بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Our Creator, Allah, the Merciful, has instructed us to seek help through salah. He commands us:
استعينوا بالصبر والصلوة
“Seek help through patience and salāh.”[i]
The first and foremost individual to practice on this injunction was none other than the beloved Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم):
It is reported from Huzaifah (رضي الله عنه):
كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا حزبه أمر صلى
“The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was such that whenever any matter troubled him[ii] he would offer salāh.”[iii]
The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) also informed us, in an authentic narration of Musnad Ahmed, that this was the Sunnah (practice) of the (other) Prophets (عليهم السلام) as well.
وكانوا يفزعون إذا فزعوا إلى الصلاة
“When they (the previous prophets) became worried over some matter, they would take recourse to salāh”[iv]
This was also the Sunnah (practice) of the Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم). Hakim narrates in ‘Mustadrak’: “Once Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) was traveling and the news of the death of a relative reached him. He performed two rakats (units) of salah. Thereafter he said, “We practiced what Allah has commanded us: ‘Seek help through patience and salāh.’”[v]
Salah is not valid without wudhu. Allah states:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاغْسِلُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ إِلَى الْمَرَافِقِ وَامْسَحُوا بِرُءُوسِكُمْ وَأَرْجُلَكُمْ إِلَى الْكَعْبَيْنِ
“O you who believe! When you intend to offer the prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles.”[vi]
The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
“The prayer of a person who nullifies his wudhu is not accepted till he performs (repeats) the ablution.”[vii]
From among the etiquettes of wudhu is to perform it fully and thoroughly. The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) encouraged this with the following words:
“Shall I not tell you something by means of which Allah erases sins and raises people in status?” They (the companions) said: “Yes, 0 Messenger of Allah!” He said: “Performing wudhu properly during times when it is difficult to do so …”[viii]
At the time of need a person should also turn to Allah and fervently supplicate to Him. Allah Ta’ala rhetorically asks in the Quran:
أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ
“Who hears the cry of the anguished (soul) when it calls to Him and relieves its suffering?”[ix]
Rather Allah commands us:
ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
“Call unto Me; I will answer your prayer.”[x]
Praising Allah and invoking His blessings upon His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) are also from amongst the etiquettes of dua (supplication). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard a person supplicating during prayer. He did not mention the greatness of Allah, nor did he invoke blessings on the Prophet (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He made haste. He then called him and said either to him or to another person: If any of you prays, he should mention the exaltation of his Lord in the beginning and praise Him; he should then invoke blessings on the Prophet (ﷺ); thereafter he should supplicate Allah for anything he wishes.[xi]
Our beloved Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم) has taught us certain words to say at the time of distress. In an authentic hadith of Imam Ahmed’s Musnad, Abdullah ibn Ja’far (رضي الله عنه) narrates that when the Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم) became concerned over a matter, he would say,
“لا إله إلا الله الحليم الكريم ، سبحان الله رب العرش العظيم ، الحمد لله رب العالمين “[xii]
From the above, it has been established that when a person is in need, he should do the following:
- Be patient
- Turn to Allah in salah
- Perform a thorough wudhu before the salah
- Ask Allah to remove the difficulty
- Commence the dua with praises and salutations
- Recite the prescribed prophetic duas.
The sequence of carrying out a thorough wudhu, performing salah and thereafter supplicating to Allah is also established in a sound hadith of Musnad Ahmed. Abu Dardaa (رضي الله عنه) narrates that the Messenger of Allah stated,
“Whoever performs wudū’, perfecting the wudū’, and then he offers two rak‘ats of salāh, making them complete, Allāh will give him what he asks, immediately or with delay.”[xiii]
Hafiz Ibn Hajr classified this hadith as sound in ‘Nataa-ijul Afkaar’[xiv], as did Allamah Suyuti in ‘Ta’aqqubaat’[xv] and ‘Al-La-aali’[xvi].
