Supplication (D’ua) is from the most beneficial types of healing, it is the enemy of illness and affliction – repressing it and treating it, preventing its occurrence, removing it or at least alleviating it. It is the weapon of the believer as is reported by al-Haakim in his ‘Mustadrak’ from the hadeeth of Alee bin Abee Taalib (RA) from the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam that he said:
“Supplication is the weapon of the believer, the pillar of the religion, and the light of the heaven and earth.”
(Abu Ya’laa)
Supplication takes one of three positions against illness:
* It is stronger than the illness and therefore represses it.
* It is weaker than the illness and therefore the illness overcomes it and afflicts the servant, however it is still possible that it alleviate the illness.
* That they be of equal strength and prevent each other from happening in the servant.
Al-Haakim reports from the hadeeth of Aa’ishah (R.Ah) that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
“Caution is of no avail against the decree but supplication benefits those things that have occurred and have not yet occurred. For indeed while the tribulation is descending the supplication meets it and they remain struggling with one another until the Day of Judgement.”
(Haakim, at-Tabaraanee)
He also reports the hadeeth of ibn Umar (R.A.) from the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam that he said:
“Supplication brings about benefit to those things that have occurred and those things that have not yet occurred. So devote yourselves to supplication O servants of Allaah!” (Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh)
He also reports the hadeeth of Thawbaan (RA) from the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam that he said:
“Nothing but supplication averts the decree and nothing but righteousness increases the life-span. Indeed a person is deprived of provision due to performing sins.”
(Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh)
BEING EARNEST AND PERSISTENT IN SUPPLICATION
From the most beneficial of treatments is to be earnest and persistent in supplication. Ibn Maajah reports in his Sunan the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) from the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam that he said:
“Allaah is Angry at whosoever does not ask of Him.”
(Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh)
Al-Awzaa’ee mentions from az-Zuhree from Urwa from Aa’ishah (RA) that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
“Allaah Loves those who are earnest and persistent in their supplications.”
(Uqailee)
Imaam Ahmad reports in his ‘Kitaab az-Zuhd’ from Qataadah from Muwarraq that he said:
“I have not found a deserving similitude for the believer except in the case of a person on the sea floating on a raft supplicating to his Lord, ‘my Lord! My Lord!’ so that perchance Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, may save him.” [‘Kitaab az-Zuhd’ of Imaam Ahmad [2/273, chpt. ‘Akhbaar Muwarraq al-Ijlee.’] and Abu Nu’aym in ‘al-Hilya’ [2/235]]
BEING IMPATIENT WITH SUPPLICATION
From the reasons that prevent the servant from attaining the fulfilment of the supplication is his being hasty and impatient, so when the answer is delayed or slow in coming he becomes frustrated and gives up supplicating. This person is like the one who sows a seed or plants a flower, watering it and tending to it, then when it is delayed in appearing or flowering he leaves it and neglects it.
In Saheeh Bukhaaree from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
“Your supplications will be answered as long as you are not impatient by saying, ‘I have supplicated to my Lord but He has not answered.”
[Saheeh Bukhaaree [Eng. Trans. 8/236 no. 352]]
In Saheeh Muslim from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
“The supplication of the servant will always be answered provided that he does not supplicate for something sinful or supplicate to sever the ties of kinship and provided that he is not impatient.” It was asked, “O Messenger of Allaah, what is impatience?” He replied:
“he says: ‘I have supplicated and supplicated but I have not received an answer’ then he becomes frustrated and leaves off supplicating.”
[Saheeh Muslim [Eng. Trans. 4/1430 no. 6595]]
In the Musnad of Ahmad from the hadeeth of Anas (R.A.) that the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:
“The servant will always be in a state of good as long as he is not impatient.” They asked, “how is he impatient?” He replied, “he says, ‘I have supplicated to my Lord but he has not answered.”
[Ahmad]