HOW TO MAKE DUA

Guidelines on how to make Dua

Once, a ten-year-old boy was praying feverishly in prostration, “O Allah, the Most Merciful, the Magnificent, Make Faisalabad [a small city of Pakistan] the capital of Pakistan, make Faisalabad the capital of Pakistan…” His mother overheard him and inquired, “Why would you pray so, my child?” The boy answered, “Well, Mother. We had a question on our final exam which asked, “What is the capital of Pakistan?” and I mistakenly put “Faisalabad” as my answer. Although, we cannot help but laugh at the naiveté of the innocent child, his trust in his supplication to Allah and his belief that his prayer will be heard is quite admirable; as a matter of fact, quite “ideal”.

Allah states in the Quran:
And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calleth on Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright. (Sura al-Baqara, 186)

The art of making dua:
Making dua in the court of Allah is an art and has an etiquette which if considered, can result in the opening of many doors of Allah (swt)’s Bliss and Bounties. Some of the factors that help are listed below:

Praise Allah and call Him by His beautiful names and attributes before setting out to ask Him for favors. Indeed He is praiseworthy who never tires of hearing and fulfilling duas of all of His creatures. Allah  states in the Quran:
“Call on Allah or call the All-Merciful, whichever you call upon, the Most beautiful names of His.” (Sura al-Isra, 110).

Be Humble:
When you are praying, do not act as if you are enjoined the right to deserve whatever you are asking for. Make sure that you know that your Lord is the Most Gracious and you the Most Humble. Acknowledge your status before the Magnificent and do not be proud.
“Call your Lord humbly and secretly. He does not love those who transgress the boundaries.” (Sura al-Araf: 55)

Let Him decide:
If you are asking for something which you really like, always remember that whatever you are asking for may not be always in the best interest. Allah states in the Quran:
“It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you know not.”[Surah al-Baqara, 216] Always let Allah decide what is right for you and what is wrong for you instead of implying or imposing that you know better.

Be articulate:
Make sure to spell out in clear words what you want exactly. It is true that Allah  knows the secrets of the heart but He still wants you to pray and pray in an articulate manner. For example, all the sisters who want good husbands should not just suffice praying as such, “O Allah, give us a good husband.” Though it may sound out-of-the-world, but it is true that there are brothers who are good looking, rich and possess an excellent character. A sister may ask for all three with all her heart, and she will inshallah get her wish, but it will be better if she knows the order of the features that she wants in her husband, i.e., a good character must come first and foremost.

Believe in your dua:
The most critical factor in a dua being accepted or not, is the belief of the seeker in his or her supplication’s being accepted. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported, “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH), ‘The supplication of every one of His slaves will be granted as long as he does not get impatient and say, “I supplicated to my Rubb again and again but I do not think my prayer will be answered.”‘”
[Al-Bukhari, Muslim]. Also, Allah (swt) Himself states, “Do not despair of solace from Allah (swt). No one despairs of solace from Allah except for people who disbelieve.” [Sura Yusuf, 87] Therefore, it is imperative that we do not grow hopeless of Allah (swt)’s Mercy but keep on praying consistently and with patience.

Pray when happy and sad:
Allah (swt) states at numerous places that a human being only remembers Him in the times of distress but forgets Him when he has tears of joy in his eyes. We all know that we do not feel good when our friends remember us in the times of distress but abandon us in the time of need. Though Allah (swt)’s Rahma is infinite and His forgiveness is boundless, yet He expects us to keep on praying even when He has given us good times. Therefore, we should never forget our Lord when our heart’s joys know no bounds or when we are shouting in exhileration.

Remember others during prayers:
Allah (swt) says: “And ask forgiveness for your sins and also for the sin of believing men and women.” [Sura Muhammad, 19]
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “The dua of a Muslim for his brothers in his absence is readily accepted, an angel is appointed to his side, whenever he makes a beneficial dua for his brother, the angel says, ‘Ameen’, and May you be blessed with the same”. [Sahih Muslim] So a great way of having a dua being accepted in your favor is to wish the same for your brother with all your heart and importune the Creater on his behalf. This way, not only will your dua be accepted, but you will become the cause of happiness of your brother as well.

The Power of Dua

The Power of Dua

By Khalid Baig

The dua can change our life, our outlook, and our fate. It is the most potent weapon of a believer. Once Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) passed by a people who were suffering from some affliction. "Why don't they make dua (pray ) to Allah for protection," he said. With all the suffering and disasters Muslims are facing in various parts of the world, the question can be directed to all of us today.

