The Reality of Wazā'if

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#1 [Permalink] Posted on 20th June 2019 16:10

Hadrat Mawlana Muhammad Saleem Dhorat hafizahullah

When struck by an illness, difficulty or calamity, it is natural for us to try our best to relieve ourselves of it. Allāh ta'ālā, being our Creator, is well aware of this, and consequently He has not only permitted, but also encouraged us to adopt means that help us to remove the difficulty we find ourselves in. However, due to our limited understanding and knowledge we do not adopt the correct means, or if we do, then we do not adopt them suitably.

There are two types of means that we can utilise to help us at a time of difficulty: spiritual and worldly. From these, we should always adopt spiritual resources first. Adopting spiritual resources means turning to Allāh ta'ālā. This in itself further comprises two parts: the first is to assess our lives and see where we are faltering in our obedience to Allāh ta'ālā; having realised this, we should strive towards rectification through tawbah and istighfār. The second part is to make du'ā to Allāh ta'ālā and ask Him to fulfil our needs and remove the difficulty.

After this, we should adopt suitable and permissible worldly resources. Those who are ill should take advice from an experienced and qualified doctor and follow his advice. Those involved in a court case should seek help from an experienced lawyer. However, we must ensure that in adopting worldly resources we do not do anything contrary to the Pleasure of the Creator.
Common Mistakes

After understanding the correct procedure to follow when trying to remove difficulties, let us now look at some common mistakes made in this regard.

Those Muslims who do not follow the Sharī'ah do not adopt spiritual resources at all. Their attention is entirely on worldly resources. We must remember that these means will only prove beneficial if Allāh ta'ālā wills. Therefore, without turning to Allāh ta'ālā there is no guarantee of success.

Those who, to some degree, do follow the injunctions of the Sharī'ah, adopt spiritual resources, but do so according to their own limited understanding. A common mistake is giving too much importance to wazā'if. (Wazā'if refers to the recitation of certain verse(s), name(s) of Allāh ta'ālā etc. a certain number of times to fulfil a particular need.)

Too much attention on wazā'if can lead people to overlook the importance given to du'ā by our Sharī'ah, and as a result, it is not valued as it should be. Du'ā is considered to be something 'common', 'ordinary' and 'simple'. And because wazā'if have special quantities, prerequisites etc. attached, they appear as something special. As a result, people are more inclined towards wazā'if than they are to du'ā, whereas in reality, du'ā is the key to solving our problems.

Even though wazā'if can be of benefit, there is a very big difference between them and du'ā. Du'ā will be counted as an 'ibādah, even if it be for a worldly item, such as a job, good health or passing a driving test. However, as far as wazā'if are concerned, their recitation will not be rewarded as they are not classed as ibādah.

Another distinction is that while making du'ā we rely solely on Allāh ta'ālā, aware that it is only Allāh ta'ālā who in reality can help us, solve our problems and remove our difficulties. With wazā'if, our attention diverts towards the 'power' of the wazā'if.
The Reality of Wazā'if

In essence, it is only Allāh ta'ālā who removes difficulties, and du'ā is to ask Allāh ta'ālā to do just that. What chance is there of attracting the Help of Allāh ta'ālā through wazā'if if the person reciting them does not have any connection with Him?

Once a person came to Shaykh Ya'qūb Majaddidi rahimahullāh and asked him to explain the reality of wazā'if. The Shaykh did not give him a direct answer, but instead explained through an example, making use of a police officer who was present nearby.

The Shaykh asked, "If you were to say to this policeman, 'You are fired!' What will happen?" The person replied, "Nothing, it will have no impact whatsoever." The Shaykh then asked, "What if you were to repeat the sentence a hundred times?" The reply was the same. The Shaykh further asked, "What if you were to sit with a tasbīh (prayer beads) and repeat it a thousand times?" Again he gave the same reply, that it would make no difference whatsoever. The Shaykh then asked him how he could fire the policeman. The person explained that he would need to join the police force and work hard until he became the policeman's superior. Then just saying 'You are fired' once would be enough to have him removed. The Shaykh then explained that this is the same case with wazā'if.

If a person were to recite a certain verse, name of Allāh ta'ālā etc. a thousand times, it will have no effect until and unless the person acquires a position in Allāh's S eyes and becomes beloved to Him. Once he does so, he will just have to make du'ā once and Allāh ta'ālā will accept it.

Rasūlullāh sallallāhu 'alayhi wasallam has said:

"There are many who are dishevelled, covered in dust, turned away from people's doors, who, if they were to take an oath by Allāh, Allāh ta'ālā would surely carry it out." (Muslim)

"(When my servant becomes my beloved) and he asks from me, I will grant him." (Al-Bukhārī)

Turning To Allāh ta'ālā Completely

There are many who do turn to Allāh ta'ālā and engage in du'ā, but do not realise that there are certain obstacles that prevent the du'ā from being accepted. One major obstacle is disobedience to Allāh ta'ālā; therefore, we need to turn to Allāh ta'ālā completely, after making a full assessment of our lives.

