Muslim bin Yasar said: “Those who take pleasure have not enjoyed anything as much as the seclusion in private invocation to Allah the Almighty and the comfort of His love.”
The servant’s Munajah (private invocation to their Lord) is one of the highest and most esteemed levels of servitude. In this act, the loving servant is alone with their Beloved God, expressing to Him their pain and fear, complaining about themselves and the devil, and seeking His assistance and safety.
Among the meanings of Munajah (private invocation) is to reveal the feelings and secrets in one's heart. It is also said to be the whisper and quiet speech shared with a close companion, as mentioned in Allah’s words: “O you who have believed, when you converse privately, do not converse about sin and aggression and disobedience to the Messenger but converse about righteousness and piety.” (Al-Mujadilah: 9)
The difference between du’a (supplication) and Munajah (private invocation) is that du’a is the servant asking their Lord for good in this world and the Hereafter or seeking refuge from the evils of this world and the Hereafter. Munajah, however, is the highest level of du’a, where the servant speaks to their Lord, sharing their concerns, expressing love and longing for their Creator and Beloved in whispers heard only by Allah, the Most Glorious.
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: “The loved ones of Allah are those who have inherited the best of life through what they have reached through Munajah with their Beloved and the pleasure of His love in their hearts.”
Salah is one of the greatest forms of Munajah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A faithful believer while in prayer is speaking in private to his Lord.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)
It is the servant’s way to earn the pleasure of their Lord. Hence, the prophets and messengers hastened to it because of its significance and reward. Allah said about Musa (peace be upon him), “[Allah] said, ‘And what made you hasten from your people, O Moses?”’ He said, ‘They are close upon my tracks, and I hastened to You, my Lord, that You be pleased.’” (Taha: 83-84) Ibn Rajab commented: “This indicates that hastening to private invocation with Allah brings about His pleasure.”
Thawr bin Yazid said: “I read in some books that Isa (peace be upon him) said: O disciples, speak to Allah much and speak to people little. They asked: How do we speak to Allah much? He replied: Engage in private invocation with Him, be alone in supplication to Him.”
Allah said about Zakariya: “When he called to his Lord a private supplication.” (Maryam: 3) Ibn Kathir commented on this ayah: “He arose at night while his companions were asleep, crying out to his Lord quietly: O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, to which Allah replied: Here I am, here I am, here I am!”
This is the habit of the believing servant who remembers their Lord. Their soul burns within, sleep eludes them out of love, longing, and fear of their Beloved. Allah said, “They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend.” (As-Sajdah: 16) Al-Alusi commented: “This refers to their sleeplessness in private invocation with their Beloved, observing His Majesty and Beauty.”
A true lover of Allah praises and exalts Him in solitude, breaking down before Him in tears, fearful and humble, finding comfort in His presence over all His creation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned in the hadith about the seven whom Allah will shade in His shade: “A man who remembers Allah in solitude and his eyes become tearful.”
Whoever finds Allah, what have they lost? And how can one feel lonely when they privately converse with their Lord in solitude, finding comfort in His closeness and love? Malik bin Maghul was asked about sitting alone in his house: “Don’t you feel lonely?” He replied: “How can one feel lonely with Allah?”
Ibn Rajab said: “The lovers of Allah are disturbed by anything that distracts them from remembering Him. Nothing is more beloved to them than seclusion with their Beloved.”
Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad said: “When the sun sets, I am delighted by the darkness for my seclusion with my Lord. When the sun rises, I am saddened by the intrusion of people.”
Who else do you have besides Allah? Who can save you, O servant of Allah, from darkness and distress, and rescue you from the depths of worries and afflictions, other than Him? Allah says, “Say, ‘Who rescues you from the darkness of the land and sea [when] you call upon Him imploringly and [aloud] privately: If He should save us from this [crisis], we will surely be among the thankful.' Say, ‘It is Allah who saves you from it and from every distress; then you [still] associate others with Him.’” (Al-Anam: 63-64)
Sayyid Qutb commented on this ayah: “It is an experience known to everyone who has been in distress or seen the distressed in moments of affliction. The darknesses of the land and sea are many; the labyrinth is darkness, danger is darkness, and the unseen future in the land and sea is a veil. Whenever people are enveloped in darkness, they find no one but Allah to call upon, imploringly or silently.”
The pleasure of Munajah to Allah in solitude surpasses all pleasures. Whoever has tasted it cannot bear to live without it. Even the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Messenger of Allah and His Beloved, who was guaranteed paradise and its blessings, loved to seclude himself with his Lord and would rush to prayer whenever anything distressed him, privately conversing with Allah, glorifying Him, and supplicating to Him, weeping with love and longing. His blessed feet would swell as he stood in prayer, privately conversing with his Lord. When his companions asked him, he would say: “Should I not be a grateful servant?”
Hence, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, when asked: “Why do the faces of the people of the night have such light?” He replied: “Because they secluded themselves with their Lord, so He bestowed upon them from His light.” What a great blessing and a wonderful tranquility!
There is no greater pleasure than engaging in Munajah to Allah solitarily while everyone is asleep, standing in prayer, knocking at His door in the depths of the night, unseen by anyone, away from hypocrisy. Sheikh Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Al-Shanqiti said about this hour: “How delightful is servitude to Allah! The sweetness of this world has gone, its allure has faded, time has changed, tribulations have increased, and nothing remains of this world but the intimacy with Allah and private invocation to Him. When the ally of Allah rises, leaving his beloved and spouse, standing on his feet before his Lord, calling and privately invoking Him, what a delightful hour! What a great happiness!”
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- “Maw'idhat al-Mu'minin from Ihya Ulum al-Din,” by Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi.
- Midad, The Pleasure of Invocation and the Sweetness of Worship.
- Khutbah by Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Muhammad al-Tayyar: Seclusion with Allah and the Pleasure of His Invocation.
- Muhammad bin Abdullah al-Suhaim: The Pleasure of Invocation.
- Syrian Scholars Association.
- The Pleasure and Secrets of Invocation, Samira Susi.
