#1154: Du`a to be said when One reaches the Age of Forty
QUESTION:
“Assalam alaykum, please I want to ask this question on islamnode 2 but don’t want to violate any rule”
My daughter was memorizing Surah Al-Ahqaf, and one day I was surprised when she asked me: “My father how old are you?”
I said to her smiling: “Sure, there is something behind your question.”
She said: “My father tell me how old are you?”
I said: “44 years old my daughter.”
She said: “That means you have reached 40 years four years ago, do you say the Du’aa of those after forty say?”
I said: “Is there a special Du’aa at the age of forty years?”
She said while acting like a teacher: “In Surah Al-Ahqaf, Allah Ta’ala Says.”
وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ إِحْسَانًا ۖ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ كُرْهًا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًا ۖ وَحَمْلُهُ وَفِصَالُهُ ثَلَاثُونَ شَهْرًا ۚ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً قَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ إِنِّي تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
(15) أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ نَتَقَبَّلُ عَنْهُمْ أَحْسَنَ مَا عَملوا وَنَتَجَاوَزُ عَن سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ فِي أَصْحَابِ الْجَنَّةِ ۖ وَعْدَ الصِّدْقِ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ (16)
{And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning [period] is thirty months. [He grows] until, when he reaches maturity and reaches [the age of] forty years, he says, “My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work righteousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed I am of the Muslims”} (15) {Those are the ones from whom We will accept the best of what they did and overlook their misdeeds, [their being] among the companions of Paradise. [That is] the promise of truth which they had been promised} (16)
My teacher told me that her father says this Du’aa for more than twenty years, he is now over sixty.
My teacher told us whoever love his parents should let them know about this beautiful Du’aa. I am telling you father because I love you.
I thanked my daughter so much for her wonderful words and precious advice.
I kissed her head and thanked Allah for giving me a daughter who can make me learn.
My daughter was very happy, she hurried and brought a paper and a pencil and wrote the Du’aa.
She said: “Put this paper in your wallet, so as you can say the Du’aa every day whenever you pull your money out of your wallet.”
Subhana Allah, Days later my daughter asked me about the Du’aa. I told her: “I have memorized it.”
Have we told our parents, uncles, aunties, brothers and sisters who are above forty this du’ã if yes bãrakallãhu feek and if not hasten to do that. May Allah grant us good ending. Aameen.
[The dua is only….
رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ إِنِّي تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ
Rabbi awzini an ashkura nimatikal lati an amta alaiyya wa ala walidiyya wa an amala saalihan tardahu wa aslihili fi dhurriyati inni tubtu ilaka wa inni minal muslimeen. Aameen.
My question is as good as this du’aa is, can we be doing this whenever we are 40 or is good anytime. I need shariah view
ANSWER:
Wa Alaykum Salam Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuh.
Alhamdulillah.
We ask Allah for Tawfiq and Sadaad.
As for this Du’a, It is a very important Du’a and it is required to be done by everyone at every time and at all situations. There is nothing in the Verse to say that this Du’a is to be done only by the one who has reached the age of forty. Rather, the Ulamaa mentioned that the one who attains forty is particularly mentioned here for 2 reasons.
First, he is at an age and period in his life where he is closest to his death and whatever comes after that age is a period of decline for him. Ibn Aashur mentioned this in At-Tahrir Wa At-Tanwir.
Rather, the beginning of his peak of Intellect and strength begins from his age of 30 and continues till he is 40. This it is expected that his prime ages are within this period.
He said : “For this reason He (Ta’ala) followed the clause ‘he reached his prime’ with ‘and he reached the age of forty'”
What Ibn Aashur is saying here is that the prime age begins from the age of thirty, and he is right.
Second, the age of forty is mentioned because at that age he attains the period of distraction himself for at that period, he has a family and children and is at a crossroads. It is a reminder not to forget the parents in that period who are much older.
Generally, the Ulamaa mentioned that these verses reminds the one who attains the age of forty to be more persistent in Tawbah and to increase his prayers. Imaam Ibn Kathir said:
“In this is guidance for the one who attained the age of 40 that he should renew his Tawbah and his return to Allah Azza Wajall, and to be determined and persistent with it”
Ash-Shawkaani also said:
“In this Verse is proof that it is upon the one who has attained forty years of Age to be plentiful in the saying of these Du’a”
Fat’hu Al-Qadir.
In summary, what this means is that this verse does not restrict the Prayers in the Verse to the one who attains the age of forty. Rather, it is an indication that at that age, a person must be more remembering of the Commands of Allah and be determined and persistent in Tawbah and Inaabah.
And Allah knows best.
Barakallahu fikum
Jazakumullahu Khayran.
Abū Āsim
28th Rabī’uth Thāni, 1443AH
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