Alhamdulillah Summa Alhamdulillah, it is purely by the grace of Allah that I continue my sermon on the subject of duahs.
In Bukhari's book of Hadiths, Kitab’ul Manaqib, there is mention of a duah for Hadhrat Jabir Bin Abdullah (ra). The introduction is as follows: the narrator relates that Hadhrat Jabir (ra) said: My father Abdullah died in a state where he was in debt... and certainly it is very important that when someone dies leaving a debt/ some debts, then the first thing to do is that his children have to repay his debts.
Hadhrat Jabir (ra) said: I was very worried because there were only a few dates with me [in my property], and that was not enough to pay off all of his debts. So I went to Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) and said to him: These few dates that I have are not enough to pay off my father's debts, and I [then] have to keep paying that debt for many more years... and he said to the Holy Prophet (pbuh): “Come with me, so that his creditors don't abuse me.”
Since his creditors were all Muslims, he thought that when they would see Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) with him, they would not abuse him. Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) told him to go and collect all the dates and put them in a pile. Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) then went around the dates making duahs. Then he sat down and advised the creditors to forgive Hadhrat Jabir bin Abdullah (ra).
Jabir (ra) said: 'I paid all my creditors in the form of dates until all of my father's debts were completely paid off. And as much as the amount of dates which Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) had given as payment, a similar number remained thanks to the prayer that Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) made'.
Likewise, there are many more miracles of prayers that Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) had done. There are some who are very important to us [those who sincerely believe in Allah and His Messenger (pbuh)]. I also mention a few duahs which are extremely important to us and which our noble prophet (pbuh) used to do. Reported in the collection of Hadiths of Abu Dawud, Ahmad and Tirmidhi that the Holy Prophet (pbuh) recited this invocation a lot to be saved against fire (hellfire):
“Allahumma ajirni minan-naari.” [O Allah! Save me from fire (hellfire)].
In Tirmidhi's collection of Hadiths, there is a mention of a very important duah that Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) used to recite:
“Yaa Muqallibal Qulubi thabit qalbi ‘ala Dinika” [O You Who turns hearts (Allah), strengthen my heart on Your religion (Your Deen)].
Another duah that Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) recommended us to recite a lot, and this especially during the month of Ramadan, when we must call upon Allah a lot and to seek the night of Qadr. The invocation is as follows: “Allahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibbul afwa fa’afu anni” [O Allah! You are Forgiving, You like to forgive, so forgive me]. (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah).
The Hadiths mention that Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) remembered Allah a lot; As they say, his tongue remained soaked in the Zikrullah [the Remembrance of Allah]; he recited a lot: “Laa Ilaaha Illallaahu” [There is no other deity except Allah]. (Tirmidhi, An-Nasaï & Ibn Majah).
There are other duahs also like:
“Laa Ilaaha Illallaahu wahdahu laa sharikalahu, lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ‘ala kulli shayin Qadir.” [There is no other deity but Allah; The Unique One without a partner. His is the Kingdom, and His is the Praise, and He is powerful over everything]. (Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi & An-Nasaï).
“Subhanallahi Wabihamdihi, Subhanal-laahil Azim” [Glory and praise be to Allah, Glory to Allah the Magnificent]. (Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, An-Nasaï & Ibn Majah).
“Subhanallah, Walhamdulillah, Wa laa Ilaaha Illallah wa Allahu Akbar” [Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no other god but Allah. And Allah is Great]. (Muslim & Ahmad).
“Laa hawla wala quwwata illa billah” [There is no power and no strength except in Allah]. (Al-Hakim).
The Tribe of Daws, to which Hadhrat Abu Huraira (ra) belonged were fierce opponents of Islam, and until very late they had not accepted Islam. From Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadhrat Abu Huraira (ra) reported that Tufail Bin Amal and his companions came to see Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) and told him that the tribe of Daws did not accept Islam and were disobedient. They asked the prophet (pbuh) to send curses on them because of their disobedience ... and if the prophet had really sent curses on them, they would have been destroyed. But Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) did not send a curse on them. He called on Allah in this way: “Allahumma Ahdi Dawsan wa Aati bi-Him.” [O Allah! Guide the tribe of Daws and get them here.] In other versions of this Hadith it is mentioned: O Allah guide the tribe of Daws and bring them to me as Muslims].
