Question:
Assalamu alaikoum wa Rahmatuh Allahi wa
Barakatuh dear sheikh, after this greeting, I would like you to help me
in finding an answer to the matter of supplication (dua'a)... it is
mentioned in the Holy Quran that Allah سبحانه وتعالى responds to the
supplication (dua'a) of the person if he supplicates to Him سبحانه
وتعالى. The Sunnah also showed us that the response to the supplication
(dua'a) could be sooner or later, or is replaced with something better
than it in Dunya or Akhira. The Hizb shows in the book of The Concepts
of Hizb ut Tahrir that supplication (duaa) achieves a spiritual value
but its effect is non-tangible results such as the reward. My question
is how can you limit the effects of the supplication (duaa) to the
reward only even though Allah سبحانه وتعالى can respond to the
supplication (duaa) in the Dunya? May Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless you.
From Abu Abdallah Khalaf
Answer:
Wa alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatahu
It seems that you are pointing to what
is mentioned in the book of Concepts on pages 54 and 55, and that the
topic has been a bit confusing for you, and the matter is as such:
What has been mentioned about the Duaa
in those two pages, which is achieving a non-tangible "reward", was
contextualized in a specific case which is when the Shariah scripts
showed a Tareeqah to perform some matter, so we don't use it but we
suffice with supplication (duaa) only, and the book gives an example in
Jihad and supplication towards opening a fortress or fighting the
enemy...
As for cases other than this case,
supplication (duaa) might lead to tangible results in Allah's سبحانه
وتعالى Will, in addition to the reward as it appears in the Hadith of
the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that was mentioned in the question.
In order for this matter to be clear, I will show what concepts have been mentioned on pages 54 and 55:
1. The top of page 54 states: "On
examining those actions which are defined by the Shar'ia rules related
to the Tareeqah, we find that they are materialistic actions achieving
tangible results." End.
This is correct, as by reading the evidence it shows that the actions of the Tareeqah (method) achieve tangible results.
2. After this text, the book connects
between Duaa and Jihad in the case of opening a fort or city or fighting
the enemy, so it saw that Duaa alone is not from the Tareeqah, but
rather Jihad is the Tareeqah in this case, and that is according to the
mentioned evidence...
It is mentioned in the book Concepts:
"... For example, supplication (duaa) is a materialistic action that
achieves a spiritual value, and Jihad is also a materialistic action
that achieves a spiritual value. However, duaa, although being a
materialistic action, it achieves a non-tangible result which is the
reward even if the intention of its performer was to achieve a spiritual
value. This is in contrast to Jihad, fighting against the enemy is a
materialistic action which achieves a tangible result, e.g. the opening
of a fortress or city, or killing the enemy and the like, even if the
intention of the Mujahid was to achieve the spiritual value..."
So the connection here is between supplication (duaa) and Jihad upon fighting the enemy or opening a fortress...:
So if the action was done on
supplication (duaa) alone, it will achieve a non-tangible result which
is the reward, and that is because the Tareeqah that was mentioned in
this case is Jihad and not supplication (duaa). As such, the topic is a
connection between supplication (duaa) if used alone in a matter without
using the Tareeqah which was shown for this matter.
It is not permitted to generalize this
case by making supplication (duaa) in other cases with no effect in the
tangible results and that it only achieves the reward! This is because
what is mentioned in the previous paragraph relates to a case which has a
practical Tareeqah in Shari' but was not taken, rather supplication
(dua'a) was taken instead, so supplication (duaa) had a non-tangible
result which is the reward.
It seems also that the misunderstanding
came from a sentence mentioned in the provided example, as it was
mentioned: "However, duaa, although being a materialistic action, it
achieves a non-tangible result which is the reward...", so the sentence
became as if it's a sign for generalization, meaning that supplication
(duaa) in all its cases does not but achieve non-tangible results such
as the "reward", whereas in the meantime the context of the example is
for a specific case, which is using supplication (duaa) alone in opening
a fortress or defeating the enemy without taking the Tareeqah which was
mentioned in the texts about "Jihad".
3. As for supplication (duaa) while
considering the reasons, it has an effect on the results, and it was
what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to do, and it is what his
companions (rA) used to do. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would prepare
the army and enter Al A'reesh while supplicating, and the Muslims in Al
Qadisiyya would prepare the equipment in order to raid the river and
Saad (rA) would proceed while supplicating to Allah سبحانه وتعالى...
