1

20. PROPHETS DU (PRAYER) IN THE QURN (14)

14. Muhammad s.a.w.
Although the whole Qurn containing 6236 verses was
revealed to Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. in 23 years, his name
Muhammad is mentioned as a third person four times only, in Q.
3:144, 33:40, 47:2, and 48:29. His other name, Amad, was
mentioned in Q. 61:6 when Prophet Isa a.s. foretold his coming.1
When Allah enjoined the Prophet to say, to do or not to do
something He did not mention him by name, so that the translators
used to put in the bracket (O Muhammad). The wisdom behind it is
that Allahs injunction is also applicable to his followers, unless there
is an indication that it was specifically intended exclusively for him. It
includes the injunction when it started with ( O Prophet).
There are 11 verses where Allah addressed him as (O Prophet).2
The Qurn refers to Prophet Muhammad with his profession as
a prophet (nab)3 and a messenger of Allah (rasl Allh).4 He was
addressed as the Mesenger when he complained to Allah for his
peoples neglecting the Qurn, as follows:
)03 : (

1

Both Muhammad and Ahmad are derived from amida (he praised)
and amd (praise), have the same meaning, namely, the praised one. In
Aramaic, which was the mother tongue of Isa a.s., and was used in Palestine in
his time and for some centuries later, he was called Mawamana translated
into Greek as Perklytos (the Much Praised). The original Gospel which is
now lost must have been written in this language, the name was mistakenly
referred to as Parkltos in the Gospel of St. John (John 14:15-17, 25-26;
15:26; 16:7-8) meaning the Comforter. However, this name was also one of
the epithets of the Prophet, namely Bashr ( lit. the Bringer of Glad Tidings
besides Nadhr (the Warner), see Q. 2:119. The claim that the term in
Syriac was menahhemana meaning the life giver is also applicable to the
Prophet, as Allah said: )42: (

O you who believe! Answer Allah and his Messenger when he calls you to that
which will give you life (Q. 8:24).
2
See Q. 8:64, 65; 9:73; 33:1, 28, 45, 50; 60:11; 65:1; 66:1, 9.
3
See Q. 3:68; 7: 158; 9:61, 117; 33:6, 13, 30, 32,38, 53; 49:2; 66:3,8.
4
See Q. 7:158; 9:61, 81, 120; 33:21, 40, 53; 48:29; 49:3, 7; 63:5, 7.

And the Messenger (Muhammad) will say: O my Lord,

Verily, my people deserted this Qurn (neither listen to it,
nor acted on its laws and teachings). (Q. 25:00)5
In this verse the Prophet complained to Allah that his people
deserted the Qurn by saying that it was black magic (Mujhid and
al-Nakhas interpretation. They did not want to listen to it, and if
they were called to Allah they would say no (Ibn Zayds
interpretation). The idolaters among his people would not listen to
the Qurn, as mentioned in another verse of the Qurn, as follows:
)22: (



And those who disbelieve say: Listen not to this
Qurn, and make noise in the midst of its (recitation)
that you may overcome. (Q. 41:26).
In response to this, Allah consoled the Prophet by informing
him that this was nothing new. He said:
)31: (


Thus have We made every Prophet an enemy
among criminals. But sufficient is your Lord as
a Guide and Helper (Q. 25:26)
Just as the presence of those criminals for the Prophet who
scorned the Qurn, so in all previous nations, for every Prophet
there were criminals who tried to misguide his people and to make
them disbelievers, (such as Ab Jahl according to Ibn Abbas). He
should then be patient with them.
Allah encourages the Muslims to pray to Him and He
guarantees that He would answer their honest and sincerely prayers
5

This verse was misunderstood by the followers of Inkr al-Sunnah to mean

that the Prophets followers abandoned the Quran and instead, they were
more concerned with his Sunnah (sayings and practices), and therefore, they
did the opposite, abandoning the Sunnah, and said the Quran was sufficient
for them. In fact, the Prophets people (qawm) were disbelievers, and idol
worshippers, and therefore, they deserted and disregarded the Quran; but
when they became believers they upheld the Quran, and became his followers
and were called his ummah (community, nation).

