SUPPLICATION

(Ad-Du‘ā’)
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 SUPPLICATION
(Ad-Du‘ā’)

BY
Dr. Abdul Muhsin ibn Muhammad
Al-Qasim
Imam and Preacher at the Prophet’s
Noble Mosque
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 5

In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most

Merciful.

PREFACE
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all
worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our
Prophet Muhammad, upon his family, and all his
companions. As for what follows:
Allah created mankind and jinn for His worship, and
it is a blessing of Allah upon His creation that He made
worship in various forms. Accordingly, certain forms of
worship are related to the heart such as reliance on Allah
and being fearful of Him while others are physical forms
of worship such as performing Salah and giving Zakah.
However, the essence and core of worship is
supplication (du‘ā’), and it is a matter of religion which
carries great significance. Numerous texts are found in
the Quran and Sunnah which mention the high status of
supplication (du‘ā’), and which encourage one to carry
out this worship along with explaining its etiquettes.
Supplication (du‘ā’) is a form of worship that all
servants of Allah are in need of, regardless of their
circumstances or their status. Whoever supplicates to
Allah with sincerity, according to the sunnah of the
6 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),

has indeed carried out a great act of worship, and their
supplication will be more befitting of being accepted.
However, those who fall short and are negligent in
supplicating to Allah or they transgress their limits, or
their hearts are attached to other than Allah, then they
have surely lost out on a great act of worship, and will
not achieve their desired goals. In fact, they will
expose themselves to the punishment of Allah.
Due to the importance of supplicating to Allah,
and His servants’ dire need for it, I compiled in this
book various chapters that revolve around the concept
of supplicating to Allah alone. I named this book:
“Supplication (Ad-Du‘ā’)”.
I ask Allah to make it sincerely for his sake and a
source of benefit for His servants.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our
Prophet Muhammad, upon his family, and all his
companions.
Dr. Abdul Muhsin ibn Muhammad ibn Al-Qasim
Imam, and Preacher at the Prophets Noble Masjid
This book was completed on 20th Safar, 1444 AH.
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 7

THE REALITY OF THE RELIGION OF

ISLAM IS TO SINCERELY WORSHIP
ALLAH ALONE
The religion of Allah which he chose for the entirety
of His creation, from the first to the last, is Islam. All
prophets came with this religion, and all messengers
carried its banner. Allah, the Exalted, said:
‫ﱡﱨ ﱩ ﱪ ﱫ ﱬﱭ ﱠ‬

“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is

Islam.” [Āl-'Imran: 19]
Islam means to worship Allah sincerely, and to
submit to Him as the divine Lord who controls all
affairs, and the only god worthy of worship who has
no partners.
Islam is pure monotheism, the religion of our
father Ibrahim.
‫ﱡﱵ ﱶ ﱷ ﱸ ﱹ ﱺ ﱻ ﱼﱽ ﱾ ﱿ ﲀ ﲁﱠ‬

“Then We revealed to you [O Prophet, saying]:

‘Follow the faith of Ibrahim, the upright, who was not
8 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

of those who associate partners with Allāh.’” [An-

Nahl: 123]
Islam comprises beliefs and legislations,
knowledge and actions, and a way of life in which the
outer state (of a person) conforms with the inner.
(The testimony of faith which is) “there is no god
worthy of worship except Allah” is the basis and
foundation of Islam. It is its beginning and end, its
motive and aim, and the dome of its structure that
completes and beautifies it.
The connection between its wording and its
meaning is like the connection between the body and
soul, such that the body is of no benefit without the
soul.
Saying it without believing in its meaning will
not benefit a person at all.
Also, it is a saying which encapsulates the
religion in its entirety. A person who says it while
understanding its meaning, acting upon it, and
fulfilling its conditions, has truly believed in the
oneness of Allah (Tawheed), and whoever has truly
believed in the oneness of Allah, as He ordained, will
enter paradise without any reckoning or punishment.
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 9

THE RELIGION OF ISLAM IS BASED ON

SUPPLICATING TO ALLAH ALONE
The clearest evidence of a person’s belief in the
oneness of Allah, and the biggest proof of his belief
in His uniqueness is supplicating to Him alone. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said: “If you are going to ask, then ask Allah.”
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi.1
The religion of Allah (i.e., Islam) is based on
supplicating to Allah alone. This is what Allah sent
all His messengers with, and is the reason for the
revelation of His books. This is His religion which He
wants His servants to openly demonstrate even if it
displeases those who reject it.
‫ﱡ ﲡ ﲢ ﲣ ﲤ ﲥ ﲦ ﲧ ﲨﱠ‬

“So invoke Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion,

although the disbelievers dislike it.” [Ghafir: 14]

1
See hadith num: (2516), narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah
be pleased with him).
10 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

Allah commanded His Prophet to openly

announce to his people that the message he has been
sent with is solely based on belief in the oneness of
Allah and supplicating to him only.
‫ﱡﱻ ﱼ ﱽ ﱾ ﱿ ﲀ ﲁ ﲂﱠ‬

“Say, [O Prophet,] ‘I call only upon my Lord,

associating none with Him [in worship].’” [Al-Jinn: 20].
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 11

PUNISHMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE

TOO ARROGANT TO SUPPLICATE TO
ALLAH ALONE
Allah warns those who are too proud to
supplicate to Him of punishment and humiliation.
‫ﱡﱓ ﱔ ﱕ ﱖ ﱗ ﱘ ﱙ ﱚﱠ‬

“Surely those who are too proud to worship

Me will enter Hell humiliated.” [Al-Ghafir: 60]
Whoever dislikes supplicating to Allah alone
but is pleased with asking the creation, then that is
sign of misguidance and negligence of the
hereafter. Allah, the Exalted says:
‫ﱡﲒ ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖ ﲗ ﲘ ﲙ ﲚ ﲛﱠ‬

“And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts

of those who disbelieve in the Hereafter are filled
with disgust.” [Az-Zumar: 45] In other words, their
hearts are filled with hate and pride, and they don’t
desire to worship and supplicate to Allah alone.
12 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

SUPPLICATION (DU‘Ā’) IS WORSHIP

There is no act of worship related to the heart
which has been commanded by Allah except that it
requires supplicating to Him.
In fact, all acts of worship, whether outward or
inward, are all different forms of supplicating to Allah in
its essence and meaning. So whoever prays, fasts,
performs Hajj, or gives in charity (to please Allah), is in
fact supplicating to his Lord. His worship, humility
before his Lord, and his love for Him all show that he is
asking Him for acceptance and desire to be close to Him.
Supplicating is indeed worship. It is its essence
core and reality. The Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Verily,
supplication (du‘ā’) is worship.” He then recited:
‫ﱡﱍ ﱎ ﱏ ﱐ ﱑﱒ ﱠ‬

“Your Lord has proclaimed, ‘Call upon Me, I will

respond to you.” [Ghafir: 60]. Narrated by Ahmad.1

1
See hadith num: (18432), narrated from Nu‘man ibn Bashir
(may Allah be pleased with him).
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 13

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SUPPLICATING

TO ALLAH ALONE
Due to the significance of supplication and its
great status, Allah has mentioned it in the beginning
of His Book:
‫ﱡﱗﱘﱙﱠ‬

“Guide us to the straight path.” [Al-Fatihah: 6]

Also, He concluded His Book with the
Mu‘awwidhatayn (Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-
Nas) in which there are supplications.
When referring to supplication, Allah used the
word deen (religion). He, the Exalted, said:
‫ﱡﲡﲢﲣﲤﲥﱠ‬

“So invoke Allāh, [being] sincere to Him in

religion.” [Ghafir: 14]
Allah also referred to supplication by calling it
‘ibadah (worship). He, the Exalted said:
14 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

‫ﱡ ﱍ ﱎ ﱏ ﱐ ﱑﱒ‬

‫ﱓ ﱔ ﱕ ﱖ ﱗ ﱘ ﱙ ﱚﱠ‬

“Your Lord has proclaimed, ‘Call upon Me, I will

respond to you. Surely those who are too proud to
worship Me will enter Hell humiliated.’” [Ghafir: 60]
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 15

SUPPLICATING TO ALLAH ALONE IS A

SIGN OF IMAN
Supplicating to Allah with sincerity is a sign of
Imaan, and a clear sign of having conviction. It is a
rope for salvation, and a means of success. It is the
distinguishing sign of the prophets and the true
believers.
Hence, the one who supplicates sincerely to Allah
alone is the one who truly worships Allah and has
truly recognized and found the path leading to the
noblest of truths. Indeed, supplication is a firm pillar
that the believers rely on, and a secure place of refuge
for the needy to hold on to.
Calamities and hardships make a servant
recognize their Lord and makes him sincere in his
supplications.
‫ﱡ ﲎ ﲏ ﲐ ﲑ ﲒ ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖ ﲗﱠ‬

“Whenever someone is touched by hardship, they

cry out to Us, whether lying on their side, sitting, or
standing.” [Yunus: 12]
16 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

ALLAH ALONE IS THE ONE WHO

ANSWERS SUPPLICATIONS
Our Lord, the Exalted, is invoked alone at all
times and in all situations since He is the Creator who
is capable of all things. He is the Most Powerful, the
Subjugator who is above all things. Sustenance is in
His Hand and granting and withholding is fully in His
control.
The attributes of perfection, beauty, and majesty
are true attributes that are inseparable from Him.
Whosoever asks of something by His names and
attributes, will be given what he desires.
‫ﱡ ﱣ ﱤ ﱥ ﱦ ﱧﱨ ﱠ‬

“And to Allāh belong the best names, so invoke

Him by them.” [Al-A'raf: 180]
Our Lord is indeed near to those who supplicate
and worship Him. Whoever of them is in need, He
provides for him. Whoever asks Him, He grants him,
and whoever relies on Him, He suffices him.
‫ﱡ ﲷ ﲸ ﲹ ﲺ ﲻ ﲼﲽ ﲾ ﲿ ﳀ ﳁ ﳂﳃﱠ‬
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 17

“When My servants ask you [O Prophet] about

Me: I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when
they call upon Me.” [Al-Baqarah: 186]
Allah is the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting.
Whoever supplicates to Him has turned to the one
True Lord, the Eternal Refuge who is fully capable of
removing all difficulties.
‫ﱡ ﲠ ﲡ ﲢ ﲣ ﲤ ﲥ ﲦ ﲧ ﲨ ﲩﲪ ﱠ‬

“He is the Ever-Living. There is no god worthy of

worship except Him, so call upon Him, being sincere to
Him in religion.” [Ghafir: 65]
His deserving of supplication is a clear proof that
He alone is the absolute Truth since supplications
made to others besides Him will never be responded
to. Allah, the Exalted, says:
‫ﱡ ﱁ ﱂ ﱃﱄ ﱅ ﱆ ﱇ ﱈ ﱉ ﱊ ﱋ ﱌ ﱠ‬

“Calling upon Him [alone] is the truth. But those

[idols] the pagans invoke besides Him [can] never
respond to them in any way.” [Ar-Ra'd: 14]
Allah’s generosity amazes the minds, and His
kindness is a wonder of wonders. He rewards a simple
18 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

good deed with immense goodness. Whoever praises

Him and asks in a befitting manner, He will grant him
in abundance.
Allah overlooks enormous sins for those who are
on the true religion and believe in His oneness
without ascribing any partners to Him. Allah, the
Exalted, says in a Hadith Qudsi: “Whoever meets
Me with sins nearly as great, or, as much as, the
Earth, but has not associated anything with me, I
shall meet him with a similar amount of
forgiveness.” Narrated by Muslim.1

1
See hadith num: (2687), narrated from Abu Dharr (may Allah
be pleased with him).
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 19

THE PROPHETS SUPPLICATE TO

ALLAH ALONE
The most beloved of the creation to Allah are those
who ask him the most and do so persistently. The more a
servant’s faith increases along with his understanding of
the religion and his connection with his Lord, the keener
he will be in supplicating to Allah in all his affairs. The
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said: “Let one of you ask his Lord for everything
that he needs, even for the lace of his shoe if it breaks.”
Narrated by Tirmidhi.1
Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyyah) said: “The
prophets and their followers would constantly ask Allah
for all their needs pertaining to their religion, this world,
and the hereafter. So, who can claim that he is not in need
of asking Allah?! Moreover, the distinct characteristic of
the servant is that he asks his Lord, and the characteristic
of the Lord is that He will respond to him. Thus, the one

1
See hadith num: (3604-8), narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may
Allah be pleased with him).
20 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

who thinks that he can do without asking Him has left the
bond of servitude (to Allah).”1
The way of the prophets was that they would be
constantly supplicating to Allah during all circumstances.
‫ﱡﲵ ﲶ ﲷ ﲸ ﲹ ﲺ ﲻ ﲼﲽ‬

‫ﲾ ﲿ ﳀﱠ‬

“Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds, and call

upon Us with hope and fear, totally humbling themselves
before Us.” [Al-Anbya: 90]
Zakariyya (peace be upon him) wanted to have a
child so he asked Allah for righteous offspring, and
praised Him by saying:

‫ﱡﱏ ﱐ ﱑ ﱠ‬

“You are certainly the Hearer of [all] prayers.” [Āl-

'Imran: 38]
He then went to his prayer room and that is when the
angels gave him glad tings of a prophet who will be a
child of his despite his old age and weakness.

