The Greatest Delight...

“The supplication of every one of you will be granted if he does not get impatient.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

One of the most beautiful avenues of communication with our Creator is through the avenue of duaa. We are all aware of the technicalities of duaa but do we ever reflect over the concept itself? Duaa is a mercy, a gift given to us by Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala; can you imagine anyone in a position of authority wanting to reward you for asking anything of them so that they can grant it?
It is indeed an undervalued possession and an underestimated weapon, and if ever we were to take the full advantage of this ni’mah we would realize its true essence, which is coming closer to our Rabb.

The duaa is one that pertains to our aakhirah; specifically asking for the greatest pleasure one can ever receive, the opportunity to see Allah.

The Prophet of Allah (pbuh) narrated, “When those deserving of Paradise would enter Paradise, the Blessed and the Exalted would ask: Do you wish Me to give you anything more? They would say: Have You not brightened our faces? Have You not entered us into Paradise and saved us from Fire? He (the narrator) said: He (Allah) would lift the veil, and of things given to them nothing would be dearer to them than the sight of their Lord, the Mighty and the Glorious.” [Saheeh Muslim]

The Prophet (pbuh) narrated this duaa in a hadeeth in Sunan an-Nisaa’i (authenticated by Shaykh Albaani):

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ

Allahumma Innī As’aluka Ladhdhata an-Naẓari ilā Wajhika wash Shawqa ilā Liqā’ik

O Allah, I ask You for the delight of gazing at Your Countenance and the eagerness of meeting You.

Word for Word Translation and Analysis

Allahumma: O Allah. Allahumma is a combination of: Ya and Allah. Instead of using a “ya” in the front to call upon Allah, the “meem” is added at the end. “Allahumma” is unique with the Name of Allah, it is not bound by this rule of using the “ya”. This rule does not appear anywhere or with anyone else, even in pre-Islamic poetry. When we say “Allahumma” we are affirming and emphasizing the uniqueness of our Lord;  He does not even share a duaa with His creation subhanahu wa ta’ala, as well as incorporating all of the Names and Attributes of Allah ta’ala.

Innī: indeed I. Innī is a combination of ‘inna’ (indeed, a word for emphasis) and “ni” (I)

As’aluka: I ask You.

Ladhdhaħ: Sweetness, delight, pleasure. Ladhdhaħ comes from the root which means something that pleases a person, satisfies their senses and has no harm in it.

an-Naẓri: The look. “Naẓara ilā”, such as in this duaa, means to look or gaze to something/someone. Allah ta’ala says in surah Qiyaamah ayah 23:

إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ

They (faces) will be looking to their Lord.

ilā: to/towards

Wajhika: Your Countenance. Wajh means face but also carries the meaning of the whole self/being in Arabic. 

For example, Allah ta’ala says in surah Baqarah ayah 112:

مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Whoever submits His whole self (wajhahu) to Allah and is a doer of good,- He will get his reward with his Lord; on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

wa: and

ash-Shawqa: Longing, eagerness. Shawq is a strong desire in one’s nafs for something.

ilā: to/towards

Liqā’ik: Your meeting. Laqiya means to meet or an occurance.

Points of Benefit

• By asking Allah azza wa jal for the opportunity to see Him, we are indirectly also asking for Jannah. The scholars state that one of the worst punishments of the people of Hell-Fire is being abandoned by Allah ta’ala and not being able to see Him.
• Many times when we think of Jannah, we think of the mansions, the rivers, the hoor, the fruits, golden goblets and cups, but we forget that having the opportunity to see Allah azza wa jal is greater than all of these bounties. Allah azza wa jal praises the believers for worshipping Him “bil ghayb”, in the unseen, and in the aakhirah Allah will reward them for this with seeing Him.The believers will enjoy seeing Allah azza wa jal and it will be the most beloved thing they will receive in Jannah. May Allah make you and I among them.
• The Prophet (pbuh) told us in many narrations that the Believers will see Allah ta’ala with their own eyes as clearly as they can see the sun and moon. Abu Hurayrah mentioned that some people said, “O Messenger of Allah! Will we see our Lord on the Day of Judgment?” The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Are you harmed by seeing the sun and the moon when there are no clouds beneath them?” They replied, “No.” The Prophet (pbuh) then said, “Then you will surely see your Lord like that.” [Bukhari and Muslim] In another hadeeth, Jabir (ra) narrated, “The Messenger of Allah looked at the moon on a night when it was full, and he said, Verily, you will see your Lord just as you see this moon! So if you are able to avoid missing a prayer before the rising of the sun (Fajr prayer) or before its setting (Asr prayer) then do so. [Bukhari and Muslim]
• Wanting to meet Allah does not mean you don’t fear death. The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah  loves to meet him and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him”. ‘Aisha, or some of the wives of the Prophet said, “But we dislike death.” He said: It is not like this, but it is meant that when the time of the death of a believer approaches, he receives the good news of Allah’s pleasure with him and His blessings upon him, and so at that time nothing is dearer to him than what is in front of him. He therefore loves the meeting with Allah, and Allah  loves the meeting with him. But when the time of the death of a disbeliever approaches, he receives the evil news of Allah’s torment and His Requital, whereupon nothing is more hateful to him than what is before him. Therefore, he hates the meeting with Allah, and Allah too, hates the meeting with him.” [Saheeh Bukhari]

May Allah ta’ala bless us with the delight of gazing upon Him, make our best deeds our last, and make the best day of ours the day that we meet Him ta’ala-Ameen.