With Love & Reverence

Transcription

1 786 With Love & Reverence By Ismail Sikander

2 2 With the name of Allah(God), Most Kind, Most Merciful Call on your Lord with Love & Reverence Meaningful & Purposeful Duas Introduction All Praise and Glory to Allah(God) and Peace and Blessings on Muhammed, the final messenger, all the Prophets and all those whom Allah(God) has guided and chosen. ب س م للا م ج ر اه ا و م ر س اه ا إ ن ر ب ي ل غ ف ور ر ح يم May Allah make the journey and destination safe I grew up in South Africa and in both our cars my father had stuck on the above dua on the cubby (The glove compartment). I grew up in front of this dua. I guess in most non-arabic speaking countries Muslims have duas and verses of the Quraan stuck up all over their houses and in their cars. In my late teens I started halqa(quraan discussion) classes pioneered by the late Abdul Majid, may Allah(SWT) grant him Jannah in nearness to Him. For the first time I was in direct contact with the divine revelation in a language I understood. I attended the weekly classes with friends and soon was submerged into this awesome book! Slowly I learnt some meanings of Arabic words and came across the most amazing human beings, the Prophets. After a while I had reached the story of Nuh(AS) and the dua on the cubby. I was baffled at first, the dua commanded by Allah(SWT) and read by Nuh(AS) did not mean May Allah make the journey and destination safe. و ق ال ار ك ب وا ف يه ا ب س م للا م ج ر اه ا و م ر س اه ا إ ن ر ب ي ل غ ف ور ر ح يم In the name of Allah, whether it move or be at rest! For my Lord is, be sure, Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful!" and HE said: "Embark on the Ark, Now this was amazing, the dua had a vastly different meaning. I guess those who made all those stickers were just making it simpler for us non Arabic speaking Muslims. But there is a huge difference in spirit between the sticker wording and the actual meaning. Over the years I have come to realize that dua is a plea and since it is only Allah(SWT) that controls all things in the heavens and Earth and the only One that knows what s best for us, He responds in the best way to our duas. Coming back to the dua, we learn that regardless of ease or difficulty on a journey, even the journey of life, Allah(SWT) is Most Forgiving and Most Merciful. So if we begin our journey with the dua, and we have ease, we praise and thank HIM. If we encounter difficulty we still praise and thank HIM for indeed HE is the best of planners. This experience has been etched in my mind and prompted the writing of this book.

3 3 What is Dua and how important is it? The root in Arabic دعو simply means to call Dua is the essence of worship. (Tirmithi, Ahmad) The above hadith is quite a statement! Is dua so fundamental to faith? Lets put dua in perspective. Who you gonna call?. When in difficulty, we immediately take necceassary measures. In the world of wireless communication the first thing we do is call someone. 911 or a friend or family The call we make shows our trust and dependence on those we call upon. We call on those whom we think would be able to resolve our difficulty or at least be of some assistance to help us through the difficulty. A call(dua) reflects our faith, trust and confidence in the one or those whom we call for help. So indeed a call(dua) to our Creator is certainly the essence of worship. A call(dua) to Allah(SWT) reflects our faith in His Absolute Power and control over the entire universe. Our call(dua) to Allah(SWT) reflects our belief in His total control over every event and every heart and mind in our humble temporary abode, earth. There is nothing more dear to Allah Ta ala than a servant making dua to him. Tirmithi Think for a moment! How do you feel when some one calls for your help? Does it not make you feel recognised, important? That s it! Even calling on Allah(SWT) for the smallest needs shows Him recognition and indeed He is the One who deserves all recognition. Man should call upon Allah alone to provide for all his needs, so much so that even if a shoe-lace is broken, he should pray to Allah to provide a shoe-lace, and if he needs salt, he should beseech Allah to send it to him. [Tirmidhi] Our call to our Lord, reflects our recognition of Him and our dependence on Him. Among the earliest verses revealed ك ال إ ن اإلن س ا ن ل ي ط غ ى أ ن ر آه اس ت غ ن ى Nay, but man does transgress all bounds, In that he looketh upon himself as independent. (S96V6-7) The opposite of dependence is independence. As we see in the above verse, our thrust in this modern age to be independent is in itself a serious transgression and violation of the sovereignity of our Divine Creator. We are, whether we like it or not dependent on Him for our very existence and totally dependent on Him for our survival on earth. When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I answer the prayer of every caller when he calls on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way. (S2V186) و إ ذ ا س أ ل ك ع ب اد ي ع ن ي ف إ ن ي ق ر يب أ ج يب د ع و ة الداع إ ذ ا د ع ا ن ف ل ي س ت ج يبوا ل ي و ل ي ؤ م نوا ب ي ل ع له م ي ر شدون

4 4 The Aim of this book The aim of this book is to give the reader confidence and a foundation to start making dua in english. Traditionally dua is almost always made in Arabic. Competing with Arabic is almost impossible. Arabic flows so beautifully and hence Muslims have traditionally learnt and taught their children duas in Arabic. But memorising a dua and asking Allah for specific needs is vastly different. In English, for us English speaking people, dua becomes meaningful. Dua becomes the means of our concious communication with our Creator. I have seen many try to make dua in English and fail. It s actually quite hard to make a sincere dua in public. Dua in English normally starts off with lots of stuttering and the dua loses its fluency and the reciter can feel a bit embarassed at times. This i have experienced myself. When I started making duas in English i found myself stuck many times in the middle of dua and that is awkward to say the least in a gathering. As i grew in confidence and fluency with English duas many people started complimenting and some even requested me to write down my words so they could memorise them. Hence this book. By Allah(SWT) s leave I hope that this book can help English speaking Muslims to start transforming their duas from simple rote repition to a powerful means of communication with Allah(SWT). In this book, I hope, not only to share the words I learnt, but also to explain the source, significance and context of how I learnt these words over a number of years.

