By Sheikh Ali ibn Abdur-Rahman al-Huthaifi – 21 Rabiul Awwal 1437

His Eminence Sheikh Ali ibn Abdur-Rahman al-Huthaifi, may Allah preserve him, delivered the Friday khutbah entitled, “Supplication: Its Virtues, Etiquette, and Rulings,” a comprehensive khutbah in which he talked about supplication, briefly stating its virtues, benefits, etiquette, rulings, and conditions. He also talked about what is prohibited regarding supplication, such as turning in supplication to other than Allah, Exalted be He.

Praise be to Allah. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the earth and the heavens, the All-Hearer of Supplications; He starts with blessings and favours and removes adversities and afflictions. I praise my Lord and thank Him. I turn to Him in repentance and ask Him for forgiveness. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners, the Owner of Might and Majesty. I also bear witness that our prophet and master, Muhammad, is His servant and messenger, who was sent with the perfect, honourable religion. O Allah! Bestow Your prayers, peace, and blessings upon Your servant and messenger Muhammad and upon his family and Companions, who were foremost in doing all righteous deeds and whose endeavours will be thanked and rewarded by Allah.

Now then,
Fear Allah as He should be feared. He who holds on to the fear of Allah will be blessed with all good in this life and in the hereafter and he who turns away from it will suffer misery in all his affairs, even if the worldly life rushes upon him with all its glitter.

O Muslims!
Allah has decreed the means to all forms of good and happiness in this life and in the hereafter, just as He has decreed the means of misery in both abodes. Thus, if anyone uses the means of good and success, Allah will guarantee him a good life, and in the hereafter he will enjoy the best outcome and abide in gardens of bliss for ever, having earned the good pleasure of the Most Merciful Lord. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “Is there any reward for good other than good?” (Ar-Rahman: 60)

Conversely, he who uses the means of evil will reap nothing in this life and after his death except evil. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
“It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims), nor those of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof, and he will not find any protector or helper besides Allah.” (An-Nisa’: 123)

One of the means of achieving righteousness, amelioration, and success, receiving continuous blessings, averting calamities and afflictions, and removing misfortunes and distress is to pray to Allah with pure faith, sincerity, and insistence; for the Lord, Majesty and Glory be to Him, loves supplication and orders us to supplicate Him.

Supplication helps the servant patiently endure the calamities that have befallen him and avert the ones that have not befallen him yet. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “And your Lord said, ‘Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!’” (Ghafir: 60)

Supplication is worship itself. An-Nu’man ibn al-Bashir, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Supplication is worship.” (Reported by Abu-Dawud and at-Tirmidhi, who classified it as hasan sahih (good and authenticated)). Abu-Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Nothing is more honourable to Allah than supplication” (Reported by at-Tirmidhi and by al-Hakim, who said it has an authenticated chain of transmission).

Supplication is desired and recommended at all times. It is an act of worship for which the Lord grants the supplicant the greatest of rewards. It also serves to have all the needs fulfilled: private and public, religious and worldly, in this life and in the hereafter. Because of the great benefits of supplication, Allah, Exalted be He, has enjoined it in the obligatory, prescribed acts of worship as well as in recommended acts. Our Lord, Exalted be He, has only done this in His mercy and as a favour so that we may use this means which Allah has taught us. Had Allah not taught us supplication, we would not be guided to it by simply using our minds. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “… And you (believers in Allah and His Messenger Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him), were taught (through the Qur’an) that which neither you nor your fathers knew.” …” (Al-An’am: 91)

All bountiful, good, and blessed praise be to Allah, as much as our Lord loves and as much as would please Him.

The need for supplication is always pressing, particularly in this day and age, when trials have become widespread and have proliferated, devastating disasters have struck, afflictions have hit Muslims, and heretic groups have emerged, sowing the seeds of discord among Muslims, legalizing the taking of protected lives and property, opposing knowledge and scholars, and issuing fatwas (legal opinions) based on ignorance and misguidance.

In our time, when the enemies of Islam have colluded against it and have plotted against the faithful, when weakness, discord, and differences have spread among Muslims, and when harm has affected every Muslim individual who has been unjustly driven out of his home suffering misery and adversity and feeling that the earth, vast as it is, was straitened for him, the need for supplication becomes all the more urgent, particularly under these difficult conditions, in which Muslims in countries where sedition has broken out suffer a great deal.

Allah, Might and Majesty be to Him, has praised those who call upon Him and supplicate him when they are afflicted with calamities and hardships. Allah, Exalted be He, says about Adam and Eve, the parents of all humankind, peace and blessings be upon them: “They said: “Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers.” (Al-A’raf: 23)

Allah, Exalted be He, also says:
“And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirun (the patient), Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.” They are those on whom are the Salawat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones.” (Al-Baqarah: 155-157)

Allah, Exalted be He, said about Prophet Yunus (Jonah), peace be upon him:
“… But he cried through the darkness (saying): “La ilaha illa Anta (none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah)), Glorified (and Exalted) are You (above all that (evil) they associate with You). Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers.” (Al-Anbiya’: 87)

Sa‘d ibn Abi-Waqqas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “No Muslim man calls upon Allah with the supplication of Dhun-Nun (Prophet Yunus) when he supplicated Allah while in the belly of the whale but Allah will answer his call” (Reported by Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, and al-Hakim, who said, “It has an authenticated chain of transmission”).

When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, invited the Thaqif tribe to Islam, they rejected his invitation and pelted him with stones so much so that his heels started bleeding. Then he supplicated his Lord, saying: “O Allah! To You I complain of my weakness, lack of ability, and lowliness before men. O Most Merciful of the merciful! To whom will you confide me? To a stranger who frowns upon me, or to an enemy to whom you have given power over me? If You are not angry with me, I care not; but Your pardon is the best thing for me. I take refuge in the light of Your Countenance which dissipates darkness and sets right the affairs of this world and the next, for fear that your wrath descends upon me or Your displeasure overtakes me. It is You to be satisfied until you are well pleased. There is neither power nor might except with You.

Thus, if people cannot possibly avert hardships and afflictions, they should confront them with supplication. Thawban, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Nothing averts the Divine Decree but supplication and nothing extends one’s life span but righteousness. Indeed, a man can be deprived of provision because of a sin that he has committed” (Reported by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and by al-Hakim, who said it has an authenticated chain of transmission).

Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, also narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Supplication helps the servant endure the calamities that have befallen him and avert the ones that have not befallen him yet. Therefore, O servants of Allah, hold fast to supplication” (Reported by at-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim). Abu-Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Allah, Exalted be He, says, ‘I am just as My servant thinks of me and I am with My servant when he calls upon Me” (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim). When Allah is with the servant who supplicates Him, this is alone the greatest reward and favour that the servant can have.

Allah also dispraises those who forsake supplications when calamities strike and when they are afflicted with trials and tribulations. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “And indeed We seized them with punishment, but they humbled not themselves to their Lord, nor did they invoke (Allah) with submission to Him.” (Al-Mu’minun: 76)

Allah, Might and Majesty be to Him, also says:
“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you (O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)). And We seized them with extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss in health (with calamities) so that they might humble themselves (believe with humility). When Our Torment reached them, why then did they not humble themselves (believe with humility)? But their hearts became hardened, and Shaitan (Satan) made fair-seeming to them that which they used to do.” (Al-An‘am: 42-43)

Allah, Exalted be He, also says:
“And We sent no Prophet to any town (and they denied him), but We seized its people with suffering from extreme poverty (or loss in wealth) and loss of health and calamities, so that they might humiliate themselves (and repent to Allah).” (Al-A‘raf: 94)

Leaving supplications in times of afflictions is tantamount to insistence on committing sins and disregarding Allah’s severe punishment. Allah, Glorified be He, says: “Verily, (O Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him)) the Seizure (punishment) of your Lord is severe and painful.” (Al-Buruj: 12)

Indeed, supplications are a great means for good and blessings to descend on the supplicant and help him avert evil and harm. They also constitute the greatest means to get rid of the evil that has taken place and the distress that has struck. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “And (remember) Ayyub (Job), when he cried to his Lord: “Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy.” So We answered his call, and We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his family to him (that he had lost), and the like thereof along with them as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all who worship Us.” (Al-Anbiya’: 83-84)

Allah, Exalted be He, also says:
“Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil …” (An-Naml: 62)
This means, none can do this but Allah, Exalted be He.

Allah, Glorified be He, also says,
“Say (O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)): “Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and the sea (dangers like storms), (when) you call upon Him in humility and in secret (saying): ‘If He (Allah) only saves us from this (danger), we shall truly be grateful.’” (Al-An‘am: 63)

A Muslim should beseech Allah to set right all his affairs. He ought to turn to his Lord about all his needs and ask Him for everything. The greatest thing he can ask of Him is to admit him into Paradise and save him from Hellfire. Allah, Exalted be He, says in the Holy Hadith: “O My servants! All of you will go astray except for those whom I guide. So ask Me for guidance, and I shall guide you. O My servants! All of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so ask Me for food and I shall feed you. O My servants! All of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so ask Me for clothing and I shall clothe you. O My servants! You err by day and by night, and I forgive all sins, so ask Me for forgiveness and I shall forgive you.” (Reported by Muslim on the authority of Abu-Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him).

This means, “Ask Me for guidance, food, clothing, and forgiveness.” O Allah! Grant us guidance, food, clothing, and forgiveness, O Most Merciful of all the merciful!

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “Let each one of you ask his Lord for his every need, even if it be straps for your sandals and salt for your food.”

Many a supplication has changed the course of history from evil to good and from good to better. Allah, Exalted be He, tells us that our forefather Ibrahim (Prophet Abraham), peace and blessings be upon him, supplicated Him, saying: “Our Lord! And send amongst them a Messenger of their own (and indeed Allah answered their invocation by sending Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him), who shall recite unto them Your Verses and instruct them in the Book (this Qur’an) and Al-Hikmah (full knowledge of the Islamic laws and jurisprudence or wisdom or Prophet’s Sunnah – legal ways), and purify them. Verily! You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” (Al-Baqarah: 129)

Abu-Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
I once said, “O Messenger of Allah! What were the first glad tidings of your coming?” He said, “The prayer of my forefather Ibrahim, and the glad tidings given to ‘Isa (Jesus). My mother saw in a vision that a light issued from her and lit the palaces in Syria. The mothers of all Prophets see visions that come true.” (Reported by Ahmad)

Muslims are in perpetual good because of this supplication, and the entire earth has also benefited from this blessed supplication. The supplication of Nuh (Prophet Noah), peace and blessings be upon him, was a source of goodness and a means of deliverance for the monotheistic believers, while it was a source of evil and destruction for those who associate partners with Allah. The supplication of Jesus, peace and blessings be upon him, who will be besieged at Mountain Tur, along with his companions towards the end of times, will bring about victory to Muslims and cause the destruction of Gog and Magog – the most wicked of all creation and the most corrupt, the most despotic and the most arrogant – who will swarm the earth like locusts.

An-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
[After ‘Isa, peace and blessings be upon him, kills the False Messiah, who will cause a great deal of mischief on earth] … Allah will reveal to ‘Isa, peace and blessings be upon him, these words: “I have brought forth from amongst my slaves such people against whom none will be able to fight, so take these people safely to Mountain Tur. Then Allah will send Gog and Magog and they will swarm down from every slope. The first of them will pass by the Lake Tabariyah (near the Dead Sea in Palestine) and drink all its water. When the last of them passes, he will say, “There was once water here.” The Prophet of Allah, ‘Isa, peace and blessings be upon him, and his companions will be besieged by the mountain, such that the head of a bull will be dearer to them than one hundred dinars are to you today. The Prophet of Allah, ‘Isa, peace and blessings be upon him, and his companions, will turn to Allah, Might and Majesty be to Him, and supplicate Him, and then He will send insects which will attack their enemies’ necks until they all perish like a single person. The Prophet of Allah, ‘Isa, peace and blessings be upon him, and his companions will then come down and they will not find in the earth as much space as a single span which would not be filled with their corpses and their stench. Prophet ‘Isa and his companions will then again beseech Allah, Who will send birds whose necks will be like those of camels, and they will carry them and throw them where Allah wills. (Reported by Muslim)

The supplication of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, the best of all mankind, and his companions during the Battle of Badr brought about victory for Islam forever and defeat for disbelief forever. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you (saying): “I will help you with a thousand of the angels each behind the other (following one another) in succession.” (Al-Anfal: 9)

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prayed so hard during the Battle of Badr until his cloak slipped down from his shoulders. Abu-Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, picked up his cloak and put it on his shoulders. Then he said to him, “You have prayed enough to your Lord, O Messenger of Allah! He will surely fulfil His promise to you.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Have glad tidings, Abu-Bakr! Here’s Jibril, peace be upon him, leading the angels, and riding in a cloud of dust!” The angels had never fought along with a prophet before the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. He was granted such a favour due to his distinction and superiority, and also due to his strong faith, his trust in Allah, and the sincerity of his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.