(invocations, supplications). He revealed to the Prophet the following

verse:

)60 : (


And your Lord said: Invoke Me, [i.e., believe in My
Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything]
I will respond to your (invocations). Verily, those who
scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not
believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they
will surely enter Hell in humiliation. (Q. 40:60).
Moreover, for further encouragement, Allah said that He was near,
He did not need any mediator between Himself and His slaves. He
said:

(182: " (

And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning
Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near to them by My
Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant
when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor).
So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that
they may be led aright. (Q. 2: 186).
There are many duas (prayers, supplications) of the Prophet
recorded in the books of Srah (Biography of the Prophet) and the
adth (Traditions of the Prophet). But in the Qurn his duas were
taught to him by Allah, in various topics and situations, and
therefore, the dua was preceded with ( say [O Muhammad]),
such as:
a. to increase knowledge,
)111: (
and say (O Muhammad): My Lord! Increase
Me in knowledge. (Q. 20:114)
b. protection against Satan,

.






)78-79: (


and say (O Muhammad): My Lord! I seek refuge with
You from the whisperings (suggestions) of the satans (devils).
And I seek refuge with You, my Lord! lest they
should come near me. (Q. 23:97-98)
This means that in order to ward off from the devils, we are
recommended to mention Allah immediately before undertaking any
daily activity, including drinking, eating, even in intimacy with our
spouse.
c. forgiveness and mercy,


(118: (

and say (O Muhammad): My Lord! Forgive
and have mercy, for You are the Best of those
who show mercy (Q. 23:118)
d. prayer for parents,
(21: " (

" ..
and say: My Lord! Bestow on them [my parents]
Your Mercy as they did bring me up when
I was young. (Q. 17:24)
We say this prayer for our parents when they grow old and
continue to do it after their death.
e. prayer upon entering Madinah as emigrant,

)83: (

and say (O Muhammad): My Lord! Let my entry (to the
city of al-Madinah be good, and (likewise) my exit (from
the city of Makkah) be good. And grant me from You
an authority to help me (or a firm sign
or a proof). (Q.17:80)
f. deliverance from any impending doom,
.

)118: (

And say (O Muhammad): My Lord! If You would show

me that with which they are threatened (torment), My Lord!
Then (save me from Your punishment), put me not amongst
the people who are wrong-doers. (Q. 23:93-94(
Besides the du (prayer, supplication, invocation), Allah also
taught the Prophet what to say in showing people his complete
submission and dedication to Him. He said:

.



.



)120-121: (



Say (O Muhammad): Truly, my Lord has guided my
to a Straight Path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrhm
(Abraham), Hanif [i.e. the true Islamic Monotheismto
believe in One God (Allah, i.e. to worship none but Allah,
Alone) and he was not of idolaters. Say (O Muhammad):
Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying
are for Allah, the Lord of the world (mankind, jinn and
all that exists). He has no partner. And of this I have
been commanded, and I am the first of
the Muslims. (Q. 6:161-163).6
Allah also taught the Prophet and us the Muslims how to
address Him with our glorification, to show our acknowledgment of
His Omnipotent and Wisdom as the Sole Creator of the Universe. He
said:
6

Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. was the first Muslim in his time among his
ummah (nation, i.e. followers) only, because prophets before him had
preached worshiping Allah Alone, which is Islam (Q. 21:25). Prophet N
(Noah) a.s. was commanded by Allah to be of the Muslims (Q. 10:72). Prophet
Ibrhm (Abraham) a.s. enjoined upon his sons not to die except as Muslims (Q.
2:130-132). Prophet Ysuf (Joseph) a.s. prayed to Allah to die as a Muslim (Q.
12:101). Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said: We, the Prophets, are half-brothers,
but our religion is one.

)12: (


Say (O Muhammad): O Allah! Creator of the heavens
and the earth! All-Knower of the Unseen and the seen!
You will judge between your slaves about that
wherein they used to differ. (Q. 39:46)




.







)29-22: (
Say (O Muhammad): O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom,
You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take
the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with
honour whim You will, and You humiliate whom You will.
In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things.
You make the night enter into the day, and You make the day
enter into the night (i.e.; increase and decrease in the hours of
the night and the day during winter and summer), and You
bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out
of the living. And You give wealth and sustenance to whom
You will without limit (measure or account). Q. 3:26-27)
(CIVIC, 5 December, 2014)
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Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qurn
Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qurn
Holy Bible: New International Version, 1973
http://www.quranstudygroup.org/Resources%20page/other/Qurani
c%20Duas-%20Dr%20Riza%20Mohammed.pdf