5 5 Contents Introduction... 2 What is Dua and how important is it?... 3 The Aim of this book ) Forgiveness ) The life style of ISLAM ) Prayer for family ) Prayer for sustenance ) Prayer to be Grateful ) Prayer seeking purity ) Prayer to become one that strengthens the deen of Islam ) Prayer for admittance to all the best categories ) Prayer seeking Excellence ) Prayer for Peace & Protection ) Seeking Jannah The Conclusion... 33

6 6 Oh Allah, let our calls to you be like that of the family of Zakaria(AS) و ي د عون ن ا و ر ه ب ا ر غ ب ا they used to call on Us with love and reverence Chapter 21 Verse 90

7 7 1) Forgiveness Forgiveness should be the first thing we ask for. The Prophet(PBUH) is reported to have said I seek forgiveness more than 100 times a day ر ب إ ن ي ظ ل م ت ن ف س ي ظلما كثيرا ف اغ ف ر ل ي My Lord, indeed I have wronged my soul, many wrongs, so forgive me Rabbi Inni Thalamtu nafsi, thulman katheeran FAGHFIRLI Quraan Context After Moosa(AS) killed the soldier, he said the following الرح يم ال غ فور ه و إ نه ل ه ف غ ف ر ل ي ف اغ ف ر ن ف س ي ظ ل م ت إ ن ي ر ب ق ال He prayed: "O my Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul! Do Thou then forgive me!" So (Allah) forgave him: for He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Chapter 28 Verse 16 (S12V98) Ya Al Ghafoor Ar Rahim يا ال غ ف ور الرح يم (S39V5) Ya Al Azzeezul Ghaffar يا ال ع ز يز ال غ ف ار (S23V109) Ya Khairul Ghaafireen ياخ ي ر الغافرين فغفرلنا م غ ف ر ة م ن عندك Forgive us, FORGIVENESS from Your presence Forgive me, here I mention by name lots of people starting with my family, friends, people I meet, students I have taught Even someone I meet or see after a long time stays in my dua a while. فغفر كل ل ل م ؤ م ن ين و ال م ؤ م ن ات Faghfir Kulil Mumeeneena wal mumeenat Forgive all the believers, men and women At times I would stop mentioning certain people s names due to certain behaviors or happenings UNTIL I came across

8 8 للا إ ال إ ل ه ال أ نه ف اع ل م Know, therefore, that there is no god but Allah, ل ذ ن ب ك و اس ت غ ف ر and ask forgiveness for thy fault, و ل ل مؤ م ن ين و ال مؤ م ن ا ت and for the men and women who believe: و م ث و اك م مت ق لب ك م ي ع ل م و للا for Allah knows how ye move about and how ye dwell in your homes. Chapter 47 Verse 19 This verse is actually a command. We are commanded to seek forgiveness for ourselves and for all the men and women who believe. I end the forgiveness section of my dua with و إ ن ل م ت غ ف ر ل ن ا و ت ر ح م ن ا ل ن ك ون ن م ن ال خ اس ر ين If You do not forgive us & grant us mercy, we are certainly lost Quraan Context Our parents, Adam(PBUH) and Bibi Hawa said the following after eating of the forbidden tree. ر بن ا ظ ل م ن ا ق اال ال خ اس ر ي ن م ن ل ن كون ن و ت ر ح م ن ا ل ن ا ت غ ف ر ل م و إ ن أ ن فس ن ا They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged our own souls: If thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost." Chapter 7 Verse 23 Truth is without Allah(SWT) s forgiveness and Mercy there is NO GUIDANCE, NO REAL FUTURE, we are simply LOST! There is no meaning to our lives and we just live without life!

9 9 2) The life style of ISLAM Strengthening Deen(Religion / Lifestyle) In Islam, Deen(Religion) is a whole life style. What we eat, what we wear, our words, our habits, our spending, our actions are all guided by our Deen(Religion) as established by the Quraan and exemplified by the final Messenger(SAW). This lifestyle is in no way forced upon us but willfully accepted by Muslims, as we know that no other than Allah(God), our Creator can guide to a lifestyle that will establish peace, love and brotherhood in this world. ي ا م ق ل ب ال ق ل وب ث ب ت ق ل ب ي ع ل ى د ين ك O Turner of the hearts, make my heart steadfast in adhering to Your religion. Tirmithi Oh Allah strengthen your deen in our lives, fill our hearts with love for salaah(prayer) and fill our salaahs with Khushu(Awe / Love / Reverence) Salaah is the foundation of our lifestyle. Five times a day ensures we always stay connected to our Creator and remain ever conscious of His presence. Reading and listening to passages in Salaah from the Quraan helps keep us conscious of our duties to humanity and the next world to come. Salaah also keeps us pure and clean. Before Muslims pray we have to perform wudu(washing our hands, face, arms and feet). Hence it keeps us fresh, clean and positive throughout the day. Oh Allah increase our Imaan(faith in You) Increase our love for You, Increase our obedience to You and Increase our fear of You Contextually being in a country with around 3% Muslims, and the majority of the population ignorant of Islam I pray daily for Islam to strengthen in this country especially in the impoverished areas. Simply because history has proven great success and progress to those that accept and follow Allah s(god s) revelation.

