the intention (niyyah) of tahajjud. Although the reward will be much less, the pious authorities of the religion have advised this method for those who find it difficult to wake up later in the night. The Witr prayer should be offered after the tahajjud.Allah (swt) says: “And some part of the night awake for prayer, a largess for thee. It may be that thy Lord will raise thee to a praised position.”[surah al-Isra’: 79]“As for the Righteous, they will be in the Gardens and fountains [of Jannah], with joy the rewards which their Lord gives them, before this [in the world] they were virtuous. They slept but little at night, and they prayed for forgiveness in the hours of early dawn." [51:15:18]The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "The best (most rewarding) salah after the obligatory salah is the night prayer (salat at-tahajjud)"[Ahmad and Muslim]The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, “There is a certain period of time in the night during which if a Muslim prays for anything beneficial to his life in this world or the next, it will be granted to him. And this time occurs every night.”[Muslim]Salman al-Farsi quoted the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) as saying: "Observe the night prayer, it was the practice of the righteous before you and it brings you closer to your Lord and it is penance for evil deeds and erases the sins and repels disease from the body."Abdullah ibn as-Salam quoted the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) as saying: 'O people, spread the salutations, feed the people, keep the ties of kinship, and pray during the night while the others sleep and you will enter Paradise in peace."'[al-Hakim, Ibn Majah, and at-Tirmidhi]
Salat at-Tasbih (Prayer of Glorification)According to these narratives whoever offers Salat at-Tasbih, his previous sins will be forgiven.In the Hanafi madhhab, it is recommended, as mentioned in the major texts, such as Ibn Abidin's Hashiya.Consisting of 4 units of prayer, the prayer format is slightly different.The following tasbih is recited 75 times in each Rakat, totalling 300 times in all 4 Rakats:SubhanAllahi walHamdulillahi wala ilaha illAllahu waAllahu Akbar (Glory be to Allah, all praise be to Allah, there is no god by Allah, Allah is the Greatest, and there is no might nor power except with AllahThe method of this salah is as follows:After beginning the salah by saying Allahu Akbar recite the thana', Surah al-Fatiha and a Surah followed by the above tasbih 15 times.Then go into Ruku and after reciting the usual tasbih for ruku recite the above tasbih 10 times.After standing up from ruku recite the usual 'Rabbana Lakal Hamd' and thereafter recite the tasbih 10 times.Then go into Sajdah and after reciting the usual tasbih for sajda recite the above tasbih 10 times.Then sit up from sajdah and recite the tasbih 10 times between the two sajdas. Thereafter go into sajdah again and after reciting the usual tasbih for sajdah recite the above tasbih 10 times. Then sit after the 2nd sajdah (i.e. before standing up for the second rak'ah) and recite the tasbih 10 times.This adds up to 75 times in one rak'ah. Do the same for the remaining 4 raka'at.It is recorded in Sunan Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and other books of hadith that RasulAllah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) once said to his uncle Hadrat Abbas (radiAllahu anhu):O Abbas! O my uncle! Shall I not give you a gift? Shall I not show you something by means of which Allah Ta'ala will forgive your sins, the first and the last of them, the past and recent, the unintentional and the intentional, the small and huge, the secret and open?Rasulullah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) then taught him the Salah al-Tasbih. Then he advised him that it be offered daily, if possible. If not then every Friday or once a month or once a year or at least once in a life time.[abu Dawud 'Salat' 303; at-Tirmidhi 'Salat' 350]
Salat as-Safar (Journey Prayer)It is said that one should offer 2 units of prayer before departing on a journey (salat al-khuruj ila’s-safar), and upon return from the journey (salat al-‘awda).On the authority of Maqtam ibn al-Miqdam that he said, "The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, 'No one has left behind with their family anything better than two rakats offered at home when wanting travel.'"[reported by al-Tabarani]Kaab ibn Malik relates, "The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) would not arrive from a journey except daytime in the forenoon, so if he arrived he started with the mosque and prayed two rakats in it then sat."[Muslim]Whoever desires to travel should offer two rakats of prayer in his home prior to traveling, and when he returns from his journey he should seek the mosque and offer two rakats therein.[Radd al-Muhtar, 1:459]
