Min Ajaib al-Dua - al-Juz al-Awwal
- Author died
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- Editions
- Dār al-Qāsim lil-Nashr
Min Ajaib al-Dua – al-Juz al-Awwal (From the Wonders of Supplication – Part One) is a devotional work compiled by the Saudi author Khalid ibn Sulayman al-Rubai, presenting a collection of historical and contemporary accounts of answered supplications alongside an exposition of the principles and etiquettes of prayer in Islam.
Purpose and Scope
The author defined the scope of the treatise with the explanatory subtitle Qisas li-qawm da‘aw Allah fa-istajaba lahum min al-mutaqaddimin wa-l-mu‘asirin ("Stories of people from the predecessors and contemporaries who supplicated God and He answered them"). The stated objective of gathering these reports was not mere entertainment, but rather to inspire Muslims to engage persistently in supplication (du‘a’) and seek refuge in God during times of hardship and necessity. The first volume comprises 165 distinct narratives.
Structure and Content
Prior to presenting the narratives, al-Rubai prefaced the book with an introductory doctrinal and practical guide divided into seven sequential themes based on the Quran and the Sunnah:
- Virtues of supplication (Fada'il al-du‘a’): Biblical and prophetic proofs highlighting the status and benefits of prayer.
- Conditions of supplication (Shurut al-du‘a’): A concise selection of the most essential prerequisites for acceptance.
- Impediments to acceptance (Mawani‘ ijabat al-du‘a’): A general overview of actions and states that prevent prayers from being answered.
- Common errors in supplication (Akhta’ yaqa‘u fiha ba‘d al-da‘in): Common transgressions and mistakes made by supplicants.
- Etiquettes of supplication (Adab al-du‘a’): Detailed guidelines on proper conduct, reverence, and persistence while praying.
- Favored times and circumstances (Awqat wa-ahwal wa-awda‘ turja ijabat al-du‘a’ fiha): Specific moments and physical or emotional states where divine response is particularly anticipated.
- Answered prophetic supplications (Ba‘d al-da‘awat al-mustajabat): Formulas and prayers transmitted directly from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
The subsequent narrative section draws heavily upon classical biographical and ascetic literature, such as Ibn Abi al-Dunya's Mujabu al-Da‘wah and al-Dhahabi's Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’, citing incidents involving early figures such as Mutarrif ibn Abd Allah, Sufyan al-Thawri, Abd Allah ibn Habib, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal. It pairs these classical reports with twentieth-century and contemporary incidents, including accounts related by modern scholars such as ‘A’id al-Qarni and oral reports conveyed by the author's acquaintances.
Publication and Reception
The first volume was issued in Riyadh by Dar al-Qasim in 1422 AH (2001 CE), consisting of 104 pages. The collection received praise from ‘A’id al-Qarni, who commended the author's selection of reports and highlighted its role in motivating believers to turn continuously to God. The author subsequently produced a second volume (al-Juz' al-Thani) in 1425 AH (2004 CE), also published by Dar al-Qasim.
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