DU'A

D u’aa - - Beseeching, & humbling - seeking Allah’s Blessings

.Within ten years after the death of the Holy Prophet, the kingdoms of Persia, Rome Egypt, Syria and Yemen came under the sway the Saracens due to the unflinching devotion of the Muslims to the Holy Book and sacred Sunnah of the Prophet. We are now brooding over our decadence and thinking of the last Renaissance at the hands of the Promised Messiah.

Muslim centres are now hot-beds of religious controversies even in educational institutions, Madrasahs and Schools !

4:146 – Except for those who repent, mend their life, hold fast to Allah,AND PURIFY THEIR RELIGION AS In ALLAH’S SIGHT; if so they will be numbered with the Believers

474 - If Uhud was a reverse to the Muslims, they had inflicted a reverse twice as great on the Makkans at Badr. This reverse was not without Allah's permission, for He wanted to test and purify the faith of those who followed Islam, and to show them that they must strive and do all in their power to deserve Allah's help

If they disobeyed orders and neglected discipline, they must attribute the disaster to themselves and not to Allah. (3.165)

40:5-The Prayer of those without Faith is nothing but (futile wandering) in (mazes) of error!

Our Muslim brothers are now agitating for fair play and justice, in the Mosques they are resorting to lenghty supplications, reciting Qunoot, crying and begging Allah’s help for themselves and for world peace and for those in distress.

62:5 –The similitude of those who failed… in those (obligations) is that of a donkey which carries huge tomes (but understands them not). Evil is the similitude of people who falsify the Signs of Allah: and Allah guides not people who do wrong.

With what face can a man ask for Mercy or Love from Allah when he is unwilling to believe in Him and His Messenger in full ? WILL THEIR PRAYERS BE HEARD AND ANSWERED. DO THEY DESERVE TO BE HEARD AND HELPED BY ALLAH ? HAVE WE NOT DISOBEYED ALLAH’S ORDERS AND IGNORED THE PROPHET’S SUNNAH ?

Innovations ( BID’AH) galore in many masjids and among many Muslims, appears beyond correction, and any such attempts meets resistance and disputes and displeasures. Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“Du’aa’s and ta’awwudhaat [prayers seeking refuge with Allaah] are like a weapon, and a weapon is only as good as the person who is using it; it is not merely the matter of how sharp it is. If the weapon is perfect and free of faults, and the arm of the person using it is strong, and there is nothing stopping him, then he can lay waste the enemy. But if any of these three features is lacking, then the effect will be lacking accordingly.”

(al-Daa’ wa’l-Dawaa’, p. 35)

Beseeching, humbling oneself, hoping for Allaah’s reward and fearing His punishment. This is the spirit, essence and purpose of du’aa’.

Other aspects of the etiquette of making du’aa’, although they are not waajib (obligatory), are: to face the Qiblah; to make du’aa’ in a state of tahaarah (purity); to start the du’aa’ with praise of Allaah and blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It is also prescribed to raise the hands when making du’aa’.

One of the things that helps to bring a response to du’aa’ is to seek the best times and places.

Among the best times is the time just before Fajr (dawn), the last third of the night, the last hour of Jumu’ah (Friday), when rain is falling, and between the Adhaan and iqaamah.

Among the best places are mosques in general, and al-Masjid al-Haraam [in Makkah] in particular.

The reason why one’s du’aa’ is not answered may be because he has done something that Allaah has forbidden, such as having haraam wealth – whether it be food or drink or clothing or accommodation or transportation, or he has taken a haraam job, or the stain of sin is still in his heart, or he is following bid’ah (innovation) in religion, or his heart has been overtaken by negligence, or when the person who is making du’aa’ is weak in himself, because he is faint-hearted in his turning towards Allaah.