صلوٰۃ الحاجات

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever has some need or requirement, relating to Allah or to some person (that is, whether it be a need connected directly with Allah, having no bearing on any human being at all, or a matter that outwardly is connected with some human being), let him perform ablution and perform it well; after that let him pray two rak'ahs; after that let him offer some praise and glorification of Allah and send blessings upon His Prophet (peace be upon him); then let him supplicate before Allah in this way:

‘There is no god but Allah, the Forbearing, the Generous. Glory be to Allah, Lord of the Mighty Throne. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. I ask You for the things that necessitate Your mercy, and the resolves of Your forgiveness, and the gain of every virtue, and safety from every sin. Leave me no sin but that You forgive it, nor any anxiety but that You relieve it, nor any need that is pleasing to You but that You fulfil it, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy.’”

It is a reality about which no believer can have any doubt or misgiving: that all the needs and requirements of creation are in the hand of Allah, and of Allah alone; and the tasks that outwardly appear to be accomplished by the hands of servants are in reality also in the hand of Allah alone and are completed by His command. The method of Salat al-Hajat (the Prayer of Need) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) taught in this hadith is the best way to have one's needs fulfilled by Allah. Those servants who have been granted certainty in these truths of faith have this very experience, and they have found Salat al-Hajat to be the key to Allah's treasures.

In this hadith the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has taught Salat al-Hajat even for those needs that are outwardly connected with some human being — for example, one who desires a job, or wishes to marry someone, or has some such other need that he intends to have fulfilled through some person. There is also this special benefit in it: that when a servant, for such needs of his, prays Salat al-Hajat and supplicates to Allah in this way, this belief and certainty of his will be strengthened all the more — that the one who really does and accomplishes the work is not that human being, nor is it in his control, but rather everything is in the hand of Allah alone, and that human being is merely a tool of Allah. After this, when he sees a task being accomplished even through the hand of some human being, no flaw will come into his belief in the oneness of Allah.

Seeking help from Allah through prayer for one's every kind of need is also established from the Holy Qur'an. Allah, the Exalted, says: “O you who believe! Seek help from Allah through patience and prayer.” (Al-Baqarah 153)

And it was always the practice of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that whenever some distress befell him or some important matter came before him, he would occupy himself in prayer. Without doubt, Allah has full power over everything, and no task in the world is accomplished without Allah's command. A believer's way should be that he makes every proper effort for every task and keeps the certainty that the One who makes all his plans succeed or fail is Allah alone; then he should request the accomplishment of his task from Him. Whoever, with full certainty and reliance, makes Salat al-Hajat his regular practice clearly witnesses its benefits and blessings. All the righteous people of the Ummah have found Salat al-Hajat to be an elixir for removing their difficulties and having their needs fulfilled.

For the praise and glorification of Allah and the sending of blessings upon the noble Prophet (peace be upon him) that has been commanded, Surah al-Fatihah and the durood of the prayer are sufficient.

May Allah grant us all the ability to act upon this command of the Prophet of both worlds (peace be upon him) for all our needs and requirements. Amin.