By Shadow Caster (Aug 2007). Based on an article by Sister Oola Ajni (Jan 2002)
Source: Voice of Unity Magazine (IUS), 10 Years of Unity, Issue 3, Volume 10, July-September 2005
Introduction
Dua is unlike the obligatory pillars of Islam such as Salat and Sawm (fasting) which have a rigid standard of regulations, because through du'a we are able to use our very own individual styles of expression. Unlike the Christian method of putting hands together in front during prayer, the Muslim supplicator raises his hands palm-up in front of him, at the level of his chest, or on his lap during this type of prayer, but this is not a requirement.
Du'a (supplication) is our own personal means of communication with our Creator and it is accepted in any language. An individual may pray to ask for forgiveness, prosperity, help, improvement of a situation, increase in faith, or to thank God for His bounty or answering previous prayers; A person can pray for anything that is good and halal (permitted Islamically), and he can also pray for the damnation of the enemy and the ending of the world's evils. An individual may also pray for other persons. Duas can be individual and personal, but there are a great number of books that have pre-written duas, written and compiled by scholars, and these relate duas presented by Prophets (PBUT), Imams (AS), and other Ma'soomeen (AS). The Quran itself has a number of duas within its pages, one such dua is this one where Prophet Abraham (PBUH) says:
الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ الَّذِي وَهَبَ لِي عَلَى الْكِبَرِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَسَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءThe last line from that dua is sometimes said in a popular Qunoot dua, which is a special type of dua that is said in regular Salat prayers. A future article will be written about this to further elaborate.
رَبِّ اجْعَلْنِي مُقِيمَ الصَّلاَةِ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَاء
رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ
[Quran 14.39] Praise be to Allah, Who has given me in old age Ismail and Ishaq; most surely my Lord is the Hearer of prayer:
[14.40] My Lord! make me keep up prayer and from my offspring (too), O our Lord, and accept my prayer:
[14.41] O our Lord! grant me protection and my parents and the believers on the day when the reckoning shall come to pass!
Another dua from the Quran that we can use personally when we make dua is this:
لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا أَنتَ مَوْلاَنَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
[Quran 2.286] ...Our Lord! do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake; Our Lord! do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us, Our Lord do not impose upon us that which we have not the strength to bear; and pardon us and grant us protection and have mercy on us, Thou art our Patron, so help us against the unbelieving people.
Other duas can be found in special books and collections like Sahifah Sajadiyah, and some of these duas are
formulated to help certain situations like seeking pregnancy, stopping nightmares and many other things. Some published duas are very popular, like Dua Kumail, and such duas are sometimes read in congregation. There is a formulated dua for every day of the week and almost every situation, and these are good to recite, and very beneficial.
Importance of du'a
We have all undoubtedly been through some testing moments in our lives, and in such situations may have turned to close family and friends for help. Although they can provide us with valuable reassurance and comfort, they probably can do very little in helping to resolve the problem. Therefore it is necessary to confide in He who is the All-Listening and Most Wise, since it is only Allah (SWT) who has the power to really make a difference. Verily Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran,
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَHowever, it is important that we do not get into the habit of making du'a as a last resort and only after all else has failed. Surely if we remember Allah (SWT) at times of well-being, then He will remember us at times of difficulty. Therefore supplication should be a regular part of our lives, especially since it strengthens our relationship with Allah (SWT).
[Quran 2.186] And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way.
The severity of neglecting du'a
The consequence of not making du'a is explicitly summarized in a single ayah (verse) of the Holy Quran:وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ
[Quran 40.60] And your Lord says: Call upon Me, I will answer you; surely those who are too proud for My service shall soon enter hell abased.
