Questions about dhikr of Allāh Ta`ālā.

1) There are some names of Allah SWT which are considered to be jalaali….like Ya Muzillu, Ya zaljalaali val ikraam, etc., can i read those names as wazaif during menses?

2) In each and everything  all we have to do is put our trust wholeheartedly in Allah SWT… i do the same but whenever i take a decision or plan something i get negative doubts regarding the outcome (Astaghfirullaah)… my question is what should i do inorder not to get all these negative doubts…( i recite astaghfirullah and la hawla.. alot).

3)I want to get satisfaction/calmness in by heart…. Though i do zikr most of the time ( I dont want to boast abt doing plenty of zikr) there is no contenment/satsfaction in my heart…please suggest something….

4)Can u ssuggest any dua to get a good job in KSA… its my dreamto work in KSA…

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.  

1) It is permissible to recite the names of Allāh Ta`ālā during menses.[1]

2) Whenever we plan to carry out a certain task, Islam still teaches us to first make mashwarah with others by seeking their counsel and also make istikhārah by seeking good from Allah Ta’ālā. Once we have done so, we should trust the counsel of others and have trust in Allāh Ta`ālā that whatever my future holds, it is exactly as it is destined by Allāh Ta`ālā for He knows what is best for me.

Furthermore, as Muslims, we should understand that everything takes place by the will of Allāh Ta`ālā. Once we have submitted ourselves to His will, then Allāh himself will place ease into our hearts and relieve us of our doubts. If things go according to the way we planned, then we should thank Allāh Ta`āla. And if they do not go according to our plans, then we should show patience and reliance in the decision of Allāh the Almighty.

Consider the following ahādīth:

الْمُؤْمِنُ الْقَوِيُّ، خَيْرٌ وَأَحَبُّ إِلَى اللهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الضَّعِيفِ، وَفِي كُلٍّ خَيْرٌ احْرِصْ عَلَى مَا يَنْفَعُكَ، وَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ وَلَا تَعْجَزْ، وَإِنْ أَصَابَكَ شَيْءٌ، فَلَا تَقُلْ لَوْ أَنِّي فَعَلْتُ كَانَ كَذَا وَكَذَا، وَلَكِنْ قُلْ قَدَرُ اللهِ وَمَا شَاءَ فَعَلَ، فَإِنَّ لَوْ تَفْتَحُ عَمَلَ الشَّيْطَانِ

A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone, (but) cherish that which gives you benefit (in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart. And if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don’t say: “If I had not done that, it would not have happened so and so”, but say: “(It is by) the decree of Allah and whatever he desires he does it. Because the word “if” opens the (gate) for the Shaytān.[2]

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «عَجَبًا لِأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ خَيْرٌ، وَلَيْسَ ذَاكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ، فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ، صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ»

The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Strange is the situation of a believer for there is good in every affair of his and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he shows gratitude (to Allah), thus there is a good for him in it, and if he receives pain and affliction, he endures it patiently, thus there is a good for him in it (as well).”^[3]

3) In order to ascertain what true proximity to Allāh Ta`ālā means and to feel the spiritual effects of Dhikr, one must put this worldly life into perspective. Abū Hurayrah (radiyallāhu `anh) reports: I heard the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ say,

أَلاَ إِنَّ الدُّنْيَا مَلْعُونَةٌ مَلْعُونٌ مَا فِيهَا إِلاَّ ذِكْرُ اللهِ وَمَا وَالاَهُ وَعَالِمٌ أَوْ مُتَعَلِّمٌ

“Lo! Indeed the world is cursed. What is in it is cursed, except for remembrance of Allah, what is conducive to that, the knowledgeable person and the learning person.”[4]

To feel the true effects of Dhikr, one must empty one’s mind of all worldly thoughts and let oneself be submersed in the remembrance of Allāh the Almighty. As long as one continues to let worldly affairs drag oneself down, one will never be able to create a sincere connection with Allāh Ta`ālā through His Dhikr. Before you engage in Dhikr, focus on making yourself free from the burdens of this world. If you do so, then you will automatically make a greater connection with Allāh Ta`ālā, thus feeling more contentment in the heart. Shaykh Ibn `Atāillāh (rahimahullāh) states in his Kitāb al-Hikam:

الخذلان كل الخذلان أن تتفرغ من الشواغل ثم لا تتوجه إليه، وتقل عوائقك ثم لا ترحل إليه

It would be disappointing – really disappointing – if you were to find yourself free of distractions and then not head toward Him, or if you were to have a few obstacles and not move on to Him.[5]

Furthermore, it is not enough to simply only make Dhikr without focusing on our Islamic obligations and severing ourselves from all types of sin. If one disobeys Allāh Ta`ālā all day and then assumes that only performing Dhikr will help one to gain contentment and satisfaction in the heart, then such a notion is incorrect. The books of Tafasīr state the gaining contentment of the heart through the Dhikr of Allāh also means that one must obey the commands of Allāh Ta`ālā as well.[6]

It is also our advice that one establishes a connection with a reliable Shaykh that may be able to help you in Tazkiyat al-Nafs (attaining purification of the heart) and establishing close proximity with Allāh the Almighty.

You may also visit our website regarding spiritual rectification at the following link:

http://tasawwuf.daralmahmood.org

It is also recommended that you visit the section regarding Dhikrullāh found on the following page: http://tasawwuf.daralmahmood.org/dhikr.html

4) It is encouraging you note your love for the great lands of Haramayn. May Allāh Ta`ālā fulfill your aspirations of living out life in the Holy lands of Makkah and Madina. Āmīn.

In essence, one should focus on gaining halāl sustenance and make du`ā’ to remain free form the dangers of poverty as the true life for us is in the Ākhirah. It is in this context that we advise you to make du`ā’ that Allāh provides you sustenance that is best for you, regardless from wherever you may receive it. `Alī (radiyallāhu `anh) once said to a slave suffering from a debt:

أَلاَ أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ عَلَّمَنِيهِنَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَوْ كَانَ عَلَيْكَ مِثْلُ جَبَلِ صِيرٍ دَيْنًا أَدَّاهُ اللَّهُ عَنْكَ، قَالَ: قُلْ: اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِي بِحَلاَلِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ، وَأَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ.

“Should I not teach you words that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught me? If you had a debt upon you similar to the mountain of Sir, Allah would fulfill it for you. He said: ‘Say: O Allah, suffice me with Your lawful against Your prohibited, and make me independent of all those besides You (Allāhummakfinī biḥalālika `an ḥarāmika, wa aghninī bi faḍlika `amman siwāka).”[7]

It is also reported that the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ used to frequently make the following du`ā’:[8]

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً، وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً، وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.

As such, while your aspirations are sincere and great nonetheless, you should focus your du`ā’ on attaining a halāl income since finding a job in KSA does not ensure that one’s wealth will remain pure.

If you are a woman and there is no need for you to earn an income and your husband adequately supports you, then in that instance, your focus should be to practice on the following verse:

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى

And remain in your homes, and do not display (your) beauty as it used to be displayed in the days of earlier ignorance. [Al-Qur’ān, Sūrah al-Ahzāb: 33]

To restrict oneself to the laws of Allāh Ta`ālā is one of the greatest ways to attain spirituality.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Bilal Mohammad

Student Darul Iftaa
New Jersey, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net