Adapted from a khtubah I did in March, feel free to take and use if it’s of any benefit…

I want to remind you of the story that took place of Musa (AS). The situation was such that MUSA (AS) was traveling with Bani ‘Israel and they were in the desert. And they were suffering from a severe draught. So Musa’s people said to him why don’t you Musa beseech Allah for us to shower us with some rain. So Musa then recommends his followers and they collectively make du’a and beseech Allah for rain so that they aren’t destroyed by the lack of such a basic necessity that without Allah they cannot make themselves. And then they turn to the sky and Musa (AS) looks in astonishment that from the sky not a single drop was falling. And not only is there no rain falling upon them but the few clouds that were in the sky have now dispersed. Musa (AS) beseeches Allah SWT again and asks Him why are you not answering our prayers what is it that is preventing our du’as from being answered.

And Allah (SWT) tells him “Ya Musa there is a man from your community who has been sinning the last 40 years of his life and because of him we are not sending down any rain any mercy upon you. And if you desire for Us to send this mercy down upon you than you must have this man separate from your congregation.”

So Musa (AS) goes back to his people and tells him that the situation that there is a man amongst them whose sins are preventing the entire community from receiving the BARAKAH of Allah (SWT). And he tells that this is what needs to happen, not to put the man in front of everybody to ridicule him, not to expose anybody before the community. BUT MUSA (AS) turns to the entire community and demands them just for the sake of everyone else just act in accordance to what Allah has asked of them.
So as the people now began to whisper to themselves, it is said that this man that is cognizant of the sins that he has committed and the fact that he is the one who has been preventing the mercy of Allah from descending on his community. And now this man turns to Allah and raises his hands and makes du’a asking for Allah’s forgiveness. And He says to Allah “ Oh Allah do not put me in a position where I have to reveal myself to the people,’ He is now thinking to himself that if I step forward than everyone will have knowledge of the sins I committed, and if I don’t step forward everyone in my community will suffer, because of me. And he Raises his hands to Allah SWT and the tears began to fall from his eyes and makes sincere repentance to Allah promising not to turn back to his previous sin. And at that point clouds begin to fill the sky and the rains begin to descend upon them. And Musa (AS) is wondering how is that the rains are coming when no one has step forward to admit guilt. So again he goes back to ALLAH SWT and asks “Oh Allah no one has admitted to these sins, why have you sent the rains down upon us.” And Allah says “Ya Musa there was that man from amongst you, he himself raised his hands to Me and he himself supplicated to me asking for My forgiveness in a sincere manner and I have forgave him and so the rains came down upon you.” And Musa then said to Allah “ Oh Allah who is this man I want to meet him whose du’as are accepted right away. I want to know this man who has this unique capacity that when he raises his hands to you and makes du’a you accept them.” And Allah SWT said to Musa “ I have been hiding this mans sins for the last 40 years, why would I reveal them to you now”

Brothers and Sisters we can take from this story that Allah will cover our sins Allah will hide our sins when we ask him to do so, when we ask His help.
But we must also take from this story that before we can expect anything from Allah we have to be among those people who raise their hands toward Allah. Who ask of Allah SWT. We have to be among those that seek Allah’s help and Allah’s help alone. We have to be among those that are skilled in using this weapon that has been bestowed to us.

It is said that du’a is the weapon of the believer. It is something that is given to them those who believe and have faith in Allah, something unique that they can at anytime establish this connection with Allah SWT to seek His help and seek His Forgiveness. And this is the character of the Prophets peace be upon them that they would turn to Allah anytime they needed something. When Adam (PBUH) was sent out of Jannah, the very first thing he did was beseech Allah (SWT) for His forgiveness, for His Mercy. The Prophet Ibrahim when he left his wife Hajar and his son Isma’il alone in the desert in Makkah in the Qur’an Allah says that he turned around and began to make du’a to Allah that “O Allah I left my progeny, my offspring, my family here in by your sacred house so that they may worship you! And put love for them in peoples hearts, and provide them with fruits so that they may be thankful”

Musa (AS) made du’a in regards to Fir’aun, Yunus (AS) made du’a to Allah when he was in the belly of the whale “La illah ila Allah subhannaka inni kuntu min al thaalimeen” “there is no one worthy of worship except Allah, who is perfect, verily I have been one of the wrongdoers!” This is a prophet of Allah saying this. And Allah has said in the Qur’an that whatever du’a follows this one will be granted.
Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah al-A’raf

Call on your Lord humbly and secretly; surely He does not love those who exceed the limits. And call on Him fearing and hoping; surely the mercy of Allah is with those who do good (to others). And remember your Lord within yourself humbly and fearing and in a voice not loud in the morning and the evening and be not of the heedless ones.

Allah says in the Qur’an in Surah Mu’min
“And your Lord says: Call upon Me, I will answer you.”

So you see that it is something that can be used to achieve great things. And indeed it can be used as a weapon, as a means to take on our opponents to fight shaytan and our oppressors. To liberate ourselves from the Shaytans clutches.

Brothers and Sisters it is important to understand the manner in which du’a is to be made. The Prophet (SAW) made du’a in many ways: while in sujood as he recommended as being the place where we are closest to Allah (SWT), with his hands raised when Allah feels shy to not let us put out hands down without giving us something. ALLAHUAKBAR

And it is important that when we make du’a that we make du’a in a language that we understand, so that we are cognizant of what we are saying and can be sincere about it. Because du’a is not the thing that is read off the pages of a book, but is asked from the depths of our hearts.

SECOND KHUTBAH

How many have experienced our du’as being accepted? How many of us realize that that thing which we asked of Allah he has granted us in His infinite Mercy. Now ask yourselves, how many of experience our du’as not being accepted. And we ask Allah why is it my du’a is not being accepted, what is it that is preventing me from receiving Your mercy. And how miserable do we feel when we feel that Allah is ignoring us? When we raise our hands and we don’t receive what we asked for. And we begin to question it, and begin to question Allah. Astughfirullah.

And at that point it is incumbent that we look at ourselves before we look at any other factor, to see why our du’as is not being answered.

The Prophet (SAW) said “ indeed Allah SWT is pure and He does not accept anything that is not Pure”
So if we want our du’as to be accepted than we must make sure that our supplications have an element of purity

The Prophet SAW said referring to the Ayah in the Qur’an, “O People eat of the earth that which is halal and pure” Sa’d ibn abi Waqqas then asked the Prophet SAW “O RasoolAllah (SAW) ask to Allah to make me among those whose du’a is ALWAYS accepted.”

The prophet (SAW) then said “ya Sa’d if you want your du’a to always be accepted, only consume that which is Halaal” That which goes into ur body make sure it is halaal and make sure it is pure and don’t let anything that is note pure even enter ur sytem even that which is doubtful.

Then the Prophet (SAW) said that “Verily by the one who’s hands my soul is in that whosever puts even a morsel of haraam in his body than his deeds and his actions will not be accepted for 40 days. “

By consuming something that is haraam whether it be meat, alcohol, riba or anything else we are relinquishing our right of having this unique connection with Allah SWT. Brother’s and sisters I have not done this subject justice, there is so much more to be said to be understood about du’a.

Brothers and Sisters, Let me look at myself and eliminate from my life that which may be preventing my du’a from being accepted and in turn the du’as of my UMMAH, and brothers and sisters I ask that you do the same.

MAY ALLAH GIVE US THE UNDERSTANDING AND TAWFIQ necessary to incorporate the Qur’an and Sunnah into our lives. May Allah help us to perfect and make sincere our du’as, and May Allah accept our du’as for there is no one who can hear us, for there is no one who can even help us except Him.