“I am not worried about whether my du’a will be responded to, but rather I am worrried about whether I will be able to make du’a or not. So if I have been guided by Allah to make du’a, then (I know) that the response will come with it”. – Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra)

Photo By AnNamir

Had there been within the heavens and earth gods besides Allah , they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allah , Lord of the Throne, above what they describe. Surah Al-‘Anbyā’ (21:22)

Jabir (radi Allahu anhu) stated: “As the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) taught us the Quran, so also he instructed us to observe Istikhara in every matter. The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) used to say:

‘When anyone among you is perplexed over an important matter, he should perform two Rakahs of supererogatory (nafl) prayer and then make this dua:

O Allah, I ask You to show me what is best through Your knowledge, and bring it to pass through Your power, and I ask You of Your immense favour; for You are All-Powerful and I am not, You know and I do not, and You are the Knower of the Unseen. O Allah, if You know this matter to be better for me in my religion, livelihood, and final outcome, then bring it about and facilitate it for me, and bless me with abundance therein. And if You know this matter to be worse for me in my religion, livelihood, and final outcome, then keep it from me, and keep me from it, and bring about the good for me whatever it may be, and make me pleased with it.’” [Sahih Bukhari]

Istikhara means “to ask for goodness and welfare.”

Suppose you have two job offers. Both are halal. Both are comparable. Which one should you take? Only Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) knows which will be better for your Akhirah and Dunya, long-term and short-term. There are so many hidden factors that we cannot possibly know about. So why not ask the One who does know and is the Most Sincere for your welfare? It is Sunnah (recommended) to pray two Rakahs and then make the Istikhara dua. However one may make the dua on its own, or pray the two Rakahs alone with the intention of seeking Allah’s guidance in the matter. The two Rakahs may be prayed at any time of day or night except for the forbidden times of prayer. After you have sincerely sought Allah’s guidance, then you simply follow the course suggested to your heart or that you find is made easy for you to do. Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “One who observes Istikhara is never disappointed, and the one who takes counsel is never put to shame; and the one who observes economy does not have to depend on others.” [Tabarani]

Commentary: There are many choices we have to make all the time. Some obvious important matters are those related to marriage or employment. But there are other matters that may appear to be small but could have far reaching consequences. Only Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) knows what is best for you and He is willing to give the advice for free. Whenever you are in doubt or perplexed regarding what to do make Istikhara, consult Allah and ask him what to do!

A photogravure etching by Saudi artist Ahmed Mater called “Magnetism”
that depicts the Kaaba in Mecca (AFP/British Museum, Ahmed Mater)

Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought. [Az Zumar 39:42]

Allah’s Apostle (Sallallähu alaihi wa sallam) said, “The angels keep on asking for Allah’s Blessing and Forgiveness for anyone of you as long as he is at his Musalla (praying place) and does not do Hadath (passes wind).
The angels say, ‘O Allah! Forgive him and be Merciful to him.’ Each one of you is in the prayer as long as he is waiting for the prayer and nothing but the prayer detains him from going to his family.”

[Bukhari 0628]

Dhikr of Allah is the most excellent act. It is the most praiseworthy work to earn Allah’s pleasure. Prophet said that the People of Paradise will only regret one thing: not having made enough dhikr in the world!.

: “O Believers, make abundant mention of ALLAH!” (33:41). “He is successful who purifies himself, and remembers the name of his Lord, and so prays.” (87:14-15). Prophet said, Peace be upon him: “The earth and everything in it is cursed, except for dhikr and what attends dhikr, and a teacher (of dhikr) and a student (of dhikr).”

By remembering Allah, truly satisfaction comes to the heart” (13:28). Prophet said: “(I am advising you in one thing:) Keep your tongue always moist with dhikrullah .”

Prophet said: “(I am advising you in one thing:) Keep your tongue always moist with dhikrullah .”

The Prophet once asked his companions: “Shall I tell you about the best of all deeds, the best act of piety in the eyes of your Lord, which will elevate your status in the Hereafter, and carries more virtue than the spending of gold and silver in theservice of Allah or taking part in jihad and slaying or being slain in the path of Allah? The dhikr of Allah.”

The Prophet was asked, “Which of the servants of Allah is best in rank before Allah on the Day of resurrection?” He said: “The ones who remember him much.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, what about the fighter in the way of Allah?” He answered: “Even if he strikes the unbelievers and mushrikin with his sword until it broke, and becomes red with their blood, truly those who do dhikr are better than him in rank.”

“Remember Me, and I shall remember you” (2:152). Prophet said that Allah has angels roaming the roads to find the people of dhikr.

Allah says: I am to my servant as he expects of Me, I am with him when he remembers Me. If he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him to Myself, and if he remembers me in an assembly,I mention him in an assembly better than his…”

“Remember / mention Allah as much as you want, until people say that you are crazy and foolish”
“What are the gardens of Paradise, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied: “The circles of dhikr. There are roaming angels of Allah who go about looking for the circles of dhikr, and when they find them they surround them closely.”

“When any group of men remember Allah, angels surround them and mercy covers them, tranquility descends upon them, and Allah mentions them to those who are with Him.”

“O you who believe! Celebrate the praises of Allah, and do so often; and glorify Him morning and evening.” (33:41-42).

the Prophet told him, “Let your tongue be always busy with the remembrance of Allah.”

“Those men and women who engage much in Allah’s praise. For them has Allah prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” (3:191, 33:35.

remembrance of Allah is the greatest thing in life, without doubt.” (29:45)
with the heart remember Allah, secretly from creation, wordlessly and speechlessly. That remembrance is best of all.

Allah will say: O my servant, I have something good of yours for which I alone will reward you, it is your hidden remembrance of Me.”

“Seven people will be shaded by Allah…” The seventh is: “A person who remembers Allah in seclusion (dhakara Allaha khaaliyan) and his eyes get flooded with tears.”
“Isolation is better than to be sociable in committing evil.”

Prophet said: “If anyone recites the last two verses of Surat al- Baqara at night (2:285-286), they will suffice for him.”
That is, these two verses will bring him a reward equivalent to that of a night prayer, and will safeguard him from any hurt during that night surat al-Ikhlas] is a third of the Qur’an.”

Prophet said: “Whoever says: la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharikalah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-hamd, wa huwa `ala kulli shay’in qadir
— a hundred times a day will have a reward equivalent to the reward for freeing ten slaves. In addition, a hundred good deeds will be recorded for him and a hundred bad deeds of his will be wiped off, and it will be a safeguard for him from Satan that day until evening, and no one will be better in deeds than such a person except he who does more than that.”

“Whoever says: subhan Allah wa bi hamdihi — Glorified is Allah with all praise to Him — a hundred times during a day, will have all his sins wiped off even if they were as numerous as the foam on the surface of the sea.”

Prophet: “O human beings! Whoever says “No god except Allah” in astonishment at something, Allah creates from each letter of his utterance a tree with as many leaves as the days of this world, each leaf asking forgiveness for him and praising Allah on his behalf until the Day of judgment.”

So lets remember Allah without wasting even a second.

Allah knows the best.

Sabr (patience) and shukr (gratitude) go together. When you’re not patient, you start complaining. And the fact that you’re complaining is the sign that you’re not grateful.

Here is the parable of Paradise which the God-fearing have been promised: in it shall be rivers of incorruptible water, rivers of milk
unchanging in taste, and rivers of wine, a delight to those that drink; and rivers of pure honey. In it they will have every kind of fruit as well as
forgiveness from their Lord. Can such be like those who will abide in the Fire and will be given a boiling water to drink that will tear their bowels apart? (47:15)

Ali Ibn Abu Taalib (Radi-Allahu anhu) narrated: on the pulpit in the mosque of Kufah: When Friday comes, the devils go to the markets with their flags, and involve people in their needs and prevent them from the Friday prayer. The angels come early in the morning, sit at the door of the mosque, and record that so-and-so came at the first hour, and so-and-so came at the second hour until the imam comes out (for preaching).

When a man sits in a place where he can listen (to the sermon) and look (at the imam), where he remains silent and does not interrupt, he will receive a double reward. If he stays away, sits in a place where he cannot listen (to the sermon), silent, and does not interrupt, he will receive the reward only once. If he sits in a place where he can listen (to the sermon) and look (at the imam), and he does not remain silent, he will have the burden of it. If anyone says to his companion sitting besides him to be silent (while the imam is preaching), he is guilty of idle talk. Anyone who interrupts (during the sermon) will receive nothing (no reward) on that Friday.

Then he (the narrator) says in the end of this tradition: I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) say so. (Abu Dawood 1046)

Here are 22 Important Points for You to Note & Remember :

1. Jummah preparations should begin on Thursday such as clipping the nails, removing of the hair etc (Ihya aul-Uloom, vol. 1, page 161)

2. To have a bath (Ghusl) (Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)

On one Friday, Rasulallah said: “O Muslims! Allah Ta’ala has made this day a day of Eid. So have a bath on this day, whoever has perfume should apply it, and use the Miswaak.
“ (Ibn Majah)

3. To use Miswaak (Ibid)

4. To use Attar (Perfume) (Ibid)

5. To wear nice clothes (Abu Dawood, Chapter of Ghusl on the day of Jummah)

6. To proceed early as possible to the Masjid for Jummah

Rasulallah (Peace be upon him) said: “On the day of Jummah, the angels stand at the entrance of that Masjid in which Jummah salaat is to be offered. They write down the name of the person who enters the Masjid first, and thereafter the name of the person who follows, and they continue doing this. The person who entered first will receive the reward of sacrificing a camel in the path of Allah; the one who followed him will get the reward of sacrificing a cow, thereafter a chicken, thereafter the reward of giving an egg as charity in the path of Allah.
Once the khutbah commences, the angels close the register and begin listening to the khutbah. “ (Bukhari and Muslim)

7. To walk to the Masjid if possible for every step is a reward of a years Nafl Fast (Tirmidhi)

8. One should listen very attentively to the khutba even if one does not understand. One
should not speak or even warn another to keep quite while the khutba is in progress.

