Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

AS SALAM WALIKUM WAH RAHMATULLAHI WA BARKATU HU

i would like to know the following things 1i have read that if any person offers 2 rakat prayers and then reads "HO WAL AWAL O AKHIR O ZAHIR O BATIN ALI KUL SHAYE QADEER"GOD will fullfill all his prayers what i want to know is what is the niyat we make before this namaz is it normal niyat or is it different?

2is sleeping in the direction of the qibla right or wrong?

3how do we offer salat-ul-tauba?

i hope my doubts r cleared soon(INSHA ALLAH)

JAZAK ALLAH KHAIR 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Making verbal intention for prayer

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: i have read that if any person offers 2 rakat prayers and then reads "HO WAL AWAL O AKHIR O ZAHIR O BATIN ALI KUL SHAYE QADEER"GOD will fullfill all his prayers

Respected brother in Islam, although the phrase of Praise of the Lord “HO WAL AWAL O AKHIR O ZAHIR O

BATIN ALI KUL SHAYE QADEER" (He (Allah) is The First, The Last, The Evident, The Immanent, (He has) Power over all things) is from amongst the ‘Masnoon’ Glorifications of Allah Subhanah…..to the best of our knowledge, there is absolutely no mention in the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) which declares that if one were to recite a two rakah prayer and recite these specific phrases, all their supplications will be fulfilled.

The truth brother is that each and every lawful supplication a believer makes unto his Lord Most Gracious is heard and accepted by their Lord Most Majestic, Most Supreme.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 186:

And if My servants ask you, O Prophet, concerning Me, tell them that I am quite near to them. I hear and answer the prayer of the suppliant, when he calls on Me. So let them respond to My call and believe in Me. (Convey this to them), perhaps they may be guided aright!

The All Knowing, All Wise Allah knows what is good and what is bad for us; therefore, if one asks for something good, Allah will give him/her one of three things:

1.      Allah will give the believer what he/she has supplicated for.

2.      If what the believer is asking is not good or harmful for the believer in this world, Allah will store it for him for the world of the Hereafter.

3.      If what the believer is asking is not good or harmful for the believer in this world, Allah will turn away from the believer an equivalent amount of evil.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2257 Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri

The Prophet (saws) said, "Any Muslim who makes a supplication containing nothing which is sinful, or which involves breaking ties of relationship, will be given for it by Allah one of three things: He will give him swift answer, or store it up for him in the next world, or turn away from him an equivalent amount of evil." Those who heard it said they would then make many supplications and he (saws) replied that Allah was more ready to answer than they were to ask.

Nu'man b. Bashir reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Verily supplication is worship."

Narrated by Ahmad and Sunan.

Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet (saws) said, "Nothing is more dear to Allah than one's supplication to Him.''

Narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "If any servant of Allah afflicted with distress or grief makes this supplication, his supplication will be accepted: 'O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of your maidservant. My forehead is in Your Hand. Your command concerning me prevails, and Your decision concerning me is just. I call upon You by every one of the beautiful names by which You have described Yourself, or which You have revealed in Your book, or have taught anyone of Your creatures, or which You have chosen to keep in the knowledge of the unseen with You, to make the Qur'an the delight of my heart, the light of my breast, and remover of my griefs, sorrows, and afflictions'." A supplication in these words will be answered. Allah will remove one's affliction and replace it with joy and happiness.

Salman reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Your Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted One, is Modest and Generous, and He loathes to turn away His servant empty-handed when he raises his hands to Him in supplication."

Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban.

Your Question: is sleeping in the direction of the qibla right or wrong?

To the best of our knowledge, we have not come across or found any hadith or guidance in the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) whereby the believers are prohibited from sitting or sleeping in a position whereby their feet happen to be in the direction of the ‘qibla’, regardless of whether they are in their homes, or the masjids, or even at the Sacred House of Allah in Makkah itself.

One may sit or sleep in any direction one wishes, even if one’s feet happen to face towards the Qibla; as there is absolutely no restriction prescribed against it in the Quran or the Sunnah.

Your Question: …how do we offer salat-ul-tauba?

To the best of our knowledge there is absolutely nothing in the established and authentic Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) called the ‘salaat-ut0Taubah’; and when the Messenger of Allah (saws) has not given or assigned a particular name for a prayer, it does not behove and befit one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day to give or assign a name to it from himself!

The acceptance of one’s sins and shortcomings in the Cause of Allah, the condition of one’s hearts, the fear of standing to give a full accounting of one’s deeds in the Tribunal and Majestic Presence of the Lord All-Mighty on that Tumultuous Day of Judgment….that fear of the Lord Most High’s accounting is what inspires one to turn back to their Lord in ‘taubah’ and seek His forgiveness.

Thus, the conditions or ways to seek sincere Taubah or Repentance from the Merciful Lord are:

1. One is aware that he has sinned, and feels sorry and ashamed at his sin.
2. Makes a solemn covenant and promise with Allah that he will not repeat his sin again.
3. Turns to Allah and seeks forgiveness, before he has met with his appointment of death.
4. Is a believer and does righteous good deeds thereafter.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:

(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy! Surely, Allah forgives all sins. He indeed is the All Forgiving, All Merciful. Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you; for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:

Allah likes such good people very much, who, if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin, remember Allah instantly, and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings. For who, but Allah, can forgive sins? (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did. These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah, and with Gardens beneath which canals flow, and they will reside therein forever! How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 25 Surah Furqaan verses 63-71:

The (true) servants of the Merciful are those who walk humbly on the earth. When the ignorant people behave insolently towards them, they say, “Peace to you”; (And those) who pass their nights in prostrating themselves and standing before their Lord and pray, “O our Lord, save us from the torment of Hell, for its torment is killing! It is an evil abode, and an evil resting place”. (And those) who, when they spend are neither extravagant, nor miserly, but keep the golden mean between the two extremes. (And those) who do not invoke any god but Allah Alone, nor kill a soul unjustly, which Allah has forbidden, nor commit adultery… He who does this shall be punished for his sin, and his torment shall be doubled on the Day of Resurrection, and he shall abide in a state of ignominy; EXCEPT THE ONE WHO MAY HAVE REPENTED (AFTER THOSE SINS), AND HAVE BELIEVED AND DONE RIGHTEOUS DEEDS. For then, Allah will change his evil deeds into good deeds, and He is very Forgiving and Merciful. In fact, one who repents and does righteous deeds, returns to Allah as one rightly should!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:

When those come to you who believe in Our Signs, say: "Peace be on you! Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Man is prone to transgression and sin every breathing moment of his life, and it is only proper and fitting that a believer, who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, constantly turns back to His Lord in ‘taubah’ and seeks His forgiveness. There is absolutely no harm if one wishes to do a good deed like offering prayers, or fast, or do any good deed before one seeks forgiveness from their Lord. What is of paramount importance is that one is sincere and constant in turning back to their Lord seeking His Mercy and His Forgiveness; it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.319 Narrated by Abu Huraira

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, "By Allah! I ask for forgiveness from Allah and turn to Him in repentance more than seventy times a day."

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan