ادْعُ بِمَا تُحِبُّ لَكِنَّكَ واللهِ لَنْ تُصِيبَ بِدُعَائِكَ شَيْئًا أَعْظَمَ مِمَّا حَمَلَتْهُ أَدْعِيَةُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Pray for whatever you like, but by God, you will never attain with your prayer anything greater than what the prayers of the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, carried.

لِمَ؟ لِأُمُورٍ كَثِيرَةٍ أَوَّلُهَا جَوَامِعُ الْكَلِمِ فِي دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ

Why? For many reasons, the first of which is the comprehensive nature of his supplications, peace and blessings be upon him.

فَمَا تَرْجُو مِنْ خَيْرِ دُنْيَاكَ وَأُخْرَاكَ تَجِدُهُ فِي كَلِمَتَيْنِ فِي دُعَائِهِ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ

For whatever good you hope for in your worldly life and your hereafter, you will find it in two words within his supplications, peace and blessings be upon him.

وَمَا أَرَدْتَ مِمَّا تُفَكِّرُ فِيهِ وَتَحْمِلُ هَمَّهُ تَجِدُهُ فِي بَعْضِ الْجُمَلِ فِي الدُّعَاءِ بِأَعْظَمِ عِبَارَةٍ وَأَوْفَى لَفْظٍ

And whatever you desire from what you think about and carry the burden of in your heart, you will find it in some of the phrases in his supplications, in the greatest expressions and the most complete wording.

هَذَا سَبَبٌ وَسَبَبٌ آخَرُ أَنَّنَا فِي مَقَامِ الدُّعَاءِ فُقَرَاءُ نَقِفُ عَلَى بَابِ اللهِ

This is one reason, and another reason is that we are, in the position of supplication, poor standing at the door of God.

وَأَقْرَبُنَا إِلَى الدُّخُولِ وَالْإِجَابَةِ وَتَحْقِيقِ الدُّعَاءِ هُوَ أَقْرَبُنَا وَأَعْلَانَا مَنْزِلَةً عِنْدَ اللهِ

And the closest of us to entry, acceptance, and the fulfillment of the prayer is the closest and highest of us in status to God.

وَلَا أَعْلَى مَنْزِلَةً مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

And there is no status higher than that of the Messenger of God, peace be upon him.

فَهُوَ الَّذِي دَلَّنَا عَلَى الْبَابِ وَفَتَحَهُ لَنَا فَإِذَا أَرَدْتَ الدُّخُولَ عَلَى اللهِ فِي دُعَائِكَ وَتَحْقِيقِ مَطَالِبِكَ فَادْخُلْ مِنَ الْبَابِ الَّذِي دَخَلَ مِنْهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَتَصِلُ حَتْمًا

For he is the one who showed us the door and opened it for us. So, if you want to enter upon God in your prayer and fulfill your requests, then enter through the door from which the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, entered, and you will surely arrive.

وَسَبَبٌ ثَالِثٌ أَنَّ الدُّعَاءَ مَعْرِفَةٌ بِمَقَامِ الْأُلُوهِيَّةِ وَالرُّبُوبِيَّةِ وَعَظَمَةِ الْخَالِقِ جَلَّ وَعَلَا وَمَعْرِفَةٌ بِمَقَامِ النَّفْسِ الْبَشَرِيَّةِ وَضَعْفِهَا وَفَقْرِهَا وَلَا أَحَدَ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ فِي هَذَا الْمَقَامِ أَعْلَمُ بِعَظَمَةِ اللهِ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

And a third reason is that supplication is knowledge of the status of divinity, lordship, and the greatness of the Creator, may He be glorified and exalted, and knowledge of the status of the human soul, its weakness, and its poverty. And no human being in this position is more knowledgeable of the greatness of God than the Messenger of God, peace be upon him.

فَأَدْعِيَتُهُ مُشْتَمِلَةٌ عَلَى مَفَاتِيحِ الْإِجَابَةِ وَأَدْعِيَتُهُ مُشْتَمِلَةٌ عَلَى كَمَالِ الْعِبَارَةِ وَأَدْعِيَتُهُ مُشْتَمِلَةٌ عَلَى مَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ الْعَبْدُ فِي دُنْيَاهُ وَأُخْرَاهُ

His supplications include the keys to acceptance, they include the perfection of expression, and they include what the servant needs in his worldly life and his hereafter.