Question:

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatuLlah wa barakatuhu,

Dearest and respected Shaykh, please help me achieve some understanding on the following: according to the Quran, we know that no benefit or harm can befall us unless it is ordained by Allah. I know that we have been given the choice to choose our actions, etc., and that we have a certain degree of freedom, but in the end, the outcome of our efforts is given by Allah. That being said, I sometimes feel there is no point in asking Allah for specific things (for example, Oh Allah, please let me get a job or wife, etc) because what Allah has written shall come to pass regardless of whether we ask or not. So, isn’t the best prayer simply to pray that His Will come to pass and to praise Him because He knows what is best? I feel that personal prayer (asking for specific things) bolsters the ego and the will of the self instead of submitting to the Higher Will. Is this true ? Please shed some light on this – is there really any point in praying for specific things if every event has an predetermined time and place?

Thank you so much, may Allah shower you with His blessings and mercy and give you higher stations in His presence. Ameen.

Answer:

`Alaykum as-salam

Allah loves to be asked always and at all times for everything small and great even, as He said to sayyidina Musa upon him peace, “for the yeast in your bread and even new laces for your shoes.” That is the way of Prophets and our most Holy Prophet (s) as well, although everything was created for him, as he is the Paragon of servanthood.

To ask to look how the timeless Divine Decree relates to our du`a in time is to step out of our depth. As far as we know Allah wants to grant us the reward of servanthood which is manifested among other acts by the expression of our neediness, nay our extreme poverty to Him and dependence on him (faqr). That is the greatest laud and praise because it is the Prophetic pattern which He commanded us to follow.

Hajj Gibril