10 10 Oh Allah strengthen You deen in Itereleng, Phomolong and all the townships of this country, Spread Your Light Ya Noorusmawaati Wal Ard throughout this country. Establish your words in this country and raise the status of your final messenger in every corner of this country Imprint Oh Allah, your words in our hearts, minds, characters, our speech and our actions, for indeed you have power over all things فانت علي كل شيء قدير (For You have power over all things) 3) Prayer for family One of the most wonderful duas I have read from the Quraan to pray for one s family ر بن ا ر بن ا إ ن ي أ س ك ن ت م ن ذر يت ي ب و اد غ ي ر ذ ي ز ر ع ع ن د ب ي ت ك ال مح ر م ل يق يموا الصالة ف اج ع ل أ ف ئ د ة م ن الن اس ت ه و ي إ ل ي ه م و ار ز ق ه م م ن الث م ر ات ل ع ل ه م ي ش ك ر ون "O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy Sacred House; in order, O our Lord, that they may establish regular Prayer: so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them, and feed them with fruits: so that they may give thanks. Chapter 14 Verse 37 Ebrahim(AS) left Hajira(RA) and baby Ismail in the desert, (without cultivation). Leaving them behind in such a difficult environment he makes the dua and puts his trust in Allah(God). We know that Allah(SWT) accepted this plea for not long after, Allah(SWT) caused the well of zam zam to gush forth for water for the crying baby Ismail. In a desert water means everything and hence tribes that came to the well had great respect for Hajira(RA) and her baby. Thus had Allah(SWT) accepted Ebrahim(AS) s prayer and filled the hearts of some among men with love for his family.

11 11 This is how I start my prayer for my family الهم ج ع ل أ ف ئ د ة م ن الن اس ت ه و ي إ ل ي ه م و ار ز ق ه م م ن الث م ر ات ل ع ل ه م ي ش ك ر ون Oh Allah fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them(my family) and feed them with fruits so that they may give thanks Oh Allah, grant Luqman(my son) AlHikmah(wisdom) as you granted Luqman(AS) Al hikmah, make his path smooth and easy to becoming a merciful, muttaqeen doctor filled with Al Hikamah. يؤ ت ي ي ش اء م ن ال ح ك م ة He grants wisdom to whom He pleaseth Chapter 2 Verse 269 Oh Allah you grant wisdom to whom you please, grant wisdom to Luqman & Hajira Oh Allah fill Luqmans heart with love for the poor, the needy & the sick. Pour shifa on his hands(he is becoming a doctor) and let him benefit people abundantly. Make it easy for him to pass and promote all his tests and exams and make it easy for us to pay his tuition fees, for nothing is easy except that which you make easy. Bless Luqman and all his friends, grant them excellence in their studies and in your deen and protect them from all that s shameful, sinful and harmful for none can protect but You Oh Allah and make them of ( ي س ار ع ون ف ي ال خ ي ر ات ) those who hasten in good deeds.s23v61 Oh Allah bless Hajira(my daughter in matric) and all her friends وجعلهن من الصابرين قنتين خاشعين شاكرين Make them of those who are patient, obedient, humble and grateful. و قهن شر ما قضيت And save them from every evil you have ordained? Oh Allah, nothing is easy except that which you make easy, make these tests and exams easy for Hajira, fill her heart, mind and hands with sabr, salaam and sakina while she studies and whilst she writes her exams. Grant Hajira and all her friends excellence in their studies and excellence in your deen and

12 12 protect them from everything shameful and sinful. Make it easy for Hajira to get accepted for medicine at tukkies(the degree and university she wishes) Oh Allah grant Luqman and Hajira friends, spouses and children that are among الصابرين الصالحين قنتين خاشعين شاكرين Patient, Righteous(beneficial), obedient, humble, grateful Next I pray for all our family children by name, asking Allah(SWT) to grant them what I have prayed for my own children. It became a tad difficult at times as my sisters in law kept giving birth, may Allah bless all the children of the world with guidance and protection. Oh Allah pour sabr salaam and sakeena on Homera(my wife) وجعلها من الصابرين قنتين خاشعين شاكرين Make her amongst the patient, obedient, humble and grateful Grant her excellence in her studies and teaching(she is a teacher) Grant her Al hikmah(wisdom) and grant her students Al hikmah(wisdom). Oh Allah let there be peace, mercy and love between me and my wife and in our family و الف بين قلوبنا Establish love amongst us, Establish love in all our families I mention many families here and end off with و الف بين قلوب امة محمد And establish love in the Ummat of Muhammed(SAW) 4) Prayer for sustenance I have never been one to pray for wealth. I always thought it to be somehow hypocritical. But alas, how Allah teaches us. A few years ago I ran into some financial difficulty. I was technically insolvent but somehow Allah helped us to survive. It was becoming harder and harder to pay the suppliers and that made me feel really low, not just materially but as a Muslim I felt really guilty. I came across few verses that I memorized and started to use in my dua.

13 13 يب ع ث و ن ي و م ت خ ز ن ي و ال "And let me not be in disgrace on the Day when (men) will be raised up;- Chapter 26 Verse 87 Here was our father Ebrahim(AS), the friend of Allah seeking protection from disgrace on the day of Judgment. I too really needed protection from being disgraced on the day of Judgment but I really need Allah to protect me from the disgrace of not being able to pay my suppliers so I added the following to my dua و ال ت خ ز نا في الدنيا و ال في االخرة Let us not be disgraced in this world nor the next Sustenance comes from Allah(SWT) in subtle forms we cannot see. A clear example is the sustenance of Mariam(the mother of Jesus), peace upon her. ف ت ق بل ه ا ر ب ه ا ب ق بول ح س ن و أ ن ب ت ه ا ن ب ات ا ح س ن ا و ك فل ه ا ز ك ر يا كلم ا د خ ل ع ل ي ه ا ز ك ر يا ال م ح ر ا ب و ج د ع ن د ه ا ر ز ق ا ق ا ل ي ا م ر ي م أ نى ل ك ه ذ ا ق ال ت ه و م ن ع ن د للا إ ن للا ي ر ز ق م ن ي ش اء ب غ ي ر ح س اب Right graciously did her Lord accept her: He made her grow in purity and beauty: To the care of Zakariya was she assigned. Every time that he entered (Her) chamber to see her, He found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Mary! Whence (comes) this to you?" She said: "From Allah: for Allah Provides sustenance to whom He pleases without measure." Chapter 3 Verse 37 I also thought of which names of Allah would be most suitable to use in asking for increased sustenance. الراز ق ي ن خ ي ر و هو He is the Best of those who give sustenance. Chapter 23 Verse 72 ال م ت ين ال قوة ذو الرزاق ه و إ ن للا For Allah is He Who gives (all) Sustenance,- Lord of Power,- Steadfast (for ever). Chapter 51 Verse 58