Recommended etiquettes of du'a
As with all actions it is commendable that we start with the phrase 'Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem' (In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful), it is also recommended that we refer to our Creator and His glory through mentioning His names and attributes. Next, it is beneficial to invoke blessings on the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his holy progeny (AS) - 'Allahumma Salli ala Muhammed wa ala Aali Muhammed'. It is also strongly advised that before praying for ourselves we pray for others first, especially for those who have died. This is because when a person's life draws to a close, the opportunity for repentance and doing good ceases, and the deceased is held at a transitional phase which lies between death and the day of judgment - this is the state of Barzakh (more about this in a later article). During this very vulnerable time the person is subject to a lot of questioning and punishment, therefore it is the supplication of the living for
the dead that can help them at this most crucial point. In remembering the dead in our prayers we can only hope that when the time comes for our own souls to return to their Maker, there will be Muslims praying for us throughout this duration of difficulty. In addition to this, mentioning our Muslim brothers and sisters in du'a not only teaches us to be more compassionate, but it also means that the du'a is more likely to be accepted.
Conditions necessary for du'a to be accepted
There are a couple of prerequisites for du'a to be accepted, with some being more serious than others. One important thing to keep in mind is the 'give and take' aspect of du'a - why should Allah give us anything we ask for if we do not do what He asks of us - we don't give anything back for what He has given us. Why would Allah grant a poor excuse for a believer what he covets, when this bad Muslim only angers God by sinning continuously and not even doing the simple obligatory deeds of worship, the minimum at least?
God has an agreement with the people that He will grant them what they wish if they fulfil the requirements of the covenant, but yet people continue to sin and they ask: Why are my prayers not answered? People should ask: Do I really deserve it?
Some things that are required for prayers to be accepted:
Stop Sinning - Sins come in three grades: Greater sins, great sins, and minor sins. A single greater sin can make your dua count for nothing for a considerable time, sometimes (but rarely) permanently. After doing such a sin the person must truly repent for ever, just hoping that God may shed His mercy upon them, even though He could deny them His mercy for they are not worthy. A great sin is grave enough for dua to be denied for a good length of time, until the perpetrator asks god to forgive them a couple of times sincerely. A great number of minor sins, sins that sometimes the sinner does not realize they are doing, can add-up and rise to a certain level where God just says this person does not even deserve anything because the person does not cease their evil-doings. If someone has wronged another person then they should right that wrong before they should expect their prayers to be answered, or for them to be forgiven. In Dua Kumail, a few lines explain these concepts:
O Allah! Forgive me those sins, which tear apart modesty.Obligatory Worship - If a person does not follow the obligatory duties of worship like Salat (namaz), Sawm (fasting), Hajj (pilgrimage if they are able), Zakat and Khums (Charity), then they should not expect any other
O Allah! Forgive me those sins, which bring down misfortunes.
O Allah! Forgive me those sins, which alter blessings.
O Allah! Forgive me those sins, which hold back supplication.
O Allah! Forgive me those sins, which cut down hopes.
O Allah! Forgive me those sins, which bring down distress.
O Allah! Forgive me every sin that I have committed, and every mistake that I have made.
...
O my Master! I ask You by Your might,
not to let my ugly deeds and acts conceal my supplication from You,
not to disgrace me by exposing what is secret of my (acts), which (only) You are aware of,
...
My God and my Protector!
You have laid on me rules (to follow), but I followed my own whims.
...
I come to You, My God, after my shortcoming,
...
I do not find any way out from what I have done,
nor any place of refuge to turn to about my affairs,
other than Your acceptance of my apology,
and Your entering me into the range of Your mercy.
O Allah! Therefore, accept my apology,
have mercy upon the severity of my affliction,
and free me from the tightness of my chains.
deeds of worship to be accepted - du'a will not be accepted. Even missing a single prayer can affect the person.
Sincerity - When asking Allah (SWT) for forgiveness for example, we must really mean it and be truly sorry for our past mistakes. After all, there is little hope in our du'a being accepted if the supplication is only
half-hearted.
Lawful Earnings - Another of the prerequisites for the acceptance of du'a is that the source of income should be lawful, e.g. not obtained by gambling or selling alcohol. Likewise the food consumed should be halal (lawful).
Knowledge of Allah - Before we can call upon Allah (SWT) for help, we need to have some understanding of the Creator and His religion. A group of people once came complaining to Imam as-Sadiq (AS) saying that they call upon Allah (SWT) in supplication but He does not answer them. The Imam replied to them, "Because indeed you supplicate to whom you do not know."