1
See Ar-Radd Ala Ash-Shazili (pg. 57).
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 21

As for the people of Nuh, they confronted their

prophet by opposing him, and accusing him of lying.
‫ﱡﱟ ﱠ ﱡ ﱢ ﱣ ﱠ‬

“So he invoked his Lord, "Indeed, I am overpowered,

so help me.” [Al-Qamar: 10]
As a result, He drowned everything on the face of the
Earth in a great flood except for the believers who
followed him.
Allah also mentioned the story of the people of the
cave and that they were young men who believed in His
oneness and knew that supplicating to Allah alone was the
only religion accepted by Him. So, they stood up among
their people and said:

‫ﱡ ﲴ ﲵ ﲶ ﲷ ﲸ ﲹ ﲺ ﲻ ﲼﲽ ﲾ ﲿ ﳀ ﳁ ﱠ‬

“Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth.

We will never call upon any god besides Him, or we
would truly be uttering an outrageous lie.” [Al-Kahf: 14]
For believers, supplicating (to Allah) at both ends of
the day, and before dawn should be part of their daily
routine.
22 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

‫ﱡﲆ ﲇ ﲈ ﲉ ﲊ ﲋ ﲌ ﲍ‬

‫ﲎ ﲏ ﲐﱠ‬

“They abandon their beds, invoking their Lord out of

fear and hope, and donate from what We have provided
for them.” [As-Sajdah: 16]
Being in the company of those who excessively
supplicate to Allah with sincerity is one of Allah’s
commands to His Prophet (may His peace and blessings
be upon him).
‫ﱡ ﱁ ﱂ ﱃ ﱄ ﱅ ﱆ ﱇ ﱈ ﱉ ﱊﱋﱠ‬

“And patiently stick with those who call upon their

Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face.” [Al-Kahf:
28]
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 23

THE BENEFITS OF SUPPLICATING TO

ALLAH ALONE
The benefit of supplicating (to Allah) is immense,
and its goodness is prevalent since both the dead and
living benefit from it. Its blessing is attained by the
one who supplicates and the one for whom the
supplication is made. It is an effective means just like
other means (accessible to us).
A servant supplicates to Allah according to His
divine decree, and then the supplication is accepted
by the will of Allah. So, supplicating to Allah
prevents a calamity if that had preceded in His
knowledge. It also brings goodness and, with the
permission of Allah, saves one from destruction.
Hence, the matter is fully within the hands of
Allah, and there no way for the creation to intervene
with it.
Sincere supplication to Allah is like a radiant light.
It establishes divinity for Allah alone and removes the
possibility of there being an equal or opposite to Allah,
or that He has a partner or helper, or that there is a god
or deity worthy of worship besides Him. Through
24 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

sincere supplication, a person becomes a true servant of

Allah, and he singles out Allah by turning to Him,
venerating Him, loving Him, fearing Him, and having
hope in Him alone. Also, the heart becomes attached to
Him in times of prosperity and hardship, and the tongue
calls out in supplication to Him in both ease and
difficulty.
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 25

SIGNS OF A PERSON WHO TRULY

BELIEVES IN THE ONENESS OF ALLAH
Whoever wants to know the reality of their belief
in the oneness of Allah, should ponder over whom
they supplicate. So, whoever sincerely supplicates to
Allah has truly believed in the oneness of Allah, and
whoever calls upon other than Allah has truly
associated partners with Him. Allah, the Exalted,
says:

‫ﱡ ﲴ ﲵ ﲶ ﲷ ﲸ ﲹ ﲺ ﲻ ﲼ ﲽ ﲾ ﲿ ﳀ ﳁﳂ‬

‫ﳃ ﳄ ﳅ ﳆﱠ‬

“Whoever invokes, besides Allah, another go -for

which they can have no proof- they will surely find
their penalty with their Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers
will never succeed.” [Al-Mu'minun: 117]
26 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

THE PROPHETS DIDN’T COMMAND

ANYONE TO SUPPLICATE TO THEM
Perfection and glory belong to Allah alone and
being worshipped is not befitting to anyone but Allah
while divine lordship suits His majesty only.
Regardless of how high of a status a person
attains, he will never be deserving of being
supplicated to regardless of whether it is for
something significant or not.
So, if someone is unable to bring into existence
the smallest of things then he has no right at all to be
worshipped or supplicated to.
‫ﱡﱈ ﱉ ﱊ ﱋ ﱌ ﱍ ﱎ ﱏ ﱐ ﱑ ﱒ ﱓ ﱔ ﱠ‬

