We seek out the du’ā of the righteous people, in hope that their du’ā is nearer to being answered than ours. We track down those who we deem greatest in their acts of worship and fewest in sin. Imagine, then, being presented with the opportunity of reaping the du’ā of one whose worship is uninterrupted, and whose sins are non-existent?
Badr al-Dīn ibn Jamā’a, a distinguished Shāfi’i jurist, said,
إنه لينافَس في دعاء الرجل الصالح ، أو من يظن صلاحه ؛ فكيف بدعاء الملائكة ؟
“People compete for the du’ā of the righteous persons, or those whom people assume are righteous. So, what then of the du’ā of the angels?” [1]
The answer was given by Ibn Battāl, a Māliki jurist, who said,
ومعلوم أن دعاء الملائكة مجاب
“It is known that the du’ā of the angels is answered.” [2]
This will not be a discussion of the various du’ā for us to commit to memory, but instead, ways that cause the righteous creation of Allah to do so on our behalf.
The Qur’ān has informed us that one of the many functions of the angels is to, generally speaking, make du’ā for the inhabitants of Earth, saying,
وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ
“And the angels glorify the praises of their Lord, and seek forgiveness for those on Earth…” [3]
There are, however, specific actions that inspire the angels into making du’ā for those who carry them out.
We will cover ten such actions, dividing them across three broad categories:
- Actions that cause an individual angel to pray for you;
- Actions that cause a specific number of angels to pray for you;
- Actions that cause an unspecified number of angels to pray for you. [4]
Actions that cause an individual angel to pray for you
Sleep in a state of Wudū
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
طهِّروا هذه الأجسادَ طهَّركم اللهُ فإنَّه ليس مِن عبدٍ يبيتُ طاهرًا إلَّا بات معه في شِعارِه ملَكٌ لا ينقلِبُ ساعةً مِن اللَّيلِ إلَّا قال اللَّهمَّ اغفِرْ لعبدِكَ فإنَّه بات طاهرًا
“Purify your bodies, may Allah purify you, for any person who sleeps in a state of purity (i.e. Wudū) will have an angel remaining close to him throughout the evening. When turning from side to side, during any hour of that night, the angel says,
‘O Allah, forgive him, for he slept in a state of purity.’” [5]
How profound is the comfort when, during illness, one falls asleep besides a lover who remains alert all night to be at their beck and call, and is keen to see them recover? Similarly, our sins are akin to illness, so how comforting it is to know that an angel will be near us during our moment of vulnerability – the night – praying for our spiritual recovery.
Seeing that the average sleeper moves around 40-50 times a night [6], this ḥādīth is a cause for celebration.
Make du’ā for your siblings in Islam
To defend a person in his absence is one thing, but to make mention of him to Allah behind his back is another.
Tuning into du’ā for your brother is not only one of the most potent ways of warding off envy towards him, but it also inspires an angel to mirror the same du’ā for you.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
دَعْوَةُ المَرْءِ المُسْلِمِ لأَخِيهِ بظَهْرِ الغَيْبِ مُسْتَجَابَةٌ، عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ مَلَكٌ مُوَكَّلٌ كُلَّما دَعَا لأَخِيهِ بخَيْرٍ، قالَ المَلَكُ المُوَكَّلُ بهِ: آمِينَ وَلَكَ بمِثْلٍ
“The du’ā of a Muslim for his brother in his absence is answered. An angel is stationed next to his head, and as often as he prays for goodness for his brother, the angel says ‘āmīn, and it is for you as well.’” [7]
Whose du’ā do you place greater confidence in: yours, or that of an angel?
If it’s the latter, then accustom yourself to the mentioning of not only those whom you love, but your peers, particularly those with whom you compete.
Furthermore, the people you supplicate for will have a diversity of issues in their lives: health, religion, marriage, children, career, and so on. So, the more you pray for, the more comprehensively you cover your own challenging dimensions of life when the angel says,
“Āmīn, and it is for you as well.”
Actions that cause a specific number of angels to pray for you
Give from what Allah has given you
The issue with the topic of Sadaqa is that it is usually connected to a fundraising setting, where a variety of techniques are employed to encourage giving towards noble, often humanitarian causes.
However, this can easily strip Sadaqa away from its spiritual dimension, wherein one loses touch with the universal happenings that are set into motion when giving.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ يُصْبِحُ العِبَادُ فِيهِ إلاَّ مَلَكانِ يَنْزلاَنِ ، فَيقُولُ أحَدُهُمَا : اللَّهُمَّ أعْطِ مُنْفقاً خَلَفاً ، وَيَقُولُ الآخَرُ : اللَّهُمَّ أعْطِ مُمْسِكاً تلَفاً
“Every single morning, two angels descend. One of them says: ‘O Allah, give more to he who gives’, and the other says, ‘O Allah, bring ruin to the one who withholds.’” [8]
Visit the sick
Imagine your elation, if you were to stand in the middle of a stadium of 70,000 people, all of whom made a continuous du’ā for you for 10 minutes, in the hope that at least one of them will be granted an answered du’ā.
