Ramadan 2025 | The Power of Prophetic Prayers | Mufti Azeemuddin Ahmed | 03/16

Ramadan 2025 | The Power of Prophetic Prayers

Mufti Azeemuddin Ahmed | 16th of Ramadan

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our Master Muhammad and the family of our Master Muhammad. Blessings and peace be upon the Lord of the chastity of my heart and ease my affair.

And remove the knot from my tongue so that they may understand my speech. Glory be to You, there is no knowledge for us except what You have taught us. You are the Most High and Wise.

O Allah, teach us what benefits us and benefit us with what You have taught us. And increase us in knowledge and action. O Allah, enlighten our hearts with Your knowledge. And use our bodies for Your obedience. And guide us to what You love and are pleased with — from speech, action, intention and guidance. Indeed, You are Able to do all things.

Introduction: The 16th Day of Ramadan and the Battle of Badr

Respected listeners, dear friends, dear brothers and sisters, Alhamdulillah, we are now in our 16th day of fasting. And tonight will be the 17th night. And as we know, the 17th night and the 17th day of Ramadan was when the famous battle of Badr took place. And this is a yearly opportunity for us to reflect.

There are many things to think about the battle of Badr, and many take-home points and many points of reflection. But since we have this short session of du'a, let us simply go over the du'a of the Prophet ﷺ on the eve of the battle of Badr. What an amazing time to discuss that, because we usually speak about du'as here. And this is the night before Badr.

The Hadith of Badr: The Prophet's ﷺ Du'a

What happened? Imam Muslim narrates this hadith. The narrator says: Sami'tu Ibn Abbas yaqul — I heard Abdullah ibn Abbas saying: Haddathani Umar al-Khattab — Umar al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Hadith 1763)

When it was the day of Badr, the Prophet ﷺ glanced at the disbelievers — and there were a thousand of them — and his companions were 313 men. The Prophet ﷺ faced the qiblah, then extended his hands, and began to call out earnestly to his Lord.

The Etiquette of Du'a: Facing the Qiblah

So the etiquette, of course, is that ideally we should face the qiblah. Allah says:

Wherever you turn, there is Allah. So of course, in any direction you can find Allah. But the etiquette — the way the etiquette for salah is, similarly the etiquette of du'a — we face the qiblah. When you're at a graveyard, making du'a for the deceased, you also face the qiblah. Yes, there are times when if you face the qiblah and there's a huge audience, they may not be able to hear the du'a. So maybe in that circumstance, in order for your voice to be projected to those who are around, with that intention, if someone does it, then it's fine — because it's not an issue of halal or haram. It's an issue of what's preferable and what's best.

The Etiquette of Du'a: Extending the Hands

Then: thumma madda yadayhi — and then he extended his hands. Why are we extending our hands in du'a? You're begging, right? That's it. So you're begging. We are beggars. That's what du'a is. Du'a is begging. And they say, if you really want something, you'll beg for it.

Begging is the most humiliating thing that a person can do for himself in front of creation. We ask Allah that He protects us all from ever extending our hands in begging in front of any of His creation. But that very act — that humility, that a person debases himself — that is what is valuable in the eyes of Allah.

"Ya Allah, You know me. I have this much money, this much credentials, this type of degree, this type of self-honor. I never ask anyone to do anything for me. But You are the only being that I am literally begging. Because at the end of the day — the fact that I mow my lawn, the fact that I have all these degrees, the fact that I have wealth — it's all because You allowed me to do that. If You don't allow me, I won't be able to do anything. So I am going to feel honored that You are giving me an opportunity to even beg in front of You."

So for a Muslim, for a believer, begging in front of Allah is the most important thing. And that's where you gain Allah's attention. And Allah allows you to enjoy this relationship with Him through the process of begging.

So the method: extend your hand such that your fingertips are facing upward and your palms are facing your face. You can either keep your palms touching or keep your hands slightly separate. And your intention should be that you are begging Allah — hoping Allah places something in your hand. Whether you're asking for forgiveness, mercy, or whatever it is: "Ya Allah, please place it right here."

Now, there are times when you cannot do that. You're speaking to someone and they're giving you a really hard time, and you don't want to start raising your hands there. Your du'a can happen in your heart. You don't need to verbalize your du'a, you don't need to extend your hands.

Calling Out Earnestly to Allah

Then: faja'ala yahtif birabbihi — he began to call out to his Lord. Yahtif — to call out, earnestly calling out. Why is one's voice raised high? Because you are passionate. Allah can hear everything. Allah says:

Allah can hear that which is silent, and Allah can hear that which is akhfah — more hidden than the silent. What's more hidden than the silent? That which is in your heart. Akhfah are those things that you haven't even properly processed in your mind — still fuzzy, still forming. Allah knows that too. Allah knows before the thought comes to you what that thought is going to be.

The Prophet ﷺ said: la tad'una asamma — you are not supplicating to a deaf or dumb Lord. So there are times where it's not appropriate to raise the voice. However, once in a while, if a person is just really lost and broken, and in that process of begging Allah, the voice is raised — because you are emotionally charged or emotionally broken, and you want to somehow convey this feeling to Allah of your need of Him. Not because He can't hear; but like when we have a mic and yet we raise our voice — we change the pitch of our tone because that tone and that pitch is delivering the emotions of the heart. So similarly, we can deliver our emotions to Allah through a higher pitch at times.

The Words of the Prophet's ﷺ Du'a at Badr

So he started calling out to Allah, and he began to say:

"O Allah, fulfill that which You have promised me. O Allah, give me what You have promised me. O Allah, if this small group of Muslims is to be destroyed, You may not be worshipped again on earth."

Anjiz li ma wa'adtani — whatever You have promised me, fulfill it. Injaz — when something follows through. "You have made a promise of Your help. It's been quite a journey. 13 years in Makkah, this is the second year in Madinah. Not been easy. What day of it has been easy? Nothing."

You know, when you think about your challenges — sometimes a person is struggling for 6 weeks, 4 weeks, and they say they're done, they can't take it. The Prophet ﷺ is struggling for 15 years. And he's saying: "These kuffar won't let me go. They're just after us, all the time making our life most difficult. Please, Ya Allah, I need Your help. Anjiz ma wa'adtani."

The Promises of Allah in the Quran

Now, when did Allah promise? And what did He promise? Allah did promise things. Here are some of the promises from the Quran and Hadith:

Promise 1: Gratitude Brings Increase

"If you are grateful, I am going to give you more." That's a promise.

Promise 2: Supplication Will Be Answered

"Supplicate to Me and I will accept it." That is like the most basic promise. Ask Me and I'll give you. "Oh, here I am, Ya Allah, I'm asking You. A'tini, anjizni ma wa'adtani — fulfill what You have promised. You said if I ask You, You'll give it to me. Well, guess what? Tonight, I'm sitting down, I'm asking You. I need this fulfilled."

Promise 3: Vicegerency on Earth for the Believers

We recited in yesterday's Tarawih:

Allah has made a promise to the believers — those who have done good deeds along with Iman. Allah will make them the vicegerents on earth, the way He made previous nations vicegerents on earth. And Allah will allow their deen — the deen of Islam — to take root in the world, which He has chosen for them, which He is pleased with for them. Meaning Islam is that religion which Allah wants for all of us. And Allah says: "I will ensure that your state of fear will be changed into a state of peace, contentment, and safety." Subhanallah, that's a promise.

Promise 4: Who Responds to the One in Dire Need?

This was my favorite ayah growing up. Wallahi, I wish I could go back to being a kid. The iman — that faith I had as a 7–8 year old was just something else. Subhanallah, it's beautiful, the innocence of childhood. That's why we really should work on our little kids. Because those days — you can study as much as you want, but once you're out of that phase, you can never bring those innocent years back.

I remember this du'a. We used to do ta'leem at home — Fadha'il al-A'mal. And in the process of Fadha'il al-A'mal, there is a story about this ayah. And as a child, may Allah reward our parents, we used to hear these stories. May Allah allow all of us to do the same for our children, what our parents did for us. Ameen.

The gist of the story: a man was traveling and needed a guide to take him from one destination to another. He hired a guide. The guide said, "Let me take you on a shorter route — there is enough pasture ground for our animal to eat and relax." The man agreed. But this guide was a highway robber. When they went in that direction and it became desolate, dark, and quiet, the guide told the man to get off. He took everything from his belongings, took the animal, and raised his sword to kill him.

The man said, "Why are you killing me?" He said, "This is what I am — a professional highway robber. I brought you here to kill you." The man said, "If death is written for me, I cannot do anything. But I request you — give me a few minutes to perform salah." The robber mockingly agreed, and even pointed to the skeletons around: "Look at all these dead bodies. Many of them also asked to pray, but it didn't help them."

But those are people whose voices the angels hear. There are voices that the angels hear and become accustomed to. Like any one of us — there are certain people you know, you hear them all the time, and when the time of need comes, you say: "Yeah, I know you, I see you every day — what do you need? I'm here to help." So there are angels who listen to our du'as, and when a person is in dire need, they intercede: "Ya Allah, this voice we recognize. This person we recognize. He's always supplicating to You, thanking You, making du'a for the ummah. Today he really needs Your help."

So this person stood up to pray salah. And what came to his mind? The ayaat from the 20th juz — from Surah An-Naml. He recited this ayah and kept on repeating it in his salah. The robber was getting impatient. And while the man was in his salah, he saw through the corner of his eye a horse rider — a knight — fully armed, appear. He came with a sword of nur, and with one movement, he decapitated the robber.

The man finished his salah quickly. He ran after the horseman and said: "Please, please tell me — who are you? Where have you come from?" The horseman responded: "I am an angel from the fourth heaven, sent as a response to this du'a that you have made. Allah sent me to come down and take care of this."

This story really hit me when I was a little kid. I attached myself to this ayah. And any time I had any situation, I would just keep on repeating it. And wallahi — whatever issues an 8 or 9 year old can possibly have — through the power of this verse, I saw things fall into place.

Who is the one who responds to the call of the one in dire need? And He removes any and all difficulty. And on top of that, He makes you the vicegerent on earth. Is there any God besides Allah? Is there anyone who can come to you at the 11th hour, 59 minutes and 59 seconds and save your life? There is no one besides Allah. Qalilan ma tadhakkarun — very few amongst you take heed. It's sad that you have Allah on your side but you don't return to Him.

So this is the ayah where you can now say: "Ya Allah, anjizni ma wa'adtani. You said in the Quran, in the 20th juz, that You will respond — You are the only one who responds to the one who is in need. Here I am today. I've got a loan to pay back. I've got a sick mother. I've got a child that has run away from home. I've got a daughter who is upset and fighting with her husband. I've got this XYZ concern." Show your need to Allah and say: "Ya Allah, fulfill my need. You have promised."

Promise 5: Istighfar Brings Provisions

Allah says: Seek forgiveness from your Lord. Indeed, He is the one who will accept your repentance. And notice — yursil al-sama'a alaikum midrara — Allah will send down the rains pouring down. Wa yumdidkum bi-amwal — Allah will give you wealth. You want wealth? Make istighfar. Wa banin — if you want children, sons — make istighfar. Wa yaj'al lakum jannat wa anhara — Allah will give you gardens and rivers. So two of the greatest material blessings — wealth and children — are unlocked through istighfar.

Promise 6: Allah Will Help the Believers

Indeed, most definitely, We will help the prophets and the believers in this world. It is incumbent upon Us to assist the believers.