14 14 Then one of the most common phrases in the Quraan that remind us that Allah(SWT) is the one that enlarges or restricts the sustenance of us all. ر ب ي إ ن قل ي ب سط الر ز ق ل م ن ي ش اء و ي ق د ر و ل ك ن ال ي ع ل مو ن النا س أ ك ث ر Say: "Verily my Lord enlarges and restricts the Provision to whom He pleases, but most men understand not." Chapter 34 Verse 36 I also remembered that Sulaymaan(AS) was given abundance so looked up what name of Allah(SWT) he had used when he made Dua. ق ال ر ب اغ ف ر ل ي و ه ب ل ي مل ك ا ال ي ن ب غ ي ألح د م ن ب ع د ي إ نك أ ن ت ال و هاب He said, "O my Lord! Forgive me, and grant me a kingdom which, (it may be), suits not another after me: for You are the Grantor of Bounties (without measure). Chapter 38 Verse 35 So I pray يا خ ي ر الراز ق ين يا الرزاق ذ و ال ق وة ال م ت ين يا ال و هاب رزق واسعا Grant us Increase the sales, profits and stock of our business, Make it easy for us to pay our suppliers, for nothing is easy except that which you make easy and Oh Allah purify our lives of debt things) (For You have power over all فانت علي كل شيء قدير Now I always fear wealth, wealth can easily make one complaisant, wasteful and arrogant

15 15 ك انوا ال م ب ذ ر ين إ ن إ خ و ا ن الشي اط ي ن ك فور ا ل ر ب ه الشي ط ان و ك ا ن Verily spendthrifts are brothers of the Evil Ones; and the Evil One is to his Lord (himself) ungrateful. Chapter 17 Verse 27 The lives of the people of Jahannam(Hell) on Earth are described as مت ر ف ي ن ذ ل ك ق ب ل ك انوا إ نهم For that they were wont to be indulged, before that, in wealth (and luxury), Chapter 56 Verse 45 ال مس ر ف ي ن ب يح ال إ نه ت س ر فوا و ال But waste not by excess: for Allah loveth not the wasters.(those who are excessive) Chapter 6 Verse 141 so I conclude this section with وال تجعلنا من ال م ب ذ ر ين Let us not be among the spendthrifts وال تجعلنا من الم ت ر ف ين Let us not be among the luxuriant/lavish وال تجعلنا من الم س ر ف ين Let us not be among the wasters / excessive وال تجعلنا من الم ستكبرين Let us not be among the Arrogant

16 16 5) Prayer to be Grateful ج م يع ا ض األر ف ي م ا ل ك م خ ل ق الذ ي هو It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth; Chapter 2 Verse 29 ت ر و ا أ ل م أ ن للا س خ ر ل ك م م ا ف ي السم او ا ت و م ا و أ س ب غ ع ل ي ك م ن ع م ه ظ اه ر ة و ب اط ن ة األر ض ف ي Do ye not see that Allah has subjected to your (use) all things in the heavens and on earth, and has made his bounties flow to you in exceeding measure, (both) seen and unseen? Chapter 31 Verse 20 و إ ن ت عد وا ن ع م ة للا ال ت ح صوه ا إ ن للا ل غ فور ر ح يم If ye would count up the favours of Allah, never would ye be able to number them: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Chapter 16 Verse 18 From the billions of neurons that make up our brains to the trillions of oxygen atoms that keep us alive there is nothing in the heavens nor earth but made subject to all human beings. Everything inside our bodies and everything we see and cannot see throughout this earth has been created by Allah(SWT) for all of us. و ل ق د ك رم ن ا ب ن ي آد م و ح م ل ن اه م ف ي ال ب ر و ال ب ح ر و ر ز ق ن اه م م ن الطي ب ات و ف ضل ن اه م ع ل ى ك ث ير م م ن خ ل ق ن ا ت ف ض يال We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation. Chapter 17 Verse 70 Allah(SWT) has granted us all gazillions of gifts and it is for us to firstly be able to recognize these gifts and be ever grateful to Him

17 17 At-Tirmidhi 464, Grade: Sahih (I have just changed it from me to us) ا ل ه م أ ع نا ع ل ذ ك ر ك و ش ك ر ك و ح س ن ع ب اد ت ك Oh Allah, make us of those who remember YOU and grateful to YOU and grant us excellence in YOUR service Oh! Allah, guide us to be of those who recognize your countless favors, those who glorify and praise YOU throughout our days and nights and make us ever grateful to YOU وجعلنا من الذين الذاك ر ين للا ك ث يرا و ال ذاك ر ات Make us of those Men and Women who remember you abundantly Chapter 33 Verse 35 وجعلنا من الذين آم ن وا و ع م ل وا الصال ح ات و ت و اص و ا ب ال ح ق و ت و اص و ا ب الصب ر و ت و اص و ا ب ال م ر ح م ة Make us of those who believe and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy and those who enjoin deeds of kindness and compassion True gratitude is based in the realization that everything in the Universe is a gift from Allah to us. A truly grateful person will continuously be remembering Allah and living a life of humility seeking to please HIM. 6) Prayer seeking purity Every human being, Men and Women has been created with great power, with that power comes great responsibility. Our brilliant minds can formulate great ideas that can change the world but our brilliant minds can formulate great evil too. Our brilliant minds can be filled with loving, beautiful thoughts but also be easily deviated to sinful, shameful and harmful thoughts. Our hands and our ability to work can be used productively but also can be used to wreak havoc. We all need purity, purity of intention, thought and action. How can we achieve purity? How can one made of mud ever have purity? It s always been a

