Question to Shaikh Salim at-Taweel: Is it permissible for the Muslim to restrict himself to the du'aa "Ya Allaah."
Shaykh Saleem at-Taweel: If the peson was to say [to his living companion] "ya Bilal", Bilal would say "what do you want?" So from that which is more suitable is that the person would say, "I want such and such and such and such." If the person was just to say, "Oh Bilal, Oh Bilal, Oh Bilal," then he would turn to you and say, "What do you want?" So therefore it is suitable to say, "I want such and such."
quote:
Likewise, if you say "Ya Allaah, ya Allaah, ya Allaah." It is befitting to mention your need. Then, we have from the Sunnah, you don't say "Ya Allaah," but you say "Allaahuma" [Oh Allaah]. And "Allaahuma" means "Ya Allaah." [But] you don't say "Ya Allaah," but rather say "Allaahuma." Like you say: "Allaahuma salee 'ala Muhammad" [Oh Allaah, send your salam upon Muhammad] or you say "Allaahuma ighfirli warhamni" [Oh Allaah, forgive me and have mercy upon me] or you say "Allaahuma rzuqni" [Oh Allaah, provide for me].
It is not befitting or suitable that you say "Allaahuma, Allaahuma, Allaahuma" without asking for your need. For the one who says "Ya Allaah, Ya Allaah, Ya Allaah", and he wants to remember Allaah this way, we say that this is a bid'ah (an innovation).
And the Sunnah [in remembering Allaah vocally] is to say "SubhanAllaah, AlHamdulillaah, La illaaha il Allaah, Allaahu Akbar, La Hawla wala Quwata illa billaah, SubhanAllaahi wa biHamdihi, SubhanAllaahi al-Adheem".
These sentences are beneficial sentences that have a meaning to it. The statement Allaahu Akbar means Allaah is greater than everything. The statement SubhanAllaah means Allaah is far removed from every deficiency and shortcoming. And AlHamdulillaah means every description of perfection and completeness is for Allaah. La illaaha il Allaah means no one has the right to any act of worship except Allaah. But as for the statement "Ya Allaah", then what is the meaning of it? There's no meaning to it unless you add [a need] to it, like "Oh Allaah forgive me." [Or] "Oh Allaah, have mercy upon me." And like I say [right now], "Oh Allaah, let the questions come to an end."
[Laughter]
The shaykh then announced his plan to visit his students in America in the sixth month.
Subhanak Allaahuma wa bihamdika ash-hadu anlaa illaaha illa anta astaghfiruka wa atubu ilayk
If I said anything correct, then it is from Allaah (subhanahu wa taa'ala), and if I erred, then that is from me and shaytan.