If you assist Allah, Allah will assist you. Subhanallah — we've collected already 10, 12 promises, and there are many more. There are promises all over the Quran. So you can think about those promises and say: "Ya Allah, the Quran was revealed for me as well. And I am asking You in the name of all these promises that You fulfill these promises for me."

Returning to the Du'a of Badr

So let us get back to the du'a. The Prophet ﷺ says:

"O Allah, fulfill that which You promised me. O Allah, give me what You have promised me. O Allah, if this small group of Muslims is to be destroyed, You may not be worshipped again on earth. We are the last ones standing. If we get destroyed, what is going to happen to Islam?"

(Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Hadith 1763)

He kept on, kept on beseeching Allah — extending his hands, facing the qiblah — until his shawl, his upper garment, fell down from his shoulders to the ground. So high were his hands raised.

Abu Bakr's Comforting Embrace

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came — fa-akhadha rida'ahu — he picked up the sheet. Fa-alqahu 'ala mankibayhi — and he put it back on the Prophet's ﷺ shoulders. What a scene! Thumma iltazamahu min wara'ih — and then he hugged him from the back. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) hugged him. What a hug! What a moment to hug the Prophet ﷺ at this time. How fortunate was Abu Bakr to be in this situation — he could have been sleeping, resting, doing his own du'a in his own tent. But he was there.

And he said:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Hadith 1763)

"O Prophet of Allah, look at how you are supplicating to your Lord! This level of earnest du'a, this level of humility, this level of persistence, this level of being broken in front of Allah — I see what you're doing. And soon Allah will ensure that He fulfills what He has promised you. Allah will fulfill it — I'm telling you."

So even the strongest of people — sometimes we should be there for them. Don't say: "Oh, he's the imam, he's the one who gives all the talks — he doesn't need me. He's our father, the pillar of the house — what does he need from me?" My friend, every one of us needs one another. We are human. And the Prophet ﷺ — the presence of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) there must have consoled him. Because when you are in your own zone, in your own struggle, you need a little feedback. You need someone to come and say: "You're doing right, keep it up." So Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) gave these glad tidings to the Prophet ﷺ.

No one knows Allah better than the Prophet ﷺ. No one knows any aspects of the future except through revelation. So how did Abu Bakr say this with such certainty? It was through the same conviction that the Prophet ﷺ had taught him. Amazing.

Allah's Response: The Angels of Badr

Then Allah revealed the verse:

Remember when you were seeking assistance from your Lord — fastajaaba lakum — and Allah accepted your du'a. And what did He say? Anni — indeed I — mumuddukum — I am going to send you reinforcements — bi-alfin minal-mala'ikah — by a thousand angels — murdifin — who will be coming one after the other.

A thousand angels. You saw already: one angel is more than sufficient. Why a thousand? This is called shock and awe. Pure flexing. One angel is more than sufficient to knock out the whole world, much less a small battlefield. But Allah sent down a thousand angels.

An Angel Strikes Before the Sword

Abdullah ibn Abbas said: there was a believer from amongst the Muslims who was running behind a disbeliever on the battlefield, chasing him. All of a sudden the disbeliever fell flat on the ground. The Muslim was shocked — what happened? He looked at him and saw that his nose was cut and his face was thrashed and sliced — as though someone had taken a sharp whip and lashed the person right across the face and nose.

Everyone was astonished. An Ansari Sahabi came and shared this with the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Hadith 1763)

"What you saw was not a hallucination. What you saw was true. That was the assistance from the third heaven — an angel from the third heaven came and took care of it before you could even get there."

They were able to kill 70 of the worst of the disbelievers — those who had been harming the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims for the past 13 to 15 years. And they took 70 as prisoners of war.

The Question of the Prisoners: Abu Bakr and Umar's Views

Abdullah ibn Abbas said: when they took the prisoners, the Prophet ﷺ said to Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both): "What do you think we should do with these prisoners?"

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah, they are your relatives and our relatives anyway from Makkah. I think you should take a ransom from them, and we will use this money for future expeditions. And hopefully Allah will guide them to Islam."