18 18 struggle to keep the mind, intention and action pure for me and as we can clearly see in the world for lots and lots if not all human beings. Is there a way? ي ا أ ي ه ا الذ ي ن آم نوا ال ت تب عوا خطو ا ت الشي ط ا ن و م ن ي تب ع خطو ا ت الشي ط ا ن ف إ نه ي أ مر ب ال ف ح ش ا ء و ال من ك ر و ل و ال ف ض ل للا ع ل ي ك م و ر ح م ت ه م ا ز ك ا م ن ك م م ن أ ح د أ ب دا و ل ك ن للا يز ك ي م ن ي ش اء و للا س م يع ع ل يم O ye who believe! follow not Satan's footsteps: if any will follow the footsteps of Satan, he will (but) command what is shameful and wrong: and were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, not one of you would ever have been pure: but Allah doth purify whom He pleases: and Allah is One Who hears and knows (all things). Chapter 24 Verse 10 So I added these words into my Dua بفضلك و برحمتك يا ذو فضل العظيم يا ذو رحمة Purify our thoughts, feelings, inclinations, desires, words and actions for none can purify us but YOU! و ل ك ن للا ي ز ك ي م ن ي ش اء At times when I do feel that I have done something to be ashamed of in the sight of Allah, I would immediately pray 2 rakaat salaah and and in every position would recite the dua of Yunus(AS) 3 times and the dua of Moosa(AS) once ال إ ل ه إ ال أ ن ت س ب ح ان ك إ ن ي ك ن ت م ن ا لظال م ين "There is no god but YOU: glory to YOU: I was indeed wrong!" Chapter 21 Verse 87 ر ب إ ن ي ظ ل م ت ن ف س ي ظلما كثيرا ف اغ ف ر ل ي My Lord, indeed I have wronged my soul, many wrongs, so forgive me

19 19 7) Prayer to become one that strengthens the deen of Islam اشهد ان ال االه اال هللا وحده و اشهد ان محمد عبدك و رسولك و اشهد ان انت الرحمان انت الرحيم انت الملك انت القدوس السالم ال م ؤ م ن ال م ه ي م ن ال ع ز يز ال ج ب ار ال م ت ك ب ر Chapter 59 Verse 23 انت األول و اآلخ ر و الظاه ر و ال ب اط ن Chapter 57 Verse 3 انت ف اط ر السم او ات و األر ض Chapter 12 Verse 101 Words of Yusuf(AS) بفضلك و برحمتك يا ذو فضل العظيم يا ذو رحمة Oh Allah! Guide us to lives, thoughts, feelings, words and actions that cause Your remembrance and glorification, that strengthen the deen of Islam, that strengthen the ummah of Muhammed(SAW). Guide us, Oh Allah to be like nabi Muhammed(SAW) ر ح م ة ل ل ع ال م ين Merciful and respectful to all Your creation Grant us that which nabi Muhammed(SAW) asked you of and protect us from that which he sort your protection against Grant us Oh Allah of his(prophet(saw) s faith in you and faith in the believers This faith in the believers that the Prophet(SAW) had is something that I honestly believe we have lost. We don t trust each other, we don t believe that people can be reformed and hence we have become like the Bani Israel, stagnant and arrogant. We have stopped taking the message to the poor, the drunkards, the adulterers, The truth is, he came to the people of Jahilliah and his faith in Allah(SWT) and faith in the reformation and

20 20 rehabilitation of even those in total ignorance led to a sober educated Allah conscious nation. و م ن هم الذ ي ن يؤ ذو ن النب ي و ي قولو ن ه و أذن ق ل أذن خ ي ر ل ك م ي ؤ م ن ب ا لل و ي ؤ م ن ل ل م ؤ م ن ين و ر ح م ة ل لذ ي ن آم نوا م ن ك م و الذ ي ن يؤ ذو ن ر سو ل للا ل ه م ع ذ اب أ ل يم Among them are men who molest the Prophet and say, "He is (all) ear." Say, "He listens to what is best for you: he believes in Allah, ands has faith in the Believers, and is a Mercy to those of you who believe." But those who molest the Messenger will have a grievous penalty. S9V61 ر ب ن ا ال ت ز غ ق ل وب ن ا ب ع د إ ذ ه د ي ت ن ا و ه ب ل ن ا م ن ل د ن ك ر ح م ة إ ن ك أ ن ت ال و هاب "Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Your own Presence; for You are the Grantor of bounties without measure. Chapter 3 Verse 8 8) Prayer for admittance to all the best categories I remembered the Dua after wudhu and decided that it was so simple and meaningful that I could just extend it and make it plural اللهم اج ع ل ن ي م ن الت واب ين و اج ع ل ن ي م ن ال مت ط ه ر ي ن So I added the following to my dua الل ه م اج ع ل ن ا م ن التواب ين و اج ع ل نا م ن ال م ت ط ه ر ين من المتوكلين من الخاشعين من المخلصين من الرشدين من المخبتين من القنتين من المتقين و ادخلنا برحمتك قي عبادك الصالحين بفضلك و برحمتك يا ذو فضل العظيم يا ذو رحمة

21 21 Oh Allah, admit us among the repenters, the purified, those that put their trust in You, the humble full of love and reverence of You, the sincere, the rightly guided, the humble and submissive, the devoutly obedient, and by Your Mercy admit us among those that do good and beneficial deeds, by Your Grace and Mercy, Oh possessor of Grace and possessor of Mercy ) 9) Prayer seeking Excellence ع ن م ال ك أ ن ر سول للا ص لى للا ع ل ي ه و س لم ق ال Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ب ع ث ت أل ت م م ح س ن األ خ ال ق I have been sent to perfect good character. al-muwat tạ 1614, Grade: Sahih (authentic) So from the above saying and the dua of gratitude I added the following to my Dua Oh Allah! Grant us Excellence in Character and ح س ن األ خ ال ق Excellence in your service و ح س ن ع ب اد ت ك 10) Prayer for Peace & Protection الهم انت السالم و منك السالم و ليس السالم اال منك Oh Allah, You are Peace and from You comes Peace, and there is no Peace except from You انت ولينا و ما لنا من دونك من و ليا وال نصير You are our Protector, we have no Protection nor Helper besides You بفضلك و برحمتك يا ذو فضل العظيم يا ذو رحمة Bless this night and coming day and days for us with peace, mercy, love, unity, safety and security in our family, in our home, at work, in and around Itereleng, Phumolong and all around our families and loved ones