Salat al-Istikhara (Prayer for asking for Guidance/Advice)This prayer requires 2 units with the intention to ask Allah for guidance in a matter.According to a traditional report transmitted on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, it was Jabir ibn 'Abdillah (radiAllahu anhum) who said: "Allah's Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) used to teach us how to seek guidance in choosing the best option available in a practical enterprise [al-istikhara fi'l-amr], just as he would sometimes teach us a Chapter (Surah) from the Qur'an:"'If one of you is concerned about some practical undertaking, or about making plans for a journey, he should perform two cycles of ritual prayer [rak'atain], not as an obligatory observance [farida], but voluntarily. Then he should say:Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi ilmika wa-astaqdiruka biqudratika wa-as'aluka min fadhlika al-adheem. Fa innaka taqdiru wala' aqdiru. Wa ta'lamu wala a'alamu wa anta allaamul ghuyub. Allahumma in kunta ta'lamu anna [hadhal-amr] khayrun li fi deeni wa-ma'ashi wa-aqibat amri, fa'qdruhli wa-yasirh li thumma barik li feehi. Wa in-kunta ta'lamu anna [hadhal amr] sharrun li fi deeniy wa-ma'ashi was-'aqibat amri. Fa asrifh anni wa-srif 'anhu. Wa aqdurh liyal khayr hayth kana thumma a-rdhini bihi.O Allah! I seek Your counsel by Your knowledge and by Your power I seek strength and I ask You from Your immense favour, for verily You are able while I am not and verily You know while I do not and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah! If You know this affair [this matter] to be good for me in relation to my religion, my life, and end, then decree and facilitate it for me, and bless me with it. But if in Your Knowledge, You know [this matter] to be ill for me towards my religion, my life, and end, then drive it away from me and drive me away from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it be and make me satisfied with such.
Salat al-Hajat (Prayer for the fulfilment of a need)Salat al-Hajah is a prayer offered if one wants Allah Almighty to fulfill his particular purpose or need or want. It consists of a fresh ablution done carefully, followed by a calm prayer in the order of between 4 to 12 units of prayer, then a sincere supplication that states what one wishes to be accomplished and requesting Allah Ta'ala's help in its accomplishment.Abu Darda (radiAllahu anha) relates that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "Whoever performs ablutions well and offers two voluntary rakahs and completes them to perfection will be granted by God whatever he prays for, either immediately or in God’s good time."[Ahmad - Sahih]Abullah ibn Abi Al-Awfa Al-Aslami (radiAllahu anhuhim) relates that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, Whoever has a need with Allah, or with any human being, then let them perform ritual ablutions well and then pray two rakats. After that, let them praise Allah and send blessings on the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam). Then recite the following dua: [at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i and ibn Majah]The hadith has some weakness, but it is slight: such hadiths are acted upon for virtuous deeds (fada'il al-a'mal) by general agreement of Sunni scholarship
Salat at-Tauba (Prayer for Repentance)Make the appropriate minor or major ablution, offer a prayer of two rak‘ats, and ask for His forgiveness.Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) related from the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) that he said, “There is no one who commits a sin, goes and performs ritual ablutions, and then prays two rakats after which they seek Allah’s forgiveness except that He forgives them.” After this, he (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) recited Allah Most High’s words,“And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allah and implore forgiveness for their sins - Who forgives sins save Allah only? - and will not knowingly repeat (the wrong) they did.”[3: 135]This has been related by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi in their respective Sunan, and the scholars declared it to be a recommended prayer.[Ibn Qudama, al-Mughni 1.348, Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar 2.28, quoting Sharh Shir`at al-Islam via Shaykh Isma`il al-Nabulsi]
Salat at-Tahiyatul Wudu (Prayer of the Oft-Repentant)After performing wudu, one should pray 2 rak’at of nafl, known as Tahiyyat al-Wudu. Several hadith have mentioned the blessings and benefit of doing so. For example:“There is no Muslim who performs wudu and performs it well and then stands and offers 2 units of prayer with devotion of heart and mind in the two of them, except that Paradise becomes guaranteed for him”[Muslim #288] Salat al-Khawf (Prayer of Fear/Danger)The word "Khawf" means fear. Khawf is a type of prayer that is prayed during time of fear. This prayer was performed by the Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) in the battle of Uhud.Salat al Khawf is usually performed in place of normal prayer in the battlefield. When fear is severe, the Imam divides the people into two groups: one group [who remain] facing the enemy, and one group [who stand] behind him.Then, he prays with this [latter] group one rak'ah with 2 sajdah. Then, when he raises his head from the second sajdah, this group goes back to face the enemy, and the [other] group comes [to take their place].The imam leads them in one rak'ah with two sajdah, and then performs tashahud and taslim. [The followers] do not perform taslim, but [rather] go to face the enemy.The first group [now] comes [back], and pray one rak'ah on their own, with two sajdah, without recitation, and then perform tashahhud and taslim, and then go back to face the enemy.The other group [now] comes [back] and pray one rak'ah with two sajdah, with recitation, and [then] perform tashahhud and taslim.[the explanation, taken from the "Mukhtasar al-Quduri" by Abu’l-Hasan Ahmad al-Quduri, a major classical book on Hanafi fiqh]All scholars agree about the legality of such prayers:(O Messenger!) When you are among the believers (who are on an expedition and fear that the unbelievers might harm them) and rise to lead the prayer for them, let a party of them stand in prayer with you and retain their arms (while letting the other party take their positions against the enemy). When the first party has prostrated (and finished the rak‘at), let them go behind you (to take their positions against the enemy), and let the other party, which has not prayed, come forward and pray with you, being fully prepared against danger and retaining their arms. Those who disbelieve wish that you should be heedless of your weapons and your equipment, so that they might swoop upon you in a surprise attack. But there shall be no blame on you if you lay aside your arms (during prayer) if you are troubled by rain (and the ground impedes your movement), or if you are ill. However, (always) be fully prepared against danger. Surely God has prepared for the unbelievers a shameful, humiliating chastisement. [4: 102]
Qur'an and Hadith on Prayer
"Prayer is the essence of worship."[Hadith]
"Truly, to a happy state shall attain the believers:those who humble themselves in their prayer,and who turn away from all that is frivolous,and who are intent on inner purity."[Qur'an 23:1-4]
"And I have chosen you,so listen to that which is inspired to you.Verily, I am Allah!There is none worthy of worship but I,so worship Meand offer prayer perfectly for My remembrance."[Taha 13-14]
Be ever mindful of prayers,and of praying in the most excellent way;and stand before God in devout obedience.[Qur'an 2:238]
And before God prostrate themselves,willingly or unwillingly,all things and beings that are in the heavens and the earth,as do their shadows in the mornings and the evenings.[Qur'an 13:15]
O you who believe!Seek help in patience and prayer.Truly! Allah is with the patient."[surah al Baqarah; 2:153-154]
Verily, the prayer keeps onefrom the great sins and evil deeds"[al Ankabut 45]
Extol, then, God's limitless glorywhen you enter upon the evening hours, and when you rise at morn;and seeing that unto Him is due all praise in the heavens and earth,glorify Him in the afternoon as well,and when you enter upon the hour of noon.[Qur'an 30:17-18]
Our Lord (glorified and exalted be He)descends each night to the earth's skywhen there remains the final third of the night, and He says:"Who is saying a prayer to Me that I may answer it?Who is asking something of Me that I may give it him?Who is asking forgiveness of Me that I may forgive him?"[Hadith Qudsi 35]
The Apostle of Allah was asked:Which of the actions is best? He replied:Observing prayer early in its period.[abu Dawud 2: 426]
The first matter that the slave will be broughtto account for on the Day of Judgmentis the prayer.If it is sound,then the rest of his deeds will be sound.And if it is bad,then the rest of his deeds will be bad."[at Tabarani]
I f a person had a stream outside his doorand he bathed in it five times a day,do you think he would have any filth left on him?"The people said,"No filth would remain on him whatsoever."The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said,"That is like the five daily prayers:Allah wipes away the sins by them."[Sahih al Bukhari, Muslim]
S alat is a pillar of the religion (Islam).He who establishes it, establishes religion;and he who destroys it, destroys religion."[Tabrani]
O ne of the Saliheen was asked how he kepthis khushu' in prayer (concentration & humbleness etc)He said, 'I imagine that Allah is before me, that the Angel of Death is at my back,that the gardens of Jannah are to my right,that the fires of Jahannum are on my leftand that I am standing on the Sirat'
Prayer - Salat Glossary
Adaa e Salah - To perform salah at its correct time.Qada - To perform salah after its appointed time has passed.Jama'ah Salah - To perform prayer in congregation.Imam - One who leads the salah or congrgationMuqtadi - One who follows the imam leading the prayer.Mudrik - One who follows the imam from the start to the finish of a salat.Masbuk - One who joins the jama'ah any time after the first ruku'Laahiq - One who joins the salah from the beginning, and then misses one or more of ruku' while in salah.Munfarid - One who reads/performs the salah alone.