There is also the mention of the curses of Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) [in the collections of Hadiths] which he had done in the extreme limit of difficulty. But in the extreme limit of difficulties also he always made this prayer [invocation]: “Allahumma Ahdi Qawmi fa ‘inna hum la ya’la-muun.” [O Allah guide my people, for they do not know].
When we recite the duahs that our noble prophet (pbuh) used to recite, we are amazed by them all, and the heart finds therein tranquillity and tears flow from the eyes. There are so many duahs he did that were recorded in the Hadiths; by this, one can understand that his whole life was steeped in prayer [invocation to Allah]. All the limbs of his body were tied with prayer (Salat), Remembrance of Allah (Zikrullah) and Duahs (invocations to Allah). Listen to these duahs and recite them also every day. This is what we call the favours of Allah!
“Allahumma inni audhu bika minal kasali wal harami walgharmi wa min fitnatil qabri wa’adhaabin naari, wa min sharri fitnatil ghinaa wa audhu bika min fitnatil masiihi-d-Dajjal.” [O Allah, I seek refuge in You from sloth, from senility, from debt, from the trouble of the grave, from the chastisement of the grave, the from trouble of hell, from the chastisement of hell, from the evil temptations of wealth, from the bad temptations of poverty and I seek Your protection against Messiah Ad-Dajjal]. (Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, An-Nasaï & Ibn Majah).
“Allahumma-ghsil anni khatayaaya bil mai wa-th-thalji wal-baradi, wa naqqi qalbi minal khataaya kama yunaqqaa-th-thawbul abyadu mina-d-danasi wa ba’id bayni wa bayna khataayaaya kamaa ba’adta baynal-mashriqi wal maghribi.” [O Allah, wash away my sins with snow and hail water, purify my heart from the sins as is purified the white garment from the dirt, and keep away at a distance the sins from me as yawns the distance between the East and the West.]. (Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, An-Nasaï & Ibn Majah).
“Allahumma tahhirni bi-tht-thalji wal ma’il baaridi.” [O Allah! Cleanse me with snow and fresh water]. (Ahmad).
“Allahumma Tahhir qalbi minal khaataayaa kamaa tahharta th-thawbal abyada mina-addanas wa ba’id bayni wa bayna zunubi kamaa baa’adta baynal mashriqi wal maghribi.” [O Allah! Cleanse my heart from faults just as You remove the messy stains from a white garment and put distance between me and my sins, just as You distanced the East and the West]. (Ahmad)
“Allahumma inni auzubika min qalbin laa yakhsha’u wa nafsin laa tashba’u wa doua’ain laa yusma’u wa ilmin laa yan fa’un.” [O Allah! I seek Your protection from a heart that does not humble itself, an insatiable soul and an unanswered invocation and unnecessary knowledge.] (Ahmad)
So to conclude, I quote you a verse from the Qur’an where Allah says: “So Remember Me ; I will Remember you. And be grateful to Me and never be ungrateful to Me!” (Al-Baqara 2:153)
According to a Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad, Ibn Majah and Al-Hakim and narrated by Hadhrat Abu Huraira (ra), Hadhrat Muhammad (pbuh) said: “Allah Most High said: ‘I am with My servant as long as he mentions Me and move his lips for Me [by mentioning My name].’”
So, I pray that each of us can realize the benefits that there are in invocations to Allah (duahs). Turn to Allah (swt) with sincerity and devotion and also reflect on what Allah (swt) has said in this Quranic verse and also what His beloved Prophet (pbuh) has said in these Hadiths [and the duahs he made]. Insha-Allah. And I pray that Allah will give me the Tawfiq to continue my next sermon on the same subject [on Duahs]. Insha-Allah. Ameen, Summa Ameen, Ya Rabbul Aalameen…
---Friday Sermon of 14 August 2020~23 Dhul-Hijjah 1441 AH delivered by Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius.