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Nahmada hu wa nusali ala rasoolahil kareem, Amma baad, faoothobila hi minash shaytaanir rajeem. Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem. Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh, Alhumdullilah, we have been discussing al-dua and with it being such a vast topic due to its excellence, today is our 5th session on this topic InshaAllah. So far we have defined that dua is an act of worship which is something that is required of a Muslim and how it confirms tawhid in a person. And we also confirmed with evidences from the Quran that making dua to any creation of Allah is shirk and khufr and takes one out of the fold of al-Islam. We also covered some of the many benefits as well as some of the preconditions of dua and started discussing some of the etiquettes. Today InshaAllah we will try to finish the etiquettes of making dua InshaAllah. First we will quickly recap some of the etiquettes we mentioned last week: 1. Praising Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala and praying upon the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam before making dua. 2. Raising ones hands while making dua. There are three different positions we can be in. One is to point with forefinger of our right hand, similar to what we do during the tashahhud. The second is to raise our hands as we normally do to the level of our shoulders, and the third was usually done in extreme situations where the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam would raise his hands over his head, arms stretched without joining his hands. 3. To be in a state of wudu and to face the qiblah is preferred as the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam would do this. 4. To cry with sincerity and humility in front of Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala. 5. To expect the best from Allah. 6. To pray quietly. To continue from where we left off: 7. Acknowledging ones sins is a critical factor in making dua. This is why the best dua in which a person can ask for forgiveness contains a pure and sincere acknowledgment of ones deficiencies and sins.

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The prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: The sayyid al-istighfar (the best dua to ask for forgivness) is that a person says: O Allaah, You are my Lord, none has the right to be worshipped except You, You created me and I am You servant and I abide to Your covenant and promise as best I can, I take refuge in You from the evil of which I committed. I acknowledge Your favour upon me and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for verily none can forgive sin except You. (al-Bukhari) To try and understand why this is so important, let us look at our lives again when we ask of others. If we know someone is angry with us, do we even think about asking them for something? No. Rather we will ask someone who is happy with us, or we will first try to remove the anger and then ask the person. So then what should be our situation when asking of Allah? We must all acknowledge that as humans we are designed to make mistakes. And that Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala loves to be asked for forgiveness and then forgive us. I usually mention this, but I will mention it again here, that this particular dua is part of the morning and evening adhkaar. This is a dua we should be reciting every morning and evening as did the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam. 8. To be determined in ones request. The prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said as narrated in al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad and others: When one of you makes a dua, then let him be firm and determined in his dua and let him not say, O Allah! If you will, then please forgive me, for there is no one who can force Allah to do anything. Asking with this type of wording shows arrogance, in that I will thank You if you give it, otherwise no problem; as if you dont really need it. It can also be understood that a person doubts if Allah is capable of delivering what is asked. It is important to note that we can make dua using the if, if we do not know if the matter we are asking for is good or bad for us. So it is permissible to say, O Allah! If such and

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such a matter is better for me, then grant it to me. And this is the essence of the dua al-Istikhara we discussed 2 weeks back. 9. To repeat the dua 3 times is recommended as it is narrated in many ahadith that the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam did this and it shows a sense of urgency in obtaining what is asked for. 10.To start dua with ones self, because it does not make sense for me to ask Allah for something for you, but not for myself. Secondly this fulfills the hadith that we should love for our brothers what we love for ourselves. So by asking for ourselves first, then our brothers and sisters, it proves it is something we also wanted and loved. And this is proven from many versus of the Quran as well such as in surah al-Hashr ayah 10: O Allah! Forgive us, and our brothers (in faith) who have preceded us! (Quran 59:10) and surah al-Araf, ayah 151: O Our Lord! Forgive me, and my parents, and all of the believers the Day that the Account will be taken! (Quran 7:151) It is important to note that there are exceptions and the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam did make dua for others without including himself. But in general it is recommended to ask for ones self first, then for others. 11.To pray for all Muslims which is an extension of the previous point. 12.Saying Ameen when listing to another person making dua which basically means O Allah! Accept (or Respond to) this dua. Instead of repeating the dua, we say Ameen, and in essence we have also made the same dua. When Musa alayhis salaam prayed to Allah to punish Pharaoh, it is said that Harun was behind him, saying Ameen. And Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala responded as it is mentioned in surah Yunus, ayah 89, Your (both of you) prayers have been answered! One important point on this topic is the pronunciation of Ameen. Some common mistakes: a. Prolonging the alif. It should be 2 harakah. Not Aaaaaaaaaameen. b. Making the alif too short. Not Ameen. c. Putting a shaddah on the meem. Not Ammmmeeen. d. The end can be from 2 to 6 harakah.