Supplicating Allah to make the truth prevail and to vanquish falsehood testifies to sincerity to Allah, His Book, His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folks. A person who abandons supplications is actually one who has lost his portion of good in this life and in the hereafter and neglected his duties towards Islam and Muslims. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “Whoever has no concern for the affairs of Muslims is not one of them.”

If we tried to list the good effects, blessings, and wondrous good consequences of supplications, we would take a very long time. However, the virtues we have mentioned above should suffice.

Supplications have certain conditions and good manners. One of the conditions of supplication is to consume lawful food and wear lawful clothing. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, once said to Sa‘d ibn Abi-Waqqas, “O Sa‘d! Let your food be lawful, and your supplication will be granted.” Another condition is to adhere to the Prophet’s Sunnah and show obedience to Allah by complying with His orders and avoiding what He has prohibited. If anyone responds to Allah’s call, Allah will certainly answer his supplication:

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him)) 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). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.” (Al-Baqarah: 186)

Allah, Exalted be He, also says:
“And He answers (the invocation of) those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and gives them increase of His Bounty …” (Ash-Shura: 26)

An oppressed person’s supplication would be answered even if he was a disbeliever or an innovator.

Some of the conditions necessary for supplication are sincerity, submissiveness to Allah, perseverance, and truthfully turning to the Lord, Exalted be He. Allah, Glorified be He, says: “So, call you (O Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allah making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allah’s sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship), however much the disbelievers (in the Oneness of Allah) may hate (it).” (Ghafir: 14)

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “Allah does not accept supplication from a heedless, oblivious, negligent heart.”

Other conditions necessary for supplication include that the person who utters a supplication should not supplicate for committing a sin or severing one of the ties of kinship. In addition, he should not transgress in supplication.

The reasons for answering supplication include praising Allah, Exalted be He, with His Beautiful Names and Lofty Attributes and asking Allah to bestow His peace and blessings upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. It is narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, once heard a man saying, “O Allah, I ask You, bearing witness that there is no god but You, the One, Self-Sufficient Master, Who beget not, nor were You begotten, and to Whom none is coequal or comparable.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to the man, “You have supplicated Allah using His Greatest Name, with which He gives when He is asked and answers when He is supplicated” (Reported by Abu-Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, who said it has a good chain of transmission, ibn Majah, ibn Hibban, and al-Hakim, on the authority of Buraidah, may Allah be pleased with him).

Fudalah ibn ‘Ubaid, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
While the Messenger of Allah was sitting down, a man entered the mosque and prayed, then said, “O Allah, forgive me and have mercy on me.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon, said, “You have rushed, O praying person. When you finish prayers and sit, then praise Allah with what He is deserving of, and ask Allah to bestow His peace and blessings upon me, and then supplicate Him.” (Reported by Ahmad, Abu-Dawud, and at-Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hasan Sahih (good and authenticated))

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “Indeed, supplication is suspended between the heavens and the earth and is not raised up until one asks Allah to bestow His peace and blessings upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.”

One of the rules of good manners of supplication and conditions for its acceptance is not to rush for answer, but rather to be patient and continuously supplicate Allah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The invocation of anyone of you is granted (by Allah) unless he shows impatience, by saying, ‘I invoked Allah but my invocation has not been granted’” (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu-Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him).

Maintaining supplication leads to answering it. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “No Muslim supplicates Allah, Exalted be He, but Allah will grant his request, keep it for him in the hereafter, or keep harm away from him that is commensurate with his supplication, unless he supplicates for committing a sin or severing ties of kinship.” A man said, “O Messenger of Allah! Then we should supplicate more.” He replied, “Allah’s bounties are even more” (Reported by at-Tirmidhi, who classified it as hasan sahih (good and authenticated); also reported by al-Hakim, on the authority of Abu-Sa‘id al-Khudri, and added to it “… or save for him the like of it”).

A Muslim should seek the times in which supplications are most likely to be answered. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was once asked, “What are the times in which supplications are most likely to be answered?” He said, “During the last part of the night and at the end of the obligatory prayers” (Reported by at-Tirmidhi, who classified it as having a good chain of transmission, on the authority of Abu-Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “Our Lord descends to the near heavens in the last third of the night and says, “Is there a supplicant so that I may answer his supplication? Is there someone asking for a need so that I may give him what he asks for? Is there someone seeking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?” (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu-Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him). Supplication is not rejected between adhan (the first call to prayer) and iqamah (the immediate call to prayer). In addition, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The servant is closest to his Lord when he is prostrating himself to Him, so increase your supplication to Allah while you are prostrating to Him” (Reported by Muslim on the authority of Abu-Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him). Supplication is also answered when seeing the Ka‘bah (the Sacred Mosque in Makkah), at the time of rain, when one is in desperate need, after completing the recitation of the Qur’an, and after giving charity.

