We have all been exposed to dua, in one way or another, as Muslims. Yet, understanding what dua really is can sometimes feel remote. Making dua can sometimes also feel difficult – we will get into that! In this article, we will dive into what dua means, why it embodies the spirit of worship, and how it can be life-changing.
The Importance of Du’a
“Dua is the essence of worship.” [Tirmidhi]
This hadith speaks of the status of supplicating in Islam. By the very definition of the word ‘essence’, dua is described as the intrinsic nature of worship and its indispensable quality. What a person gains from making dua is the very embodiment of what it means to worship. And what does it mean to worship?
To humble oneself before their Lord and abandon hope in everything but Him.
When a person makes dua, they are doing exactly that. They are highlighting their willingness to be vulnerable in front of the Almighty and seek His Mercy, Love, Guidance, and Assistance because they realize that it can only come from Him. Ultimately, the act of invoking Allah bears testimony to this worshipper’s untainted reliance and judicious dependency upon Allah.
This is why dua has been described as the essence of worship.
There are other reasons, too, of course. The first is based upon Allah’s commandment in the Qur’an: ‘Call on Me, I will answer you.’ [40:60] When a person invokes Allah, they are quite simply responding to Allah’s willingness to assist and aid them
Second, a person worships with the hope of receiving reward. Though this objective is extrinsic, Islam celebrates the pursuit of particular deeds based on their particular virtues. This is why hadith after hadith enumerates the rewards of all the good deeds a person can do based on an innate human disposition to taste the fruits of their actions. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially if it encourages intrinsic motivation. Similarly, when a person makes dua, the great extrinsic reward is promised from Him, and so the purpose of worship comes full circle in the following three ways:
- Trust in and reliance on Allah
- Fulfilling the command of Allah
- Acquiring great reward
Dua during Ramadan
The reward for good deeds is multiplied manyfold in the noble month of Ramadan. The reward for an obligatory act for example, is increased by seventy. And this is just the quantity. The quality of the reward is also made greater and more abundant subhan’Allah. So the reward for making dua during Ramadan is greater.
While all supplications are accepted by Allah, they sometimes manifest in ways not always obvious to the human eye. In Ramadan, by virtue of the month and of the fasting entailed, the ease and pace of acceptance are also increased. The believer is filled with even more hope and promise of their invocations coming to life. There is no cleaner and better canvas than this blessed month to make dua.
It is reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “There are three whose dua is not rejected: a just ruler, the fasting person when he breaks his fast, and the prayer of the oppressed person. It rises above the clouds, and the gates of heaven are opened for it, and the Lord, may He be glorified, says, ‘By My Glory, I will answer you even if it is after a while.’” [Tirmidhi]
Overcoming Challenges in Making Dua
Dua is the weapon of the believer. There is absolutely nothing else that can shield, protect and arm the believer like the power of the dua they make. Yet it can be challenging to make dua – for some; perhaps, it is the hardest devotion to practice. Perhaps it is the liberating nature of the makeup of dua itself that is tricky – dua, after all, is the only form of worship in which one communicates with Allah in any manner they wish. There are no stipulations for making dua though there are certain etiquettes advised. And sometimes, on this basis that no one way or set method had been prescribed, invoking Allah can be daunting.
Have you ever felt undeserving of Allah’s countless blessings? This is a third limitation. ‘I am not worthy.’ We may slip and fall a million times in the way we practice our faith, and naturally, this could lead to feelings of unworthiness in receiving Allah’s blessings. The idea of not being meritorious to receive could mean hesitation in making dua and asking for forgiveness and goodness.
To problem one, we say, speak to Allah as though you are speaking to your closest friend in the world. Talk to Him as you would this individual; smile when you are expressing the good times and the pleasures you have been afforded; cry while you detail the sad and the bad. The very beauty of dua lies in its intimacy.
To problem two, we say, educate and remind yourself about the stories Allah has shared with us. Prophet Zakariyya would cry: ‘My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the hearer of supplication.’ [Qur’an, 3:38]. And Allah created for him Prophet Yahya, who was indeed the best of offspring. Prophet Ya’qub cried to be united with his beloved son Prophet Yusuf for a period of twenty to thirty years until finally, the day Prophet Yusuf’s shirt was cast over the face of His father. With this came the restoration of his eyesight and the manifestation of his hope and prayer that his son was still alive. Peace be upon the Prophets and Messengers of Allah.
There are countless more examples woven into the canvas of history and then more in the modern examples of miracles, you will have witnessed in the lives of those around you. Realize Allah’s power within them and revel in the hope they convey. Allah’s power is limitless. So can be the duas we make.
And finally, to the third, we say even the tiny breaths we take –are not granted to us because we are worthy. Yet Allah still continues to bless us (in different ways) because He loves us. Imploring Allah is a tool that builds our relationship with Him. It grants us a sort of assurance that we are the submitters, and He is the Commander, and though we may think we are very underserving of God’s grace, Allah knows everything about whom He wishes to guide, and it is His knowledge that overrides every doubt, fear and worry we carry.
May you be granted the beauty of all the good that you ask for and all the good for the things you do not know to ask. May you be blessed with eternal forgiveness in this month of Ramadan. Ameen.
Please see Part Two, where we offer some suggestions for supplications to take you from Suhoor to Iftaar in this blessed month of Ramadan!