Conditions During Which Du’a Is Answered (1/3)

After a discussion of the times during which the du’a (ii is likely to be answered, it is relevant to discuss the conditions during which a, worshipper's du'a is likely to be responded to.                 

1. The Person who has been Wronged

If a person  has been wronged  by someone,  Allah accepts the du’a of that  person  against  the  person  that  wronged  him.  This  'wrong' could  be that  he was cheated  of his rights,  oppressed,  persecuted, slandered,   or any  other  form  of wrong  that  a person  may  be inflicted with.

The  Prophet   (Peace be upon him)   mentioned   in numerous ahadith  that  a Muslim  should  fear the du’a  of he who  has been  wronged,  for he (Peace be upon him) said:

"Fear  the  du'a  of he who  has  been  wronged,   for verily  it  ascends  to the skies faster than  sparks  (of light)".[1]

And Anas  ibn Malik reported  that  the Prophet   (Peace be upon him) said:

"Fear the du'a of he who has been wronged, even if he is a disbeliever, for there remains no veil between it".[2]

This hadith means that there is no veil between it and Allah, and Allah responds   to the du’a of the person who has been wronged.

This   hadith also shows   that   there   is no difference    between    doing wrong   to a Muslim   or to a disbeliever, and that both of their du’as are answered   by Allah. If this is the case of the disbeliever,   then how much more so the sinful Muslim!   In fact, the Prophet   (Peace be upon him) said:

“The  du' a of one who  has been  wronged   is responded   to, even if he  is a fasiq (evil  person),   for his  evil will  only  be  against himself.”[3]

So even a sinful Muslim will be responded to, for his sin will be against him, and will not prevent his du’a from being answered.

In another narration we are told,

Three people's  du’as are never rejected:  the one who is fasting, until  he breaks  his  fast; the  just  ruler;  and  the  one  who  has been  wronged.  Allah raises it above the clouds, and the doors of the skies are opened for it, and the Lord says, 'By My Honour and Glory! I will help you, even if it be after some time!’[4]

This is a very severe warning to the one who wrongs others, and a comfort and solace to one who has been wronged.  Allah has sworn that He will, of a surety, come to the aid of the one who has been wronged.

It is appropriate here to quote the story of the noble Companion, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqas, when 'Umar appointed him governor over Kofah.  Some people  of Kufah   complained   to 'Umar  about  Sa’d, so 'Urnar   sent  forth  his servants  to go around   the  masjids of Kufah, asking  the people's  opinion   about  Sa'd.  Wherever   the  messengers went, they could only find people praising  Sa'd, except in one masjid, where  a man  by the  name  of Abu Sa'd  stood  up  and  said:  "If you are really asking  us by Allah,  then  know that  he was not just in his judgements,  nor  did  he  distribute   the  booty  equally,   nor  was  he easy with  us".

At that, Sa'd stood up and said: "O Allah! If he is lying, then take away his sight, and give him a long life, and make trials afflict him!"

The  narrator   of this  event  states:  "I saw him  after a long time, blind,  his  eyelids were  drooping   (out  of old  age),  and  he used  to harass  the little girls as they walked  in the alleys. Whenever he was asked, ‘how are you?'  He would respond, ‘I am an old man, great trials have befallen me! The du’a of Sa’d has been inflicted upon me '".[5]

In another incident, a woman accused Sa'id ibn Zayd, one of the Prophet's   (Peace be upon him) famous Companions, of stealing some of her property. They appeared before the ruler, and Sa'id prayed, "O Allah! If you know her to be lying, then make her blind, and make her grave in her own house".  The narrator   of this incident said, "I saw her (later on), blind.  She used to walk touching the walls, and say, 'The du’a of Sa'id has afflicted me!'  Once, she passed by a well inside her house, and fell into it, so it became her grave".[6]

In  these  narrations   we  see the  great  miracle  that  Allah blessed both  Sa'd  and  Sa'id  with,  and  we also see the dangers  of  abusing others.  Is there not a lesson in this story for those that wrongly accuse other Muslims of matters that they are free of? And how many situations have occurred, where the one that has been wronged has raised his hands to Allah, and seen with his own eyes the response of his du’a.  So beware,  O  Muslim,   of oppressing   other  people  in any  form,  and  take  comfort   and  solace,  O  you  who  have  been wronged,   that Allah will indeed  respond  to your du'a.

2. The One in Severe Circumstances

When  a person  finds  himself  in a grave  crisis,  and  his  heart  is about  to shatter  with grief and  fear, at this point,  he turns  to Allah with  a heart  like that  of no other  person.  The  quality  of sincerity that  he displays,  and the desperate  need  that  he feels for the Mercy of his Lord, is so strong and pure that it is a du’a that is answered  in all situations,  regardless  even of whether  the person  is a Muslim  or not! Yes, even the du’a of the kafir is sometimes accepted, and that is part of the perfection of Allah's Lordship, for He is the Rabb of the Muslim and the kafir.

Allah describes Himself as:

“Is not He (the One) who responds to the distressed one when he calls out to Him?”[7]

So if Allah responds even to the disbeliever in this situation, then how about the sinful Muslim?   And how about the sincere, pious believer, how can he give up hope of being answered?

Al-Qurtubi wrote: "Allah has guaranteed   the response of the du’a of the one in distress, as He Himself informed us of this (guarantee). And the reason for this is that the one in distress will turn to Him with a pure sincerity, cutting his hope off from all other sources. And sincerity to Him is the cause of (gaining) His protection, regardless of whether it emanates   from a kafir or Muslim, evil or pious!”[8]

(Continued)