Detailed Hadith of Salatul Haajah
There is a specific hadith collected by Imam Tirmithi and others that mentions the above general etiquettes in a detailed sequence. Abdullah ibn Abi Awfaa (رضي الله عنه) narrates that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: “Whoever has a need from Allah, or from one of the sons of Adam, then let him perform wudhu, performing it well, then pray two rak`ah, then praise Allah and send salutations upon the Prophet (ﷺ). Then let him say:
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ الْحَلِيمُ الْكَرِيمُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ أَسْأَلُكَ مُوجِبَاتِ رَحْمَتِكَ وَعَزَائِمَ مَغْفِرَتِكَ وَالْغَنِيمَةَ مِنْ كُلِّ بِرٍّ وَالسَّلاَمَةَ مِنْ كُلِّ إِثْمٍ لاَ تَدَعْ لِي ذَنْبًا إِلاَّ غَفَرْتَهُ وَلاَ هَمًّا إِلاَّ فَرَّجْتَهُ وَلاَ حَاجَةً هِيَ لَكَ رِضًا إِلاَّ قَضَيْتَهَا يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ
‘None has the right to be worshiped but Allah, the Forbearing, the Generous. Glorious is Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. I ask You for that which warrants Your mercy, and that which will determine Your forgiveness, and the spoils (fruits) of every righteous deed, and safety from every sin; do not leave a sin for me without forgiving it, nor a worry without relieving it, nor a need that pleases you without granting it; O Most-Merciful of those who have mercy.'”[xvii]
Imam Ibn Majah’s narration adds: “Then he should ask Allah for whatever he wants in this world and in the Hereafter, for it is decreed.”[xviii]
After narrating the hadith Imam Tirmithi remarks: “This hadith is ghareeb. There is a disparagement in its chain. Faa-id ibn Abdur Rahman is considered weak in hadith.”
After narrating the hadith in ‘Mustadrak’, Hakim says that Faa-id is ‘balanced’ in hadith. However, Imam Zahabi refutes this by stating, “Rather, he is rejected.”[xix] Some muhadditheen have even charged him with lying.[xx] Therefore this hadith is extremely weak as classified by Hafiz Sakhawi in ‘Al-Qawlul Badee’[xxi]. Yes, Allamah Munziri has stated: “Reliable (muhadditheen) have narrated from Faa-id, and Ibn Adi has remarked: ‘Even though he is weak, his hadiths are still written.’ ”[xxii]
However, on studying the hadith closely we realize that the only addition in this hadith (apart from the general practice of a person in need) is the second part of the specific dua it mentions. The above-mentioned already established from the Quran and Saheeh Sunnah that a person in need should:
- Be patient,
- Turn to Allah in salah
- Perform a thorough wudhu before the salah
- Ask Allah to remove the difficulty
- Commence the dua with praises and salutations
- Recite the prescribed prophetic duas.
To support the general procedure of Salatul Hajah mentioned in the hadith of Ibn Abi Awfaa (رضي الله عنه), Hafiz Ibn Hajr narrated the hadith of Abu Dardaa (رضي الله عنه) –mentioned above- and graded it sound. Shaikh Mahmood Subki mentioned verse {2:45} and the narration of Abdullah ibn Ja’far to support the method of Salatul Haajah and dua thereafter in his commentary of Sunan Abi Dawud.[xxiii]
As for the specific dua mentioned in Ibn Abi Awfaa’s narration, then the first part is supported by the narration of Abdullah ibn Ja’far (رضي الله عنه) as was already mentioned. As for the second part which commences from أَسْأَلُكَ, Hafiz Ibn Hajr mentions a shaahid (supporting hadith) for it from Anas (رضي الله عنه), collected by Tabrani in his ‘Al-Dua’[xxiv]. He however, states that one of its narrators, Abu Ma’mar Abbaad ibn Abdus Samad is extremely weak. He then states, “There is another chain to Anas narrated in Musnadul Firdaws. However, the narrator, Abu Haashim Katheer ibn Abdullah, is similar to Abu Ma’mar in weakness or worse off.”[xxv]
This second part of the dua is also narrated marfoo’an (as a statement of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and mawqoof’an (as a statement of the Sahabi) from Ibn Masood (رضي الله عنه).
عن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال كان من دعاء رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم اللهم إنا نسألك موجبات رحمتك وعزائم مغفرتك والسلامة من كل إثم والغنيمة من كل بر والفوز بالجنة والنجاة بعونك من النار هذا حديث صحيح على شرط مسلم ولم يخرجاه
Hakim narrates it in his ‘Mustadrak’ and comments, “It is authentic on the conditions of Muslim.” Allamah Zahabi also agrees with him.[xxvi]
However, Shaikh Muhammad Awwamah (حفظه الله) points out that Khalf ibn Khalifah became mukhtalit and that Humaid ibn A’taa al-A’raj is weak.[xxvii]
Ibn Abi Shaibah has collected the mawqoof narration of Ibn Masood (رضي الله عنه) in his ‘Musannaf’[xxviii]:
“Ibn Masood (رضي الله عنه) used to recite (the following dua) after completion of salah:
اللهم إني أسألك من موجبات رحمتك ، وعزائم مغفرتك ، وأسألك الغنيمة من كل بر ، والسلامة من كل إثم ، اللهم إني أسألك الفوز بالجنة والجواز من النار ، اللهم لا تدع لنا ذنبا إلا غفرته ، ولا هما إلا فرجته ، ولا حاجة إلا قضيتها.”
