The Pearls of Islam

14th February 2011 10 Rabee Al-Awal Volume 3 Issue 7 by Aamir Shamsi

Reminder Series

Dua: Our Unused Weapon

Sitting in the mosque after Jumaa prayers, I looked around. Most people were either praying their Sunnah, getting up to leave or chatting in the corners. However, in the corner of my eye, I spotted an elderly man sitting down with his hands raised, making dua. I couldnt see anyone else asking Allah for help except this man. I started to think about this on the way home. Why do people, including myself, not make dua more often? Why is it only something that we do when we are in desperate need of Allahs help? Why is it not something we practise regularly? I know that I would only make a heartfelt dua when I was suffering or I needed Allahs help in something, and all other times it was just a short dua asking for forgiveness and guidance. I cant remember the last time I would regularly make long heartfelt duas to eradicate the poverty and suffering in this world, for the health and glad tidings of my family and friends, for help in every action that I do, to make my intentions as pure as possible and ask Allah to help me and others spread the beautiful word of Islam. Why was this? Had dua just become an ordinary action after salah? We have started to belittle the power and our need of dua and consider it as our last resort so much that the mention of dua is now only coupled with a calamity and not with general help in all that we do. Have we forgotten how much we rely on Allah and how much He has given us, so much that we are nothing without Al-Razzaq (The Sustainer, The Provider). Allah says in the Quran, And your lord said pray to me, I will respond to your invocations. (90:60). Dua is such a wonderful gift bestowed upon us by Allah. Rasullullah (pbuh) is reported to have said, Dua is the weapon of a Muslim. It can change our destiny and can help to soothe and relieve our pain. Without it we are lost and with it we can never fail. It is our dialogue with our Creator, our form of direct contact that is spiritually extremely empowering and liberating to our souls. We turn to Him because we know it is only He that has the ability to help us and to do what is best for us. Throughout the day we regularly pray to Allah and praise our Lord but why cant we take time out to beseech upon him for help in everything related to our lives as well as the lives of others? It is our first action in times of difficulty but not our first action in times of ease. The Prophet pbuh said The person who does not ask from Allah, Allah becomes angry with him. The prophet used to turn to Allah for everything and we should do the same. He would pray all night crying and pleading to Allah for His help. We should make dua at all times and for everything we do, whether it be big or small, for nothing is too big or too small for Allah. Whether it be a simple dua in the morning to give us a pleasant day or to ask for help everytime we sit down to do some work or even when we sit in a car to ask for a safe journey. Every action should be coupled with a dua for we cannot do anything without the help of Allah so we should ask Him for this help as it is only Him that can give us this help. Dont fall into the trap of taking everything for granted such as your health, your provisions and your intelligence. Everything we have is a blessing from Allah, a blessing that can be taken away from us at any point. The Prophet said: "There is nothing more dear to Allah than a servant making dua to Him." Making dua at all times not only pleases Allah and displays our subservience to Allah but it also enhances our iman in two ways. Firstly, by truly believing that Allah is in control of everything and understanding how much we need Him, we can become closer to Islam and Allah and secondly, by talking to Allah regularly and opening up our hearts to Allah and asking for every little thing we can build up a deep connection with our Lord. Could there be an easier way to become closer to Allah? I pray that Allah will allow me and all of you to make heartfelt duas more often and to ask Allah so that we can please Allah, become closer to our Lord as well as gain help in everything that we do inshAllah.