9. PIOUS PEOPLE’S DU‘Ā (SUPPLICATION)
IN THE QUR’ĀN (8)
The
remaining pious people’s du’a (supplication) mentioned in the Qur’ān are
in sūrat al-Mu’minūn (Q. 23:109), sūrat al-Furqān (Q. 25:65 and
74), and sūrat al-Taḥrīm (Q. 66:8).
We shall deal here the verses mentioned above as follows:
In
the Hereafter Allah would rebuke the People of Hell for their disbelief and
sins, because of which they were doomed to Hell. He would remind them of
prophets sent to them but they did not believe in them. They would admit their
mistakes and would ask Allah to send them back to this world, and promised that
if they repeat the wrong-doing they would deserve punishment. But Allah would
not accept their request. Instead, He would remind them how they used to make
fun of His slaves who prayed for His forgiveness. (Q. 23: 104-110). Allah says:
إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِنْ عِبَادِي يَقُولُونَ
رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا
وَارْحَمْنَا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الرَّاحِمِينَ (المؤمنون:109)
Verily, there was a party
of My slaves, who used to say:
“Our Lord! We believe, so forgive us and have
mercy on us,
for You are the Best of all who show mercy.” (Q. 23:109)
This
is one of many supplications of pious people mentioned in the Qur’an. According
to the Qur’an commentator Mujāhid, among these pious people were weak
believers, such as Bilāl, Khabbāb, Ṣuhayb. But the disbelievers, such as Abū
Jahl and his companions used to mock them for their belief. (Q. 23:110)
At
the last part of the Qur’an sūrat al-Furqān (Q. 25) from verse 63 till
77 (the end of the chapter) Allah mentions in the Qur’an the attributes of
pious people whom He calls عِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ (“the
servants of the Most Gracious” to indicate His graciousness to them). He also
mentions their du’a, and the reward awaiting them in the Hereafter. As
for the impious, Allah would punish them, unless they repent. This is another
way to teach us how to be pious by following the examples of these people
described by Allah in the Qur’an, as follows:
-
They walk on the earth with serenity,
dignity and humility, not with arrogance or pride.
-
If
ignorant people insult them, they forgive them, and if they respond they do it with
good words.
-
They spend the night in worship of their
Lord.
-
They pray to Allah to save them from
Hellfire, as in the following verse:
وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اصْرِفْ عَنَّا
عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ
إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا كَانَ غَرَامًا. (الفرقان:65)
And
those who say: “Our Lord! Avert from us
the torment of Hell. Verily, its torment is
ever an
inseparable, permanent punishment.”(Q. 25:65).
This Hell is an evil abode to rest in.
-
When
they spend, neither extravagant nor niggardly, but between the two extremes.
-
They
do not invoke any other (god) along with Allah, a major sin
-
They
do not kill except for just cause, a major sin
-
They
do not commit illegal sexual intercourse, a major sin.
Whoever commits any of
these major sins will be severely punished by Allah with double punishment and
in disgrace on the Day of Resurrection. But if they repent with true repentance
and do righteous deed, Allah will not only accept their repentance, but He will
also change their sins into good deeds.[1]
-
They
do not give false testimony.
Lying
deliberately is also is among major sins. Abū Bakrah narrated that the
Messenger of Allah s.a.w. said three times: “Shall I tell you of the
greatest of major sins?” They Said: “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.” He
said: “Associating others in worship with Allah and disobeying one’s
parents.” He was lying down, then he sat up and added: “Beware false
speech, and bearing witness to falsehood.” He kept repeating it until they
thought, would that he would stop. (Reported by Muslim).
-
If they pass by evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity.
-
When they are reminded of Allah’s ayat (proofs, evidences,
verses, signs, revelations, etc.) they do not fall deaf and blind.
-
They pray to Allah, as mentioned
in the Qur’an as follows:
وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا
قُرَّةَ
أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا
(الفرقان:74)
And those who say: “Our Lord! Bestow on us from
our
wives and our offspring the comfort of
our eyes,
and make
us leaders of the pious.”(Q. 25: 74)
Allah
will reward them with the highest place in Paradise because of their patience
in doing what they did, where they will be greeted with words of welcome and
honour. Peace will be theirs and they will be wished peace, and will settle in
Paradise forever. To disbelievers Allah told the Prophet s.a.w. to tell
them that Allah paid attention only to those who made invocation to Him and
worship Him, but because they denied Him, they would be punished in Hell.
Allah calls the believers to turn to Him with
sincere repentance, that He may expiate their sins and admit them to Paradise
under which rivers flow. That day Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those
who believe with him. Their light will run forward before them and in their
right hands. They will say:
رَبَّنَا أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا
إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (التحريم:8)
“Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us [and
do not
put it off till we cross over the Sirat (a
slippery bridge
over the Hell) safely] and grant us
forgiveness.
Verily, You are Able to do all things.” (Q. 66:8)
In the
Hereafter, while the believers are crossing the Ṣirāṭ (bridge over the
Hell) Allah gives them light depending on their good deeds, whereas the
hypocrites will have no light. The believers will ask Allah to keep the light
for them until they finish crossing the Ṣirāṭ. The hypocrites, having no
light will ask the believers to wait for them and to give them some light, but
they will be told to return to the rear where the believers get light, then
seek a light… (Q. 57:13)
The classical Qur’an commentator al-Qurṭubī mentions various
interpretations of the term “sincere repentance” ((تَوْبَةً نَصُوحا, among which are as
follows:
-
not repeating or returning to the same sin, like milk will not return
to the teat (‘Umar, Ibn Mas‘ūd, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, and Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal)
-
hating the sin one has committed and asking forgiveness whenever it is
mentioned (al-Ḥasan)
-
being remorse with heart, asking forgiveness with tongue, refraining
from the sin, and being confident that the sin will not be repeated (al-Kalbī)
-
three conditions to be fulfilled for the acceptance of the repentance:
worry that it would not be accepted, hope that it would be accepted, and
continuation of obedience (Sa‘īd ibn Jubayr)
-
its signs are: lack of talking, lack of eating, and lack of sleeping
(the Ṣūfī Dhū ‘l-Nūn)
-
forgetting the sin, and never mention it, as the person who repents
sincerely will love Allah, and whoever loves Allah he will forget other than
Him (the Ṣūfī al-Junayd)
Besides pious people, angels
who carry the ‘Arsh also pray for the believers besides glorifying Allah. Allah aid:
الَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ الْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُ
يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ
وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا
وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ رَحْمَةً وَعِلْمًا فَاغْفِرْ
لِلَّذِينَ
تَابُوا وَاتَّبَعُوا سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمْ عَذَابَ الْجَحِيمِ . رَبَّنَا وَأَدْخِلْهُمْ
جَنَّاتِ
عَدْنٍ
الَّتِي وَعَدْتَهُمْ وَمَنْ صَلَحَ مِنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ
إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ
الْعَزِيزُ
الْحَكِيمُ .وَقِهِمُ السَّيِّئَاتِ وَمَنْ تَقِ السَّيِّئَاتِ يَوْمَئِذٍ فَقَدْ
رَحِمْتَهُ وَذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
(غافر:7-9)
Those (angels) who bear the Throne (of Allah)
and those
around
it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him,
and ask
forgiveness for those who believe (in the Oneness of
Allah)
(saying): “Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy
and
knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your
Way, and
save them from the torment of the blazing Fire!
Our Lord! And make them enter the ‘Adn (Eden)
Paradise
(everlasting Gardens) which You have promised
them—and
to the
righteous among their fathers, their wives, and their
offspring! Verily, You are the All-Mighty, the
All-Wise.
And save
them from (the punishment for what they
did of)
the sins, and whomsoever You save from
(the
punishment for what he did of) the sins (i.e.
pardon him) that Day, him verily, You have
taken
into mercy.” And that is the
supreme
success.(Q. 40:7-9)
The angles who are close to Allah and who bear
His Throne, glorify Him, believe in Him, submit themselves to Him and ask
forgiveness for the believers on the earth who repent, save them from Hellfire,
save them from the sins, and make them enter Heaven which He has promised them
together with their righteous parents, spouses, and offspring.
Allah
said that the angels continuously glorify Allah without being tired. He said:
وَلَهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَنْ عِنْدَهُ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ
وَلَا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ.
يُسَبِّحُونَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لَا يَفْتُرُونَ (الأنبياء:19-20)
To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and
on earth.
And those who are near Him (i.e., the angles) are not too
And those who are near Him (i.e., the angles) are not too
proud to worship Him, nor are they weary (of
His worship).
They (i.e., the angles) glorify His Praises
night and day
(and) they never slacken (to do so) (Q. 21:19-20)
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbās r.a. asked
Ka‘b al-Aḥbār the meaning of the above verses, namely, how do the angels
glorify Allah continuously night and day without becoming weary and exhausted.
“Is the blinking of your eyes a burden to you?
Is your breathing a burden to you?” asked Ka‘b al-Aḥbār.
“No,” answer Ibn ‘Abbas.
“So are the angels,
they are inspired by Allah to glorify Him, just like you are inspired by
instinct to blink your eyes and to breathe,” said Ka‘b al-Aḥbār.
In a tradition
narrated by Jābir r.a. that he heard the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. said:
“The people of Paradise eat and drink, but they do not spit, not urinate, not
defecate, and not blow their noses.” They asked: “What about food?” He
answered: “Belching (i.e. sending out gas from the stomach noisily through the
mouth), perspiring like the secretion of musk, and they are inspired to glorify
and praise Allah like they are inspired by instinct to breathe.” (Reported by
Muslim)
We see that many du’as we used to recite are derived
from the Qur’an. By doing it we shall have double merits: making du’a
and at the same time we recite the verses of the Qur’an which gives tenfold reward.
(Civic,
13 March,
2015(
المراجع:
المكتبة الشاملة
تفسير الطبري
(ت. 310 هـ)
تفسير القرطبى
(ت. 671 هـ)
تفسير ابن كثير
(ت. 774 هـ)
Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings
of the Holy Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur: Percetakan Zafar Sdn Bhd, 2005
Asad, Muhammad.
The Message of the Qur’ān. Gibraltar: Dar al-Andalus, 1984
[1] Ibn ‘Abbās r.a. narrated that some pagans
committed murders in great number and committed illegal sexual intercourse
excessively came to the Prophet s.a.w. asking him whether they could
make an expiation for their past evil deeds. Then revelation came to accept
their repentance if they repent as mentioned above. Allah also revealed: قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا
عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ
جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ (الزمر:53) “Say: O My salves who have
transgressed against themselves (by
committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not in the Mercy of Allah: verily,
Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Q.
39:53)