“Indeed, those [idols] you invoke besides Allah

can never create [so much as] a fly, even if they [all]
were to come together for that.” [Al-Hajj: 73]
Allah chose some of His creation to be His
messengers and elevated their status over others, but
despite that none of them ever competed with Allah
for divine lordship, nor commanded people to
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 27

supplicate to them, and nor were they pleased with

such a thing. (The Quran states:)
‫{ﱬ ﱭ ﱮ ﱯ ﱰ ﱱ ﱲ ﱳ ﱴ ﱵ ﱶ ﱷ ﱸ ﱹ‬

‫ﲌ‬
‫ﲍ‬ ‫ﱺﱻ ﱼ ﱽ ﱾ ﱿ ﲀ ﲁ ﲂ ﲃ ﲄ ﲅ ﲆﲇ ﲈ ﲉ ﲊ ﲋ‬

}‫ﲎ ﲏ ﲐ ﲑ ﲒ ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖﲗ ﲘ ﲙ ﲚ ﲛ‬

“And [on Judgment Day] Allah will say, ‘O

Jesus, son of Mary! Did you ever ask the people to
worship you and your mother as gods besides Allah?’
He will answer, ‘Glory be to You! How could I ever
say what I had no right to say?’” [Al-Ma'idah: 116]
Also, they were vulnerable to diseases and
weakness. Some of them were even killed while
others would become sick and were inflicted with
magic. Also, they were humans who would eat and
drink. So, how can one be a god when he needs food
to sustain himself?!
In fact, the best of creation, our Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him), one of his incisors was broken1, his head was
1
See Sahih Al-Bukhari, hadith num: (2911), and Sahih Muslim,
hadith num: (1790), both narrated from Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah
be pleased with him).
28 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

hit severely, he fell off his horse, and his skin was
badly injured. As a result, he (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) prayed sitting down due to the
injury caused by the severe fall1.

1
See Sahih Al-Bukhari, hadith num: (689), and Sahih Muslim,
hadith num: (411), both narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may
Allah be pleased with him).
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 29

SUPPLICATING TO OTHER THAN ALLAH

IS THE GREATEST SIN ON EARTH
Supplicating to other than Allah is a grave sin. Allah
addressed His Prophet, saying:
}‫{ﳋ ﳌ ﳍ ﳎ ﳏ ﳐ ﳑ ﳒ ﳓ ﳔﳕ ﳖ ﳗ ﳘ ﳙ ﳚ ﳛ‬

“And do not invoke besides Allah that which neither

benefits you nor harms you, for if you did, then indeed
you would be of the wrongdoers.” [Yunus: 16]
One of its most severe forms is to believe that there
are intermediaries between Allah and His creation.
Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“None of the prophets allowed any of the general masses
to ask the righteous who have passed away or those not in
their presence, or even the angels to supplicate on their
behalf or to intercede for them. Rather, this is the root of
shirk (ascribing partners to Allah) since the mushrikin
took their idols as intercessors as well. Allah, the Exalted,
says:
30 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

‫{ﲑ ﲒ ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖ ﲗ ﲘ ﲙ ﲚ ﲛ ﲜ‬

‫ﲝ ﲞﲟ ﲠ ﲡ ﲢ ﲣ ﲤ ﲥ ﲦ ﲧ ﲨ ﲩ ﲪﲫ‬

}‫ﲬ ﲭ ﲮ ﲯ‬

“And they worship other than Allah that which neither

harms them nor benefits them, and they say, ‘These are our
intercessors with Allah.’” [Yunus: 18]1
However, supplicating to Allah along with others
besides Him is the greatest sin that can be committed on the
face of the Earth. Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be
pleased with him) said, “I asked the Messenger of Allah
(may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): ‘Which sin
is the greatest?’ He said: ‘That you set an equal to Allah
while He alone created you.’” Agreed upon.2
Allah warns those who supplicate to other than him of
a severe punishment. He, the Exalted said:
‫ﱡﱥ ﱦ ﱧ ﱨ ﱩ ﱪ ﱫ ﱬ ﱭ ﱠ‬

1
See Qa‘idah ‘Azimah (1/121).
2
See Sahih Al-Bukhari, hadith num: (4477), and Sahih Muslim,
hadith num: (86).
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 31