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13.To make dua at all times and for all matters. At times of ease and hardship. Simple small matters or large important complex matters. Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala is the Only One who can help. With that, we have many more topics to discuss on the matter of dua. We will list off some of the discouraged acts during dua without much explanation as they are fairly self explanatory InshaAllah: 1. Poetry in dua. Naturally a lot dua will rhyme, but do not intentionally make efforts to rearrange your dua to make it rhyme. 2. Asking for something haram. 3. To pray for matters only in this world 4. Dua against yourself or your family, or cursing someone 5. To limit mercy by saying O Allah! Have mercy on me and him only 6. To look upwards during the prayer. The prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam prohibited us from raising our eyes to the skies while making a dua in salat. He Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said as reported by Muslim and others: Surely, the people will stop raising their eyes torwards the skies while they make dua during salat, or their sight will be snatched away from them! (Muslim) 7. To imply that I will never ask for anything else. O Allah! Grant me this and I will never ask you for anything else! We always need Allah and we should not imply we can do anything without His help. 8. To experiment with dua. Let me try this dua and see if Allah responds. 9. To rely on others to make dua. This is a pet peeve of mine personally. Remember me in your dua. This is permissible. But if you yourself are not making dua, and only saying this to everyone you meet, then this is highly discouraged. The sincerity with which you ask of Allah is far greater than my dua for you can ever be. 10.To cry out loud in public. It causes a distraction to others, and also can be seen as showing off. Dua is a private matter between you and Allah. It is permissible if it just happens, but try to control it. we will try to cover some of the recommended times and some of the conditions for making dua.

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You can of course make dua to Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala at any time in any place. But Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala has out of His Mercy, has favoured certain times over others. One of the wisdoms of this may be that we can then eagerly anticipate these times and make our dua with more enthusiasm. Had all timings been the same, then we may not value it as much. So when you want to ask of Allah, then try to do so in the times we will discuss. 1. The last third of the night, when most of creation is sleeping, the true worshipper who has a need, will be praying to his Creator Subhaanahu wa ta'ala. Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala tells us in the Quran in surah al-Dhariyat, ayah 18: and, in the hours of early dawn, they seek forgiveness from their Lord (Quran 51:18) It is also narrated by Abu Huraira radi Allahu anhu that the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: Our Lord descends every night, during the last third of it, to the skies of this world, and asks: Who is making dua to Me, so that I can respond to him? Who is asking Me, so that I can give him? Who is asking for My forgiveness, so that I can forgive him? (al-Bukhari and Muslim) There are additional ahadith with similar wordings and similar meanings. This is one of the most blessed times, and most of us are unfortunately in a deep sleep. Let alone waking up to pray tahajjud or ask Allah, we often even miss salatul Fajr. And then we say, I keep asking of Allah, and He doesnt respond. SubhanAllah! 2. Making dua when the adhan is called. There are a few ahadith about this such as the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam saying: When the prayer is called, the doors of the skies are opened, and the dua is answered. 3. Making dua between the adhan and the iqamah is also one of the best times for the prayer to be accepted. This is also one of the great benefits of praying salah in jamaa at the masjid because while you are waiting for the prayer, you have an opportunity to of Allah Subhaanahu wa ta'ala for your needs in this world and the next. Anas ibn Malik reported the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam as saying:

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The dua said between the adhan and the iqamah is not refused, therefore offer your dua (at this time). (Ahmad, Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi). 4. Dua during salat is also very important. Abu Huraira radi Allahu anhu narrated that the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: People will have to stop from looking up at the sky while making dua during salat, or else Allah will snatch their sight away. (Muslim, Ahmad and al-Nasai) Some of the postures of the salat during which the dua can made that have been narrated included: a. After the initial takbir b. Before the ruku (after reciting Quran; but only during witr and qunut) c. After standing from ruku d. During ruku e. During sujood f. Between the 2 sujood g. After the final tashahhud and before the Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh 5. Dua in sujood is probably the most noble and humble position we can be in. Abu Huraira radi Allahu anhu narrated that the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: The closest any worshipper can be to his Lord is while he is in prostration, so increase your dua in it. (Muslim, Abu Dawud, al-NasaI and others) Ibn Abbas narrated that the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said during his last moments: And I have been prohibited from reciting the Quran while in ruku and sujood, so during ruku, glorify your Lord, and during sujood, exert yourself in making uda, for it is very likely that you will be responded to. (Muslim, Abu Dawud and Ahmad) 6. The fatiha in salah itself is a dua and one that is responded to. This is reported in hadith Qudsi, as narrated by Abu Huraira radi Allahu anhu , that the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: Allah (mighty and sublime be He), had said: 'I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says: 'Al-hamdu lillahi rabbi l-alamin', Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: 'My servant has praised Me.' And when he

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says: 'Ar-rahmani r-rahim' , Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says: 'My servant has extolled Me,' and when he says: 'Maliki yawmi d-din' , Allah says: 'My servant has glorified Me' - and on one occasion He said: 'My servant has submitted to My power.' And when he says: 'Iyyaka na budu wa iyyaka nasta in' , He says: 'This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.' And when he says: 'Ihdina s-sirata l- mustaqim, siratal ladhina an amta alayhim ghayril-maghdubi alayhim wa la d-dallin', He says: 'This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.' (Muslim, Malik, at-Tirmidhi, Abu-Dawud, an-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah) Based on this, our fatiha should be recited with much more care, and sincerity to try and benefit from this great dua and opportunity. 7. Dua at the end or after salat. There are ahadith that explain this, but also there is a difference of opinion in this matter. Some scholars explain the ahadith to mean the dua is to be said before the salaam, and others understood it to mean after the salaam. Other scholars have said both meanings are correct. One such hadith was when the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said to Muadh ibn Jabal: O Muadh! I swear by Allah, I love you. Therefore, do not forget to say after each prayer, O Allah help me to remember You, and to thank You, and to perfect my worship for You. (Abu Dawud, Ahmad and al-Nasai) 8. While visiting the sick or a janaza, because Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha narrated that the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: When you visit the sick, or the dead (body before its burial), then say good, because the angels say, Ameen to whatever you say. (Muslim) To move on, we will quickly cover some of the conditions during which dua is answered. 1. The person who has been wronged or oppressed. Allah will accept the dua of this person against the person that wronged him. For this reason alone, we should be very careful in our dealing with people, Muslim, or not. 2. The traveler, especially if he is travelling for the sake of knowledge or performing any other act of worship such as hajj or umrah. 3. The father for or against his son. This includes the mother for her children and father for his son or daughter.

