Du'aa - The Game Changer - Laylatul Qadr - Mufti Menk

Du'aa - The Game Changer - Laylatul Qadr - Mufti Menk

Opening

Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, his family and all his companions.

My brothers and sisters, I want to welcome you to this beautiful light upon light online conference and it is dedicated to the last 10 nights of Ramadan being the most blessed nights of the Islamic calendar. Subhanallah.

Allah's Divine Plan of Creation

My brothers and sisters, Allah created us and He chose a very unique way to create us. No one can question Allah why He did what He did. We found ourselves created by Allah. We know that we were not here before the date of our birth and we know that we will not be here after the date of our death.

But we will be where Allah wants us to be. And Allah to depict that beautiful divine power of His has instructed us, giving us the do's and the don'ts and He chose a beautiful plan. Part of this plan was we would have needs.

We would need certain things in order to survive, in order to continue, in order to earn His pleasure too. So Allah when He created us, He chose for us parents. That's in the case of you and I. When it comes to the first of our species Adam, he was created by Allah, no parents involved.

When it comes to Eve or Hawa, may peace be upon her, she was created by Allah through Adam with no female involved. When it comes to Jesus, may peace be upon him, Isa alayhi salam, he was created through a female with no involvement of a male. But you and I are created through parents.

When we are born, we are in need of the help of those around us in order to survive. So Allah creates around us different people. Some may not have parents. Some lost their parents during the childbirth and some when they were born, their parents were unable to take care of them for some reason. So they had guardians, subhanallah. That's part of the plan of Allah.

But as we grew older, we became more and more independent of other people to a certain degree, but we were always fully dependent on Allah. So my brothers and sisters, if you take a look at that plan of Allah, it is so unique and so amazing. Allah tells us:

Don't forget to be virtuous to one another. You are interdependent. Yes, I will provide, but I use some of my creatures in order to reach out to others. And this is why Allah says:

Allah has favored some above others in sustenance. Allah has given some more and Allah has given others less. It is a test for all. Those who have, what will you do with what you have? And those who don't have, what will you do as a result of you not having? Are you going to try? Are you going to call out to us? Are you going to do that which we have asked you to do? Subhanallah.

The Reality of Destiny

Now you and I know that there is something called destiny. We as believers firmly believe in the validity of this destiny. It is chosen by Allah and no one has had a say in this destiny, your date of birth, your date of death, and many other factors.

In fact, every year there is a powerful night known as Laylatul Qadr. Laylatul Qadr is the night when taqdeer or destiny is detailed for the next year. It's important for us to realize this. Allah says in Suratul Dukhan:

In that night, everything is written. All the instructions that are wise are actually written. They are laid down. So the details of the annual destiny written Laylatul Qadr. If you look at this, my brothers and sisters, Allah has indeed destined things.

Now, if someone were to say, well, Allah's destined things, why do I have to try? They would be foolish because part of Allah's plan is even though He's destined whatever He has, He wants you to try. He wants you to actually work towards what you believe is beneficial to you. Hence Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم says:

(https://sunnah.com/search?q=muslim+)

Work hard towards achieving that which is beneficial to you and seek the help of Allah and don't be lazy, don't give up. And inshallah, you will get what Allah's apportioned for you. So a foolish person who decided not to work, perhaps it was written for that person that they will not work, hence they will not receive.

But when you do work, you will receive as is apportioned by Allah. So Allah wants you to do certain things. The fact that He knows where it will end or how much ultimately you are going to get should never hinder what you are going to do in order to achieve what you have to for as long as it is within that which Allah has allowed, ordained, and instructed.

The Power of Du'aa

So the same applies. There are certain things that we want in our lives that sometimes seem a little bit impossible, but you and I know nothing is impossible for Allah. So Allah creates those situations where we want something and we realize that, you know what? I will never have this unless Allah wants me to have it.

Just in the same way, no one can harm you or benefit you unless Allah has written that harm against you or the benefit for you. The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him tells us:

(https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2516)

You should know that if the whole nation gathers together to harm you, they will never be able to harm you except with that which Allah has written against you.

