Du‘a is the most powerful weapon of a believer. It can change fate, while no action of ours ever do. It is the brain of ‘Ibadah or worship. With it we can never fail; without it we can never succeed. With all the suffering and disasters Muslims are facing in various parts of the world, the question of Du‘a can be directed to all of us today. It is not that we have forgotten Du‘a completely; we refer to it regularly. But, our ideas and practice regarding Du‘a have become distorted. Often it is reduced to the level of a ritual. It is belittled through actions and sometimes even with words. Almighty Allah says:

 

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ
“And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me, I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship they will surely enter Hell in humiliation.” [Surah al-Ghafir, Verse 60]
 

The Almighty Allah states:

 

فَلَوْلا إِذْ جَاءَهُمْ بَأْسُنَا تَضَرَّعُواْ وَلَكِن قَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ
When the suffering reached them from Us, why then did they not learn humility? On the contrary their hearts became hardened (with arrogance), and Satan made their (sinful) acts seem alluring to them. [Surah al-An'am, Verse 43]
 

There are numerous Ahadith relating to the excellence of Du’a.

HADITH NO. 1

Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam states that Almighty Allah says:

 

أنا عندَ ظنِّ عبدي بي
I am with the supposition of My servant. [Recorded in Bukhari (Hadith 7239), Muslim, Tirmidi, Nisa’i  and Ibn Maja on the authority of Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah]
 

This means that as a servant imagines or has an opinion concerning Allah, the Merciful Lord accordingly reacts with him. Knowledge and Qudrat is with everything but there is a special proximity of mercy with those who make Du’a to Him. What bigger mercy can a servant ask for than being blessed with the Divine Proximity of the Sublime Lord? Thousands of acceptances and millions of desires and intentions may be sacrificed on such Divine Proximity!

HADITH NO. 2

 

لَيْسَ شَيءٌ أكْرَمَ عَلَى اللهِ مِنَ الدُّعَاءِ
There is nothing nobler to Allah than Du‘a. [Recorded in Tirmidi, Ibn Maja, Ibn Habban and Hakim narrated by Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah. Also cited in Tahzib al-Kamil, Vol. 4, Page 309]
 

HADITH NO. 3

The Prophet of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam narrates from his Lord who says:

 

يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّكَ مَا دَعَوْتَنِي وَرَجَوْتَنِي غَفَرْتُ لَكَ عَلَى مَا كَانَ فِيكَ وَلَا أُبَالِي
Oh children of Adam Alaihis Salam! Until such time you make Du‘a to Me and have trust and hope in Me, I will continue forgiving your sins no matter what they are, and I do not care of anything (i.e. He is Independent.) [Tirmidi on the narration of Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik, Hadith 3463]
 

HADITH NO. 4

The Beloved Habib SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam states:

 

لا تعجزوا في الدعاء ، فإنه لن يهلك مع الدعاء أحد
“Do not get fed up with Du‘a, for no one will perish with (continuously asking) Du‘a.” [Narrated by Ibn Habban and Hakim, Sahih Ibn Habban, Hadith 872]
 

HADITH NO. 5

Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam states:

 

الدعاء سلاح المؤمن وعماد الدين ونور السموات والأرض
“Du‘a is a weapon of a Muslim, a Pillar of Deen and the light of the skies and earth.” [Narrated by Hakim from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah and Abu Ya’la from Sayyiduna ‘Ali al-Murtudah, Hadith 6163]
 

HADITH NO. 6

It is narrated that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam said:

 

إِنَّ الدُّعَاءَ يَنْفَعُ مِمَّا نَزَلَ وَمِمَّا لَمْ يَنْزِلْ فَعَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ بِالدُّعَاءِ
“All those calamities and misfortunes (Bala) that descends and that which will descend in the future can be averted and protected from, by Du‘a. So, Oh servant of Allah! Observe Du‘a!” [Narrated by Tirmidi and Hakim from Sayyiduna ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar, Sunan al-Tirmidi, Hadith 3471]
 

HADITH NO. 7

It is reported that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam said:

 

و إن البلاء لينزل فيتلقاه الدعاء فيعتلجان إلى يوم القيامة
“When Bala descends, Du‘a intercepts it and then both wrestle till Qiyamah.” (i.e. Du‘a does not allow the Bala to descend to the earth.) [Reported by Bazar, Tabrani, and Hakim from Umm al-Mu'minin Sayyidah ‘A’ieshah Siddiqah, Mustadrak al-Hakim, Hadith 1813]
 

HADITH NO. 8

The Habib of Allah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam states:

 

الدُّعَاءُ مُخُّ العِبَادَةِ
Du‘a is the essence of worship.
 

HADITH NO. 9

It is reported that the Noble Prophet of Islam SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam said:

 

ألا أدلكم على ما ينجيكم من عدوكم ويدر لكم أرزاقكم؟ تدعون اللّه في ليلكم ونهاركم؟ فإن الدعاء سلاح المؤمن
Must I not inform you of that thing which will protect you from your enemy and increase your sustenance? Make Du‘a to Allah day and night because Du‘a is a weapon of a Mu‘min. [Narrated by Abu Ya’la from Sayyiduna Jabir bin ‘Abdullah, Hadith 6164]
 

HADITH NO. 10

Sayyiduna Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam states:

 

مَنْ لَمْ يَسْأَلْ اللَّهَ يَغْضَبْ عَلَيْهِ
Allah casts His Anger on those who do not make Du‘a to Him. [Reported by Imam Ahmad, Ibn Abi Shaybah, and Al-Bukhari in Adab al Mufrad, Tirmidi, Ibn Maja and Hakim on the authority of Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah, Hadith 3295]
 

Such concepts and meanings are also reported in the Hadith al-Qudsi as follows:

 

عَنِ النَّبى صَلَى اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ سَلَّمَ قَالَ قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالى مَن ْ لاَ يَدعُو نِى اَغضَب ُعَلَيهِ
One who does not make Du’a to Me, I will direct My Anger at him. (Allah save us from this!) [Reported by Al-Askari in his Mawa’iz]
 

Oh Beloved! Du‘a is an amazing wealth that Allah I blessed His servants with, and through it gave them honour. There is nothing more effective and powerful in fulfilling needs in desperation besides Du‘as. Likewise, nothing is more potent in removing Bala than Du‘as. A person benefits from five things of a single Du‘a:

 

1. He is included in the category of ‘Abids (worshippers) because Du‘a by nature is ‘Ibadah, in fact, the secret of ‘Ibadah.
2. In Du‘a one acknowledges one’s inferiority and dependency in relation to the Omnipotent Lord and His Divine mercies.
3. Obedience to the sacred Shari'ah because it has laid great stress in making Du‘a’s and Divine Anger on those who doubt making Du‘a.
4. It is a great Sunnah of the Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam as he made Du‘a frequently and ordered others to do the same.
5. It is a deterrent of Bala and achiever of goals as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. If man seeks security from Allah I from calamities, then the Merciful Lord will give it to him. If one seeks a desire to be fulfilled, the Sublime Creator will shower His mercies on him or else blesses him with Thawab in the Akhirah.

The Master of the Sinless, Sayyiduna Rasoollulah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam states:

 

“A servant’s Du‘a is never void of three things:

1) either his sins are forgiven,
2) or he benefits in this Duniyah
3) or virtues are accumulated for him in the akhirah.

When the servant will observe this Thawab accumulated for him in the akhirah in recompensation for that which was not fulfilled in the Duniyah, then he will desire that none of his desires should have been fulfilled in the Duniyah, but rather be accumulated for the Akhirah.”
 

This desire and benefit is for him who desires so in this Duniyah when making Du‘a. It is advised that when making Du‘a, this ethic should be considered seriously.