22 22 Now life is full of challenges and not very long ago, disaster struck our little project in the local informal settlement. I was devastated and full of sorrow. I immediately searched for a dua of the Prophet(SAW) that I had heard many times. A dua of which I had a partial understanding. The dua was about sadness and sorrow. Not long and I found it and added it to my daily dua. Life the way it is, a test and full of obstacles and challenges, I read this dua several times in the day. We live in a time of great trials and I might be wrong but there seems to be not a soul but experiencing some difficulty and stress. ال ه م إ ن ي أ ع وذ ب ك م ن ال ه م و ال ح ز ن و ال ع ج ز و ال ك س ل و ال ب خ ل و ال ج ب ن و ض ل ع الدي ن و غ ل ب ة الر ج ال O Allah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men. This dua is so awesome like the Prophet(SAW). This dua also reminds us how he too had difficulties similar to ours even though his stress with the world on his shoulders must have been far greater. It also teaches us that even though we seek Allah(SWT) s protection from external forces that lead us to sadness, stress, sorrow, anxiety, debt and men that are oppressive, we should be constantly seeking His protection from our own weakness s. 11) Seeking Jannah Life itself is only temporary. True life begins in the hereafter which is eternal. Can one compare 60 rands or 60 dollars to 6 billion rands or dollars? That would be rather ridiculous and foolish. So too one cannot compare a year life span to billions of years of eternity. It is in the next world to come that true life begins and it is in the success in the afterlife that true success lies. What excites us? Let me try and temp you Would you like your own castle / palace? إ ن ش ا ء الذ ي ت ب ار ك ت ح ت ه ا ج ع ل ل ك خ ي ر ا م ن ذ ل ك ج نات األن ه ار و ي ج ع ل ل ك قصور ا م ن ت ج ر ي

23 ن 23 Blessed is He who, if that were His will, could give thee better (things) than those,- Gardens beneath which rivers flow; and He could give thee palaces (secure to dwell in). Chapter 25 Verse 10 Anyone want to live for eternity in palaces adorned with bracelets of gold, relaxing on thrones, clothed in the finest silk, being served with goblets of gold, with the most beautiful and comforting companionship? The Quraan is filled with reminders of the perpetual bliss of paradise. Just one more example that shook me ف ي و هم ال ي س م عو ن ح س يس ه ا م ا اش ت ه ت أ ن فسه م خ ال دو ن Not the slightest sound will they hear of Hell: what their souls desired, in that will they dwell. Chapter 21 Verse 102 Living eternally in your wishes / desires, now that s worth asking Allah(SWT) for everyday. Only a fool would not! س أ ل ك ر ض اك و الج ن ة و ق ن ا ع ذ اب الن ار و ق ن ا ع ذ اب ال ج ح يم We seek (Oh Allah), Your pleasure and Al Jannah and save us from the fire and save us from the blazing (fire) Oh Allah raise us up on the day of Judgement among the Abraar(righteous) and among the muttaqeen(pious / Allah conscious), judge us by the best of our deeds, overlook our faults. Protect us from the embarrassment of that Day and grant us all Peace in Al Jannah and save us from the fire of Jahannam. Embarrassment on the day of Judgement? Can you imagine how embarrassed we would be if all our deeds are brought into the open? Every human being has skeletons, many skeletons that none but Allah(SWT) knows. This I learnt from our father, the friend of Allah(SWT)! يب ع ث و ن ي و م ت خ ز ن ي و ال "And let me not be in disgrace on the Day when (men) will be raised up;- Chapter 26 Verse 87

24 24 These are the words of the friend of Allah(SWT) seeking protection from disgrace on the Day of Judgment. Should we than not be thousand times more fearful? Another plea in the Quraan that totally floored me is و ض ر ب للا م ث ال ل لذ ي ن آم نوا ا م ر أ ة ف ر ع و ن إ ذ ق ال ت ر ب اب ن ل ي ع ن د ك ب ي ت ا ف ي ال ج ن ة و ن ج ن ي م ن ف ر ع و ن و ع م ل ه و ن ج ن ي م ن ال ق و م الظال م ي ن And Allah sets forth, as an example to those who believe the wife of Pharaoh: Behold she said: "O my Lord! Build for me, in nearness to Thee, a mansion in the Garden, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me from those that do wrong"; Chapter 66 Verse 11 The wife of Pharaoh asks Allah(SWT) for a house in Paradise in nearness to HIM! That s an amazing plea. Seeking nearness to the Creator of the heavens and Earth! So amazing that Allah(SWT) preserved her dua in the Quraan till the Day of Judgment. Oh Allah build for my mother a home in Jannah in nearness to You and build for us all, me, my family and all those we love and care for homes in Jannah in nearness to YOU! Ending of my Dua الل ه م اه د ن ا ف يم ن ه د ي ت O Allah, guide us among those you have guided, و ع اف ن ا ف يم ن ع اف ي ت pardon us among those you have pardoned, و ت و ل ن ا ف يم ن ت و لي ت protect us among those you have protected, و ب ار ك ل نا ف يم ا أ ع ط ي ت bless us in what you have given us, و ق ن ا ش ر م ا ق ض ي ت and protect us from the evil of what You have decreed.

25 25 ف إ ن ك ت ق ض ي و ال ي ق ض ى ع ل ي ك Verily, you alone decree and none can pass decree upon you. و إ ن ه ال ي ذ ل م ن و ال ي ت Verily, he cannot be humiliated whoever is protected by You. ت ب ار ك ت ر ب ن ا و ت ع ال ي ت Blessed are You, our Lord, the Exalted. At-Tirmidhi 464, Grade: Sahih (I have just changed it from me to us) 1) Forgiveness So the actual Dua combined ر ب إ ن ي ظ ل م ت ن ف س ي ظلما كثيرا ف اغ ف ر ل ي My Lord, indeed I have wronged my soul, many wrongs, so forgive me (S12V98) Ya Al Ghafoor Ar Rahim يا ال غ ف ور الرح يم (S39V5) Ya Al Azzeezul Ghaffar يا ال ع ز يز ال غ ف ار (S23V109) Ya Khairul Ghaafireen ياخ ي ر الغافرين فغفرلنا م غ ف ر ة م ن عندك Forgive us, FORGIVENESS from Your presence Forgive me, here I mention by name lots of people starting with my family, friends, people I meet, students I have taught Even someone I meet or see after a long time stays in my dua a while. فغفر كل ل ل م ؤ م ن ين و ال م ؤ م ن ات Forgive all the believers, men and women و إ ن ل م ت غ ف ر ل ن ا و ت ر ح م ن ا ل ن ك ون ن م ن ال خ اس ر ين If You do not forgive us & grant us mercy, we are certainly lost 2) The life style of ISLAM ي ا م ق ل ب ال ق ل وب ث ب ت ق ل ب ي ع ل ى د ين ك

26 26 O Turner of the hearts, make my heart steadfast in adhering to Your religion. Tirmithi Oh Allah strengthen your deen in our lives, fill our hearts with love for salaah(prayer) and fill our salaahs with Khushu(Awe / Love / Reverence) Oh Allah increase our Imaan(faith) in You, Increase our love for You, Increase our obedience to You and Increase our fear of You Oh Allah strengthen You deen in Itereleng, Phomolong and all the townships of this country, Spread Your Light Ya Noorusmawaati Wal Ard throughout this country. Establish your words in this country and raise the status of your final messenger in every corner of this country Imprint Oh Allah, your words in our hearts, minds, characters, our speech and our actions, for indeed you have power over all things فانت علي كل شيء قدير (For You have power over all things) 3) Prayer for family الهم ج ع ل أ ف ئ د ة م ن الن اس ت ه و ي إ ل ي ه م و ار ز ق ه م م ن الث م ر ات ل ع ل ه م ي ش ك ر ون Oh Allah fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them(my family) and feed them with fruits so that they may give thanks Oh Allah, grant Luqman(my son) AlHikmah(wisdom) as you granted Luqman(AS) Al hikmah, make his path smooth and easy to becoming a merciful, muttaqeen doctor filled with Al Hikamah. Oh Allah you grant wisdom to whom you please, grant wisdom to Luqman & Hajira Oh Allah fill Luqmans heart with love for the poor, the needy & the sick. Pour shifa on his hands(he is becoming a doctor) and let him benefit people abundantly. Make it easy for him to pass and promote all his tests and exams and make it easy for us to pay his tuition fees, for nothing is easy except that which you make easy. Bless Luqman and all his friends, grant them

27 27 excellence in their studies and in your deen and protect them from all that s shameful, sinful and harmful for none can protect but You. Oh Allah and make them of ( ي س ار ع ون ف ي ال خ ي ر ات ) those who hasten in good deeds.s23v61 Oh Allah bless Hajira(my daughter in matric) and all her friends وجعلهن من الصابرين قنتين خاشعين شاكرين Make them of those who are patient, obedient, humble and grateful. و قهن شر ما قضيت And save them from every evil you have ordained? Oh Allah, nothing is easy except that which you make easy, make these tests and exams easy for Hajira, fill her heart, mind and hands with sabr, salaam and sakina while she studies and whilst she writes her exams. Grant Hajira and all her friends excellence in their studies and excellence in your deen and protect them from everything shameful and sinful. Make it easy for Hajira to get accepted for medicine at tukkies(the degree and university she wishes) Oh Allah grant Luqman and Hajira friends, spouses and children that are among الصابرين الصالحين قنتين خاشعين شاكرين Patient, Righteous(beneficial), obedient, humble, grateful Oh Allah pour sabr salaam and sakeena on Homera(my wife) وجعلها من الصابرين قنتين خاشعين شاكرين Make her amongst the patient, obedient, humble and grateful Grant her excellence in her studies and teaching(she is a teacher) Grant her Al hikmah(wisdom) and grant her students Al hikmah(wisdom). Oh Allah let there be peace, mercy and love between me and my wife and in our family و الف بين قلوبنا Establish love amongst us, Establish love in all our families I mention many families here and end off with و الف ب ين قلوب امة محمد And establish love in the Ummat of Muhammed(SAW)

28 28 4) Prayer for sustenance و ال ت خ ز نا في الدنيا و ال في االخرة Let us not be disgraced in this world nor the next يا خ ي ر الراز ق ين يا الرزاق ذ و ال ق وة ال م ت ين يا ال و هاب رزق واسعا Grant us Increase the sales, profits and stock of our business, Make it easy for us to pay our suppliers, for nothing is easy except that which you make easy and Oh Allah purify our lives of debt فانت علي كل شيء قدير (For You have power over all things) وال تجعلنا من ال م ب ذ ر ين Let us not be among the spendthrifts وال تجعلنا من الم ت ر ف ين Let us not be among the luxuriant/lavish وال تجعلنا من الم س ر ف ين Let us not be among the wasters / excessive وال تجعلنا من الم ستكبرين Let us not be among the Arrogant

