Section: Supplication

Praise be to Allah, we thank Him, seek His Help and His Forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of ourselves and that of our bad deeds. He whom Allah guides, is truly guided, and he whom Allah leaves to stray, none can guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, besides Him no other partner is and I bear witness that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His Messenger.When one is in suffering, or is befallen by catastrophe; when one is estranged and despondent and ultimately frustrated: then one unconsciously seeks the One Whose mercy is all-embracing. He is more Merciful than a mother to her child. His is the refuge we seek. It is He Who hears the weeping of the oppressed and accepts those who repent to Him. He showers His bounties and His blessings upon them.Thus, a believer should earnestly invoke Allah and concentrate solely on Him as stated in the following ayah:أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ ‎﴿٦٢﴾‏Translation: Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah ? Little do you remember. [An Naml: 62]He should also humbly supplicate to Allah with devout words and sincere determination. The soul then enjoys the light of its Lord and a believer feels ease and safety that permeates in his veins and throughout his body. He feels in companionship with the Ever-lasting Power, that he is newly born and that Allah is close to him.When My servants ask You concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every supplicant when he calls Me. Let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me, so that they may walk on the right way. [Al Baqarah: 186]Thus, Du'a constitutes worship as the Prophet (ﷺ) has expressed. That is because Du'a means servility, humbleness, and is an expression of a need for the One in Whose Hand is the authority over everything. It is also a response to the Order of Allah as He says,And your Lord says:وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ ‎﴿٦٠﴾‏Translation: And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible. [Ghafir: 60]By making du'a, success becomes a reality; wishes and aims are achieved. That is because, when the servant truly believes that Allah is the only One Who is the Most Deserving to be asked and sought, he will shun all sources of help other than Allah. He will approach the Door of his Lord, seek His protection, entreat Him for His Mercy of treasures and His generosity. This is the essence of worship and the secret of obedience. On the authority of Nu'man Ibn Bashir (Ra) who said that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Du'a is worship."Then he recited the saying of Allah the Almighty."And your lord says: Call on Me, I will answer your (prayer)..."Therefore, du'a is a form of worship, in fact it is one of the most honorable and glorious forms of worship. Allah ordered us to make du'a:ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ ‎﴿٥٥﴾Translation: Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors. [Al A'raf: 55]He also reproached the people who do not make du'a, saying:وَلَقَدْ أَخَذْنَاهُم بِالْعَذَابِ فَمَا اسْتَكَانُوا لِرَبِّهِمْ وَمَا يَتَضَرَّعُونَ ﴿٧٦﴾Translation: And We had gripped them with suffering [as a warning], but they did not yield to their Lord, nor did they humbly supplicate, [and will continue thus] [Al Mu'minun: 76]Sahl ibn 'Abdullah (Ra) said, "Allah created mankind, then He said, "Entreat Me. If not, look towards Me. If not, listen to me. If not, set yourselves before My Door. If not, ask Me of your needs."Allah said:أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَTranslation: ...(He) Who listens to the distressed when they call on Him, and Who relieves their suffering… [An Naml: 62]The Prophet (ﷺ) gave glad tidings to a man who was inspired with du'a so that he would be among those who would receive the Mercy of Allah, he said:"If the gates of du'a are opened by man, the gates of mercy will be opened before him. And the most beloved thing for which Allah loves to be asked is safety." [Tirmidhi and Hakim]The supplicant also received glad tidings from the Prophets (ﷺ) that Allah would keep him safe and he would have the privilege of du'a being a weapon to fight the enemies and defend himself with:"Du'a is a weapon of a believer, a pillar of religion, and a light of the heavens and the Earth." [Hakim]The Prophets (ﷺ) also said: "Do not feel hopeless with du'a as nobody can perish with du'a." [Ibn Hibban and Hakim]He also said :"Would I guide you to what would protect you against your enemies and bring you provision?' 'Supplicate to Allah by day and night for supplication is the weapon of a believer." [Abu Ya'la]The Prophet (ﷺ) also gave glad tidings to the person who supplicates to Allah so that his supplication would be answered and that his approach towards Allah would be accepted.Allah is Ever-Merciful and Ever-Generous to the extent that when man lifts his hands skyward (invoking Allah), He dislikes replying without rewarding him.The Prophet (ﷺ) explained also how the answer for du'a can be achieved. The answer, whether spontaneous or delayed, is good for the supplicant. Thus his du'a is ultimately beneficial for him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:"If a Muslim invokes Allah for other than sin or the severing of relations, Allah in turn responds to his Du'a in one of three ways; either He accepts it (and grants what was asked for), or He delays its reward to the Hereafter, or He removes a calamity from him that equals his Du'a (in magnitude). The Companions said, "We will then supplicate often." The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Allah will reward you greatly." [Ahmad, Bazzar, Abu Ya'la and Hakim]The Prophet (ﷺ) explained how the answer of a Du'a is good in all its forms even if it appears as though they were not answered. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:"On the day of judgement, Allah will call a believer until he stands before Him. O My servant, I have commanded you to call upon Me and have promised to answer you. Did you truly call upon Me?' He (the servant) will say, 'Yes, my Lord. Allah will say, 'Whenever you called upon Me I answered you. Did you not call upon Me on the day of such and such to relieve your calamity and I did?'The servant will say, 'Yes my Lord.' Allah will say, 'I gave it you in the worldly life, Allah will add, 'Did you not call upon Me on the day of such and such to relieve your calamity but it seemed that I did not reply to you.' The servant will say, 'Yes my Lord.' Allah will say, I compensated such and such for you in Paradise.'Allah will say, Did you not call on Me to meet your need and I did.' The servant will say, 'Yes my Lord. Allah he will add, "I gave it to you in worldly life.' 'Did you not call on Me on the day of such and such to meet your need but it seemed that I did not reply to you. The servant will say, 'Yes my Lord.' Allah will say, 'I compensated such and such for you in Paradise." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is said, "Allah is will never leave out any supplication of a believer unless He will expound this for him through the following; either He will give it to him in worldly life or delay it in the Hereafter. Thereupon, the believer will say, 'I wish I was given nothing of my du'a in this world." [Hakim]Du'a prevents calamities and lightens Allah's We will through Allah's will. The Prophet (ﷺ) said:"Precaution can never prevent predestination. Du'a surely avails in regards to what has already taken place in terms of seeking forgiveness) and what has not yet come to pass in terms of asking for favours). A calamity may have descended from heaven when du'a meets it. Consequently, a confrontation between them will take place until the Day of Judgement." [Bazzar, Tibarani and Hakim]He also said, "Nothing prevents predestination except du'a, and nothing lengthens age except righteousness." [Tirmidhi]The Prophet (ﷺ) *guided us to the way of answering du'a, i.e., continuous request to Allah in every time. He (ﷺ) said,"Whoever desires to have his du'a accepted by Allah in adversity, should make frequent du'a in prosperity." [Tirmidhi and Hakim]"Nothing is more beloved to Allah than du'a in prosperity." [Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban and Hakim]These ahadith and others indicate that du'a is one of the most powerful means in preventing a calamity, du'a is an enemy to calamity. It confronts, prevents, or weakens the calamity as mentioned in the previous hadith which indicated that du'a has three stages with calamity:1. Du'a may be stronger than calamity so it prevents its occurrence. 2. Du'a may be weaker than a calamity, then the latter would occur, but Du'a may weaken its effects. 3. A confrontation between both may take place until each one prevents the other.However, Du'a may miss the answer for the following reasons: 1. It may be weak, e.g. it includes something that is abhorred by Allah such as aggression.2. The unconsciousness and inattentiveness of the heart at the time of du'a. In this case it would be like an arrow which is shot from a soft bow. It would never reach the target. Hakim reported, in his Mustadrak, Abu Hurairah who said the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Invoke Allah with full conviction that He will accept your invocation and know that Allah never accepts the invocation of heedless heart." 3. Consuming of Haram (Unlawful), committing sins, the indulgence in prohibited amusement and the hardened heart that shies from remembering Allah.Therefore, du'a is a useful remedy for illness but the heedlessness of one's heart turns it null and void. Consuming unlawful food, in the same manner, weakens the strength of du'a. It is reported in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurairah (Ra) that, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said,""O people, surely Allah the Almighty is good and accepts only that which is good. Allah has commanded the faithful to do that which He commanded the Messengers. Allah Almighty has said,O You Messengers! Eat of the good things and do right.' And Allah the Almighty has said, 'O you who believe! eat of the good things wherewith we have provided you. Then he mentioned (the case of a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky (saying), 'O Lord! O Lord! While his food and drink were unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and his livelihood was acquired unlawfully. So how could his du'a be answered!"