The Accepted Whispers - SMS to Allah
from your Heart...
Once Prophet Muhammad (SAW) passed by a
people who were suffering from some affliction. "Why don't they
make dua(supplication) 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 other
action of ours ever can. It is the essence of 'Ibadah'
(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. In every difficulty 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.
Dua is conversation with Allah, our
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.
Our ultimate success or failure in the
Hereafter will depend solely on how we acted in the different
circumstances that he chose for us. Did we seek his help when
we needed help, or were we too arrogant to ask? Did we accept
his will when things did not turn out our way? Did we show
gratitude for his favours, or were we proud of our own
achievements?
We should make dua for all things big
and small. It is the beginning of wisdom to realise that "big"
and "small" are arbitrary labels that are totally irrelevant in
this context. Nothing is too big for the one we are asking
from; nothing is too small for the one who is asking. That is
why we have been taught to ask Allah even 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 duaas,
for a duaa lacking concentration and conviction is no dua at
all.
A praying person can never lose, for dua
is the highest form of submission to him. "Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) was the best of mankind because he was the best in
submission to Allah," says Mawlana Manzur Numani. "Anyone who
studies his supplications cannot but be awestruck by the
perfect understanding of our relalionship to the Creator
reflected by them." For this Ummah, his dua's are one of his
greatest spiritual gifts.
We need dua's in all circumstances and
all times. But in the dark ages that we are living in today, we
need them even more. Every day brings fresh news about
atrocities committed against our brothers and sisters around
the world. What can we do? We can continue to just feel
frustrated and depressed. 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.
The dua can change our life, our
outlook, and our fate. It is the most potent weapon of a
believer.
Source: The Accepted Whispers'
translation and commentary by Khalid Baig.
|