Explanation of the Hadeeth: The Du`aa is answered in one of the three ways

  بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

🌟 Perhaps, on the Day of Judgment, a slave would wish that none of his supplications would have been answered in this world after seeing the reward he would be receiving on that Day for his unanswered supplications.

👉 Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree رضي الله عنه narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝There is no Muslim who offers a supplication - as long as he does not supplicate for something sinful or for severing of the ties of kinship - except that Allaah will give him one of three things in return for it: either He will hasten for him what he asked for, or He will store it [the reward for it] up for him in the Hereafter, or He will avert from him an equivalent evil.❞ They (the Companions) said: “Then we will supplicate a lot”. He ﷺ said: ❝Allaah is more generous.❞

📚 [Al-Adab al-Mufrad of al-Imaam al-Bukhaaree (710) and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee. Musnad Ahmad (11133) and graded as “Hasan-Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee in Saheeh al-Targheeb (1633). Similar has been reported from Abu Hurairah Al-Adab al-Mufrad (711)]

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📑 Notes:

Supplicating to Allaah is in itself a great `Ibaadah (worship) and which carries a great reward, irrespective of whether you receive what you were asking for, or you do not receive, or that a great evil was averted because of your supplications, or that it is delayed. We must understand that receiving the Tawfeeq (success) to supplicate to Allaah is in itself a great achievement and which carries a great reward. Perhaps, on the Day of Judgement, a person would wish that some of his supplications were not answered quickly so that he could keep supplicating, and supplicating, and supplicating so that his rewards would multiply, and good deeds would increase, or perhaps, after seeing the reward, he would wish that none of his supplications were answered and that all of them were stored for him for the Day of Judgment.

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📑 Explanation:

In this Hadeeth, the Prophet ﷺ said: ❝There is no Muslim who offers a supplication…❞, meaning: who supplicates to Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and requests from Him to fulfill his needs.

❝In which there is no sin…❞, meaning: he does not supplicate for something evil, or for committing a sin or oppression.

❝or severing of ties of kinship…❞, meaning: he does not supplicate for boycotting, deserting and abandoning the rights of the relatives, like the parents, siblings, uncles and aunts etc. This is a sin and is included on the previous statement, but it has been specifically mentioned to emphasize the severity of this act, as Allaah تعالى mentioned:

فَهَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ إِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ أَن تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَتُقَطِّعُوا أَرْحَامَكُمْ ‎*‏ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ فَأَصَمَّهُمْ وَأَعْمَىٰ أَبْصَارَهُمْ

{Would you then, if you were given the authority, do mischief in the land, and sever your ties of kinship? Such are they whom Allaah has cursed, so that He has made them deaf and blinded their sight.}

📚 [Surah Muhammad (47): 22-23]

This statement is a more specific after a general statement. So, a Muslim should not make types of supplications which go against what the Sharee`ah upholds.

❝except that Allaah تعالى will give him one of three things in return for it…❞, meaning: who ever supplicates for good, righteousness, favors and blessings from Allaah, and for maintaining ties of kinship, then he would receive one of the three things…

❝either He تعالى will hasten for him what he asked for…❞, meaning: Allaah تعالى would quickly answer his prayer, so that what a slave has asked for, he would get it in this world itself, irrespective of whether it is seeking a blessing or for guarding against some harm.

❝or He تعالى will store it up for him in the Hereafter…❞, meaning: Allaah تعالى will store up the reward for his supplications and recompense him in full on the Day of Judgment, either by increasing his status in the Jannah, or forgiving his sins and having mercy on him, or protecting him from the punishment, or removing some of the hardships of the Day of Judgment.

❝or He تعالى will avert from him an equivalent evil❞, meaning: This is the justice from Allaah سبحانه وتعالى. He تعالى will expiate some of his sins and disobedience according to the extent that he had supplicated.

So, some of the Companions who heard this Hadeeth from the Prophet ﷺ said: “We will increase in our supplication”, meaning: after having heard what the Prophet ﷺ had said, they said that they will supplicate more and more, so that they may benefit from either one of the favors mentioned herein.