So my brothers and sisters, it's interesting to see this and to know this. However, what should we do? So we are taught call out to Allah, call out to Allah. Now, I know that Allah is going to give me whatever He's destined for me, right? So where does the calling out come? My brothers and sisters, did you know that certain elements of destiny, the finer details can actually be changed and altered to a certain degree by Allah through your supplication, your dua and also through your charity, subhanAllah.

The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him tells us how charity extinguishes certain elements of calamity. So if you give a charity, the love that Allah has for charities, when you reach out to other creatures whom He has created, He loves it so much that He will actually make easy for you something that may have been a little bit more difficult within your life. So my brothers and sisters, remember always call out to Allah.

The Essence of Du'aa as Worship

It's part of Allah's plan. Allah says:

Indeed, the places of prostration or the houses of Allah where salah happens, the masjids, they belong to Allah don't ever call out to anyone besides Allah.

You call out to Allah. You make sure that you are asking Allah. Keep repeating it to Allah. In fact, the hadith says:

(Sunan At-Tirmidhi)

Dua or supplication, that is actually worship of Allah. When I ask Allah for something, the first thing that I'm doing is I'm acknowledging that He owns it. Secondly, I'm acknowledging that He can give me. And thirdly, I'm acknowledging that He is the owner. Subhanallah. So these are only three aspects, but there are so many other aspects that come into dua.

I am expressing my helplessness towards Allah and I am actually raising my hands begging from Him knowing that I'm worshiping Him. So calling out to Allah in supplication is actually the whole essence of worship. You're calling out to Allah.

That's why if He wanted, He could have created us on earth without any needs. Everything would have been provided for without any trial, without any effort, without any dua or supplication, nothing on my side or your side. But no, Allah's plan was that He wants things to be there, but He wants us to be able to call out to Him in order to prove to Allah and even in order to consolidate the belief we have within us that Allah is the one who will provide, He is in control.

Allah's Response to Du'aa

So we call out to Allah and we should continue calling out to Allah. If I were to ask you for something and I were to repeat that many times, you might become irritated. But with Allah, the more you repeat it, the happier He is because it's an act of worship.

In fact, the hadith says:

(Sunan At-Tirmidhi)

Whosoever does not ask Allah, Allah becomes upset with that person. Subhanallah. So my brothers and sisters, here you have Allah telling you call out to me.

Call out to me. I will answer you. Subhanallah.

I answer the call of every caller, the supplication of everyone who calls out to me whenever they call out to me. Subhanallah.

And so the prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم says, Allah Almighty hears every dua, every prayer, every supplication. He gives you whatever He wills to give you as a result of the supplication and it's never a loss because if you ask Allah for something and He knows it's bad for you, He may give you something else that is good for you. Did you lose? No, you didn't.

He may not give you the thing you want and He may delay it for the right time because it was the wrong time. Did you lose? No, you didn't. Or He might just give you whatever you've asked for at the time you asked for it exactly as you wanted it, you gained.

Or He may not give you anything on earth, but He will hold for you a handsome reward in the hereafter. Did you lose? No, you didn't. You gained.

So keep calling out to Allah and keep repeating that dua or supplication regarding the thing that you actually want. And Allah will definitely reward you for that beautiful belief in Him, His ability, His power, His generosity, His mercy and everything of goodness that comes from Him. That is Allah.

The Wisdom of Istikhara

My brothers and sisters, in order to ask Allah, we need to know He knows better than us what is best for us. So one of the beautiful ways of seeking from Allah is to say, Oh Allah, if this is good for me, give it to me. If it is not good for me, keep it away from me.

You take a look at the dua that we read, the supplication known as dua ul istikhara when we are seeking the guidance of Allah. In that dua, we say, Oh Allah, you know, we don't know. You have the ability. We don't have the ability. You know the future. You know the unseen.

We don't, subhanAllah. If you know in your knowledge that this that I'm asking for is good for me, my deen, my dunya, my future, my present, and my, you know, my religion, my worldly material matters, etc. Then if you know it's good for me, give it to me and give me blessings in it.

