Dua

Dua is a humble request that a person makes to his Rabb. He presents his necessities, needs, difficulties and ambitions to his Rabb. He implores his Rabb to grant him his necessities and his needs. He implores Him to remove his difficulties. He implores Him to make him succeed in his goals and ambitions. The more humble a person is in his request, the more there will be chance of acceptance. Humility is the most essential factor in Dua. It is this very humility that makes Dua the essence of Ibaadah. That is why while making Dua, a person should bear in mind that everything is only in the capacity of Allah Ta'ala and nowhere else. He should consider himself as the most incapable person in front of Allah Ta'ala.

Just like a simple thing is easy for Allah Ta'ala, in the same way, a seemingly complicated task for us is nothing for Allah Ta'ala. Giving millions is same like giving a small rupee for Allah Ta'ala. That is why we should not hesitate to ask Allah Ta'ala for our needs. We should not think that we are asking too much. We should not think that we are abusing in asking. We do not trouble Allah Ta'ala when we implore Him. Allah Ta'ala is more happy when we implore Him and angry when we do not implore Him.

We should implore Allah Ta'ala for easy and trivial things also. We should not think that it is not necessary to make Dua for easy things. They seem to be at our disposal and under our control. But in reality, nothing is under our control without the command of Allah Ta'ala. Thus we should implore Him for simple things also just as we implore Him for great things. We should make Dua in prosperity just as we make Dua in adversity. We should not adopt Dua merely as a last resort. Dua should be present throughout our life, at all times and in all situations. Who can say that a student passes his final primary exams (CPE) through his own effort, however easy the exam may have seemed? Is it only to succeed in B.A or M.A that a person needs the help of Allah Ta'ala?

It will be a serious mistake on our side if we say that we do not need the help of Allah Ta'ala for an easy task. Be it easy, difficult or seemingly impossible things, we need the help of Allah Ta'ala for everything. Without His help, the work cannot be executed. That is why NabiSallallaahuAlaihiWasallam said that we should implore Allah Ta'alafor a simple thing like the lace of a shoe also. To implore does not mean that each time we should raise our hands. Normally, it will be difficult and the Shariah did not impose that. It is sufficient that a person knows and recognizes deep down that everything is in the hands of Allah Ta'ala. He should make the effort; however, nothing depends on his effort. It is Allah Ta'ala who decides and it is Allah Ta'ala who gives. The person may communicate with Allah Ta'ala without raising his hand. But it is good that he also spends some time making Dua by stretching out his hands like a beggar in front of his Rabb.

Allah Ta'ala accepts everything that we ask Him, unless it is something which is against the Shariah. However it is also true that Allah Ta'ala accepts our request in different ways. Sometimes He gives us what we ask Him. Sometimes, He gives us something which is better than what we asked Him for. Sometimes He removes some calamities or He blocks some difficulties by the Barakah of that Dua which we did. And sometimes, He reserves it for us it in Aakhirah.

One should not be discouraged. One should continue to make Dua even if one does not see any results. Allah Ta'ala knows better what we need and He knows when it will be more profitable for us.

Sometimes we do not get what we ask for, but later we get something better than what we asked. It is the magnificence of Allah Ta'ala to obstruct something inferior in order to bestow on us something better. This is when we realize that it was good that we did not get what we had asked for. Otherwise we would have missed out on the best. Our true welfare does not lie in receiving something we desire and asked for. Many times it is found in not receiving it also. It may be that we missed a bus and it upset us, but later on we become very relieved when we hear that the bus had met into a serious accident. How happy would we be with our situation if we happen to miss a flight that has unfortunately crashed?

So sometimes success lies in failure just as failure may lie in success. And it is Allah Ta'ala alone who knows. So it is the kindness of Allah Ta'ala that he grants us what we ask for. And it is also by His very goodness that He does not give us what we ask for, because He knows better where our well-being lies. All praise belongs to Allah Ta'ala who is generous in giving and in not giving also.

[English version of "Doa" – Al Jamiat Vol.8 No.1]