“So do not ever call upon any other god besides

Allah, or you will be one of the punished.” [Ash-Shu'ara:
213] Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“Allah is in fact warning with this ayah other than the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He (the
Exalted) is saying: “You are the most beloved of my
creation but even if you were to believe in a god besides
Me, I would have punished you.’”1
Salah, and the actions it entails such as bowing and
prostrating were not legislated and masajid were not
established in the lands of Allah except for the purpose of
supplicating to Him alone and that others beside him may
never be supplicated to. Allah, the Exalted, says:
‫ﱡ ﱧ ﱨ ﱩ ﱪ ﱫ ﱬ ﱭ ﱮﱠ‬

“The places of worship are [only] for Allah, so do not

invoke anyone besides Him.” [Al-Jinn: 18]

1
See Tafsir Al-Baghawi (3/480).
32 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

THE DEAD CANNOT HEAR THOSE WHO

SUPPLICATE TO THEM
A person should only supplicate to his creator and
should never supplicate to a creation like himself, nor
should he seek assistance from him since they are
both servants of Allah. Allah, the Exalted, says:
‫{ﲭ ﲮ ﲯ ﲰ ﲱ ﲲ ﲳ ﲴﲵ‬

}‫ﲶ ﲷ ﲸ ﲹ ﲺ ﲻ‬

“Those [idols] you invoke besides Allah are

created beings like yourselves. So call upon them and
see if they will answer you, if your claims are true!”
[Al-A`raf: 194]
The person buried in his grave does not hear those
who call upon him even if they raise him to the status
of lordship. Also, a person in his grave does not have
the power to benefit those who call upon him even if
they claimed that he has divine traits. Allah, the
Exalted, says:

* ‫ﱡﱷ ﱸ ﱹ ﱺ ﱻ ﱼ ﱽ ﱾ‬
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 33

‫ﲀ ﲁ ﲂ ﲃ ﲄ ﲅ ﲆ ﲇ ﲈ ﲉﲊ ﱠ‬

“And those [idols] you invoke besides Him do

not possess even the membrane of a date seed. If you
call upon them, they cannot respond to your calls.”
[Al-Fatir: 13-14]
Moreover, the dead are incapable of helping
themselves, so it is impossible for them to assist
others. Allah, the Exalted, says:
‫ﱡ ﱌ ﱍ ﱎ ﱏ ﱐ ﱑ ﱒ ﱓ ﱔ ﱕﱠ‬

“And those [false gods] you call besides Him can

neither help you nor even themselves.” [Al-A`raf: 197]
34 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

A PERSON SUPPLICATING TO THE DEAD

IS CERTAIN THAT IT CANNOT HEAR
NOR BENEFIT
Whoever calls other than Allah is certain that the
creation they supplicate to cannot hear them nor
benefit them. Allah, the Exalted, mentions that
Ibrahim (peace be upon him) asked his people
regarding their idols:
* ‫{ﲒ ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖ * ﲘ ﲙ ﲚ ﲛ‬

}‫ﲝ ﲞ ﲟ ﲠ ﲡ ﲢ‬

“‘Can they hear you when you call upon them?

Or can they benefit or harm you?’ They replied, ‘No!
But we found our forefathers doing the same.’” [Ash-
Shu'ara: 72-74]
Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
“This means they admitted that their idols cannot
hear, benefit, nor harm but the only reason they
worshipped them was that they saw their forefathers
doing so.”1

1
See Tafsir Ibn Kathir (6/146).
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 35

SUPPLICATING TO THE DEAD RESULTS

IN NOTHING BUT TIRING ONESELF AND
CORRUPTING ONE’S RELIGEON
Those who call the dead hoping to gain benefit
from them or deter harm from themselves will only
corrupt their religion and tire themselves. Allah, the
Exalted, says:
* ‫{ﲣ ﲤ ﲥ ﲦ ﲧ ﲨ ﲩ ﲪ ﲫ ﲬﲭ ﲮ ﲯ ﲰ ﲱ‬

}‫ﲳ ﲴ ﲵ ﲶ ﲷ ﲸ ﲹ ﲺ ﲻ ﲼ ﲽ‬

“They call besides Allah what can neither harm nor

benefit them. That is [truly] the farthest one can stray.
They invoke those whose worship leads to harm, not
benefit. What an evil protector and what an evil
associate!” [Al-Hajj: 12-13]
When a person turns to the creation and seeks the
assistance of those alive or dead, they are in reality
degrading and humiliating themselves. Imam Ahmad
(may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “O Allah, just
as you protected my face from prostrating to other
than you, protect me from asking others besides you
36 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

as well, as none besides you is able to deter harm or

provide benefit.”1

1
See Jami‘ Al ‘Uloom wa Al-Hikam (1/481).
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 37

WHOEVER CALLS OTHER THAN ALLAH

TO REMOVE A CALAMITY, ALLAH WILL
PUNISH THEM WITH A MORE SEVERE
CALAMITY
Any person who supplicates to other than Allah
or whose heart turns to other than Allah, or the one
whom Shaytan encourages to devote themselves to
other than their Lord will surely fall into hardship and
calamities through which they will come to realize the
weakness and incapability of the being they
supplicated to. Allah, the Exalted, says:

‫ﱡﲏ ﲐ ﲑ ﲒ ﲓ ﲔ ﲕ ﲖ ﲗ ﲘ ﲙ ﲚ ﲛ ﲜ‬

‫ﲝ * ﲟ ﲠ ﲡ ﲢ ﲣ ﲤ ﲥ ﲦ ﲧ ﲨ ﲩ ﲪﱠ‬

“Ask [them, O Prophet], ‘Imagine if you were

overwhelmed by Allah’s torment or the Hour—would
you call upon any other than Allah [for help]?
[Answer me] if your claims are true! No! He is the
only One you would call. And if He willed, He could
remove the affliction that made you invoke Him.
Only then will you forget whatever you associate with
Him [in worship].’” [Al-An`am: 40-41]
38 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

Whoever knows that it is only Allah Who has

control over everything and that He is not in need of
any of His creation, will know that benefit can only
be attained from Him, and thus they will have hope in
none but Him.

‫ﱡﲾ ﲿ ﳀ ﳁ ﳂ ﳃ ﳄ ﳅ ﳆ ﳇ ﳈ ﳉ ﳊ ﳋ ﳌ‬

‫ﳍ ﳎ ﳏ ﳐ ﳑ ﳒ ﳓ ﳔ ﳕ ﳖ ﳗﱠ‬

“Say, [O Prophet,] ‘Call upon those you claim [to

be divine] besides Allah. They do not possess [even]
an atom’s weight either in the heavens or the earth,
nor do they have any share in [governing] them. Nor
is any of them a helper to Him.’” [Saba: 22]
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 39

THE STATE OF A PERSON WHO

SUPPLICATED TO OTHER THAN ALLAH,
AT THE TIME OF DEATH
When death comes to a person who worshipped
others along with Allah, they will disassociate
themselves from what they did.

}‫{ﱘ ﱙ ﱚ ﱛ ﱜﱝ ﱞ ﱟ ﱠ ﱡ ﱢ ﱣ ﱤﱥ ﱦﱧ‬

“Those whose souls the angels seize while they

wrong themselves will then offer [full] submission.”
Meaning they will proclaim to listen, obey, and
submit and say falsely, “We did not do any evil.” [An-
Nahl: 28]
On the Day of Judgement, the curtain will be
removed from the eyes of every human being, and
they will see the incapability of the creation with the
eye of certainty. Also, they will witness that those
whom they used to supplicate to will disassociate
themselves from them. Allah, the Exalted, says:

‫{ﳌ ﳍ ﳎ ﳏ ﳐ ﳑ ﳒ ﳓ ﳔ ﳕ ﳖ ﳗ ﳘﳙ‬

}‫ﳚ ﳛ ﳜ ﳝ ﳞ ﳟ ﳠ ﳡ ﳢ‬
40 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

“Until Our messenger-angels arrive to take their

souls, asking them, ‘Where are those [false gods] you
used to invoke besides Allah?’ They will cry, ‘They
have failed us.’” [Al-A`raf: 37]
Meaning they left us and hence we have no hope
of any benefit or goodness from them. Whoever
supplicates to other than Allah, He will be angry with
them and will place them in hellfire for eternity. The
Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings
be upon him) said: “Whoever dies while invoking
anything other than Allah as a rival will enter
Hell.” Agreed upon.1

1
See Sahih Al-Bukhari, hadith num: (4497), and Sahih Muslim,
hadith num: (92), both narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may
Allah be pleased with him).
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 41

SHAYTAN LOVES SUPPLICATIONS MADE

TO OTHER THAN ALLAH
Supplicating to Allah is a powerful form of
worship that differentiates a person who believes in
the oneness of Allah from other than him. However,
it is one of the easiest means through which Shaytan
corrupts the religion of the servants of Allah. Ibn Al-
Qayyim mentions: “Seeking one’s needs from the
dead, asking for their assistance, and seeking their aid
is the root of all shirk in the world.”1
A Muslim devotes his heart, worship, and all his
dealings solely to his Lord. He differentiates between the
Creator and the creation with regards to his knowledge
about them, seeking them out, and loving them, and thus
he gives the Creator and the creation their due right and
status. He does not attribute to one of them what the other
deserves.
Hence, only Allah is deserving of worship and
supplication. He alone should be feared, and hope should
be placed in Him only.

