THE POWER OF SUPPLICATIONS (DUA)

By Dr Adalat Khan
www.mina.edu.my
Supplication or Dua in Arabic is the greatest gift which God has bestowed on human beings. It is like a hotline, where the needy person is able to directly communicate with the Most Powerful Almighty God, who is ever willing to listen and help. I vividly remember an incident during my childhood when one of my friends climbed a tree and the branch he was standing on broke down. The branch started falling down when suddenly he cried and shouted “God please save me”. Like a miracle the tree branch stuck with another branch and the boy managed to safely come down. In myriads of situations the power of Dua has saved drowning people, dying patients, and improved hopeless situations. Why Dua is so powerful and after all what supplication is?
To answer the first part of the question why Dua is so powerful is provided in the Holy Quran? In the Holy Quran God tells Prophet Muhammad “When My servants ask you (Prophet Muhammad) about Me, I am always near. I answer their prayers when they pray to Me. The people shall respond to Me and believe in Me, in order to be guided.” A sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammadstates that “ Verily your Lord is ashamed (i.e. shy) of His servants when they raise their hands to Him in Supplication to return them empty.” The Holy Prophet  has also reported to have called Dua or supplication as the kernel of worship and as the weapon of a believer. “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 All Mighty. We sense His mercy all around us after talking to the Most Merciful.” Baig Khalid (2008).
Now to answr the second part of the question let us see what Dua is?  A.H Farid in the prayers of Muhammad statest that “There are two Arabic words in commone use related to prayer. They are Salat and Du’a. Salat in its Arabic sense, signifies the liturgical form of worship, prescribed by the Prophet. Du’a simply means petition or supplication addressed to God by the supplicant while he is walking, standing, sitting, or resting. It is without any prescribed form, and may be concerning any matter, spiritual or temporal”. In this article we are concerned with Dua a petition to God for fulfillment of ones legitimate desires.
General principles for supplications:
We can seek God’s blessings all the times. However the following are certain principles which will make our supplication more effective:
SUPPLICATE ALWAYS:
According to Tirmizi, the Holy Prophet Muhammad said that only Dua can change Allah’s decree and people’s fate. So we must always day and night pray to God for his blessings and help. Not only must we pray to Him when we are in troubles but we must also thank Him for what we have and seek his blessings to protect it. The Prophet Muhammad 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.” So whether you are enjoying the bounties of God or facing challenging situations seek God’s help and supplicate at all times.
SUPPLICATE WITH HOPE AND CONVICTION:
In one of the sayings Holy Prophet Muhammad said  ”When you are making dua do not say; ‘O Allah, forgive me if  You wish. O Allah, forgive me if you wish.’ You should be firm in your asking, for there is no compelling Him.” We must ask God with total conviction, passion, and hope that our prayers will be answered, as there is nothing which is impossible to God.  The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) have also said: “Know that Allah does not answer a dua from a distracted heart.” Tirmidhi.
 
SUPPLICATE ALSO FOR OTHERS:
Not only must we pray for ourselves but we must also pray for others. We should supplicate for our parents, spouses, siblings, relatives, friends and the world at large. The Prophet said: “The dua of a Muslim for his brother 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, ‘Ameen. And may you also be blessed with the same.'” [Sahih Muslim] In the Dark Age we are living in today, every day brings fresh news of atrocities, calamities, and pain and problems. We should pray God that people who are facing these challenging are relieved. Specifically we must ask God for peace in the world as war profiteers and destruction mongers are bent on killing others, grabbing people’s countries, and destroying the world.
NEVER DESPAIR:
There is no hopeless situation rather God has specifically promised that with every problem there is a solution embedded into it. In the Holy Quran this assurance has been repeated many time, that with every difficulty there is a relief (Holy Quran 94:5-6). Abdullah Yusuf Ali in the translation of Holy Quran in his note on these verses explained that “whatever difficulties or troubles are encountered by human being, God always provides a solution, a way out, a relief, a way to lead to ease and happiness. If we follow His Path and show our Faith and Patience and well-doing. The solution or relief does not merely come after the difficulty; it is provided with it”  So taking cue from the Holy Quran we must never despair but be always optimistic and hopeful that our problems are just temporary phases which will be solved sooner or later.
BE PATIENT:
The Holy Prophet Muhammad said “The invocation of anyone of you is granted (by Allah) if he does not show impatience (by saying, “I invoked Allah but my request has not been granted).” On the other hand if our Dua is not answered we must accept it as blessings as there must be a wisdom why God did not reply our decree for help. May be He has better things in store for us which our finite mind can not comprehend. Indeed if our prayers are not granted we are sure to receive better blessings from God than what we desired. “Seek help with patience and prayers” Holy Quran (2:153) The Holy Quran thus emphasizes the need for patience.
TAKE DUE ACTIONS:
No doubt Dua is the most powerful weapon but it must also be backed by human endeavour. The Quran clearly states that “ Man can have nothing but what he strives for” Quran 53:39. So we also need to play our part and take necessary action towards the fulfillment of our goals while at the same time asking God’s blessing for their fulfillment. 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 who blend Dua with pure hard work and massive actions. There is a famous Urdu language saying that in order to recover from a  sickness people along with Dua also need “Dawa” the later being medicine. We must play our part by taking due actions towards the goal we set for ourselves. However at the same time we must also not forget that despite every worldly endeavour we need the blessings and assistance of our Creator.
Dua and prayer is one of the greatest gifts of God to human being. It is a direct communication with the Omnipotent Creator Who listens to us and Who fulfill all our needs and wishes. Dua is the most liberating, empowering, and uplifting conversation which a person can have with the Most Powerful Creator of the universe.  The beauty is that you do not need a medium or intermediary but can directly knock on God’s door which is never closed. This give us access to God’s throne and bring us in direct contact with Him. There are no security guards who stop us or there is no need for an appointment as He is ever willing to listen to us. So what are you waiting for? Right now raise your hands and pray for the sustenance of your blessings or for the solutions of your problems. Pray always and pray for others, pray with the conviction and hope that your prayers will be answered. Never despair if there is a delay as the help may be under way or a better solution may be granted. Pray on as this is the most potent weapon and protection. Pray on as The All-Knowing and All-Hearing Creator of the universe is ever ready to give all of us a patient hearing. The harder we knock on his door the more is he pleased with us and grants us our wishes. May your prayers be granted-Ameen!

Dr Adalat Khan is an international columnist who is based in Malaysia and can be reached at dradalat@gmail.com or www.mina.edu.my                                                     
       BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1.      The Meaning of the Glorious Qur’an, by Marmaduke Pickthall. Published by Taj Company, 3151, Turkman Gate, Delhi – 110006.
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3.      Farid. A.H: (1992) Prayers of Muhammad, S.M. Ashraf publishers Pakistan.
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5.      Baig Khalid (2008) www.albalagha.net retrieved on August 12, 2008.
6.      King Fahd Holy Quran Printing Complex, The Holy Quran, English Translation of the meanings and commentary.