For example, someone neglectful of Salāh needs to become punctual with Salāh; someone involved in a particular sin needs to stop that sin immediately and repent. This is because it is very possible that the difficulty afflicting us is due to a sin we are committing, and du'ā will not bear fruit if the cause of the difficulty remains. Therefore, repenting from sin and changing one's life for the better is also a necessity for the acceptance of du'ā.
Allāh ta'ālā's Will

If after adopting all these means, the difficulty is still not removed, then we should remember that Allāh ta'ālā is Al-Hakīm (The Most Wise) and Al-Hākim (The Supreme Ruler). It is very possible that Allāh ta'ālā has something better in mind for us. While wishing for the difficulty to be removed, we may be unaware of the benefits hidden in it. However, Allāh's S knowledge is complete and He knows what is better for us in the long term. Therefore, if a difficulty remains then we should remain content and happy with Allāh's S decision.

From the Ahādīth we learn that the du'ās of a believer are invariably accepted (provided their requisites have been fulfilled), but their acceptance is manifested in either of the following three ways: a) sometimes Allāh immediately answers them and blesses the seeker with what was asked for; b) sometimes He substitutes what was asked for with something that in His Knowledge is better for the seeker; c) alternatively, through the blessings of the du'ā, He removes an impending calamity that was to befall the seeker.

At times, none of the above is the case, and instead the du'ā is saved for the hereafter. Such unanswered du'ās will bear so much reward in the hereafter that the seeker will wish that none of his du'ās had been accepted in the world.

(Kanz-ul-'Ummāl)

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#2 [Permalink] Posted on 20th June 2019 16:18

Assalaamu 'alaykum
This article and the following points are posted to create awareness regarding resorting to Wazaaif in times of difficulties, illness etc. with more emphasis on them rather than the Nabawi prescriptions. After a close family member was diagnosed with a major illness people suggested various Wazaaif due to their concern and affection however due to some reservation we consulted Scholars. The advises are being shared below:

1 We were advised to read this article which explains everything very concisely yet with great depth

2 The Nabawi prescriptions are the best which include:

- a lot of Istighfaar
- a lot of Durood upon our Nabi sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam
- Verse 173 of Surah Aali 'Imraan abundantly - "Hasbunallaah‎u wa ni'mal wakeel"
- Verse 87 of Surah Ambiyaa abundantly - "Laailaaha illaa anta subhaanaka innee kuntu minadh dhaalimeen" -
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِين

- Aisha reported: When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would lie down for sleep, he would blow
into his hands, recite the two chapters of refuge, Surat al-Falaq and al-Nas, and he would wipe his hands over his body.
(Bukhari)

- “It is reported in the Sunan of Abu Dawud and Ibn Maajah from Asmaa’ bint ‘Umays (radhiya Allahu ‘anhaa) that she said,
‘Rasulullah (‘Sallallahu ‘alayhi wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sallam) said to me, “Shall I teach you some words that you should say at
the time of كرب Karb or in Karb (heartache, distress, gloom)? Say:

‏أَللَّهُ ‏ ‏أَللَّهُ رَبِّي لَا أُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا “Allahu Allahu Rabbi Laa Ushriku Bihi Shai’a”

- Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that whenever the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him, was faced with a serious difficulty, he would raise his head to the sky and supplicate, “Subhan-Allah al-’Azim (glory be
to Allah, the Mighty).” And when he implored seriously and strongly, he would say, “Ya Hayyu, Ya Qayyum (O the Living, the
Eternal One).” (Tirmidhi)

Du'a requested...

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#3 [Permalink] Posted on 20th June 2019 18:36

ummi taalib wrote:

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This has me confused...Wazaif is Zikr so if a person is reciting Wazaif would they not get reward for Zikr?

Is'nt doing Zikr a form of Ibaadah?

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#4 [Permalink] Posted on 20th June 2019 19:25

Abdur Rahman ibn Awf wrote:

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According to the article and the way I've understood it, it refers to "(the recitation of certain verse(s), name(s) of Allāh ta'ālā etc. a certain number of times to fulfil a particular need.) with a lot emphasis on the wazeefah itself as in the case of making use of a ta'weedh

The following paragraphs from the article made a great impact on me:

Quote:

Too much attention on wazā'if can lead people to overlook the importance given to du'ā by our Sharī'ah, and as a result, it is not valued as it should be. Du'ā is considered to be something 'common', 'ordinary' and 'simple'. And because wazā'if have special quantities, prerequisites etc. attached, they appear as something special. As a result, people are more inclined towards wazā'if than they are to du'ā, whereas in reality, du'ā is the key to solving our problems.

Even though wazā'if can be of benefit, there is a very big difference between them and du'ā. Du'ā will be counted as an 'ibādah, even if it be for a worldly item, such as a job, good health or passing a driving test. However, as far as wazā'if are concerned, their recitation will not be rewarded as they are not classed as ibādah.

Another distinction is that while making du'ā we rely solely on Allāh ta'ālā, aware that it is only Allāh ta'ālā who in reality can help us, solve our problems and remove our difficulties. With wazā'if, our attention diverts towards the 'power' of the wazā'if.

and this one;

Quote:

If a person were to recite a certain verse, name of Allāh ta'ālā etc. a thousand times, it will have no effect until and unless the person acquires a position in Allāh's S eyes and becomes beloved to Him. Once he does so, he will just have to make du'ā once and Allāh ta'ālā will accept it.

