Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (10/713)

Majmu' al-FatawaIbn Taimiya

the words “Guide us to the straight path,” and the supplications he offers at the end of the prayer, such as the supplication the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed his Companions to offer, saying:

“When one of you sits during the prayer, let him seek refuge in Allah from four things: the punishment of Hell, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death, and the trial of the False Messiah.”

This is a supplication the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded them to offer at the end of their prayers. The Muslim community has unanimously agreed that it is prescribed and that Allah and His Messenger love and approve of it, though they have differed over whether it is obligatory. Tāwūs and a group of scholars held it to be obligatory, and this is also one position within the school of Ahmad, may Allah be pleased with him. Most scholars, however, held it to be recommended.

The supplications the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to offer are either obligatory or recommended. Allah loves and approves of both what is obligatory and what is recommended. Whoever does either, Allah is pleased with him and grants him contentment. Can abandoning what He loves and approves of, then, be a form of contentment?

“Another kind of supplication” is forbidden, such as transgressing the bounds in supplication. An example is a man asking for something inappropriate for him that is exclusive to the prophets, although he is not a prophet; it may even be something exclusive to the Lord, glorified and exalted is He. For example, he might ask for al-Wasīlah (a rank in Paradise) for himself, although it befits only one of Allah’s servants; or ask Allah Most High to make him all-knowing or all-powerful, or to remove every veil that prevents him from beholding unseen matters, and similar requests.

Another example is someone who supplicates to Him under the impression that He needs His servants and that they can harm or benefit Him. He therefore asks Him to perform a particular act, and states that if He does not do so

قَوْلِهِ {اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ} وَمِثْلَ دُعَائِهِ فِي آخِرِ الصَّلَاةِ كَالدُّعَاءِ الَّذِي كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَأْمُرُ بِهِ أَصْحَابَهُ فَقَالَ: {إذَا قَعَدَ أَحَدُكُمْ فِي الصَّلَاةِ فَلْيَسْتَعِذْ بِاَللَّهِ مِنْ أَرْبَعٍ: مِنْ عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ وَعَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَفِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ وَفِتْنَةِ الْمَسِيحِ الدَّجَّالِ} . فَهَذَا دُعَاءٌ أَمَرَهُمْ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يَدْعُوا بِهِ فِي آخِرِ صَلَاتِهِمْ. وَقَدْ اتَّفَقَتْ الْأُمَّةُ عَلَى أَنَّهُ مَشْرُوعٌ يُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَيَرْضَاهُ وَتَنَازَعُوا فِي وُجُوبِهِ. فَأَوْجَبَهُ طَاوُوسٌ وَطَائِفَةٌ وَهُوَ قَوْلٌ فِي مَذْهَبِ أَحْمَد رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَالْأَكْثَرُونَ قَالُوا: هَذَا مُسْتَحَبٌّ وَالْأَدْعِيَةُ الَّتِي كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَدْعُو بِهَا: لَا تَخْرُجُ عَنْ أَنْ تَكُونَ وَاجِبَةً أَوْ مُسْتَحَبَّةً وَكُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ الْوَاجِبِ وَالْمُسْتَحَبِّ يُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَيَرْضَاهُ. وَمَنْ فَعَلَهُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَأَرْضَاهُ فَهَلْ يَكُونُ مِنْ الرِّضَا تَرْكُ مَا يُحِبُّهُ وَيَرْضَاهُ. وَ " نَوْعٌ مِنْ الدُّعَاءِ " يَنْهَى عَنْهُ: كَالِاعْتِدَاءِ مِثْلَ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ الرَّجُلُ مَا لَا يَصْلُحُ مِنْ خَصَائِصِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَلَيْسَ هُوَ بِنَبِيِّ وَرُبَّمَا هُوَ مِنْ خَصَائِصِ الرَّبِّ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى. مِثْلَ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ لِنَفْسِهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ الَّتِي لَا تَصْلُحُ إلَّا لِعَبْدِ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ أَوْ يَسْأَلَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى أَنْ يَجْعَلَهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا أَوْ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرًا وَأَنْ يَرْفَعَ عَنْهُ كُلَّ حِجَابٍ يَمْنَعُهُ مِنْ مُطَالَعَةِ الْغُيُوبِ. وَأَمْثَالِ ذَلِكَ أَوْ مِثْلَ مَنْ يَدْعُوهُ ظَانًّا أَنَّهُ مُحْتَاجٌ إلَى عِبَادِهِ؛ وَأَنَّهُمْ يَبْلُغُونَ ضَرَّهُ وَنَفْعَهُ فَيَطْلُبُ مِنْهُ ذَلِكَ الْفِعْلَ. وَيَذْكُرُ أَنَّهُ إذَا لَمْ يَفْعَلْهُ