By Imam Murtadha Gusau
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation, may Allah extol the mention of our noble Prophet Muhammad in the highest company of Angels, bless him and give him peace and security―and his family, his Companions and all those who follow him correctly and sincerely until the establishment of the Hour.
Dear brothers and sisters! A mankind’s certainty of their inability, and constantly manifesting their utmost need of Allah, is the most perfect state for their Lord to see them. And one draws nearer to their Lord by realising the purpose for which Allah created the creation. And the more that one feels that state and magnifies their manifestation of it, their servitude to Allah increases, and their status with their Creator is elevated. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“Whoever Allah wants good for, He will open for him the door of humility and neediness of Allah Almighty, of continually seeking refuge in Allah Almighty, of feeling one’s utmost need for Allah, of seeing his own faults, weakness, ignorance, and transgression, and witnessing the favour of his Lord, His benevolence, mercy, generosity, kindness, self-sufficiency, and perfection.
And indeed, supplication (Du’a) is the greatest act of worship in which this state is manifested, so it is the most honourable matter to Allah. The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said:
“Nothing is more honourable to Allah than supplication (Du’a).” [Tirmidhi]
It is the characteristic of servitude to Allah, and the sense of submission to Allah, which carries within it the meaning of praising, glorifying, exalting and asking Allah. Allah Almighty said:
“And your Lord says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.” [Qur’an, 40:60]
This Qur’anic verse includes the supplication of worship and the supplication of asking. As for the supplication of worship, it is every act of worship that Allah has commanded, whether obligatory or recommended. So if a Muslim performs it, it is as if they are beseeching Allah the Almighty – to reward them for it, honour them with His bliss, protect them from his torment, and through it, to rectify their religious and worldly affairs.
And as for the supplication of asking, it is directly requesting Allah to fulfill one’s needs of this world and the hereafter. Both types of supplication, the supplication of worship and the supplication of asking, are solely the right of Allah alone, and if directed to other than Him, becomes associating partners with Allah the Exalted. Allah Almighty said:
“And who is more astray than he who invokes besides Allah those who will not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection, and they, of their invocation, are unaware.” [Qur’an, 46:5]
And Allah Almighty said:
“And whoever invokes besides Allah another deity for which he has no proof – then his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.” [Qur’an, 23:117]
Indeed, nothing has ever knocked on the gates of heaven like supplication (Du’a). Because through it, is validating the connection with the Creator – may He be glorified – and placing ones affairs before Him, and calling upon Him with whatever the soul carries of its worries, distresses, fears, dreads, hopes and desires. Supplication is the acknowledgment of servitude to Allah alone, and that Allah Almighty takes and gives, heals and afflicts, overlooks missteps and pardons sins.
In the agreed-upon Hadith, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) narrated from his Lord:
“A servant committed a sin and said: “O Allah, forgive me my sin.” Allah – blessed and exalted – said: “My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and takes them to account. Then he sinned again and said: ‘O my Lord, forgive me my sin.’ Allah – blessed and exalted – said: ‘My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and takes them to account.’ Then he sinned again and said: ‘O my Lord, forgive me my sin.’ Allah – blessed and exalted – said: ‘My servant has committed a sin and has known that he has a Lord who forgives sins and takes them to account. So, I have forgiven you, so let him do what he wills.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
And Allah saying, “So let him do what he wills” is meant to convey grace and favour; because whenever such a person commits a sin, they repent from it. It is not intended to encourage the sin or to permit it.
And when Allah – Glorified be He – wants good for a person, He inspires them to supplicate and seek His help, and makes their supplication and seeking help a reason for the good that He decrees for them. As Umar Bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
“I am not concerned about the response to my supplication, but rather my concern is about the supplication itself. When I am inspired to supplicate, then the response accompanies it.”
So, one should not deem anything too significant to ask Allah for in supplication, for whatever is considered much by people is little in the dominion of Allah, and whatever is seen as difficult by people is easy for Allah. And the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
“Allah’s hand is full, not diminished by the continuous spending, day and night.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
So, recognise your desperate need for Allah. For Allah – Exalted and Majestic – descends every night to the lowest heaven during the last third of the night, in a manner befitting His majesty, and says:
“Who is calling upon Me, that I may respond to him? Who is asking Me, that I may give to him? Who is asking My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?” [Bukhari and Muslim]
Matrif Bin Abdullah said:
“I thought about the essence of goodness, but goodness is plentiful, fasting and prayer. And it is in the hands of Allah the Exalted and you cannot get what is in Allah’s hands except by asking Him, so that He gives you. Therefore, the essence of goodness is supplication (Du’a).”
And Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“I contemplated the most beneficial of supplications, and it is asking Allah for help to do what pleases Him. Then I saw it in Surah Al-Fatiha:
“It is You we worship and You we ask for help.” [Quran, 1:5]
And he also noted:
“There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”
It contains an acknowledgment of one’s true state, and that no one can absolve themselves from this description, especially while calling upon Allah Almighty. For indeed, the sincere hearts and righteous supplications are the troops that cannot be defeated. Allah Almighty said:
“Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors. And do not cause corruption in the earth after its reformation and call upon Him in fear and aspiration. Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to the doers of good.” [Qur’an, 7:55-56]
Respected brothers and sisters! Indeed, persistence in supplication (Du’a) is a manifestation of contentment with Allah as Lord, and it does not contradict being content with His decree. For He, Glorified be He, loves to be asked persistently just as He loves contentment with His decree. Among what aids in reaching the lofty level of persistence in asking Allah is the supplicant’s realisation of the great realities of servitude encompassed by the honour of persistence in asking Allah. For in persistence is displaying one’s utter need of Allah, singling out Allah alone for answering, submitting to Allah’s command, having good expectations of Allah, and awaiting Allah’s bestowal and relief.
