One of the most beautiful aspects about worship in Islam is that we are able to call upon Allah, subhaana wa ta’ala, directly; without the need of any intermediary. Imagine – if you were given a private audience with the most powerful king and while in his presence you could address him with all your needs and concerns. How much more astonishing that the Creator Himself, the King of Kings is ever ready, not just to listen to your supplication but to respond to it. Allah, subhaana wa ta’ala says in the Qur’aan:
‘And your Lord says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible’.
(Qur’aan 40:60)
There are certain etiquettes the supplicant is recommended to follow and certain times and situations when praying is encouraged and insha’Allah I will be covering some of these points in future articles on the same topic. As I write this post, it is the last hour of the day of Jummah and my earnest wish is that all our prayers be answered and that we are given the taufiq, the God-given ability, to be able to make dua.
Dua is often referred to as a ‘weapon’ or ‘fortress’ of a Muslim because of it’s inherent ability to potentially change the situation of the believer. Most people, not understanding the immense power of dua, pay little more than lip service to the act, running through a well-rehearsed list of needs and wants or repeating a prescribed prayer in Arabic without understanding its meaning. If they strongly believed that they were in the presence of the Almighty, their words would be more heart-felt, beseeching Allah in earnest.
The Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, was reported as saying:
“There is nothing more dear to Allah than a servant making dua to Him.”
(At-Tirmidhi)
These are some points to consider the next time you call on Allah in prayer:
- Pray with yaqeen, the certainty that Allah hears all dua and He will answer it in a way that is best for you. Allah is onmipotent, all-powerful, all knowledgeable and he knows what our hearts yearn for, whether or not we are able to vocalise it in speech. He is fully aware of our situation and He decrees what is best for us and when. There is nothing beyond His power and ability so don’t even for a second doubt that your dua will not be answered. It definitely will be, but maybe not in the manner you imagined.
- Focus your attention while doing dua, be conscious that you have been given this ongoing opportunity to pour your heart out to the One who is the Controller, Sustainer and Creator of all. Give time to your supplication and avoid getting distracted. Try to find a quiet place and a few moments of peace where you can give the prayer justice.
- Remember that dua is not just for requesting needs and wants but also to acknowledge our shortcomings; to turn to Allah with sincere regret and repentance for wrongdoings that may have been done consciously or unconsciously. A dua also provides an opportunity to show our gratitude for all the blessings Allah freely and continually gives.
- Be persistent, like when a young child is asking a parent, knowing fully well that the parent will listen to their plea.
- Purify your intentions and make dua whenever you feel the inclination, not just limiting it to recommended times.
- Learn and use Allah’s magnificent Names to call upon Him. For example Al-Razaq, the Provider of all sustenance, to increase and put barakah in your rizq.
- Complete your dua by sending salaam on the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. Finally, you can recite any dua from the Qur’aan and Sunnah as long as you understand it’s meaning.
This is just an introduction to the topic and insha’Allah I will be looking at some duas from the Qur’aan and Sunnah and the stories behind them. I will also be touching upon the points above with more detail and examples, insha’Allah.
May Allah, subhaana wa ta’ala, accept all our duas and may He give us the ability to call on Him, praise Him and remember Him often. Ameen.
Dear sisters, this week I have been consciously trying to drink more water. My average intake of water is normally well below the two litres or eight glasses recommended for optimal hydration. I now carry a 500ml bottle to work, taking small sips during the day and filling up as required. I have found it is not so hard to drink the recommended amount of water.
Water makes up at least 60% of the constituents of our bodies. Water is required for all metabolic processes, the correct functioning of our internal organs, for digestion, transport of oxygen and nutrients, for the excretion of toxins in the form of urine and mechanisms involved in homeostasis. It is suffice to say that every cell in our body requires water and we have to maintain optimal levels by drinking as necessary.
What are the symptoms of dehydration? The colour of your urine is a good indicator of hydration levels in your body: ideally it should be pale yellow under normal circumstances and the darker the colour, the more you are dehydrated. Another indicator is the pinch test: an area of skin, like the back of your hand is pinched and released. Your skin should return to its former condition within a second – if it takes any longer it is an indication of lower skin turgidity and dehydration.
Water is one of the greatest blessings that God Almighty has bestowed on us. However as with a lot of other things, we tend to only appreciate its value when we are deprived of it. The Prophet Muhammad ( peace be upon him) advised his followers to maintain a balance in the intake of food and water: filling only one third of the stomach with food, one third with water and keeping one third empty (for air).
What if you don’t like the taste of water? You can always flavour water with lemon, mint or fruit. Herbal teas are really just infusions which count towards your daily intake of water. Certain fruits and vegetables have a high water content and these help in keeping you hydrated.