So, what then, of 70,000 sinless angels doing the same for hours on end? This is precisely what happens when a Muslim visits the sick.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
ما من رجل يعود مريضاً ممسياً، إلا خرج معه سبعون ألف ملك يستغفرون له حتى يصبح، وكان له خريف في الجنّة، ومن أتاه مصبحاً خرج معه سبعون ألف ملك، يستغفرون له حتى يمسي، وكان له خريف في الجنة
“If a man visits an ill person in the evening, seventy thousand angels will join him, seeking forgiveness from Allah for him until the morning, and he will have a Khareef [9] in Paradise.
“And if a man visits an ill person in the morning, seventy thousand angels come along with him, seeking forgiveness from Allah for him until the evening, and he will have a Khareef in Paradise.” [10]
So, if we were to say that an ‘evening’ began at ‘Asr time, say 3pm, and you had visited the sick at 9am that morning, it means that the angels – seventy thousand of them – will have prayed for you non-stop for six consecutive hours.
Actions that cause an unspecified number of angels to pray for you
Fast whilst others eat
Some of the most memorable moments in the lives of young Muslims in the West was going to school in Ramadan, and distancing themselves during dinner time because they were fasting. They were truly character-building and identity-forming moments. But more was at play.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
إِنَّ الصَّائمَ تُصلِّي عَلَيْهِ المَلائِكَةُ إِذا أُكِلَ عِنْدَهُ حتَّى يَفْرَغُوا وَرُبَّما قَالَ:حَتَّى يَشْبَعُوا
“The angels keep praying for the fasting person when people eat in his presence, until they reach their fill.” [11]
In acknowledgement of your sacrifice, whether those eating are non-Muslims during Ramadan, or Muslims during a voluntary fast of yours, the angels beseech Allah for your forgiveness and mercy.
Compete for the first rows of prayer
To sit in the rear rows of a masjid whilst a gap in the front rows is available, is akin to seeing an unclaimed bag of treasure and not seizing it.
al-Barā Ibn ‘Āazib said,
كان رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – يأتي ناحية الصف ويسوي بين صدور القوم ومناكبهم ويقول: لا تختلفوا فتختلف قلوبكم ، إن الله وملائكته يصلون على الصفوف الأول
“The Prophet (ﷺ) used to approach one side of the rows (of prayer) and ensure that their chests and shoulders were aligned, and would say,
‘Do not fall out of line, otherwise your hearts will differ. Allah and His angels pray for the first rows.’” [12]
Stay put after prayer
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
المَلَائِكَةُ تُصَلِّي علَى أحَدِكُمْ ما دَامَ في مُصَلَّاهُ الذي صَلَّى فِيهِ، ما لَمْ يُحْدِثْ، تَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ له، اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْهُ
“The angels invoke blessings on any of you who remains sitting at the place where he says his prayers, so long as he remains in his place of prayer and does not break his Wudū. The angels say:
‘O Allah, forgive him; O Allah, have mercy on him.’” [8]
Whether your sitting is in waiting for the prayer to commence, or it is after the completion of the prayer, stay put for just five minutes, an hour, or until the next prayer.
Resist the impulse to get up at once. Break that cycle by sitting tight for any period of time, bring all of your sins to the forefront of your mind, and then relish the du’ā of the angels for the pardoning of those sins.
Send salutations upon the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
ما من عبد يصلي عليّ إلا صلتْ عليه الملائكة، ما دام يصلي عليّ، فليقلّ العبد من ذلك أو ليكثر
“There is no Muslim who sends peace and blessings upon me, but the angels will send peace and blessings upon him as long as he does so for me. So let a person do as little or as much of that as he wishes.” [13]
So, it’s a blank cheque that has already been signed! All you need to do is write out the payment you want.
Send ten Salawāt upon the Prophet (ﷺ), and the angels will offer you the same. Send one thousand, and they will do the same, and so on and so forth.
Teach people beneficial things
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
إن الله وملائكته وأهل السماوات والأرض حتى النملة في جحرها وحتى الحوت ليصلون على معلم الناس الخير
“Allah, His angels, along with the inhabitants of the Heavens [14] and the Earth, even the ant within its hole, and even the fish [15] pray for those who teach people goodness.” [16]
Reading this ḥādīth once is to do it grave injustice; Allah, His angels, and all creatures being in prayer or praise for the teacher of goodness warrants deep reflection. And more importantly, it propels the believer to teach any goodness that s/he may know.