Treatment of Parents - It is an obligatory requirement of Islam to treat parents well with respect and honor. When a son or daughter mistreats their parents, says something bad to them, does not obey them, and makes them unhappy then Allah becomes unhappy with them. A person who is bad to their parents shouldn't expect any of their prayers to be accepted norshould they expect to succeed in any aspect of their life.
Why Du'a is not answered
Sometimes a believer finds that their prayers are not answered even though they fit the criteria for their prayers to be accepted. They keep sin to a minimum, they do all the required worship duties, they do recommended worship duties, they do not mistreat other people, and they act like model Muslims, but yet their prayers are not answered - why?
Not realizing you are sinning. Sometimes a person does things they do not know are sins, so the person must educate themselves because it is an obligation of the religion of Islam to learn about their religion. Some
people innovate in their religion and do not follow the religion properly. Sometimes a person has wronged someone and they have forgotten about it, or they refuse to right the wrong. Many past actions should be explored.
Impossibilities and improbabilities. Some things are impossible, or highly unlikely, so du'a will not stop that thing happening but dua may improve the outcome. Such things include diseases like late-stage cancers - if you prayed day and night for the healing of the person then it will not cure them, but Allah will make it better for them if you pray for that instead. Allah has set down the laws of nature so expect these laws to be followed. Another thing that runs into this point is the concept of hard-work to gain something. For example, a person should not expect good exam grades if they only make dua. They must work hard and study, but supplement study with dua so that it works out better.
Your prayer has already been answered. Sometimes a person gets what they pray for but they are so blind to this fact they do not realize that they are being greedy, wanting more than they actually deserve. They do not count the blessings they already have. One should realize how lucky they are.
It's better for all concerned. Sometimes if a prayer is accepted then it will cause more trouble than benefit for all people concerned,even though the person praying may not see it. You must trust in the wisdom of
God that He denies you something for your own good.
Stupidity. It is stupid to pray for something Haram (forbidden), but some stupid people even pray that they win gambling bets! Such prayers will not be accepted. If you pray for something stupid or irrelevant then
your prayers will not effect the outcome of that thing. For example, some people think that prayer will make their favorite football team win a match, but God couldn't care less. Nor should you. Prayer should be for serious things.
Patience. Sometimes you just have to wait and be patient - Good things come to those who wait. Sometimes you may be denied something only for you to be given something even better later on if you are patient.
It does not fit with the will of God. There is a certain level of free-will and chance in the universe but there is also fate playing its role in the universe. If your hopes and dreams could potentially affect the course of
fate then Allah will not grant you them so that history runs a certain course. You may have better things written for you in the future.
Repentance and hope
A considerable number of people who call themselves Muslims do not qualify all the conditions for their prayers to be accepted, but they should never cease dua. Allah has enjoined dua on all believers so a person must continue to make dua, and ask for repentance for their sins. True repentance is ceasing to commit the
sin. If a sin is repeated, then they must try to stop it, but sometimes it is difficult, like an addiction, but they
should still continue to ask forgiveness for such sins. But they must try to stop being slaves to sin and be sincere in decrying the crime, and decreasing the frequency of its occurrence, eventually stopping it.
Some of the Muslims have committed major sins but they should not think that Allah has closed the gates of forgiveness. Allah describes Himself as Most Gracious and Most Merciful - these are two very significant attributes that open the gates of repentance for everyone so they should continue to seek forgiveness and not loose hope of gaining His pardon. A person can change their status and better themselves to such a level that the major sin(s) are wiped away, and they shall enter heaven. There is always hope, and the sinner should use all their available time, power, money and effort in this life to make up for what they did and hope Allah will be Merciful when Judgement Day comes nigh.
I pray that Allah protects us, shows us the errors of our ways, guides us all to the straight path and forgives us our sins. Please make dua for our suffering brothers in Iraq and Afghanistan, for the sick and the poor, for your and our dead, and for Oola and me.Jazakallah Khair.
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