You asked a number of questions. My dear brother! The majority of the Words and Letters that have been written occurred to my heart instantaneously without the exercise of will; and they turned out very well. If I reply to you relying on my will and strength of knowledge and thought like the Old Said, the answers will turn out dull and deficient. For some time now my heart has received no inspirations and the whip of my memory been broken; so I shall reply extremely briefly to each of them, so as not to deprive you of an answer.

YOUR FIRST QUESTION

What is the best way believers can pray for one another?

T h e   A n  s  w e  r :  Their  prayer  has to  be within  the  bounds  of what  is acceptable, for supplications become acceptable under certain conditions; their acceptability increases as these conditions are fulfilled. For instance, when a person wants to offer supplications, he should be purified spiritually by seeking forgiveness; then he should recite benedictions (salawat) for the Prophet (UWBP), an acceptable prayer, for intercession; and following his supplication he should again recite the salawat.  For a prayer offered  between two such acceptable  prayers  itself becomes acceptable; as is praying for another without their knowledge; [3] and are the traditional supplications and prayers in the Qur’an and Hadiths. For example:

O God! I beseech You to bestow forgiveness and well-being on me and on so-and-so in religion, this world, and the hereafter. [4] * O our Sustainer! Give us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and defend us from the torment of the Fire.(2:201)

General supplications like these when offered sincerely and with humility and tranquillity of heart; and following the five daily prayers, and the morning prayer in particular;  and  in  holy  places,  and  mosques  in  particular;  and  on  Fridays,  and particularly  during  “the  hour  when  prayers  are  answered;”  and  during  the  three months of Rajab, Sha‘ban, and Ramadan, and on the well-known holy nights, such as the Prophet’s (UWBP) birthday and Ragha’ib, and on the Night of Power in particular – it is to be strongly  hoped from divine mercy that such supplications  will be accepted. [5]

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[3] Muslim, Dhikr, 86-8; Tirmidhi, Birr, 50; Abu Da’ud, Witr, 29; Ibn Maja, Manasik, 5.

[4] al-Nawawi, al-Adhkar, 74; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, i, 517.

[5] Ghazali, Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din, i, 457-66; al-Nawawi, al-Adhkar, 420-6.