The Prophet ﷺ said: "What do you think, O Ibn Khattab?" Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 32, Hadith 1763)

"I'm sorry, I don't agree with what Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) says. I think we've given them too many chances. We've suffered for 15 years, and these are not random prisoners — they're not children, they're not women. These are the a'immat al-kufr, the leaders of disbelief. As soon as you let them go, they'll plot and plan and come back at us. We need to take care of them. And not only that, I think each one of us should take his own relative — so Ali should take Aqeel, and give me my relative, I'll take him out."

Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says: the Prophet ﷺ was more inclined towards what Abu Bakr said, and was not inclined to what I said.

The Tears of the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr

When the next day came, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I came, and there was the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) — sitting and crying. Allahu Akbar. Umar saw them crying.

He said: "O Messenger of Allah, tell me — what is making you cry, you and your companion? For if I find it appropriate, I will join you in the tears. And if I cannot cry, I will imitate the ones who are crying — because you both are crying." This is something else. This is why Umar is Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). The level of following the sunnah: "I cannot see my Prophet ﷺ crying and not be crying. And if I can't shed tears, at least I want to imitate the one who is shedding tears."

May Allah grant us the character of Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). May Allah grant us their love. May Allah raise us with them. Ameen.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "I am crying because of the opinion that was presented to me by your companions — of taking a ransom. I have been shown the punishment for this opinion right here in front of me, nearer than this nearby tree." Meaning Allah was so angry that He was showing the Prophet ﷺ the punishment with his own eyes — how close the punishment was — because of the decision to accept the ransom rather than finishing them off. Allah was upset at this decision. And so they were both sitting there crying.

And then Allah revealed the ayah:

Allah says: "If it was not for a decree already ordained — that you were going to make this mistake and I was going to forgive you — then you would have seen what would have happened. Lamassukum — you would have been afflicted because of the ransom you took — 'adhabun 'adhim — a tremendous punishment. Allah calls it 'adhim' — not in the hereafter, but right here. But because the decree was already made that you would make this mistake and I would let you go, and it would be revealed in the Quran for people to learn a lesson — that is why you are not being punished as we speak."

Subhanallah, what an amazing story. This happened at Badr. And the Prophet ﷺ spent the majority of that night in this state of du'a.

The Five Thousand Angels: Patience and Taqwa

Then Allah did not just send down one thousand. Allah says:

This is for all of us who have our own Badrs going on in life, our own problems. Allah says: in tasbiruu — if you remain patient — wa tattaquu — and if you have taqwa — right after this, Allah is going to send you another contingent of the army. How much? Khamsati alaf — five thousand! Descending onto the battleground.

And many of the Sahaba said: we take out the sword and go after the enemy, and before our sword would hit the neck — already the head is gone. Allah's help had come.

Lessons and Reflections for Us Today

Badr — I told you there are many reflections on Badr. We're not going to cover all of them here, because that's another whole talk. We're simply speaking about the du'a of Badr.

When the Prophet ﷺ in Hajj and on other occasions really wanted to push his du'a in front of Allah, he would raise his hands so high. Try this — how long will it last? After a while, 5 minutes, unless you're in the gym. But in du'a, after 30 minutes I have an inkling that a lot of people don't still have their hands raised. But the du'a of the Prophet ﷺ — in a hot summer day, 110 degrees in Arafat, from Dhuhr time all the way till Maghrib — Dhuhr and Asr prayed together, so from around 12:45 all the way till Maghrib — his hands were raised the entire time in the heat. And the whiteness of his armpits would be seen.

So when you want to really push your needs with Allah: you may raise your voice, you may stand up, you may fall into sujud, you may raise your hands. Show your emotion to Allah — don't be stoic.