9. To try to sit as close as possible to the Imaam. (Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi)

10. If the Saffs (rows) are already filled, one should not jump over the shoulders of the
musallies in order to get to the front. (Abu Dawood)

11. One should not fiddle with clothes or fingers but listen attentively (Ibn Majah)

12. When Rasulallah (Peace be upon him) name is mentioned in the khutba then it is permissible to recite durood in the heart only without the movement of the lips or tongue.

13. Between the two khutba’s one should make dua. It is permissible to make dua without
raising hands or moving the lips (I.e. dua should be made in the heart only without the
movement of the lips or the tongue) (Aadaab -E – Zindagee)

14. To read: Surah Al A’ala (Sura no 87) in the first rakaat of Jummah Salah and Surah Gaathia (Surah no 88) in the second rakaat. (Bukhari)

15. Related by Hakim and Bayhaqi, from Abu Sa`id “Whoever recites Surat al-Kahf on Friday, light shall shine forth for him between the two Fridays.” (Ibn Hajar, Talkhis al- Habir)

16. Rasulallah (Peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Recite Durood upon me in abundance on the day of Jummah since they are presented to me.” (Ibn Majah)

17 . Making abundant dua on Jummah

Rasulallah (Peace be upon him) said: “There is such an hour on Friday that if any Muslim makes dua in it, his dua will definitely be accepted.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

18 . Reciting Durood 80 times after Asr:

According to a Hadith recorded in Tabarani on the authority of Abdullah Ibn Abbas (Radi Allahu anhu) :
Abu Hurraira (Radi Allahu anhu) reports that the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever recites the following Durood eighty times immediately after Asr Salaat on Friday, before standing up from his place, Allah will forgive eighty years of sins and grant him the reward equivalent to eighty years of worship.”

Allahumma salli alaa muhammadinin nabiyyil ummiyyi wa-ala aalihi wasallim tasleema

O Allah bless Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet, and his family and grant them best of peace. (Jame Sagheer)

19. Abu Hurraira narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: The five daily prayers, and from one Jummah to the next, are an expiation for whatever sins come in between, so long as one does not commit any major sin. (Muslim, 233)

20. It was narrated from Abu Hurraira (Radi Allahu anhu) that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: Whoever does Ghusl then comes to Jummah, and prays as much as Allah decrees for him, then listens
attentively until the khutbah is over, then prays with him (the imam), will be forgiven for (his
sins) between that and the next Jummah and three more days. (Muslim, 857)

Al-Nawawi said:

The scholars said that what is meant by his being forgiven between the two Jummah and three more days is that a good deed is worth ten like it, so he will be rewarded with ten
rewards for each of the good deeds that he did on Friday.

Some of our companions said: what is meant by what is between the two Jummah is from Jummah prayer and the khutbah until the same time on the following Friday, so that it will be seven days, no more and no less, then three days are added making ten in all.

21. Coming early to Jummah brings a great reward.

Abu Hurraira (Radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “Whoever does Ghusl on Friday like Ghusl for janaabah, then goes to the prayer (in the first hour, i.e., early), it is as if he sacrificed a camel. Whoever goes in the second hour, it is as if he sacrificed a cow; whoever goes in the third hour, it is as if he sacrificed a horned ram; whoever goes in the fourth hour, it is as if he sacrificed a hen; and whoever goes in the fifth hour it is as if he offered an egg. When the imam comes out, the angels come to listen to the khutbah.”
(Bukhari, 814 and Muslim, 850)

22. If a person walks to Jummah prayer, for every step he will have the reward of fasting and praying qiyaam for one year.

It was narrated from Aws ibn Aws al-Thaqafi (Radi Allahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: Whoever does Ghusl on Friday and causes (his wife) to do Ghusl, and sets out early, and comes close to the imam and listens and keeps quiet, for every step he takes he will have the reward of fasting and praying qiyaam for one year.” (al-Tirmidhi, 496)

Ibn al-Qayyim (Rahimullah) said in Zaad al-Maâ’aad, 1/285:

Finally after quoting the hadith which speak of the virtues of Jummah prayer:

What we have quoted, when taken all together, indicates that the expiation of sins from one Friday to the next is subject to all the conditions mentioned above being met, namely doing Ghusl, cleaning oneself, putting on perfume, wearing one’s best clothes, walking in a calm and dignified manner, not stepping over people, not pushing between two people, not offending others, praying nafil prayers, listening attentively and avoiding idle speech.

May Allah give us the ability to act upon all of these virtuous deeds and Sunnah of Rasulallah (Pbuh). Ameen.

By time, Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.
Surah Al-`Aşr

Or have they taken protectors [or allies] besides him? But Allah – He is the Protector, and He gives life to the dead, and He is over all things competent. Surah Ash-Shūraá (42:9)