Dua and supplication in Muslims life are like the power that releases them from anguish and protect them from many difficulties and woes in this world. Therefore, we should make a lot of Duas until Allah Almighty reveals our worry and sadness. We will learn together about the merits and importance of Dua in the life of every Muslim.
“Dua is worship.”
Dua is like any other act of worship that Allah Almighty has commanded us to do. Allah Almighty said in Surat Ghafir: “وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ.”
“And your Lord has proclaimed, Call upon Me, I will respond to you.”
In Sunan Ibn Majah: Nu’man bin Bashir narrated that: the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Indeed the supplication is the worship.” Then he recited: “And your Lord said: Invoke Me, I will respond to you.”
Supplication keeps oneself away from arrogance.
Going to Allah alone removes arrogance and vanity from the human soul. Allah Almighty said in Surat Ghafir:
“وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِى سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ”
“Your Lord has proclaimed, “Call upon Me, I will respond to you. Surely those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell, fully humbled.”
Dua and supplgive psychological comfort.
When we ask Allah Almighty in every matter and ask Him to help us, we will feel psychological comfort because we are fully aware that He will respond to our prayer.
Allah Almighty said in Surat Al-Baqarah:
“وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِى وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ”
“And when My servants ask you (O Muhammad concerning Me, then answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My knowledge). I respond to the supplicant’s invocations when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.”
Dua and supplication remove the scourge.
Invoking Allah Almighty in Dua helps to ward off the calamity of the Muslims.
In Sunan Ibn Majah: Thawban narrated that: the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Nothing increases one’s life span except righteousness and nothing repels the Divine decree except supplication, and a man may be deprived of the provision by a sin that he commits.’”
What is Dua?
According to the Islamic creed, Dua is worship based on asking the servant His Lord and supplicating Him. It’s a means for us to achieve our goals in life, and it is a way to strengthen faith and draw close to Allah Almighty. A person who goes through many difficulties and woes in his life that exhaust him and tire him should draw closer to Allah Almighty to save him from his torments and release him from anguish and all worries. Allah is the only refuge for all the sorrows of this world, and He is the only protector that cannot disappoint His worshipers.
Some of Dua’s etiquettes and conditions:
Starting Dua and supplication with praising Allah Almighty, then sending Salat upon the Prophet (PBUH):
In Jami` at-Tirmidhi Fadalah bin `Ubaid narrated:
“While the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was seated, a man entered and performed Salat, and he said: ‘O Allah, forgive me, and have mercy upon me.’ The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘You have rushed, O praying person. When you perform Salat and then sit, then praise Allah with what He is deserving of, and send Salat upon me, then call upon Him.’” He said: “Then another man performed Salat after that, so he praised Allah and sent Salat upon the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him: ‘O praying person! Supplicate, and you shall be answered.’”
Being Firm In Supplication And Not Saying: “Forgive Me If You Wish”
In Jami` at-Tirmidhi Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
“None of you should say: ‘O Allah, forgive me if You wish. O Allah, have mercy on me if You wish.’ Let him be firm in asking, for there is none that can compel Him to do things.”
In Sahih al-Bukhari Narrated Anas:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “When anyone of you appeal to Allah for something, he should ask with determination and should not say, ‘O Allah, if You wish, give me.’, for nobody can force Allah to do something against His Will.
Raising the hands when invoking:
In Sahih al-Bukhari Narrated Anas:
“The Prophet (ﷺ) raised his hands (in invocation) till I saw the whiteness of his armpits.”
Avoiding the use of rhymed prose in invocation:
In Sahih al-Bukhari Narrated `Ikrima:
Ibn `Abbas said, “Preach to the people once a week, and if you won’t, then preach them twice, but if you want to preach more, then let it be three times (a week only), and do not make the people fed-up with this Qur’an. If you come to some people who are engaged in a talk, don’t start interrupting their talk by preaching, lest you should cause them to be bored. You should rather keep quiet, and if they ask you, then preach to them at the time when they are eager to hear what you say. And avoid the use of rhymed prose in invocation for I noticed that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and his companions always avoided it.”
Facing the qibla:
Facing the qiblah and not facing it, both are allowed when making Dua and supplication, and the Prophet SAW did both of them in different situations. But it’s desirable to face the qiblah during the Dua, as it’s an act of worship like a prayer.
In Sunan Abi Dawud Abbad b. Tamim (al-Muzini) reported on the authority of his uncle:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took the people out (to the place of prayer) and prayed for rain. He led them in two rak’ahs of prayer in the course of which he recited from the Qur’an in a loud voice. He turned around his cloak and raised his hands, prayed for rain, and faced the qiblah.
Don’t request death because of your problems in this life.
In Sahih Muslim Anas (b. Malik) reported:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)said:” None of you should make a request for death because of the trouble in which he is involved, but if there is no other help to it, then say: O Allah, keep me alive as long as there is goodness in life for me and bring death to me when there is goodness in death for me.”
In Sahih Muslim Nadr b. Anas reported, as when Anas was alive, that he said:
Had Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) not stated this..” None should make a request for death,” I would have definitely done that.
In Sahih Muslim Abu Hazim reported:
I visited Khabbab who had seven cauteries on his stomach, and he said: Had Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) not forbidden us to call for death, I would have done so.
