The Prayer of Need (Salat al-Hajah)

Umm Aysha

*Strive for Jannah*
How does one perform the prayer of need (salat al-hajah)?

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, and all blessings and peace upon our master Muhammad, his Folk, Companions and those who follow their noble way,

Abullah ibn Abi Awfa (Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever has a need with Allah, or with any human being, then let them perform ritual ablutions well and then pray two rakats. After that, let them praise Allah and send blessings on the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). After this, let them say,

لا إِلَهَ إِلا اللَّهُ الْحَلِيمُ الْكَرِيمُ
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِين
أَسْأَلُكَ مُوجِبَاتِ رَحْمَتِكَ وَعَزَائِمَ مَغْفِرَتِكَ وَالْغَنِيمَةَ مِنْ كُلِّ بِرٍّ وَالسَّلامَةَ مِنْ كُلّإِثْمٍ
لا تَدَعْ لِي ذَنْبًا إِلا غَفَرْتَهُ وَلا هَمًّا إِلا فَرَّجْتَهُ وَلا حَاجَةً هِيَ لَكَ رِضًا إِلا قَضَيْتَهَا يَا أَرْحَمَ
الرَّاحِمِينَ

There there no god but Allah the Clement and Wise.
There is no god but Allah the High and Mighty.
Glory be to Allah, Lord of the Tremendous Throne.
All praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
I ask you (O Allah) everything that leads to your mercy, and your tremendous forgiveness, enrichment in all good, and freedom from all sin.
Do not leave a sin of mine (O Allah), except that you forgive it, nor any concern except that you create for it an opening, nor any need in which there is your good pleasure except that you fulfill it, O Most Merciful!”

[Related by Tirmidhi and Ibn Maja. The hadith has some weakness, but it is slight: such hadiths are acted upon for virtuous deeds (fada’il al-a`mal) by general agreement of Sunni scholarship]

The prayer of need is very simple: It is essentially to raise one's need to Allah Most High, by performing ritual ablution (wudu), praying 2 rakats (or four), and then making whole-hearted dua to Allah. If one uses the abovementioned Prophetic supplication, or other similar supplications transmitted from the Beloved Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace), it is best. [Ibrahim al-Halabi, Sharh Munyat al-Musalli; al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

The inward manners of supplication is exhibiting our neediness and absolute slavehood to Allah, consigning one's matters to Allah, and knowing that the only one who gives or benefits is Allah Most High. With this, one should be certain that Allah Most High answers our duas, but in the way He knows is best for us.

When circumstances do not permit us to pray 2 rakats, one should still turn to Allah in supplication, raising one’s needs to Him, for He answers our supplications and loves being asked.

And Allah alone gives success.

Wassalam
 

ibnAbdullah87

Junior Member
"Salaatul-Hajah" and "Salat Hifzul-Qur’an" are not lawful

Question:

I have heard about Salatul-Hajah (The prayer of need) and Salat Hifzul Qur’an (The prayer of Qur’an memorization) - are these prayers or not?
Answer:

They are both incorrect; neither Salatul-Hajah nor Salat Hifzul-Qur’an are correct, because it is not possible to confirm such acts of worship except by some legal evidence and there is no legal evidence by which to make them lawful.


Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen
Fataawa Islamiyyah, DARUSSALAM, vol.2 p.314
 

Umm Aysha

*Strive for Jannah*
Asalaam alaykum

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dr. `Ujail Jasim An-Nashami, professor of Shari`ah at the University of Kuwait, states:

“All Muslim scholars agree that Salatul-Hajah is recommended act of worship. They base their view on the hadith, which is reported on the authority of `Abdullah Ibn Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him, said: "If any one among you has any kind of need, be of Allah or of a human being, let him perform wudu' (ablution) and offer two rak`ahs (prayer units). Then he should praise Allah, invoke His blessings on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and say the following du`a' (supplication):

La ilaha illa Allahu-Haleemu lkareem. Subhana Allahi rabi el-`arshil `azeem. Al-Hamdulilahi rabbi il-`Alameen. As'aluka mujibati rahmatika, wa `aza'ima maghfiratika, wal-`ismata min kuli dhanb, wal ghaneemata min kuli birr, was-salamata min kuli ithm. La tada` li dhanban illa ghafartahu, wala hamman illa farajtahu, wala hajatan hiya laka ridan illa qadaytaha ya arhama ar-rahimeen.

(There is no god but Allah, the Ever-Clement, the Most Generous. I celebrate the Glory of Allah, the Lord of the Magnificent Throne. All praise and thanks are due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. I beseech you, seeking that which will draw me closer to Your mercy, and that which will make certain for me Your Forgiveness. O Allah, grant me protection against any sin, and a share of every virtue. Do not leave me a sin without forgiving it, a worry without relieving me of it, or a need that meets with Your pleasure without providing for it, O Most Merciful Lord.)

In his well-known book, Fiqh As-Sunnah, the late Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq states:

“Ahmad has - on sound authority - reported from Abu ad-Darda’ that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘He who makes wudu’, and does it properly, then prays two rak`ahs, Allah will grant him whatever he may pray for, sooner or later.’"

W/salaam
 

ibnAbdullah87

Junior Member
What I know of is salatul tawba your you perfurm perfect ablution and pray to rakas without thinking or talking to yourself in your salat and ask all to forgive you and he will and there is also Istikharah (Seeking Allah's Counsel)
 

brotherubaid

New Member
Please do read

My question has to do with praying to allah for a need. I know it is called satatul hajah. How many times does a person have to pray it and when should it be prayed. Is it right to pray it at the times when duaas are most likely to be answered


Praise be to Allaah.

It is prescribed for the Muslim to worship Allaah in the ways that He has prescribed in His Book, and in the ways that have been proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The principle concerning matters of worship is tawqeef [i.e., following what is in the Qur’aan and saheeh Sunnah; with no room for individual opinion]. And we cannot say that any act of worship is prescribed unless there is saheeh evidence.

The so-called Salaat al-Haajah was narrated in da’eef (weak) or munkar (denounced) ahaadeeth – as far as we know – which cannot be used as proof and which are not fit to base acts of worship on.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 8/162

The hadeeth narrated concerning Salaat al-Haajah says:

“From ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Awfa al-Aslami, who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out to us and said: ‘Whoever has need of something from Allaah or any one of His creation, let him do wudoo’ and pray two rak’ahs, then let him say, “There is no god but Allaah, the Forbearing, the Most Generous. Glory be to Allaah, Lord of the mighty Throne. Praise be to Allaah the Lord of the Worlds. O Allaah, I ask You for Your mercy and forgiveness and I ask You for all good things and for safety from all sins. I ask You not to leave any sin without forgiving it, or any distress without relieving it, or any need which it pleases You to fulfil without fulfilling it for me.” Then let him ask Allaah for whatever matter of this world or the Hereafter that he wishes, for it will be fulfilled.”

(Narrated by Ibn Maajah, Iqaamat al-Salaah wa’l-Sunnah, 1374)

Al-Tirmdihi said: this is a ghareeb [strange] hadeeth, and concerning its isnaad it was said: Faa’id ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan is weak in hadeeth.

Al-Albaani said: rather it is da’eef jiddan (very weak). Al-Haakim said: mawdoo’ (fabricated) ahaadeeth were narrated from Abu Awfa.

Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, vol. 1, p. 417

The author of al-Sunan wa’l-Mubtada’aat said, after mentioning what al-Tirmidhi said concerning Faa’id ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan: Ahmad said he is matrook (left, i.e., his hadeeth is not to be accepted), and Ibn al-‘Arabi described him as da’eef (weak).

And he said: You know what is said concerning this hadeeth. It is better and more perfect and safer for you to make du’aa’ to Allaah in the depths of the night and between the adhaan and iqaamah and at the end of every prayer before the tasleem; and on Fridays, for then there are times when du’aa’ is answered; and when breaking one’s fast. For your Lord says (interpretation of the meanings):

‘Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation)’[Fussilat 40:60]

‘And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor)’[al-Baqarah 2:186]

‘And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them’[al-A’raaf 7:180].” al-Sunan wa’l-Mubtada’aat by al-Shuqayri, p. 124



Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

One whne has a need should try to wake up in the last third of the night when Allah descends n ask Him of his needs, or other prescribed times from the AUTHENTIC sunnah when duaas are answered
 
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