1
See Madarij As-Salikin (1/353).
42 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

As for the righteous among the creation, they

deserved to be followed, loved, respected, and
praised. Allah, the Exalted says:
‫ﱡ ﲣ ﲤ ﲥ ﲦﲧ ﲨ ﲩ ﲪ ﲫ ﲬ ﲭﲮ ﲯ ﲰ ﲱ‬

‫ﲲﲳ ﲴ ﲵ ﲶ ﲷ ﲸ ﲹ ﲺ ﲻﱠ‬

“So, direct your face toward the religion, inclining

to truth. [Adhere to] the fitrah of Allah upon which He
has created [all] people. No change should there be in
the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but
most of the people do not know.” [Ar-Rum: 30]
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 43

BELIEF IN THE ONENESS OF ALLAH IS

THE MOST VALUBLE THING
A PERSON OWNS
The most valuable thing given to a servant is their
belief in the oneness of Allah, while the biggest
blessing is being steadfast upon this belief until they
meet Him. Faith with sincerity, even if it is deficient,
may save a person from remaining in hellfire for
eternity, but when this belief is complete, it prevents
a person from entering it.
Shaytan misleads the servants of Allah with all
sorts of confusion and doubt in an effort to turn them
away from the religion of Islam. There is no doubt
that comes to a person’s mind except that it comprises
something which makes him want to follow this
doubt and believe in it.
Hence, whoever wants to be safe from all doubts
should adhere to his belief in the oneness of Allah and
his faith by reciting the Quran, contemplating it, and
seeking knowledge, whilst distancing himself from all
areas of doubt.
We ask Allah for beneficial knowledge, the
ability to do righteous actions, and to sincerely
44 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

supplicate to Him. May Allah send peace and

blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, upon his
family, and all his companions.
SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’) 45

CONTENTS
PREFACE........................................................................ 5
THE REALITY OF THE RELIGION OF ISLAM IS TO
SINCERELY WORSHIP ALLAH ALONE ................... 6
THE RELIGION OF ISLAM IS BASED ON
SUPPLICATING TO ALLAH ALONE ......................... 9
PUNISHMENT FOR THOSE WHO ARE TOO
ARROGANT TO SUPPLICATE TO ALLAH ALONE
....................................................................................... 11
SUPPLICATION (DU‘Ā’) IS WORSHIP .................... 12
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SUPPLICATING TO ALLAH
ALONE.......................................................................... 13
SUPPLICATING TO ALLAH ALONE IS A SIGN OF
IMAN ............................................................................ 15
ALLAH ALONE IS THE ONE WHO ANSWERS
SUPPLICATIONS......................................................... 16
THE PROPHETS SUPPLICATE TO ALLAH ALONE
....................................................................................... 19
THE BENEFITS OF SUPPLICATING TO ALLAH
ALONE.......................................................................... 23
SIGNS OF A PERSON WHO TRULY BELIEVES IN
THE ONENESS OF ALLAH ........................................ 25
46 SUPPLICATION (AD-DU‘Ā’)

THE PROPHETS DIDN’T COMMAND ANYONE TO

SUPPLICATE TO THEM ............................................. 26
SUPPLICATING TO OTHER THAN ALLAH IS THE
GREATEST SIN ON EARTH ...................................... 29
THE DEAD CANNOT HEAR THOSE WHO
SUPPLICATE TO THEM ............................................. 32
A PERSON SUPPLICATING TO THE DEAD IS
CERTAIN THAT IT CANNOT HEAR NOR BENEFIT
....................................................................................... 34
SUPPLICATING TO THE DEAD RESULTS IN
NOTHING BUT TIRING ONESELF AND
CORRUPTING ONE’S RELIGEON ............................ 35
WHOEVER CALLS OTHER THAN ALLAH TO
REMOVE A CALAMITY, ALLAH WILL PUNISH
THEM WITH A MORE SEVERE CALAMITY .......... 37
THE STATE OF A PERSON WHO SUPPLICATED TO
OTHER THAN ALLAH, AT THE TIME OF DEATH 39
SHAYTAN LOVES SUPPLICATIONS MADE TO
OTHER THAN ALLAH ............................................... 41
BELIEF IN THE ONENESS OF ALLAH IS THE MOST
VALUBLE THING A PERSON OWNS ...................... 43
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