This is how the true believers would prepare the equipment then proceed
in supplication, as the person striving to pursue Rizq would work really
hard and seriously while supplicating, and the student studies and is
diligent while supplicating to Allah سبحانه وتعالى for success, and by
that it will have an effect on the result in Allah's سبحانه وتعالى Will.
It is mentioned in the book Concepts
towards the end of the page 55: "It must be noted that though the action
indicated by the Tareeqah is a materialistic action which achieves
tangible results, this action should be directed by the commands and
prohibitions of Allah with the intention of earning Allah سبحانه وتعالى
pleasure. The Muslim must also be dominated by his awareness of his
relationship with Allah, so he seeks nearness to Allah though salah,
dua'a, recitation of the Qur'an and so on. He must also believe that
Nasr is from Allah. It is necessary that Muslims maintain taqwa
established in the heart to implement the rules of Allah. It is also
necessary to make dua'a and to remember Allah (dhikr), and to maintain
the relationship with Allah whenever undertaking all actions." This
obviously shows the importance of connecting supplication (duaa) with
considering the reasons in all the actions of the believer, and what
added more importance to this is the repetition of the word "must" to
show how important it is to precede all actions with supplication duaa
and always have a relationship with Allah سبحانه وتعالى...
4. Using supplication (duaa) while
considering the reasons is, as we said, what the Prophet صلى الله عليه
وسلم, his companions (rA), and the believers would do, and if both are
connected then they will have an effect on the results in Allah's سبحانه
وتعالى Will, and using them together do not go against the Islamic
method, but what would go against it is limiting to supplication (duaa)
alone without the Tareeqah which was shown in the texts in order to
implement the Islamic thought.
It is mentioned in the book Concepts at
the beginning of page 55: "It is completely unacceptable that all
actions used to implement the Islamic Fikrah be those actions that
achieve non-tangible results. This is contrary to the nature of the
Islamic Tareeqah..."
This means that what goes against the
Islamic Tareeqah is "all actions used to implement the Islamic Fikrah be
those actions that achieve non-tangible results", either that some of
them achieve non-tangible results such as "supplicating in certain
cases," and other actions that achieve tangible results such as
"physical preparation", which is something that could happen and is
important, and it does not go against the Islamic Tareeqah.
5. Thus, what has been mentioned in the book Concepts about supplication (dua'a) is these two cases:
Firstly: To appear by itself in
implementing the Fikra but it is not the way of implementation, as the
texts show the other Tareeqah of implementing it, such as supplication
(duaa) alone in the cases of fighting the enemy, to stand in front of a
fortress to open it without preparing the army to fight, but rather the
supplication (duaa) alone. In this case, the supplication (duaa) does
not achieve except non-tangible results which is the "reward".
Secondly: Connecting the supplication
(duaa) with the reasons, and this is something unavoidable, and in this
case both "it and the consideration of the reasons" participate in
affecting the results in Allah's سبحانه وتعالى Will.
Nothing has been mentioned in the book
Concepts about supplication (duaa) in other cases, except for that
mentioned in the general Hadith that was narrated by Ahmad: On the
account of Abi Al Mutawakkil, on the account of Abi Saeed, that the
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
«مَا مِنْ
مُسْلِمٍ يَدْعُو بِدَعْوَةٍ لَيْسَ فِيهَا إِثْمٌ، وَلَا قَطِيعَةُ
رَحِمٍ، إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا إِحْدَى ثَلَاثٍ: إِمَّا أَنْ
تُعَجَّلَ لَهُ دَعْوَتُهُ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَدَّخِرَهَا لَهُ فِي
الْآخِرَةِ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ مِنَ السُّوءِ مِثْلَهَا»
"There is no Muslim who
supplicates a supplication without sin, or cuts off family ties, except
that Allah gave him one of three things: Either his supplication is
quickly responded to, or it's saved for him for the afterlife, or to
keep him away from the evilness of something similar." They said: If we
increased (from it). He said, "Allah gives even more."
This means that Allah
صلى الله عليه وسلم responds to the supplicating person in any of the
three ways, inclusive "his supplication is quickly responded to", and it
is a tangible result.