Don’t ask Allah Almighty to punish you in this life instead of the Hereafter:
In Sahih Muslim Anas reported:
Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) visited a person from amongst the Muslims to inquire (about his health) who had grown feeble like the chicken. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Did you supplicate for anything or beg of Him about that? He said: Yes. I used to utter (these words): Punish me earlier in this world, what You will impose upon me in the Hereafter. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Hallowed be Allah, you have neither the power nor forbearance to take upon yourself (the burden of His Punishment). Why did you not say this: O Allah, grant us good in the world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of Fire. He (the Holy Prophet) made this supplication (for him), and he was all right.
Lowering the voice in Dua between silence and loudness:
Dua and supplication is a personal matter between Allah T’ala and us, so we should lower our voice during Dua and not pray loudly.
Allah says in Quran Surah Al-Isra verse 110
“قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ أَوِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنَ ۖ أَيًّۭا مَّا تَدْعُوا۟ فَلَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَٱبْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًۭا”
Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Compassionate—whichever you call, He has the Most Beautiful Names.” Do not recite your prayers too loudly or silently, but seek a way between.
In Sahih Muslim, A’isha reported that so far as these words of (Allah) Glorious and High are concerned:” And utter not thy prayer loudly, not be low in it” (17.110) relate to supplication (du’a’).
In Sahih Muslim Abu Musa reported:
We were along with Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) on a journey when the people began to pronounce “Allahu Akbar” in a loud voice. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: O people, show mercy to yourselves for you are not calling One who is deaf or absent. Verily, you are calling One who is All-Hearing (and) Near to you and is with you. Abu Musa said that he had been behind him (the Prophet) and reciting: “There is neither might nor power but that of Allah.” He (the Prophet), while addressing ‘Abdullah b. Qais said: Should I not direct you to a treasure from amongst the treasures of Paradise? I (‘Abdullah b. Qais) said: Allah’s Messenger, do it, of course. Thereupon he (the Prophet) said: Then recite: “There is no might and no power but that of Allah.”
Don’t make Dua for some sin or severing of kinship ties, or there’s no patience.
Our Dua and supplication is answered for sure in one of 3 different ways except if it’s for sin or severing of kinship ties, or there’s no patience. We should repeat the Dua without fatigue or boredom and not rush to respond.
In Jami` at-Tirmidhi Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“There is not a man who calls upon Allah with a supplication, except that he is answered. Either it shall be granted to him in the world, or reserved for him in the Hereafter, or, his sins shall be expiated for it according to the extent that he supplicated – as long as he does not supplicate for some sin, or the severing of the ties of kinship, and he does not become hasty.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, and how would he be hasty?” He (ﷺ) said: “He says: ‘I called upon my Lord, but He did not answer me.’”
In Sahih Muslim Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
The servant’s supplication is granted in case he does not supplicate for sin or for severing the ties of blood, or he does not become impatient. They said: O Allah’s Messenger, what does:” If he does not grow impatient” imply? He said: He should say like this: I supplicated and supplicated, but I did not find it being responded. And then he becomes frustrated and abandons supplication.
Do not invoke curses on yourself or your children or your possessions:
In Riyad as-Salihin Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Do not invoke curses on yourself or your children or your possessions lest you should happen to do it at a moment when the supplications are accepted, and your prayer might be granted.”
In Riyad as-Salihin ‘Ubadah bin As-Samit (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Whenever a Muslim supplicates Allah, He accepts his supplication or averts any similar kind of trouble from him until he prays for something sinful or something that may break the ties of kinship.” Upon this, someone of the Companions said: “Then we shall supplicate plenty.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Allah is more plentiful (in responding).”
Ask Allah Almighty every little and every major:
We should ask Allah Almighty in every matter we face in our life, even for salt and the strap of sandal when it breaks.
In Jami` at-Tirmidhi Thabit Al-Bunani narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Let one of you ask his Lord for his every need until he asks Him for salt and asks Him for the strap of his sandal when it breaks.”
The presence of the heart in Dua and supplication:
Dua is not some words we say and repeat. On making Dua, we should turn to Allah Almighty with all our feelings and emotions.
Making Dua in prosperity and distress:
We should turn to Allah T’ala with Dua in times of joy and happiness, not only in times of sadness and worry.
Devotion to Allah Almighty:
One of the essential etiquettes and conditions for supplication is devotion to Allah Almighty, meaning that we should be sincere in our Dua and Supplication.
We must turn to Allah Almighty alone.
When making Dua and asking for forgiveness and help, we have to turn to the universes and human beings’ Creator. It is not permissible to invoke Dua to anyone but Allah Almighty.
Confessing guilt, asking for forgiveness, acknowledging the blessing, and thanking Allah T’ala for it:
Before you pray to Allah Almighty: acknowledge your mistakes, and thank Him for His many blessings.
Ablution before Dua if the water is available:
As we previously talked about, Dua is an act of worship, and it is desirable to perform ablution for Dua as you perform ablution for prayer.
Praying to Allah Almighty with His good names and high attributes:
You can pray to Allah by one of His beautiful names or attributes or one of the good deeds that you have done.
One of the greatest reasons for answering Dua and supplication is to Do extra good deeds:
It is very important to perform many acts of worship, such as praying at night, reciting the Qur’an, and Sadaqa, etc.
Praying for all Muslim brothers and sisters:
That is, to pray for our brothers and sisters in Islam, specifically our parents, the scholars, the righteous, and the servants of the weak and oppressed.
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