Duá - an Arabic word transcribed here into the Latin alphabet. Three letters that make up a word and a topic that is big and impressive. This word, duá, could be roughly translated as supplication or invocation. However, no word can adequately define duá. Supplication, which means communication with a deity, is closer than "invocation", as this word is known to sometimes imply summoning spirits or demons.
In Islamic terminology, duá is the act of supplication. It is invoking God, it is a conversation with God, our Creator, our Lord, the All-wise, the Almighty. In fact, the word derives from the Arabic root meaning to call or summon. Duá is uplifting, empowering, liberating and transforming, and is one of the most powerful and effective acts of worship in which a human being can take part. The duá has been called "the weapon of the believer." She affirms the belief of the person in One God, and therefore rejects all forms of idolatry and polytheism. The duá is essentially submission to God and a manifestation of the person's need for God.
Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him, said: “A servant grows closer to his Lord when he is in prostration. So increase the supplications during the prostrations ”[1]. "Each one of you will be granted a plea if you do not become impatient and do not say: 'I begged my Lord but my prayer was not heard'" [2].
Knowing what exactly duá is, it would be easy for someone of Christian origin to think that it refers to prayer. The duá surely maintains similarities with the prayer of Christians, however, it should not be confused with what Muslims call prayer. In Arabic “prayer” is salah, one of the pillars of Islam, and by performing the five daily prayers a Muslim engages in a physical form of duá, asking God to grant him Paradise through his actions. In all parts of prayer, one also pleads directly with God.
For Muslims, prayer is a set of ritual movements and words performed at specific times, five times a day. God says in the Quran: "Prayer has been prescribed for believers to be performed at specific times" (Quran 4: 103). Muslims pray early in the morning before sunrise, at noon, in the afternoon, at sunset, and at night. Prayer is an act of worship in which a Muslim reaffirms his belief in One God and shows his gratitude. It is a direct connection between God and the believer, and it is an obligation.
The duá, on the other hand, is a way for Muslims to feel that connection with God at any time and place. Muslims frequently invoke God throughout the day and night. They raise their hands in supplication and ask for His help, mercy and forgiveness. The duá incorporates praise, gratitude, hope, and asking God to help those in need and grant their requests.
The duá can be made by the individual, his family, friends, strangers, those in extreme circumstances, by believers and even by the whole of humanity. When duá is done, it is acceptable to ask for the good in this worldly life and the hereafter. A person who makes duá should not hold back, but ask God to grant both his small and his largest requests.
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, encouraged the believers to do duá. He said: “The duá of a Muslim for his brother in his absence is quickly accepted. An angel is appointed by his side. Whenever he makes a charitable duá for his brother, the designated angel says: 'Amen, and may you also be blessed with the same' ”[3].
Although doing duá is not an obligation, there are many benefits to doing duá to God frequently and with complete submission. Feeling the closeness of God that comes with sincere duá increases faith, gives hope and relief to the afflicted, and saves the supplicant from despair and isolation. Throughout the Quran, God encourages the believer to invoke Him, He asks us to place our dreams, hopes, fears and uncertainties before Him and to be sure that He hears our every word.
"We only adore You and only You implore help." (Quran 1: 5)
"Your Lord says, 'Call upon me, I will answer [your supplications].' But those who, out of pride, refuse to adore me, will enter Hell humiliated ”. (Quran 40:60)
“Say: 'O my servants who are mired in sin [harming themselves]! Do not despair of the mercy of God. God has the power to forgive all sins. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. ' (Quran 39:53)
“Say to them, 'Whether they invoke Him by saying, Oh God! Oh Compassionate! Or whatever name they call upon Him by, He will hear them. Know that He possesses the most sublime names [and attributes]. ' (Quran 17: 110)
“And if My servants ask you about Me [O Muhammad, tell them] that I am close to them. I answer the request of the one who invokes Me. [So] that they obey Me and believe in Me, that is how they will go ”. (Quran 2: 186)
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, called the duá "the essence of worship" [4]. He also suggested that the believer be humble but firm when making duá, saying: “When one of you pleads, he should not say, 'Oh God, forgive me if you want to,' but should be firm in asking and not staying short on mentioning what he wants, because what God gives is nothing great for him. "[5]
When we do duá, when we invoke God in our times of need or to express our gratitude, or for any other reason, including the simple well-being of being close to God, we must remember to examine our sincerity and verify our intention. The question must be directed only to God, Who has no companions, daughters, sons, partners or intermediaries. Our intention when doing duá should be to please God, obey Him, and trust Him completely.
When a person does duá, God can give him what he asked for or he can take away a damage that is greater than what he asked for, or he can save what he has asked for for the Hereafter. God has commanded us to invoke Him and He has promised to answer our calls. In the next article, we'll review the label of duá and see why duá sometimes seems to go unanswered.
The duá is essentially submission to God and a sign of our need for God. The duá has been called the weapon of the believer, increasing faith, giving hope and relief to the afflicted, and saving the suppliant from despair and isolation. And perhaps most importantly, God loves that we ask and encourages us to invoke him for all our needs, desires, and desires.
Renowned Islamic scholar Imam Ibn Al Qaim described the duá thus: “The duá and prayers to seek refuge with God are like a weapon, and a weapon is only good if the person uses it; it is not simply a matter of how sharp it is. If the weapon is perfect, flawless, and the weapon or the person using it is strong, and there is nothing to stop him, then he can defeat the enemy. But if any of these three features fail, then the effect will be incomplete accordingly.
It is therefore our concern that when we do our duá we do it in the best possible way. As a way of metaphorically sharpening our sword, we should strive to invoke God in the best way and with the best manners. There is a label for doing duá. Following such a label is an indication that a person is sincere and strives to maximize his chances that God will accept duá, Who says: "I answer the supplication of the one who invokes Me" (Quran 2: 186).
A firm and constant belief in the Oneness of God (Tawhid) is an essential ingredient for duá. The sincerity and the willingness to accept that only God is capable of changing the course of events and of granting our requests are also necessary. The supplicant should invoke God with hope and urgency, but remaining humble and calm, without being exasperated or bored. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, liked to make his duá three times and also asked for forgiveness three times [1].
Praising God the way He deserves to be praised is the starting point for a person doing duá. While Prophet Muhammad was sitting, a man came, prayed and said, "O God, forgive me and have mercy on me." Prophet Muhammad heard him and said, “You have been too hasty, oh worshiper! When you have finished praying and have sat down, praise God as He deserves to be praised, and ask for blessings for me, then raise your duá to Him ”[2]. Prophet Muhammad also recommended raising your hands when doing duá. He said: "Your Lord, praised and glorified, is Gentile and is the Most Generous, He is too kind to let his servant, when he raises his hands towards Him, return them empty" [3].
Praising God in the way that He deserves to be praised, in essence means acknowledging His Oneness and Oneness. He is the First, the Last, the Beginning and the End. He alone has the Power and the Force. Acknowledge this and send blessings to Prophet Muhammad, before pleading with God.
When the supplicant extends his hands to God, he should do so in humility. God tells us in the Qur'an that humility is a desirable quality, which the believer should ask of his Lord with a mixture of hope and fear. The hope that God will hear your duá and keep you safe from the trials and tribulations of life, and fear that your actions will displease your Lord.
"Call on your Lord with humility in private." (Quran 7:55)
"I thanked them because they always hurried to do good works, they invoked Me with fear and hope, and they were humble before Me." (Quran 21:90)
"Remember your Lord within you with submission and fear, and invoke him in a low voice in the morning and in the evening." (Quran 7: 205)
The best times to do duá include the instant just before Fayer (dawn prayer), in the last third of the night, during the last hour of Friday (that is, the last hour before sunset prayer), when it is raining, and between the call to prayer and the iqamah (the call immediately before the prayer begins). Another excellent time to do duá is when the believer is in prostration.
The believer should endeavor to use the clearest and most concise words when making supplications. The best duas are those used by the prophets; however, it is permissible to say other words according to the specific needs of the supplicant. There are many wonderful collections of authentic duas, and believers must take special care to authenticate the duas they use to plead with God.
When doing duá it is important to say those authentic ones found in the Qur'an or in the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, or the words that spontaneously come to mind when seeking God's protection or forgiveness. It is not allowed to set a specific place, time or number of repetitions to do duá. To do that would be an act of innovation in the religion of Islam, and that is serious business.
For example, when one turns to God in his darkest moment or in a moment of joy, he speaks from his heart with sincerity and love. A person should never be afraid to converse with God, putting his heart, his desires, his love, his fears and his desires before him. However, if one begins to perform strange rituals, such as doing duá 30 times on Wednesdays after the evening prayer, then trouble begins. As a general rule, the duá should be spontaneous, or performed as authentically narrated. This is not complicated, Islam without man-made rituals or superstitions, is pure devotion to God, and it is easy and comforting.
To close this week's article, we are going to name situations in which the duá is more likely to be accepted. These situations include when one is mistreated or oppressed, when he is traveling, when he is fasting, when he is in desperate need, and when a Muslim does duá for his absent brother.
As believers, we know that God is above the heavens, above His creation, and yet He is not restricted by any physical dimension. God is close, very close, to those who believe in Him, and he answers all their calls. God knows all our secrets, dreams and desires, nothing is hidden from Him. God is with His creation by His knowledge and power. So why do some pleas go unanswered?
This is, in fact, a very important question, and even the first Muslims were concerned about its answer. Abu Hurairah, one of the Prophet's closest companions, said that he heard the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, say: “A person's questions will be answered as long as he does not ask for something sinful or for the breakdown of family ties ”[1]. From this we learn that if the duá is inappropriate or if one is asking for something sinful, God will not answer it.
If the person does duá by communicating with God in an arrogant way, perhaps complaining or raising his voice in anger or petulance, God will not answer him. Another reason why God does not answer a duá is when the supplicant pleads with God for help or comfort, when surrounded by illicit wealth, food, or clothing. One cannot continually engage in sinful behaviors and activities, without even a second of remorse, and at the same time expect God to answer his duá and his requests.
Prophet Muhammad told his companions that “God is far from all imperfection, and only accepts what is lawful. God commanded the pious to follow the same commandments that He gave to the Messengers.
“O Messengers! Eat good things and do good works, I know well what you do. (Quran 23:51)
"Oh, believers! Eat of the good things that I have provided for you ”. (Quran 2: 172)
Next, Prophet Muhammad mentioned (the example of) a man who had made a long journey, was disheveled and covered in dust, and raised his hands to the sky: “Oh Lord, oh Lord!” But his food was illicit, and his drinking was illicit, so how could his duá be accepted? [2]
The man described here had some of the characteristics that make the duá more likely to be accepted. These were mentioned at the end of the second article that addresses this topic. It can be deduced that because this man did not live his life within the limits of the law, his duá was not accepted.
Another important point to remember is not to rush. A suppliant should never give up, should never say: "I pray and pray, and I do duá after duá, but God does not listen to me, He does not answer me!" Just when a person feels like they are going to lose hope, that is when they should do more duá, ask God over and over again for more and more. There is no power or strength but only in God. There is no solution or result but only the one that God provides. When pleading with God, a person must be both firm and sincere.
"The supplication of each one of you will be granted if you do not become impatient and do not say: 'I begged my Lord but my prayer was not heard'" [3].
"Let none of you say, 'Oh God, forgive me if it is Your will, oh God have mercy on me if You want it to.' Let it be resolved on the matter, while being aware that no one can force God to do anything ”[4].
It is also important to understand that a response to a duá may not be exactly what one expects. God can respond and fulfill a person's desire immediately. Sometimes the duá gets a response very quickly. However, sometimes God responds differently. He can take away something bad from the supplicant, or reward him with something good even if it is not exactly what he asked for. It is important to remember that God knows what the future holds and we do not.
“... It is possible that you dislike something and it is good for you, and it is possible that you love something and it is bad for you. God knows [everything] but you don't ”. (Quran 2: 216)
Sometimes God will keep His answer to a duá until the Day of Resurrection, when the person will need it more than ever.
The duá has unlimited power, can change many things, and is an important act of worship, so much so that we should never lose faith in it. Doing duá shows our great need for God and recognizes that He is capable of everything. He gives and He takes away, but when we fully trust God, we know that His decree is just and wise.
Do duá and be patient, that God will answer you in the best possible way, at the best possible time. Never lose hope, never stop asking, and ask for more and more. Ask for the good in this world and in the Hereafter. The duá is the weapon of the believer.
“I answered his plea and released him from his anguish. Thus I save believers (who believe in the Unity and Oneness of God, stay away from evil and act with righteousness). (Quran 21:88)
“He answers [supplications] to those who believe (in the Unity and Oneness of God) and act righteously, and he increases his favor. Instead, those who refuse to believe will face severe punishment. " (Quran 42:26)
Dua to Get Rid of Pain
A very EFFECTIVE dua to get rid of PAIN anywhere in your body. All the sisters,in particular, must memorize this dua to cure their pain instantly during the time of the month. Feel free to copy, tag and share the pic with your friends/family.
May Allah cure all our pains, ameen
Put your hand on the place where you feel pain and say:Bismillaah (3 times) بِسْمِ اللهِ
Then say the following dua 7 times ” A’oothu billaahi wa qudratihi min sharri maa ‘ajidu wa ‘uhaathiru”
Translation:In the Name of Allah (three times).I seek refuge in Allah and in His Power from the evil of what I find and of what I guard against.
This dua provides instant relief for all sorts of pain e.g backache, headache,stomach-ache, arthritis,pain in your joints etc.
