The second person said: “O Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! I loved my uncle’s daughter more than any man could love a woman. I expressed my evil desire to her, but she declined them. She then came to me famine-stricken (seeking help), and I gave her a hundred dinar on the condition she fulfil my desire in return. Due to her desperate situation, she agreed. When we were alone together and at the cusp of this action, she said, ‘Fear Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and do not break the seal unlawfully (i.e. do not commit this sin).’ I left her after hearing this and abstained from evil, although I loved her deeply. I did not take back the dinar I had given her. O Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! If this deed of mine was solely for Your pleasure, then bring us salvation from this trouble!” The rock moved a bit more, but still not enough for them to exit.

The third man said: “O Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! I had some work done by labourers, and all of them except one took their wages. I invested his wage in business and made a lot of profit. Sometime later, he came to me and exclaimed, ‘O servant of Allah! Give me my wage.’ I responded by saying, ‘These camels, cows, goats and servants that you see, all belong to you.’ ‘Are you joking with me?’, he asked, and I replied by saying, ‘No, I am not; it is the truth.’ Hearing this, he took all his wealth and went away, leaving nothing behind. O Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! If this deed of mine was solely for Your pleasure, then bring us salvation from this difficulty!” As soon as he made the du'a, the rock moved away completely, and they exited the cave.^[1]

Making du'a through the wasilah of a good deed

Commenting on this blessed Hadith, ‘Allamah ibn Battaal رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْه has said: If a person has a sincere intention and makes du'a with the wasilah of the deeds he performed purely for the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, then it is hoped that his du'a will be accepted. When the people trapped in the cave made du'a with the wasilah of the deeds they performed only for the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and were hopeful that