In the name of Allah, the beneficent and most merciful. Here are my humble notes from a jumuah lecture by Brother Mohau that truly empowers one who is seeking for true means of reaching Allah, and fullfiment of legitimate needs. Anfal verse 8:24
"O you who have attained to faith! Respond to the call of God and the Apostle whenever he calls you unto that which will give you life; and know that God intervenes between man and [the desires of] his heart, and that unto Him you shall be gathered "
Manajat of shaban has many a spiritual virtues and is one of the most significant keys gifted to us by the ahlubayt (as). We have 3 terms of common ways for supplicating Allah.
Nidah which refers to shouting at someone who is far from you. As at times we do when we feel estranged to Allah,
Dua which is more like a close conversation with someone near, no need to shout.
Munajat is a whispered dua, or whispered supplication. Only you and the one you're supplicating to can hear what you're pouring out your heart. It's not for everyone that your whisper, or the content thereof can nor should be heared.
In Shaban we are advised that the Holy Prophet (saw) said anything we ask in his name or attach his name to a thing we ask for it shall be granted.
In Rajab we remember that it is the month of Allah, wherein He (exalted is his praise) we could ask for anything
and it shall be accepted. Remembering attiquite of asking, knowing what to ask for, and as advised by those who know, it's also key to know when to ask. For example there is benefit in putting salawat before and after our ask.
Imam Ali (as) speaks to Allah very closely in this munajat of shaban, almost one-on-one, and if you study it closely you can see many keys to our journey of successful seeking nearness to Allah.
You can see how he (as) has understing of whom he is speaking to, how and what we ask for shows our grasp of whom we think we are speaking to.
E.g. If a billionaires offers you ability to ask of him anything and you only ask for R5, it shows that you don't really know who you're speaking to. Man is given the best of everything he needs to realise his full potential, so is every created thing, but man can behave in a way that's lower than the lowest of creatures, as much as everything is created best in its nature.
This munajat is surely one of the many ways Allah shows us that he indeed intervenes between man and his heart, Allah has made it infinitely easy and almost impossible to completely be lost. Even Pharoah, who was almost the worst person was give options right until the end to only turn to Allah, and he would've been forgiven.
This munajat is said to be used by arifs (agnostics)to seek nearness to Allah,
used by intellectuals to build support for their arguments, Used by jurists to build and support their rulings. In the second khutba the Sheikh went on to blow the subject up nicely.
The statement often repeated in the Quran is also that we "will be returned to Allah." How do we behave as if we understand this statement? If our beginning and end is with Allah, means we have the capicity to add value to our actions and every moment of our life by attaching it to Allah.