And if you know the opposite, that it's not good for me, take it away from me, take me away from it, block it from me and make me happy with what you've chosen for me. So once you call out to Allah, you need to know he's heard the prayer and you call out again, he's heard it again. And if he starts blocking it, don't ever say, well, I've been calling out to Allah and he's been blocking it.

He knows it was not good for you. Either the timing is not good or the thing you're asking for is not good. Didn't you hear the messenger peace be upon him say in the dua of istikhara that I just mentioned moments ago, that if this is not good for me, then keep me away from it.

Well, he's keeping you away from it, subhanallah. Like I say, you may continue to ask Allah for the same thing over and over again. When the time is right, he will give it to you.

And if he chooses ultimately to stop it completely, be happy with the decree of Allah. So there are certain times wherein which we call out to Allah and it is considered more blessed than other times. One of these times is the last third of the night.

The Proper Etiquette of Du'aa

When you desperately want something, you need to make sure you're doing it properly. Number one, seek the forgiveness of Allah. Ask him to forgive you so that you can be on the right page with him.

There is no point in asking someone something when you are on bad terms with that particular person. What about Allah? You know, he speaks about a person who eats haram, who drinks haram, and who's been fed with haram. And he says:

"

Sahih Muslim

How does that person expect us to answer the dua or supplication that he or she is making? You know, a person who everything is haram. How do they expect to be responded to in a way they want? Subhanallah. So seek the forgiveness of Allah. Make sure your income is pure.

Ask Allah's forgiveness and guidance. Make sure what you're eating is halal. Make sure what you're drinking is halal. Make sure what you're wearing is halal, modest. It is pleasing to Allah. If that is all pleasing to Allah, now you stand a far better chance for Allah to answer your dua.

So you seek the forgiveness of Allah and it is best to ask Allah after you've engaged in an act of worship. So I just gave a charity. I just fasted. I just prayed my salah. I just did hajj or tawaf. I just did something grand and then I'm asking Allah.

I start off by seeking the forgiveness of Allah. I send blessings and salutations upon Muhammadsallallahu alayhi wa sallam because he is the one who taught us all the goodness that we have and then I praise Allah. How do I praise him? Oh Allah, you are the greatest.

You are the most beneficent. Alhamdulillah, all praise is due to you. You are the owner of the day of judgment. You... all sorts of praise. MashaAllah, glory be to you. All praise is unto you and so on.

You are the greatest. You are in control. You are Ash-Shafi'i, the owner of cure, the owner of sustenance, the owner of the hearts of the people. You are the owner of everything. So we are praising Allah, declaring what we believe about Allah in terms of praise. Then slowly you say what you want.

Oh Allah, I beg you. I ask you. So now you are mutadharra. You are a person who's humbling yourself in front of Allah. You are begging Allah. Oh Allah, I beg you.

I ask you to grant me this. I know some people say, well, I don't want to say if it's better for me or not because I desperately want it. Well, go for it. You are allowed to ask that way too. But subhanAllah, it is still better to say, Oh Allah, if it's good for me, give it to me. If it's not good for me, keep me away from it.

Positive Du'aa

However, when it comes to general dua, you ask Allah for blessings. You ask Allah for protection. You ask Allah for goodness in general. And this is why these general good duas are really really good. The prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam tells us whoever calls out to Allah and doesn't have in it ithm or qati'atu rahim, no sin. They're not asking, Oh Allah, I'm about to go and steal this evening.

Please make it easy for me to pinch in a way that I'm not caught. Astaghfirullah. I mean, that is absurd, but you'll be surprised. Oh Allah, I'm going to commit this sin. Please help me that I'm not caught. How? How could you say that? So Allah says, you cannot call out to Allah to help you and assist you to do a sin or something sinful.

You want to do something sinful or you're asking something sinful. That doesn't work. And secondly, qati'atu rahim, that which is destroying relations. You don't ask Allah, Oh Allah, break the relations between this and break the relations between... No, no, no, no. We want goodness. Your relations with your family members, your broader family, etc.

Make sure you try to mend it and ask Allah in a positive way. The positive duas are far more likely to be responded than the negative ones. You have an enemy. Rather than say, Oh Allah, destroy them, finish them, break them, damage them, etc. Just say, Oh Allah, guide them, help them, purify them, bless them, bring them to the path. Let our matters be resolved.

