Dear Brothers and Sisters!

As believers we are all in need of making dua and also receiving dua from others. Dua shows that the person is conscious of being a servant and that they only request their desires and needs from Allah (swt). Our duas and prayers are the strongest connections with Allah (swt) and it keeps our bond with Allah (swt) alive. From the most joyous state to the most grievous state, from the highest physical and spiritual level to the lowest level, no matter what state or situation we are in, it is only through prayer that our bond with Allah (swt) can maintain its strength.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Every salah we read Surah Al-Fatiha and in that we say “It is You we worship and You we ask for help”[1] Undoubtedly, the only one to pray to is Almighty Allah (swt). Rasulullah (saw) said, “Supplication is worship itself.”[2] Allah (swt) is calling upon us to make dua in the verse when he says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you”[3] Our turn to Allah (swt) with dua means that we are trying to know him properly and honouring him. And this is exactly what Allah (swt) has asked of us.

Dear Jama’ah!

We should pray and make dua with complete sincerity. For we must firmly believe that there is no difficulty for Allah (swt) in fulfilling our demands in our duas. Rasulullah (saw) has said: “Pray to Allah in a manner believing with certainty that your prayers will be answered; for Allah does not accept prayers said with a heedless heart.”[4]

Additionally, we have learnt from the Companions that Rasulullah (saw) had usually repeated his duas three times.[5]

The point that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) warns us in this sense is that we should ask consciously. For, asking for something that goes against Allah (swt) and his orders is unthinkable. It is very important that we insist on our prayers that we make in this way. Allah (swt) says in Surah Al-Baqarah “Indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So, let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided”[6]

Allah (swt) is promising to accept the prayer of the servant who turns to him. Rasulullah (saw) has said “The supplication of anyone of you is granted (by Allah) if he does not show impatience (by saying, “I supplicated to Allah, but my request has not been granted”)”[7] When asked by the Sahaba, “Ya Rasulullah! What is it to rush?” He replied, “Saying I prayed, but did not see it accepted, giving up at that moment and quitting prayer”[8]

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Dua does not depend on a specific place or time. Whether we are at home, in the marketplace, on the train, in the car, at school or at work, we should never neglect our supplications and remembrance of Allah (swt).
May Allah (swt) make us of the servants whom completely seek refuge in Him and only seek help from Him alone. And may he keep us away from that which is harmful to us. Ameen.

[1] Surah Al-Fatiha, 1:5
[2] Tirmizi, Deavat 1
[3] Mü’min (/Gâfir) suresi, 40:60
[4] Tirmizî, Deavât, 65
[5] Müslim, Cihad, 39, H.No: 1794
[6] Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:186
[7] Ebu Davud, Vitr 23
[8] Müslim, Zikr, 92