29 ال 29 5) Prayer to be Grateful ا ل ه م أ ع نا ع ل ذ ك ر ك و ش ك ر ك و ح س ن ع ب اد ت ك Oh Allah, make us of those who remember YOU and are grateful to YOU and grant us excellence in YOUR service Oh! Allah, guide us to be of those who recognize your countless favors, those who glorify and praise YOU throughout our days and nights and make us ever grateful to YOU وجعلنا من الذين الذاك ر ين للا ك ث يرا و ال ذاك ر ات Make us of those Men and Women who remember you abundantly وجعلنا من الذين آم ن وا و ع م ل وا الصال ح ات و ت و اص و ا ب ال ح ق و ت و اص و ا ب الصب ر و ت و اص و ا ب ال م ر ح م ة Make us of those who believe and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy and those who enjoin deeds of kindness and compassion 6) Prayer seeking purity بفضلك و برحمتك يا ذو فضل العظيم يا ذو رحمة Purify our thoughts, feelings, inclinations, desires, words and actions for none can purify us but YOU! و ل ك ن للا ي ز ك ي م ن ي ش اء إ ل ه إ ال أ ن ت س ب ح ان ك إ ن ي ك ن ت م ن ا لظال م ين "There is no god but YOU: glory to YOU: I was indeed wrong!"

30 30 7) Prayer to become one that strengthens the deen of Islam اشهد ان ال االه اال هللا وحده و اشهد ان محمد عبدك و رسولك و اشهد ان انت الرحمان انت الرحيم انت الملك انت القدوس السالم ال م ؤ م ن ال م ه ي م ن ال ع ز يز ال ج ب ار ال م ت ك ب ر انت األول و اآلخ ر و الظاه ر و ال ب اط ن انت ف اط ر السم او ات و األر ض بفضلك و برحمتك يا ذو فضل العظيم يا ذو رحمة Oh Allah! Guide us to lives, thoughts, feelings, words and actions that cause Your remembrance and glorification, that strengthen the deen of Islam, that strengthen the ummah of Muhammed(SAW). Guide us, Oh Allah to be like nabi Muhammed(SAW) ر ح م ة ل ل ع ال م ين Merciful and respectful to all Your creation Grant us that which nabi Muhammed(SAW) asked you of and protect us from that which he sort your protection against Grant us Oh Allah of his(prophet(saw) s faith in you and faith in the believers ر ب ن ا ال ت ز غ ق ل وب ن ا ب ع د إ ذ ه د ي ت ن ا و ه ب ل ن ا م ن ل د ن ك ر ح م ة إ ن ك أ ن ت ال و هاب

31 31 "Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Your own Presence; for You are the Grantor of bounties without measure. 8) Prayer for admittance to all the best categories الل ه م اج ع ل ن ا م ن التواب ين و اج ع ل نا م ن ال م ت ط ه ر ين من المتوكلين من الخاشعين من المخلصين من الرشدين من المخبتين من القنتين من المتقين و ادخلنا برحمتك قي عبادك الصالحين بفضلك و برحمتك يا ذو فضل العظيم يا ذو رحمة ( Oh Allah, admit us among the repenters, the purified, those that put their trust in You, the humble full of love and reverence of You, the sincere, the rightly guided, the humble and submissive, the devoutly obedient, and by Your Mercy admit us among those that do good and beneficial deeds, by Your Grace and Mercy, Oh possessor of Grace and possessor of Mercy ) 9) Prayer seeking Excellence Oh Allah! Grant us Excellence in Character and ح س ن األ خ ال ق Excellence in your service و ح س ن ع ب اد ت ك 10) Prayer for Peace & Protection الهم انت السالم و منك السالم و ليس السالم اال منك Oh Allah, You are Peace and from You comes Peace, and there is no Peace except from You انت ولينا و ما لنا من دونك من و ليا وال نصير You are our Protector, we have no Protection nor Helper besides You بفضلك و برحمتك

32 ن 32 يا ذو فضل العظيم يا ذو رحمة Bless this night and coming day and days for us with peace, mercy, love, unity, safety and security in our family, in our home, at work, in and around Itereleng, Phumolong and all around our families and loved ones اله م إ ن ي أ ع وذ ب ك م ن ال ه م و ال ح ز ن و ال ع ج ز و ال ك س ل و ال ب خ ل و ال ج ب ن و ض ل ع الدي ن و غ ل ب ة الر ج ال O Allah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men. 11) Seeking Jannah س أ ل ك ر ض اك و الج ن ة و ق ن ا ع ذ اب الن ار و ق ن ا ع ذ اب ال ج ح يم We seek (Oh Allah), Your pleasure and Al Jannah and save us from the fire and save us from the blazing (fire) Oh Allah raise us up on the day of Judgement among the Abraar(righteous) and among the muttaqeen(pious / Allah conscious), judge us by the best of our deeds, overlook our faults. Protect us from the embarrassment of that Day and grant us all Peace in Al Jannah and save us from the fire of Jahannam. Oh Allah build for my mother a home in Jannah in nearness to You and build for us all, me, my family and all those we love and care for homes in Jannah in nearness to YOU!

33 33 The Conclusion الل ه م اه د ن ا ف يم ن ه د ي ت O Allah, guide us among those you have guided, و ع اف ن ا ف يم ن ع اف ي ت pardon us among those you have pardoned, و ت و ل ن ا ف يم ن ت و لي ت protect us among those you have protected, و ب ار ك ل نا ف يم ا أ ع ط ي ت bless us in what you have given us, و ق ن ا ش ر م ا ق ض ي ت and protect us from the evil of what You have decreed. ف إ ن ك ت ق ض ي و ال ي ق ض ى ع ل ي ك Verily, you alone decree and none can pass decree upon you. و إ ن ه ال ي ذ ل م ن و ال ي ت Verily, he cannot be humiliated whoever is protected by You. ت ب ار ك ت ر ب ن ا و ت ع ال ي ت Blessed are You, our Lord, the Exalted.