6. Upon that, tangible results become a
possibility for the supplication (duaa) in other than the case that was
mentioned in the book Concepts, as the Hadith mentioned that one of the
three is "his supplication is quickly responded to" and this is a
tangible result... Allah سبحانه وتعالى has conferred a great favour on
His سبحانه وتعالى servants in His verses that He سبحانه وتعالى answers
the supplication of the distressed one if he supplicates to Him سبحانه
وتعالى. He سبحانه وتعالى made this response as an evidence to La Ilah
Illa Allah, and it is obvious from all this that responding to the
distressed one is here in the Dunya, as the word distressed is a clear
description of needing something in the Dunya, so the response is
tangible in Allah's سبحانه وتعالى Will. Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
أَمَّنْ
يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ
خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ أَإِلَهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ قَلِيلًا مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ
"Is not He (better than your
gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who
removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations
after generations. Is there any ilah (god) with Allah? Little is that
you remember!"
(al-Naml: 62)
We were ordered by Allah سبحانه وتعالى to supplicate and He سبحانه وتعالى promised us to respond
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
"And your Lord said: "Invoke
Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for
anything) I will respond to your (invocation)."
(Ghafir: 60)
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم also
explained this response by saying that it is "one of three things" and
that among them is the tangible result. Naturally, the achievement of
the results, whether tangible or non-tangible, is all subjected to the
Will of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
In conclusion:
*What was mentioned in the concepts are:
A. The Tareeqah is actions achieving tangible results.
B. Connecting between supplication
(duaa) alone and Jihad in the topic of opening a fortress or fighting
the enemy... supplication (duaa) does not lead here to a tangible
result, but only the reward, as alone it is not the Tareeqah to opening a
fortress or fighting the enemy...
C. It is not correct for all actions
which are meant to implement an Islamic thought to be actions leading to
non-tangible results, but it can be a combination of actions achieving
tangible results with actions that achieve non-tangible results such as
preparing the army for combat along with supplicating to Allah سبحانه
وتعالى for victory.
D. Supplicating (duaa) is a mandatory
thing for the Muslim to do while doing the actions of the Tareeqah... as
what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his companions (rA) used to do.
* This is what came in the book Concepts
about the case of supplicating (duaa) which do not exceed the reward,
which means that in the case of using supplication (duaa) alone for the
case of opening a fortress..., and not considering the Tareeqah which
the Shar'ia texts showed about this case and that is here Jihad.
As for the other cases of supplication (duaa), they fall under a general Hadith for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم:
«مَا مِنْ
مُسْلِمٍ يَدْعُو بِدَعْوَةٍ لَيْسَ فِيهَا إِثْمٌ، وَلَا قَطِيعَةُ
رَحِمٍ، إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ بِهَا إِحْدَى ثَلَاثٍ: إِمَّا أَنْ
تُعَجَّلَ لَهُ دَعْوَتُهُ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَدَّخِرَهَا لَهُ فِي
الْآخِرَةِ، وَإِمَّا أَنْ يَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ مِنَ السُّوءِ مِثْلَهَا»
"There is no Muslim who
supplicates a supplication without sin, or cuts off family ties, except
that Allah gave him of three things: Either his supplication is quickly
responded to, or it's saved for him for the afterlife, or to keep him
away from the evilness of something similar." They said: If we increased
(from it). He said: "Allah gives even more." (Narrated by Ahmad).
From this it shows that Allah سبحانه
وتعالى might respond to the need of a supplicating person in the Dunya,
which is tangible, or He سبحانه وتعالى might keep him away from the
evilness of something similar in the Dunya, which is tangible, or He
سبحانه وتعالى might save it for him until Judgment Day and it is the
reward which is a non-tangible result.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى is of The Great
Graciousness, as He سبحانه وتعالى is The Compassionate and The Most
Merciful Who graces His سبحانه وتعالى servant with the rewards of Duaa
even if He سبحانه وتعالى responds to his Duaa in the Dunya, so all
thanks and praises are due to Allah سبحانه وتعالى, The Lord of the
Worlds.
Your brother,
Ata bin Khalil Abu Al Rashtah
1st of Muharram 1436 AH
25/10/2014 CE
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