Allah's Mercy

Imam Raazi rahmatullahi alayhi has written a story narrated by a pious person. The person narrated, �One evening I was walking along the riverbank, suddenly my eyes fell upon a scorpion walking in front of me. A thought occurred to me that this is also the Creation of Allah Ta�ala and Allah Ta�ala has created it out of some wisdom and reason. I did not know where it was coming from and where it was going to, or where its home was. I thought in my heart that I have got time; I have come out for a walk, so I will follow this scorpion. Therefore, I followed it. The scorpion stopped at one point on the riverbank and I stood near it. 

After a short while I saw a tortoise swimming towards the scorpion. To my surprise, the scorpion jumped on to the back of the tortoise and mounted itself on it. As this was an extraordinary occurrence, I was determined to see where the scorpion would go. I also tagged along to see what happens.

As this amazing incident unfolded before me, I thought to myself that this must be a very pious man. I approached him to request for duaas but was astonished to find him in a state of drunkenness. Just then the man woke up, and I narrated to him the incident that had just taken place. The man was very touched by what he heard and immediately repented. Allah's Mercy is always directed towards His bondsmen, only if we were to turn towards him.� 

rami wrote: As this amazing incident unfolded before me, I thought to myself that this must be a very pious man. I approached him to request for duaas

Asking a person to make du�aa� for you who you think will have his du�aa�s answered, either because of his righteousness or because he is going to a place where one hopes his du�aa�s will be answered, such as traveling or going for Hajj or �Umrah, etc., is OK in principle. But if there is the fear that something that is not right may result from it, such as the person who makes the request relying on the person whom he has asked, or always relying on other people with regard to matters in which he should call on his Lord, or there is the fear that the person of whom the request is made may become arrogant and think that he has reached such a level that people ask him to make du�aa� for them, then this is sufficient reason not to do this, because in this case it leads to something that is not right. If it does not lead to something that is not right, then in principle it is permissible, but still we say that it should not be done, because it was not the custom of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) to ask one another to make du�aa� for one another. The hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is reported to have said to �Umar, �Do not forget us in your du�aa�, O my brother� (reported by Abu Dawood, no. 1498, and al-Tirmidhi, no. 3557) is a weak hadeeth and there is no proof that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said this.

With regard to the fact that the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to make du�aa� for them, it is well-known that no one else can reach the level of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so when �Ukaashah ibn Muhsan asked him to pray that he would be one of those who would enter Paradise without being called to account or being punished, he said, �You will be one of them� (reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 6541; Muslim, no. 216, 218, 220), and when another man came and asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to ask Allaah to send them rain, he did so (reported by al-Bukhaari, no. 1013; Muslim, 897).

With regard to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) advising his companions to ask Uways al-Qurani to make du�aa� for them, this undoubtedly applied only in his case, and it is known that Uways was not on the same level as Abu Bakr or �Umar or �Uthmaan or �Ali, or other Sahaabah. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not tell anyone among his Sahaabah to ask anyone to make du�aa� for them.

To sum up, we can say: there is no sin in asking someone to make du�aa� for you that you hope will have his du�aa� answered, on the condition that this does not involve anything that is wrong, but it is better and more appropriate not to do this.

Liqa� al-Baab al-Maftooh by Ibn �Uthaymeen, 212 (www.islam-qa.com)

Salam to Rami,

Thank you for your post. The vision of the heart, is different from the vision of the mind. Allah (s.w.a.) gives wings to his lovers, but only gives two legs to his scholars (although some scholars are lovers of Allah (s.w.a) as well). Scholarship and Love are both neccessary, but one is deeper than the other.

I laugh to myself (no insult intended to anyone), when someone tries to analize with the mind a message that is meant for the heart. I have met Muslim brothers who believe that reading Rumi is haram because he talks about drinking wine. As for me, I understood the meaning of the story and enjoyed it.

Salam