And from the greatest matters that motivate a supplicant to persistently ask Allah is consciousness of the ultimate aim and purpose of supplication, which some scholars have described by saying: A person hastens (in expecting their supplication to be answered) only when their purpose from supplicating is to obtain what they asked for, and if they do not attain what they desire, supplication becomes burdensome for them. A person’s purpose for supplicating should be the act of supplicating to Allah, asking Allah, and always showing one’s need for Him, and one should not depart from the characteristic of servitude, obedience to Allah’s command and prohibitions, and submission to his Lord – the Exalted – in humility and submissiveness. Indeed, Allah – the Exalted – loves insistence and persistence in supplication.’ And, ‘Let not the delay in receiving a response, while being persistent in supplicating, lead you to despair, for He guarantees to answer you in what He chooses for you, not what you choose for yourself, and at the time He wills, not the time that you will. For calling upon Allah, showing one’s neediness and humility to Allah are in themselves sufficient. For sometimes a person is not answered due to their elevated status with Allah.
And establishing a daily regimen for supplication is among what achieves insistence and persistence in asking Allah, as was practiced by the righteous predecessors. Urwah Bin Zubair, may Allah have mercy on him, used to persist on his daily portion of supplication just as he persisted on his daily portion of the Qur’an. And if a person is honoured with the sincerity of insistence and persistence in asking Allah, then they taste the sweetness of supplication, enjoy calling upon their Lord, and waiting for bestowal and relief, whose sweetness surpasses all sweetness.
Dear brothers and sisters! Ramadan is a month of profound spirituality and self-improvement.
As we entered Ramadan, picture yourself not just refraining from food and drink, but elevating your soul. Imagine the person you want to become by the end of this noble month—more patient, more generous, and closer to Allah. Envision competing with your past self for Allah’s forgiveness and mercy, as promised in the Qur’an.
Begin with your obligations (Fard). Visualise yourself fasting with complete patience and mindfulness, praying on time, embodying the virtues that Allah cherishes most. Consider the actions that make you beloved to Allah—the preferred Sunan. Pace yourself so that your worship and dedication grow stronger, especially in the last ten nights, in anticipation of Lailatul Qadr.
Visualise waking up for Suhur, feeling the day’s first act of worship. See yourself gently waking your family, sharing in this spiritual meal. Picture the moment of Iftar, your heart full of gratitude as you break your fast and make Du’a (supplication). Plan to give charity every day, remembering that charity isn’t just monetary—it’s every act of kindness.
Imagine yourself sitting peacefully after Fajr and Asr, engaging in Azkar, feeling tranquility wash over you. Visualise making Du’a after each Azan, reaffirming your connection to Allah. Recite Ayatul-Kursi after each prayer, feeling its protective power.
Resolve to abstain from backbiting, harbouring grudges, or stressing over life’s trials. The Companions of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) faced life’s challenges with grace and faith, and so can you.
Allah Almighty assures us that striving in His path is for our own benefit and leads to divine guidance. Envision yourself striving for excellence, becoming a Muhsin—a doer of good.
Each morning during Ramadan, take time to visualise your goals. Write them down and remind yourself of them. See yourself achieving these goals with ease and sincerity, and feel the pleasure of Allah as you strive in His path.
When Eid arrives, celebrate not just the end of fasting, but the personal growth and achievements you’ve made. Let this joyous day be a reflection of your hard work and dedication.
Visualise yourself after Ramadan, carrying forward the good habits you’ve developed. Reflect on how these new habits will continue to shape your life in this world.
Finally, picture the ultimate reward in the Hereafter for the believers as described in the Qur’an—a promise of eternal paradise and divine pleasure, the greatest achievement of all.
Let this Ramadan be a transformative journey. By visualising and setting goals for each act of worship, we can fully prepare for the sacred month. Strive not only in fasting but in embodying patience, generosity, and faith. This Ramadan, let’s transform our hearts and actions, inching closer to the ideal version of ourselves we envision.
I ask Allah to bless you with BARAKAH this Ramadan and beyond – Ameen!
I ask Allah Almighty to make us among those who realise the servitude to Him alone and taste the sweetness of supplicating Him. Indeed Allah is All Hearing, Answering.
I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon our beloved Prophet as our Lord commanded:
“Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.” [Qur’an, 33:56]
Ya Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.
Ya Allah, we ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know.
Ya Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know.
Ya Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge.
Ya Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good.
Dear servants of Allah! Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favours – He will increase you therein. And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.
And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com; or +2348038289761.
This Friday sermon (Jumu’ah Khutbah) was prepared for delivery today Friday, 05 Ramadan, 1445 AH (March 15, 2024).