How great are the bliss, success, and reward of the one who devotes his heart to Allah, Exalted be He! He invokes Allah, pleads to Him, trusts in Him, seeks His help, and perseveringly supplicates Him. And how miserable is the one who addresses mausoleums, graves, and dead people, or seeks the help of prophets, peace and blessings be upon them, or the righteous people, or supplicates them rather than Allah, or asks an angel or a prophet for his needs! Prophets, peace and blessings be upon them, came to call on people to supplicate and worship Allah alone. As for auliya’ (Allah’s believing servants who love Him and obey Him much), we are commanded to act like them, love them, and take them as role models, not to invoke them. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “And the mosques are for Allah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allah.” (Al-Jinn: 18)

Allah, Exalted be He, also says: “Say (O Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him): “I invoke only my Lord (Allah Alone), and I associate none as partners along with Him.” (Al-Jin: 20)

The absent or the dead do not answer supplication, for none is capable of answering it except Allah, Might and Majesty be to Him, Allah, Glorified be He, says: “For Him (Allah, Alone) is the Word of Truth (i.e. none has the right to be worshipped but Allah). And those whom they (polytheists and disbelievers) invoke, answer them no more than one who stretches forth his hand (at the edge of a deep well) for water to reach his mouth, but it reaches him not; and the invocation of the disbelievers is nothing but an error (i.e. of no use).” (Ar-Ra‘d: 14)

Allah, Exalted be He, also says: “And who is more astray than one who calls on (invokes), besides Allah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to them? And when mankind are gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they (false deities) will become their enemies and will deny their worshipping.)” (Al-Ahqaf: 5-6)

Relating to His Own actions and planning, Allah, Glorified be He, says:
“He merges the night into the day (i.e. the decrease in the hours of the night is added to the hours of the day), and He merges the day into the night (i.e. the decrease in the hours of the day is added to the hours of the night). And He has subjected the sun and the moon: each runs its course for a term appointed. Such is Allah your Lord; His is the kingdom. And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmir (the thin membrane over the datestone). If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call, and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)) like Him Who is the Well-Acquainted (with everything).” (Fatir: 13-14)

Allah has not permitted anyone to be invoked other than Him no matter how close that person is to Him. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
” … But the Messiah [‘Isa (Jesus)] said: “O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong­doers) there are no helpers.” (Al-Ma’idah: 72)

Allah, Glorified be He, also says, “Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets for lords (gods). Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allah’s Will?” (Al ‘Imran: 80)

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “Whoever dies while assigning a rival to Allah will enter Hellfire” (Reported by at-Bukhari on the authority of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him).

O Muslim!
The Book of Allah, and the hadiths of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, show that supplication is worship, and is confined to Allah alone, Might and Majesty be to Him, and it is His right over all servants. It is addressed to Allah Alone. Hence, whoever associates someone with Allah in supplication is involved in greater shirk. No one should imitate another in misguidance and shirk, for no man was involved in shirk and disbelief except through imitation and following in the footsteps of those who have gone astray and have associated partners with Allah. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“Is that (Paradise) better entertainment or the tree of Zaqqum (a horrible tree in Hell)? Truly We have made it (as) a trail for the Zalimun (polytheists, disbelievers, wrong-doers). Verily, it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell-fire, the shoots of its fruit stalks are like the heads of Shayatin (devils). Truly, they will eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith. Then on the top of that they will be given boiling water to drink so that it becomes a mixture (of boiling water and Zaqqum in their bellies). Then thereafter, verily, their return is to the flaming fire of Hell. Verily, they found their fathers on the wrong path; so they (too) hastened in their footsteps!” (As-Saffat: 62-70)

Allah, Exalted be He, says:
“Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors. And do not do mischief on the earth, after it has been set in order, and invoke Him with fear and hope; Surely, Allah’s Mercy is (ever) near unto the good-doers.” (Al-A’raf: 55-56)

May Allah bless you and me with the Great Qur’an and make us benefit from its verses and wise words and benefit from the guidance and right sayings of the Imam of all Messengers. I have said what you have heard and I ask forgiveness of Allah for myself, for you, and for all Muslims for any sin we have committed. Ask Allah for forgiveness. He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.