The Book Pertaining to the Remembrance of Allah, Supplication, Repentance and Seeking Forgiveness
كتاب الذكر والدعاء والتوبة والاستغفار
Chapter 1: Encouragement To Remember Allah, Exalted is He
I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near Me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.
" He draws near Me by the space of a hand, I draw near him by the space (covered) by two hands."
When My servant draws close to me by the span of a palm, I draw close to him by the space of a cubit, and when he draws close to Me by the space of a cubit, I draw close to him by the space (covered) by two hands, and when he draws close to Me by the space (covered by) two hands, I go in hurry towards him.
Proceed on, it is Jumdan, Mufarradun have gone ahead. They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: Allah's Messenger, who are Mufarradun? He said: They are those males and females who remember Allah much.
Chapter 2: The Names Of Allah, Exalted is He, And The Virtue Of The One Who Learns Them By Heart
There are ninety-nine names of Allah; he who commits them to memory would get into Paradise. Verily, Allah is Odd (He is one, and it is an odd number) and He loves odd number. And in the narration of Ibn 'Umar (the words are):" He who enumerated them."
Verily, there are ninety-nine names for Allah, i. e. hundred excepting one. He who enumerates them would get into Paradise. And Hammam has made this addition on the authority of Abu Huraira who reported it from Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) that he said:" He is Odd (one) and loves odd number."
Chapter 3: Being Firm In Supplication And Not Saying: "If You Will"
When one of you makes supplication, he should supplicate with a will and should not say: O Allah, confer upon me if Thou likest, for there is none to coerce Allah.
When one of you makes a supplication (to his Lord) one should not say: O Allah, grant me pardon, if Thou so likest, but one should beg one's (Lord) with a will and full devotion, for there is nothing so great in the eye of Allah which He cannot grant.
None of you should say to Allah (like this): O Allah, grant me mercy, if thou so likest. The supplication (of his) should (be permeated with) conviction (that it would be accepted by the Lord), for Allah is the Doer of (everything) He likes to do, and there is none to force Him (to do or not to do this or that).
Chapter 4: It Is Disliked To Wish For Death Because Of Some Harm That Has Befallen One
O Allah, keep me alive as long as there is goodness in life for me and bring death to me when there is goodness in death for me.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Anas through another chain of transmitters, but with a small variation of wording.
Had Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) not stated this.." None should make a request for death," I would have definitely done that.
I visited Khabbab who had seven cauteries on his stomach and he said: Had Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) not forbidden us to call for death, I would have done so.
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Isma'il through other chains of narrators.
Abu Huraira narrated to us ahadith from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and out of these one is that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: None amongst you should make a request for death, and do not call for it before it comes, for when any one of you dies, he ceases (to do good) deeds and the life of a believer is not prolonged but for goodness.
Chapter 5: Whoever Loves To Meet Allah, Allah Loves To Meet Him, And Whoever Hates To Meet Allah, Allah Hates To Meet Him
He who loves to meet Allah, Allah also loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah also abhors to meet him.
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Ubada b. Samit through another chain of transmitters.
He who loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah abhors to meet him. I ('A'isha) said: Allah's Apostle, so far as the feeling of aversion against death is concerned, we all have this feeling. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: It is not that (which you construe), but (this) that when a believer (at the time of death) is given the glad tidings of the mercy of Allah, His Pleasure, and of Paradise, he loves to meet Allah, and Allah also loves to meet him, and when an unbeliever is given the news of the torment at the Hand of Allah, and Hardship to be imposed by Him, he dislikes to meet Allah and Allah also abhors to meet him.
This hadith has been reported on the authority of Qatida with the same chain of transmitters.