Now, I've also said that some of the most powerful du'as are the du'as done from the heart alone, without speaking. Because when you are doing loud du'as, especially in public, there is an opportunity for people to say: "Wow, this person is super pious." And it is very easy in public that when we do these types of du'as, we attract unnecessary attention to ourselves. So if you want a very sincere du'a — one in which you don't lose focus — make a du'a in which you are not even moving your lips, not moving your tongue, and you let the heart speak to Allah. Go ahead and try that as well.

A Call to Du'a on This 17th Night

I ask Allah on this 17th night — after Maghrib, the day of Badr, this is almost like the night before Badr — that we really spend some time making lots of du'a. We all have our own Badrs. The ummah is in a very dire situation. Please make du'a that our masjids fill up, that people become generous, that people start spending time in du'a at home, that people start caring for one another, and that people start feeling the pain of the ummah. Generally there is so much apathy. And so we need to ask Allah to pick us up and make us worthy of those angels.

Those angels are still around — maybe even listening here, maybe even present here. Not necessarily the same ones from Badr, but we should ask Allah: "If You are sending down, Ya Allah, send the Badri ones. We want those." How hard is it for Allah to depute whatever He wants?

Say: "Ya Allah, send those angels to my home. There is too much arguing between husband and wife. Too much disconnect between children and parents. Too many issues. Ya Allah, through the barakah of the same angels that knocked out those kuffar at Badr — Ya Allah, send these angels to knock out the shayateen causing havoc in our homes, in our madrasas, in our masajid." How hard is it for Allah? Nothing — it is simply Allah's decision. And those millions and billions of angels are waiting for the opportunity to come down. They cannot even die. Angels don't die. They just do their job and go back.

May Allah allow us to sense and feel the presence of angels. May Allah allow us to feel their protection. And may Allah remove all of the evil things we are faced with in our individual lives.

Closing Du'a

O Allah, we ask You to accept this 16th fast of ours. O Allah, allow our qiyam tonight and all the past qiyams to be accepted. Ya Allah, allow this fast to become a means of spirituality and ruhaniyyah being created in our lives. Ya Allah, allow all these good deeds to become a means of us being connected with You. Ya Allah, please overlook all of our flaws and faults. O Allah, grant acceptance to any and all good that we have done.

O Allah, whatever good has been achieved anywhere in the world — and here, as well as in our own personal lives — it has only been achieved through Your grace. O Allah, we ask You to allow us to become such people who have the tawfiq to do goodness wherever they go. Ya Allah, make us from amongst those who close and lock the doors of evil, and open up the doors of goodness. Ya Allah, turn the direction of our hearts towards You, away from Your creation. Turn the direction of our hearts towards the preparation for the akhirah, instead of running after this world.

O Allah, whatever means and asbab You have given us of this world — allow us to utilize them in a meaningful manner. Allow us to utilize whatever wealth we have to build our akhirah. O Allah, make us men and women of taqwa. Make us men, women, and children of du'a. Ya Allah, grant us all the ability to make lots and lots of personal du'a in our homes. O Allah, make us people who believe in the power of du'a, and who believe in Your powers, and who earnestly reach out to You, Ya Allah.

Ya Allah, allow us to see Your help — the way You showed it at Badr — allow that help to be seen and witnessed by all of us, across the globe, in this country, in our community, as well as in our homes, Ya Allah. O Allah, all of those obstacles we are going through — spiritual, physical, emotional, psychological issues that we or our children, our spouses are going through — Ya Allah, Most Merciful, please remove those obstacles. Remove those obstacles. Remove those obstacles.

Ya Allah, whatever good the Prophet ﷺ asked You of — grant us that good. Whatever evil he sought refuge from — grant us refuge from that. Ya Allah, allow us to witness the accepted ibadah of Laylatul Qadr. Allow us to gain acceptance of our du'as. O Allah, make every one of us amongst the mustajabu da'awat — whose du'as are always accepted. Ya Allah, make us amongst those whose du'as are always accepted. Ya Allah, make us amongst those whose du'as are always accepted. And allow us to really push ourselves in these remaining nights and days of Ramadan in lots and lots of du'a.