- Teach new Muslims Surat al-Fatiha;
- Teach your children the short surahs;
- Gather a few of your friends to read an explanation of Imam Nawawi’s 40 aḥādīth;
- Prepare age-appropriate presentations on social constructs and Islam’s position on each;
- Share with people the Names of Allah and their impact;
- Teach via the Friday pulpit, your masjid’s facilities, the local community centre, your social media, your WhatsApp, friendship circles, family gatherings, and so on.
Anything that falls under the umbrella of khayr (goodness), teach whatever of it you can, wherever you can, whenever you can. And rake up the praise of Allah and du’ā of all creation.
Make peace with Allah
The Qur’ān has given good news to those who commit sins, that should they make an apology to Allah and turn a new leaf with Him, angels of the highest order – those carrying the Noble Throne of Allah – will make mention of you in their du’ā.
الَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ الْعَرْشَ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّهِمْ وَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ رَحْمَةً وَعِلْمًا فَاغْفِرْ لِلَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَاتَّبَعُوا سَبِيلَكَ وَقِهِمْ عَذَابَ الْجَحِيمِ
“Those angels who carry the Throne and those around it, glorify the praises of their Lord, have faith in Him, and seek forgiveness for the believers, praying:
‘Our Lord! You encompass everything in Your mercy and knowledge. So forgive those who repent and follow Your Way, and protect them from the torment of the Hellfire.’
َبَّنَا وَأَدْخِلْهُمْ جَنَّـٰتِ عَدْنٍ ٱلَّتِى وَعَدتَّهُمْ وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنْ ءَابَآئِهِمْ وَأَزْوَٰجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
‘Our Lord, and enter them to Gardens of perpetual residence which You have promised them, and whoever was righteous among their forefathers, their spouses, and their offspring. Indeed, you are the Almighty, All Wise.’
وَقِهِمُ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ ۚ وَمَن تَقِ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ فَقَدْ رَحِمْتَهُۥ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
‘And protect them from all sins: those You protect on that Day from sins will receive Your mercy, and that is the supreme success.'” [17]
You read that right; du’ā from angels nearest to Allah for not only your personal future, but for that of your parents, spouse, and children, on the one condition of your repentance.
Therefore, one who is true to his loved ones will not deprive them of this du’ā, by delaying his repentance.
In an age of scientism, we tend to not give due importance to those things that our senses do not perceive. One such example being the voices of angels.
Yet, unbeknownst to many, those unperceivable voices of du’ā have caused huge shifts in people’s lives; how many found themselves suddenly transitioning from disbelief to Islam, from the obsession with sins to the joy of worship, from mischievous behaviour to the behaviour of reformists, and from darkness to light?
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُصَلِّى عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتُهُۥ لِيُخْرِجَكُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ ۚ وَكَانَ بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيمًۭا
“It is He who sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of Darkness into Light…” [18]
The angels are on standby, waiting. Send them to work!
Source: Islam21c
Notes
[1] Tadhkira al-Sāmi’
[2] Sharh Sahīh al-Bukhārī
[3] al-Qur’ān, 42:5
[4] The narrations speak of “Salāh” that Allah or the angels will make for a person. So, what does “Salāh” mean in this context? Abu al-‘Ālia stated that the “Salāh” of Allah upon the believers is in reference to His praise of them to the angels. The “Salāh” of the angels upon the believers is in reference to their du’ā for the believers, whilst our “Salāh” upon Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is in reference to our du’ā that Allah bestows mercy upon him.
[5] al-Tabarāni, on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar
[7] Muslim, on the authority of Umm al-Dardā
[8] al-Bukhārī and Muslim, on the authority of Abu Hurayra
[9] In this context, kharīf means “piles of fruit already plucked”.
[10] Abu Dāwūd, on the authority of ‘Alī Ibn Abī Tālib
[11] al-Tirmidhi, on the authority of Umm ‘Umāra
[12] Ibn Khuzayma
[13] Ibn Mājah, on the authority of ‘Āmir ibn Rabī’a
[14] Including al-Hoor, the youth of everlasting youth of Paradise, the souls of prophets and martyrs, etc.
[15] I.e. both the largest and smallest of creatures pray for those who teach people goodness.
[16] al-Tirmidhi, on the authority of Abu Umāma al-Bāhili
[17] al-Qur’ān, 40:7-9
[18] al-Qur’ān, 33:43
1 Comment
A beautiful reminder, JazakAllahu khayrun.