Shaikh Muhammad Awwamah (حفظه الله) points out that Abu Yaqzaan Uthman ibn Umair al-Bajali is weak.[xxix] The narrator, Husain ibn Yazeed al-Tha’labi, is also weak according to Bukhari.[xxx] Uqaili[xxxi] and Ibn A’di[xxxii] also quote Bukhari in their respective books on weak narrators. However, Ibn Hibban has mentioned him in his ‘Thiqaat’ (compilation of reliable narrators)[xxxiii]. The former three scholars mention two hadiths of his while Ibn Hibban says, “He narrates ten hadiths.” Ibn Hibban would have thus verified his hadiths and thereafter graded him reliable.
Even though some of the narrators in the first two chains were accused of lying or narrating fabrications, there are no such transmitters in the last two chains. Therefore, the latter chains would elevate the former ones. It would be incorrect to completely disregard this dua.
Rather, when we look at the complete dua, we see that it begins with Allah’s glorification and thereafter one’s need are sought. The words of the dua are also very comprehensive. The Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) loved to use comprehensive or all-inclusive supplications as narrated by Abu Dawud and others[xxxiv].
A Principle of Usulul Hadith Concerning Duas Collected in Weak Narrations
The great muhaddith, Hafiz Ibn Nasiruddeen Dimashqi, remarked concerning a dua which he classified as extremely weak, due to a narrator who was accused of lying,
“However this hadith of his is concerning encouragement in dua, and it has a few of its etiquettes; glorifying the Lord and praising Him. This is the first etiquette of dua, as narrated in the Sunnah.”[xxxv]
Therefore he allowed using this dua since it comprised of the etiquettes of dua and did not have any questionable words in it.
Shaikh Muhammad Awwamah adds that allowing the usage of such weak narrations concerning dua is a principle that Hafiz Abdul Azeem al-Munziri also follows in his ‘Targheeb wat Tarheeb’.[xxxvi]
Based on this principle, even though Ibn Hajr’s main student Hafiz Sakhaawi considered the hadith of Ibn Abi Awfaa (رضي الله عنه), collected by Tirmithi and others, extremely weak, as quoted above, he confidently adds: “It will be written in Fadhaail A’maal.”[xxxvii]
Since we are allowed to supplicate in our own words outside of salah and are not restricted to masnoon duas, coupled with the fact that this dua does not have any questionable words,[xxxviii] this dua will be permissible.
In conclusion, if a person is in need he may do any one of the following:
- Be patient
- Perform salah
- Supplicate to Allah with prescribed masnoon duas
- Supplicate to Allah in his own words
- Combine all the above in the manner mentioned in Ibn Abi Awfaa’s narration.
However, to restrict a person in need to the method mentioned in Ibn Abi Awfaa’s narration would be incorrect. At the same time, there is nothing wrong in practicing on this hadith.
Rather, the ulama of the ummah have always practiced on this hadith of Ibn Abi Awfaa (رضي الله عنه) collected by Tirmithi and others. This is proven from the fact that the muhadditheen, fuqaha and sufiyah have mentioned this narration in their respective books to teach the ummah this noble practice. A weak hadith is elevated to the status of being authentic when the ulama of the ummah accept it and practice on it.[xxxix] This may be the reason why the last of the mujtahideen, Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri, considered the hadith under discussion as strong.[xl]
Here we will mention a list of some of the ulama who have mentioned this hadith/salah in their books.
Books of Hadith/Muhadditheen:
- Tirmithi (d.279) in his ‘Sunan’
- Ibn Majah (d.273) in his ‘Sunan’
- Hakim (d.405) in ‘Mustadrak’
- Baihaqi (d.458) in ‘Shu’abul Imaan’[xli]
- Baghawi (d.516) in ‘Masabihus Sunnah’[xlii]
- Abdul Ghani Al-Maqdisi (d.600) in ‘At-Targheeb fid Dua’[xliii]
- Dhiyaa Al-Maqdasi (d.643) in ‘As-Sunan wal Ahkaam’[xliv]
- Munziri (d.656) in ‘At-Targheeb wat Tarheeb’[xlv]
- Nawawi (d.676) in ‘Al-Azkaar’[xlvi]
- Ibnul Imam (d.745) in ‘Silaahul Mu’min’[xlvii]
- Suyuti (d.911) in ‘Wazaa-iful Yawm wal Lailah’[xlviii]
- Siddique Hasan Bhopali (d.1307) in ‘Nuzulul Abraar’[xlix]
- Anwar Shah Kashmiri (d.1352) in ‘Al-arfush Shazi’[l]
- Yusuf Binnuri (d.1397) in ‘Ma’aarifus Sunan’[li]
- Ashiq Ilaahi in ‘Masnoon Duain’[lii] and many others.
Books of Fiqh/Fuqahaa
Hanabilah:
- Ibn Qudamah Hanbali (d.620) in ‘Al-Mughni’[liii]
- Ibn Muflih Al-Maqdasi (d.763) in ‘Al-Furoo’[liv]
- Al-Burhaan Ibn Muflih (d.884) in ‘Al-Mubdi’[lv]
- Ibn Najjaar (d.972) in ‘Muntahal Iraadaat’[lvi]
- Al-Buhuti Hanbali (d.1051) in ‘Kash-shaaful Qinaa’[lvii]
Shawaafe’
- Nawawi (d.676) in ‘Al-Majmoo’[lviii]
- Kamaluddeen Ad-Damiri (d.808) in ‘An-Najmul Wahhaab’[lix]
- Al-Khateeb Ash-Shirbini (d.977) in ‘Mughnil Muhtaaj’[lx]
- Ibn Hajr Makki (d.922) in ‘Tuhfatul Muhtaaj’[lxi]
- Abdul Hameed Sharwaani (d.1301) in his ‘Hashiyah’ on ‘Tuhfatul Muhtaaj’[lxii]
Ahnaaf:
- Ibrahim Al-Halabi (d.956) in ‘Ghunyatul Mutammalli’
- Ibn Nujaim (d.970) in ‘Al-Bahrur Raa-iq’[lxiii]
- Shurunbulali (d.1069) in ‘Maraaqil Falaah’[lxiv]
- Ibn Abideen (d.1252) in ‘Raddul Muhtaar’[lxv]
- Abid Sindhi (d. 1257) in ‘Tawaali-ul Anwaar’[lxvi]
Malikiyah:
- Mahmood As-Subki in ‘Al-Manhal’[lxvii]
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the ability to follow in the footsteps of our pious predecessors and may He save us from disregarding established methods of worship in the name of ‘following the Sunnah’.[lxviii] وبالله التوفيق
And Allah Ta’ala knows best.
[i] {2:45}
[ii] Ibnul Athir explains in ‘Al-Nihaayah’: “حزبه امر means: an important matter arises or a grief befalls him.”
[iii] Sunan Abī Dāwūd #1319. Hafiz Ibn Hajr classified it as sound in ‘Fathul Baari’ Vol.1 Pg.173. Allamah A’iny comments: “Therefore it is desirable to perform salah when an issue of concern befalls a person.” [Sharh Abi Dawud Vol.5 Pg.226]
[iv] Munad Ahmed Vol.31 Pg.268 Shaikh Shuaib classified it as, “Authentic on the condition of Muslim.”
[v] Vol.2 Pg.270 He classified it as authentic and Hafiz Zahabi agreed.
[vi] {5:6}
[vii] Bukhari #135
[viii] Muslim #251
[ix] {27:62}
[x] {40:60}
[xi] Abu Dawud #1481 Tirmithi #3477 Hasan Saheeh.
[xii] Musnad Ahmed Vol.3 Pg.286 Hafiz Ibn Hajr has classified this hadith authentic. See Al-Futoohat Al-Rabbaaniyyah Vol.4 Pg.7. The muhaddith, Ahmed Shakir, has also classified this hadith authentic in his ta’leeq on the Musnad Vol.2 Pg.272 #1762. In many narrations the words تبارك الله are added after سبحان الله. There are other similar prescribed words to say at such times. “The Prophet used to invoke Allah at the time of distress, saying, لا إله إلا الله العظيم الحليم ، لا إله إلا الله رب العرش الكريم ، لا إله إلا الله رب السماوات ورب العرش العظيم “(Bukhari #6345 Muslim #2732) In a narration of Tirmithi it states: “When a matter would worry the Prophet (ﷺ), he would raise his head up toward the sky and say: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ (Tirmithi #3436 He said: “It is hasan (sound) ghareeb.”)
[xiii] Ahmed Vol.45 Pg.489
[xiv] Vol.5 Pg.150
[xv] Pg.103
[xvi] Vol.2 Pg.47
[xvii] Tirmithi #479
[xviii] Ibn Majah #1384
[xix] Mustadrak Hakim and Talkhees Vol.1 Pg.320
[xx] See Tahzeebul Kamaal and its Ta’leeq Vol.23 Pg.139-140
[xxi] Pg.432
[xxii] Targheeb wat Tarheeb. Pg.164-165 #1027, Tuhfatul Ahwazi Vol.2 Pg.482, Ma’arifus Sunan Vol.4 Pg.275 By this statement, Hafiz Munziri was showing that even though most the muhadditheen have considered Faa-id weak, this hadith may still be practised on. And Allah knows best.