It is not that we have forgotten dua completely; we refer to it regularly. But, our ideas and practice regarding dua have become distorted. Often it is reduced to the level of a ritual. Generally it is considered when all our efforts have failed --- an act of last resort. It is belittled through actions and sometimes even with words. Is it any wonder that today mostly a mention of dua is meant to indicate the hopelessness of a situation.

What a tragedy, for dua is the most potent weapon of a believer. It can change fate, while no action of ours ever can. It is the essence of ibadah or worship. With it we can never fail; without it we can never succeed. In the proper scheme of things, dua should be the first and the last resort of the believer, with all his plans and actions coming in between.

Dua is conversation with Allah, out Creator, our Lord and Master, the All Knowing, the All Powerful. This act in itself is of extraordinary significance. It is the most uplifting, liberating, empowering, and transforming conversation a person can ever have. We turn to Him because we know that He alone can lift our sufferings and solve our problems. We feel relieved after describing our difficulties to our Creator. We feel empowered after having communicated with the Almighty. We sense His mercy all around us after talking to the Most Merciful. We get a new commitment to follow His path for that is the only path for success. We feel blessed with each such commitment

In every difficulty our first action is dua, as is our last. We ask Allah to show us the way to handle that difficulty; we seek His help in following the path He shows to us; we seek His aid in making our efforts successful. When we fall sick, we know that we cannot find the right doctor without His Will; that the best doctor may not be able to diagnose our condition without His Command; that the best treatment plan will not succeed without His Permission. We make dua for all of these. We make dua before we seek medical help, while we are receiving it and after it has been delivered. The same is true of all other difficulties we may encounter.

Dua is the essence of ibadah. A person engaged in dua affirms his belief in Tawheed (monotheism) and shuns belief in all false gods. With each dua his belief in Allah grows. He beseeches Him, affirming his own powerlessness. A person seriously and sincerely engaged in dua understands exactly the relationship between himself and the Creator and affirms it through his actions. That is the essence of worship! Additionally, such a person can never become arrogant or proud, a logical result of true worship.
Dua is conversation with Allah … It is the most uplifting, liberating, empowering, and transforming conversation a person can ever have.

Dua is our most potent weapon in all struggles of life as well as in jihad in the battlefield. During the battle of Badr, the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) stood up all night in prayer seeking Allah's help in the battle between unequal armies that would follow the next day. In the decisive battles against the crusaders, Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi was busy day and night. His days were devoted to Jihad. His nights were spent making dua, crying, seeking Allah's help. This has been the practice of all true mujahideen.

We should make it a point to make dua for all things big and small. It is the beginning of wisdom to realize that big and small are arbitrary labels that are totally irrelevant in this context. Nothing is too big for Whom we are asking from; nothing is too small for the one who is asking. That is why we have been taught to ask Allah when we need something as small as shoelaces. We should ask as a beggar, as a destitute person, for that is what we in reality are in relationship to Allah. At the same time we should ask with great hope and conviction that we shall be granted our prayers. We should remember the Hadith: "There is nothing more dear to Allah than a servant making dua to Him." On the other hand, a prayer lacking concentration and conviction is no prayer at all.

We should make dua at all times, not only during times of distress. The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: "Whosoever desires that Allah answers his duas in unfavorable and difficult conditions, he should make plentiful dua in days of ease and comfort." Also he said: "The person who does not ask from Allah, Allah becomes angry with him."

We should ask for all of our needs: those related to this world as well as those related to the Hereafter. Those who only concentrate on the former are, in effect, announcing that they don't care for their life in the permanent abode. They should blame no body but themselves for the total ruin in that world that Qur'an assures us awaits them. Those who only concentrate on the later are also showing lack of balance, for we need Allah's help to lead a good life here as well.

We should make dua not only for ourselves but also for our parents, brothers and sisters, spouses and children, relatives and friends, teachers and other benefactors, and destitute and struggling Muslims everywhere. We should pray for them for the good in this world as well as in the Hereafter. The Prophet (sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: "The dua of a Muslim for his brother (in Islam) in his absence is readily accepted. An angel is appointed to his side. Whenever he makes a beneficial dua for his brother the appointed angel says, 'Aameen. And may you also be blessed with the same.'" [Sahih Muslim]

In the dark ages that we are living in today, everyday brings fresh news about atrocities committed against our brothers and sisters in Palestine and in different parts of the world. And what do we do? We can continue to just feel frustrated and depressed. We can petition the determined perpetrators or a fictional "International Community". We can just forget all this and move on to some other subject. Or we can stand up before Allah and pray for His help, Who alone can help. The Dua can change our life, our outlook, and our fate. It is the most potent weapon. But it works only for those who try sincerely and seriously to use it.