Let them worship you alone, etc, etc. Those are much more positive duas and they depict the care that you have within you for the rest of the creatures of Allah. You look at the Prophet Muhammadsallallahu alaihi wa sallam.

Mostly he made dua for the guidance of the disbelievers and even his enemies. He made dua for Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughirahradhiyallahu anhuma. He made dua for Umar ibn al-Khattabradhiyallahu anh, and so on.

The Blessed Time of the Last Third of the Night

So we call out. That time of the night is very very blessed because:

"Our Lord, blessed and exalted is He, descends to the nearest heaven every night when the last third of the night remains and asks, Is there anyone seeking forgiveness? I can forgive them. Is there anyone repenting to me? I can accept it. Is there anyone asking me anything so I can give them?"

Brothers and sisters, when you desperately want something, that is the time to get up and call out to Allah. And like I say, we seek the forgiveness of Allah. We send blessings and salutations upon Muhammadsallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

We actually praise Allah so much. We ask Him what we want in a good way. There must be nothing sinful in it and there should be nothing that is harmful or damaging in it. No breaking of relations in it. And then we end our dua again, once again by thanking Allah, sending blessings and salutations upon Muhammadsallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And follow up that dua with righteousness and goodness.

Allah says to Musaalayhi salam and Harunalayhi salam:

"O Musa, O Harun, we have responded to the dua of the two of you, so be steadfast. A time will come when we will give it to you."

They asked to be protected from the Pharaoh. Allah says, we've answered your dua, so now be steadfast. When you call out to Allah, you can't just make dua all night and then sin all day.

Or as soon as you ask Allah, you're not conscious of the instructions of Allah. Like I said earlier, your drink must be halal, your food must be halal, your clothing, very important, must be halal. What you do must be on the right page.

The Game Changer

This is when you will definitely have a game changer. That which will come to you inshallah, by the power of Allah. My brothers and sisters, the blessed time coupled with a blessed method, asking for blessed things from a blessed Lord in a blessed month can only result in the greatest of blessings.

May Allah accept it from all of us. Keep calling out to Allah. Don't be selfish when you call out to Allah. Call out for others as well, your family members, your friends, even your enemies, the others, the entire ummah, humanity at large. Call out for everyone. When you call out for others, the angels are saying, Oh Allah, give this person the same as well.

Similarly, when you call out to Allah, let it not be only for your worldly needs. Ask Allah to make you steadfast. Ask Allah to make it easy for you to pray. Ask Allah to make it easy for you to worship Him and to make it difficult for you to sin against Him. And ask Allah to grant you goodness in the Hereafter. Make it easy for you after this life.

Many people only ask about this worldly material life. Oh Allah, I need a job. I need this. I need that. But they forget to ask Allah, Oh Allah, I want salvation in the Hereafter. I want your happiness. I want Jannah. I want Paradise. I want the companionship of my loved ones and the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and the companions, etc.

The Continuous Nature of Du'aa

This is the message I have for you today. Beautiful evening, beautiful session, lovely light upon light conference, talking about the 10 nights. These are the blessed nights of Ramadan. Power packed. Allah loves those who call out to Him. Keep calling out to Allah day and night.

Subhanallah. I must also confirm before I leave that there is no time that you cannot make a dua to Allah. So if you really want something, you don't have to wait for the last third of the night. You don't have to wait for Ramadan or the odd night. You can keep repeating that dua again and again throughout the day, throughout the night and that nagging is actually a great act of worship when it comes to Allah. Although human beings don't like nagging but Allah knows.

Closing Du'aa

May Allah grant us what we ask Him. May He bless every one of us. May He accept your fasting. May He accept your standing in qiyam. May He grant cure to those who are sick and ill. May He grant shifa to those who are unwell.

May He have mercy upon those who've passed on. May He eradicate for us the virus that has taken over the globe. May Allah grant us every goodness that Muhammadsallallahu alayhi wasallam asked Him and may He protect us from all the evil that Muhammadsallallahu alayhi wasallam sought protection from.

"

Ameen.