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#5 [Permalink] Posted on 20th June 2019 19:53

Abdur Rahman ibn Awf wrote:

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True,that confused me too !

Allah swt tells us that HE swt has got beautiful names,and we should call upon him through them.Wazifa is,in reality, dua.We call upon Allah swt through his Asma al husna,choosing a particular name,attatched to an attribute of Allah swt,and we want to benefit from it.

It is like,if we want to ask someone for money or food,we keep calling him “O,generous one’ (یا وھاب) again and again,that automatically means we want to benefit from his generosity. Dua means ‘Asking Allah for favours’ and one way of doing it is using Asma e husna.It is dua plus Zikr,and i dont see any reason why one would not be rewarded for it.

I don,t know if any Momin will consider the blessed names of Allah swt as a ‘Mantra’ نعوذ باللہ having magical powers of their own. We believe the blessed names have spiritual barakah only because those are the names of Allah swt.The barakah in the name comes from the person who has got the name. The name of the king represents the king,as is said in urdu :
فلاں بادشاہ کا نام حکومت کرتا ہے

In any case,asking directly or indirectly through reciting his blessed names,it is still dua.

Having said that,i agree with the sister,that too many strings attached to wazifa,considering recitation in a certain number as mandatory etc are over the top and may have no value.

As for becoming so favourite by adhering strictly to obedience,so that one,s dua is readily accepted,who can dispute that ? But Allah swt,because of his great mercy,has not prohibited ordinary people from making dua,and obviously not everyone can reach such high stations,so inshaAllah their humble dua will be accepted along with their weaknesses...Allah karim

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#6 [Permalink] Posted on 20th June 2019 20:35

ALIF wrote:

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Well I recently heard a Barevli Shaykh mention in an Urdu talk...Whilst citing the benefits of (La Hawala Wala Quwwata Illah Billah.) .... " Those of you who obsessively recite the awrads given to you by Jahil Babas, Peers, and Jahil Amils. Should instead try reciting the awrads given by the Prophet (saw)

and La Hawla Wala Quwwattah Billah, is one such Zikr with numerous blessings.."

Maybe thats what the above article meant people trying all kinds awrads recommended by peers...Whilst neglecting the Sunnah duas and Azkaars. The greater khayr and Barakah is in sunnah.

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#7 [Permalink] Posted on 21st June 2019 00:53

Abdur Rahman ibn Awf wrote:

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That is true sir,the article is good and beneficial.It was only the point about dua....

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#8 [Permalink] Posted on 21st June 2019 08:21

Abdur Rahman ibn Awf wrote:

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At first, I thought the topic is going to encourage wazaa'if, but Alhumdulillah it turned out to be better.

I also thought the sentence of not receiving any rewards for such actions was a bit questionable.

But the reality is, people rely more in this than on the actual origin and correct methods laid out for us in the Deen.

There are procedures for attaining the goals or for practicing certain ibaadah.

Some people offer Salah and achieve their objective and are rewarded. Some people might try to overdo things and in addition, they might want to do the dervish dance.

Eventually the dervish dance takes priority and Salah no longer holds its value.

These wazaa'if are mostly based upon an individual's experience/experiment and not backed by authentic narrations.

Hence the possibility of no reward!

We might still argue that there must be some sort of reward for each of the letters recited etc etc. There probably is but the reality is:

Innamal a’amaalu binniyaat
عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ، – رضى الله عنه – قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ إِنَّمَا الأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ وَإِنَّمَا لاِمْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى فَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِلَى رَسُولِهِ وَمَنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى دُنْيَا يُصِيبُهَا أَوِ امْرَأَةٍ يَنْكِحُهَا فَهِجْرَتُهُ إِلَى مَا هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِ ‏“‏ ‏.‏

On the authority of Omar bin Al-Khattab, who said : I heard the messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam say : “Actions are but by intention and every man shall have but that which he intended. Thus he whose migration was for Allah and His messenger, his migration was for Allah and His messenger, and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he migrated.” ~ Related by Bukhari and Muslim

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Actions are judged by intentions, so each man will have what he intended.
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#9 [Permalink] Posted on 21st June 2019 08:29

I remember once I lead the Esha Salah, about 20 years ago. I lead all the family members and relatives etc including many elders.

After Salah, I sat in my place until everyone finished all of their Sunnah and Nafil Salah.

I held my face in my palms and just sat there.

After I got up, the elders asked me teach them my wazifa (since I was the odd one out from all the younger generation - as in, I was more practicing and in Sunnah clothing all the time)

I smiled and said, "Wazifa? I don't do wazifas, I was waiting for you all to finish so I could get up and go. I didn't pray my Sunnah and Nafil because I'm too tired and if I only prayed my Sunnah and Witr, you would've called me a Wahabi. So instead, I sat there and decided to complete my Salah before going to bed which will also be more rewarding"

And they laughed it off. They thought I had a secret wazifa.

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The Reality of Wazā'if

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