The Prophet ﷺ replied: ❝Allaah is more generous❞, meaning: He تعالى will provide more than you can ask, as long as the slave is beseeching for something good. The spending of Allaah تعالى on his slaves does not decrease anything from Allaah’s treasure. As the Prophet ﷺ has narrated that Allaah تعالى said: ❝{O My slaves, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the Jinn of you to stand in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have any more than a needle would when put into the sea.}❞

📚 [Saheeh Muslim]

Rather, He تعالى provides without measure, as Allaah تعالى said:

إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

{Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full, without reckoning}

📚 [Surah al-Zumar (39): 10]

And Allaah تعالى also said:

لَهُم مَّا يَشَاءُونَ فِيهَا وَلَدَيْنَا مَزِيدٌ

{They will have whatever they wish therein (in the Jannah), and with Us is more}

📚 [Surah Qaaf (50): 35]

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🎓 Shaikh Khaaled al-Musleh (the son-in-law of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen) said: “There is no one who supplicates to Allaah except that he would find his recompense and reward with Allaah – the Lord of the worlds, this is the first thing (everyone has to understand).

As for receiving what you supplicated for, or seeing your Du`aa materialize, then it is not necessary that it would happen (in this world). Perhaps, Allaah تعالى may answer his supplication, and give him what he requested, or perhaps He تعالى may deny it. If He سبحانه وتعالى were to deny it, then one of the two will surely happen: either Allaah تعالى will avert or remove from him an equivalent evil, or He تعالى will store it for him for the Hereafter. And there is no doubt that if Allaah تعالى stored the Du`aa for the Hereafter, then it is indeed a great favor and honor from Allaah because on the Day of Judgment, a person will be in most need of receiving the favors and goodness from Allaah than he has ever before, and he will be in most need of what will be beneficial for him.

This is why a Muslim must have good thoughts about Allaah. He should not think about Allaah except with goodness, irrespective of whether the supplication is answered or not, or if He تعالى gives or not.

When a person has good thoughts about Allaah سبحانه وتعالى, then Allaah will respond to him quickly with goodness, and soon give him what he requested. As a form of complete submission to Allaah تعالى, a person should submit to him wholly and entrust his affairs to Him سبحانه وتعالى and let Him decide what is best for you. And this does not mean that a person should not beseech Allaah and ask Him earnestly, persistently, repeatedly. (The more the person will supplicate), the more generously Allaah will respond. The Prophet ﷺ said: ❝There is no Muslim who offers a supplication in which there is no sin or severing of ties of kinship, but Allaah will give him one of three things in return for it: either He will hasten for him what he asked for, or He will store it [the reward for it] up for him in the Hereafter, or He will avert from him an equivalent evil.❞ They (the Companions) said: “Then we will supplicate a lot”. He ﷺ said: ❝Allaah is more generous.❞ He تعالى is more generous than a slave can ever be. The way He تعالى manages the affair is unique, and His Honor is ever great. Allaah تعالى is al-Ghanee (Rich, free of need), al-Kareem (Bountiful), and He تعالى is kind to His slaves and provides for them what is beneficial.

He is al-Qayyoom (the One who sustains and protects), al-Samad (Self-Sufficient), the One who provides for the people’s needs.

وَاللَّهُ الْغَنِيُّ وَأَنتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ

{But Allaah is Rich (Free of all wants), and you (mankind) are poor.}

📚 [Surah Muhammad (47): 38]

Yet, every night when it is the last third of the night, He تعالى descends to the nearest heaven and says: ❝{Is there anyone to invoke Me that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone asking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?}❞

📚 [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim]

See how Allaah تعالى gradually address His slaves. He تعالى first began by mentioning those who “supplicate”, which includes everyone who invokes Him, whether the one who is supplicating is asking for a need or otherwise. The He تعالى mentioned that which is lesser than supplicating: {Is there anyone to ask Me so that I may grant him his request?}. Then He تعالى mentioned that which is lesser than requesting: {Is there anyone asking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?}. All these details are to emphasize the generosity and kindness of our Lord and His great care for His slaves.

Allaah تعالى answers the supplications and provides for the needs of His slaves, but that is based on His Mercy and Wisdom. He تعالى sometimes – out of Mercy and Wisdom – does not give the slave what he requests, and not out of stinginess. His hands are filled with goodness, and He تعالى spends day and night on His creation, and the spending does decrease anything from His Hands, His treasure never depletes. So, when He تعالى does not give someone something, it is not out of niggardliness, for He is Rich and Kind, rather, He تعالى prevents it only for the person’s benefit, reformation, and nurturing.

So, if the slave were to behave as his Lord (wants him to), then He تعالى will expand his chest – irrespective of whether his supplication is answered or not. Moreover, a person should know that His Lord سبحانه وتعالى is the One who puts things ahead and the One who delays them. The One who does not send forth for His slave except that which is good and does not prevent from him except that which is evil.”

📚 [Sharh al-Tahaawiyyah (20/3) of Shaikh Khaaled al-Musleh (the son-in-law of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen)]

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♻️ All praise is for Allaah alone by Whose grace good deeds are completed