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The hadith for the 3 conditions we just mentioned is reported in Abu Dawud, alTirmidhi and Ahmad, that the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: Three are the dua that are responded to, there is no doubt concerning them: the dua of he who has been wronged, the traveler, and the dua of the father for his son. 4. The children for their parents, especially after the parents pass away because the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: When a person dies, all of his actions are cut off except from three (matters): a sadaqah jariyah, or a pious son that prays for him, or some knowledge (that he gave) that others still benefit from. (Muslim, Abu Dawud) 5. The dua for a person in his absence because Abu al-Darda reported that the prophet Sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: There is no Muslim worshipper who prays for his brother (Muslim) in his absence except that an angel says, And to you be the same! (Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibaan, and al-Tabarani)

We will end with that today InshaAllah and continue with the recommended times of making dua next week InshaAllah. Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bihamdika, 'ash-hadu 'an laa 'ilaaha 'illaa 'Anta, 'astaghfiruka wa 'atoobu 'ilayka.

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============ Khutbah Part 1 ============ Inna AlHamdalilah, nahmaduhu wa nastaeenuhu wa nastaghfiruh, wa naoothu billahi min shuroori an fusinaa, wa min sayeeaati aamaalina, may yah dihil laahu fala mudillalah wa mayudlil falaa haadiya lah Ashadu An Laa Ilaaha illAllah wahdahu la shareeka lah, wa ash hadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasooluh Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo, ittaqoo Allaha haqqa tuqatihi wala tamootunna illa waantum muslimoona Ya ayyuha alnnasu, ittaqoo rabbakumu allathee khalaqakum min nafsin wahida, wakhalaqa minha zawjaha. wabaththa minhuma rijalan katheeran wanisaaa. Wattakul Allaha allathee tasaaloona bihi waalarham. inna Allaha kana AAalaykum raqeeba. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo ittaqoo Allaha waqooloo qawlan sadeeda - Yuslih lakum aAAmalakum, wayaghfir lakum thunoobakum, waman yutiAAi Allaha warasoolahu faqad faza fawzan AAatheema. Amma bad, fa inna khayral hadeethi kitabullah, wa khayral hadee, hadee Muhammadin sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam, wa sharrol omoori muhdathaatuhaa wa kulla muhdathatin bidah, wa kulla bidatin Dalaalah, wa kulla dalaalatin finnar innallha wa malaaikata yusallna alan nabi. Y ay yuhal latheena manu sall alayhi wasalli m tas leema. Allahumma salli al Muhammad, wa ala li Muhammad, kama salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil la meen, innaka hameedun majeed. Aqoolo qawli hadha, wastaghfirullaha li wa lakum, walee sa-e-ril Musleemeen, Fastaghfiruhu innahu wal ghafoorroor Raheem. ============ Sit for Dua ============

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============ Khutbah Part 2 ============ Bismillah, WalHamdulillah was Salatu Wassalamu ala Rasulullah Aoothu Billahi minnash shaytaanir Rajeem, SURAH Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala aali Muhammadin, kama salaiyta ala Ibrahima wa ala aali Ibrahima innaka Hamidun Majeed. Allahumma barik ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammadin, kama barakta ala Ibrahima wa ala ali Ibrahima, innaka Hamidun Majeed. Allahuma Eghfir Lil Muslimeena wal Muslimat. Stop for aameen Wal Moumineena wal MouminaatStop for aameen Al-Ahyaee minhum wal amwatstop for aameen Innaka sameeun mujibul dawat stop for aameen Rabbana atina fidunya hasanatanw wa fil akhiratee hasanatanw wakeena azabunaar. Ibada Allah: Inna Allah Yaamuru Bil Aadli wal Ihsan, wa Itaee Zil Qurbaa, Wa Yanhaa Anil Fahshaaee wal munkaree wal baghyi. YaIzukum Laallakum tazakkaroon Fadth kuroonee adth kurkum, wash kuroolee walaa tak furoon wala thikrul-Laahi akbar, Wal-Laahu yalamu maa tasnaoon. Aqimi Salah, Straighten the lines, shoulder to shoulder and dont leave any gaps. Please turn off cell phones istawoo staqeemu wa'atadelu