[xxiii] Al-Manhal Al-Azb Al-Marud Vol.7 Pg.248
[xxiv] Tabrani in Dua #1044
[xxv] Nataaijul Afkaar Vol.5 Pg.151
[xxvi] Mustadrak wat Talkhis Vol.1 Pg.525
[xxvii] Ta’leeq Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaibah Vol.3 Pg.70
[xxviii] 3/70 #3115
[xxix] Ta’leeq Musannaf Vol.3 Pg.70
[xxx] Tareekh Kabir
[xxxi] Duafaa Vol.1 Pg315
[xxxii] Kaamil Vol.3 Pg.304
[xxxiii] Thiqaat Vol.4 Pg.158
[xxxiv] Abu Dawud #1484 Hakim in Mustadrak Vol.1 Pg.539 He classified it authentic and Zahabi agreed (Pg.540).
[xxxv] Majaalis Fee Tafsir … Pg.200-201
[xxxvi] Taleeq of Majaalis Fee Tafsir Pg.200 Rather many muhadditheen, mutaqaddemeen and mutakhereen, have followed this principle. See مكامة الحديث الضعيف في السنة for details.
[xxxvii] Al-Qawl Badee’ Pg.432
[xxxviii] See Futoohaat Rabbaniyyah Vol.4 Pg.299-301 and Mirqatul Masaabeeh Vol.3 Pg.371-272
[xxxix] Allamah Binnori indicated to this wide spread practise of the ulama on this particular hadith in ‘Ma’aarifus Sunan’ Vol.4 Pg.274-275. Muhaqqiq Ibnul Humaam states in his magnum opus “Fathul Qadeer” (3/143): “One of the factors that authenticate a hadith is when the ulama practise on it. In the “Sunan” of Daarul-qutni it is mentioned: ‘al-Qasim and Saalim said: ‘The Muslims have practised on it’. Imam Malik said: ‘Fame of a hadith in Madinah is a substitute for an authentic chain’.” See ‘Qawaaid Fee Uloomil Hadith’ Pg.60-62 and ‘Tatimmah at-Ta’leeqaat al-Haafilah’ by Shaikh Abdul Fattah Abu Ghuddah Pg.228-238
[xl] Al-Arfush Shazi Vol.1 Pg.445 Allamah Binnori said that maybe the Shaikh took Ibn Adi and Hakim’s classification of Faa-id. See Ma’aarifus Sunan Vol.4 Pg.275
N.B. Hafiz Suyuti mentions a few other narrations in ‘Al-La-aali’ which comprises of other methods of performing salatul hajah. However he points out they are extremely weak and have no supporting evidences.
[xli] Vol.4 Pg.546 #2995
[xlii] Masaabeehus Sunnah, Chapter of Voluntary Salah Vol.1 Pg.454 #937
[xliii] Pg.104 #60
[xliv] Vol.2 Pg.296
[xlv] Pg.164 #1027
[xlvi] Azkaar #574 Pg.356
[xlvii] Pg.451 #843
[xlviii] Pg.61
[xlix] Pg.303
[l] Vol.1 Pg.445
[li] Vol.4 Pg.275
[lii] Pg.80-82
[liii] Vol.2 Pg.553
[liv] Vol.2 Pg.403 He said it is mustahab.
[lv] Vol.2 Pg.31
[lvi] Vol.1 Pg.517 with its Sharh by Buhooti
[lvii] Vol.1 Pg.419 He said it its Sunnah.
[lviii] Vol.3 Pg.547
[lix] Vol.2 Pg.307
[lx] Vol.1 Pg.343
[lxi] Vol.2 Pg.238
[lxii] Vol.2 Pg.238
[lxiii] Vol.2 Pg.92
[lxiv] Pg.152-153
[lxv] Vol.2 Pg.473
[lxvi] Vol.1 Pg.264
[lxvii] Vol.7 Pg.248
[lxviii] Imam Kashmiri has so rightfully said: “The chain of transmission was used to protect the Deen from things entering it that were not part of it. It, however, was not used to exclude from the Deen those things that are established in it by the practice of the people of the chain of transmission.” [See ‘Tatimmah at-Ta’leeqaat al-Haafilah’ Pg.238]
Source: Ahlus Sunnah Boards
