Dua
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Du'a (دُعَاء) is supplication in the Islamic tradition.
Du'a is an Arabic term which means to 'call out' or to 'summon'. Muslims use this term and call out to Allah, andMuslims regard this as one of the greatest acts of worship in Islam. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said "Dua is the very essence of worship." Allah has commanded Muslims in the Quran to call out to him, citing Surah Ghafir Verse 60:
"And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!" [1]
[edit] Du'a to Other Than Allah
In Islam, Muslims can direct du'a only to Allah. Anything else would be classified as shirk. In the Quran in Surah Al-Jinn Verse 20 it states:
"Say: 'I do no more than invoke my Lord, and I join not with Him any (false god).'" [2]
Islamic belief says that only Allah can hear everything and knows the situation a person is in and is capable of responding to a person's request. In the Quran, the following verse describes all other objects to which du'a is made to, other than Allah. Quran; Surah Al-Fatir Verse 14:
"If ye invoke them, they will not listen to your call, and if they were to listen, they cannot answer your (prayer). On the Day of Judgment they will reject your 'Partnership'. and none, (O man!) can tell thee (the Truth) like the One Who is acquainted with all things." [3]
In Islamic belief, worship is a right that is due only to Allah, and it is shirk to divert any act of worship to other than Allah.
However, the mainstream sunni schools of thought hold that one may supplicate to Allah by means of an intermediary, such us by saying "Oh Allah, fulfill my need by the baraka of so and so" wherein the prayer is directed to Allah, but mention is made of someone, or something beloved to Allah.
[edit] Types & Categories of Du'a
[edit] Types of Du'a mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah
Dua is essentially an expression of submission of faith to Allah and one's neediness.
Type I: Du'a al-mas'alah, or the 'du'a of asking.' This type of du'a is when one asks for the fulfillment of a need, or that some harm be removed from him. An example would be when a person asks, "O Allah! Grant me good in this world, and good in the next life!"
Type II: Du'a al-ibadah, or the 'du'a of worship.' This type of du'a represents a very broad concept. In Islam, every single act of worship includes this type of du'a. Examples would include when a Muslim prays salat or gives zakaat or fasts.
[edit] With respect to what is asked
Du'a can also be divided into two broad categories depending on what is being asked. These two categories include religion and the world. Examples of making du'a for religion would include things such as if a Muslim asked Allah to increase their faith or ask Allah to forgive them for their sins. Examples pertaining to the world would include things such as if a Muslim asks Allah for an increase in wealth, to be cured from a disease, or to be granted more children. In Islam, a Muslim is supposed to ask from both these categories.
[edit] Holy Du'a
Holy Du'a is the Ismaili obligatory prayer said daily at both ends of the day. Holy Du'a is read in the Arabic language. Until recently it was read in the local language of the Jamaat.
[edit] The Excellence and Benefits of Du'a in Islam
In Islam, du'a is considered to be the most noble act in the sight of Allah. This can be confirmed by the following hadith:
Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) is reported to have said "There is nothing more noble in the sight of Allah than du'a." [4]
In Islam, du'a is considered to be the best act of worship. It is a direct link between man and his Lord (Allah). This can be confirmed by another hadith:
Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) is reported to have said "The best form of worship is du'a." [5]
In the Quran its states in Surah Ghafir Verse 60:
And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation![1]
So according to the Quran, mankind is commanded to make du'a to Allah. So one benefit in Islam is that Muslims are doing what they have been commanded to do according to the Quran.
[edit] The Pre-Conditions of Du'a in Islam
In Islam, there are certain pre-conditions that need to be present in order for a du'a to be accepted. There are a total of 9 mentioned here.
[edit] 1. The realization that only Allah responds to a du'a.
This first pre-condition can be supported by the following verse in the Quran. In Surah Al-Naml Verse 62:
Or, Who listens to the (soul) distressed when it calls on Him, and Who relieves its suffering, and makes you (mankind) inheritors of the earth? (Can there be another) god besides Allah? Little it is that ye heed! [6]
[edit] 2. Sincerity in Du'a to Allah Alone
This is basically summed up in one sentence: in Islam a Muslim prays to Allah alone. This can be supported by several verses in the Quran.
In Surah Al-Jinn Verse 18 it says: "And the places of worship are for Allah (alone): So invoke not any one along with Allah; [7]
In Surah Al-An'am Verse 40 it says: Say: "Think ye to yourselves, if there come upon you the wrath of Allah, or the Hour (that ye dread), would ye then call upon other than Allah?- (reply) if ye are truthful! [8]
In Surah Al-A'raf Verse 194 it says: Verily those whom ye call upon besides Allah are servants like unto you: Call upon them, and let them listen to your prayer, if ye are (indeed) truthful! [9]
In Surah Al-A'raf Verse 197 it says: "But those ye call upon besides Him, are unable to help you, and indeed to help themselves." [10]
[edit] 3. Perform Tawassul Properly
The term Tawassul means the seeking of Allah's help and response through something beloved to Him.
There are many ways of performing Tawassul, as mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah, one may make mention of the names and attributes of Allah (See 99 Names of Allah) or a good deed one has done, a blessed time such as Ramadhan, or any blessed person including the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). One could also ask the pious to make du'a to Allah on one's behalf.
[edit] 4. Lack of Hastiness
In Islam, to be hasty in du'a is said to be a cause of rejection of du'a. The concept of hastiness is described in the following hadith.
It was asked, "O Messenger of Allah?...What does it mean to be hasty?" Prophet Muhammad sal Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam responded "A worshipper says, 'I have prayed and prayed , and I don't yet see that it will be accepted; so he gives up hope of being answred, and leaves du'a'. [11]
Basically this means that a person makes du'a and it does not get answered right away so a person gives up and stops asking for it. The type of hastiness that is forbidden in Islam is that a person leaves du'a, thinking that Allah will not respond to it. In Islam, Muslims are instructed to not give up du'a because they do not see a response yet. This can be supported by verses in the Quran and Hadiths. In Surah Al-Anbiya Verse 19 it says:
Unto Him belongeth whosoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those who dwell in His presence are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they weary; [12]
In a hadith it is stated:
Prophet Muhammad sal Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said, "You will be responded to as long as you are not hasty (meaning that you give up du'a) [13]
The word hasty is used because it means that a person is hasty in expecting a response.
[edit] 5. Du'a for things that are good
In Islam, in order for a person's du'a to be accepted by Allah, it is essential that it must be for something pure and good
[edit] 6. To Have Good Intentions
In Islam it is imperative that a person making du'a have the best of intention for whatever he or she is asking. An example would be if someone asks for an increase in wealth, they should intend with that increase in wealth to spend more on the poor and on their relatives.
[edit] 7. The Presence of An Attentive Heart
In a hadith, the following has been reported:
Prophet Muhammad Sal Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said, "Make du'a to Allah in a state that you are certain that your du'a will be responded to, and know that Allah does not respond to a du'a that originates from a negligent, inattentive heart" [14]
According to this hadith, a Muslim is instructed to make du'a with a mindful heart. A Muslim should be aware of what he is saying and should believe in his or her heart that their du'a will be responded to by Allah.
[edit] 8. Purity of One's Sustenance
It states in the Quran in Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 200:
So when ye have accomplished your holy rites, celebrate the praises of Allah, as ye used to celebrate the praises of your fathers,- yea, with far more Heart and soul. There are men who say: "Our Lord! Give us (Thy bounties) in this world!" but they will have no portion in the Hereafter. [15]
The following has also been reported in a hadith:
Prophet Muhammad Sal Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said, "O People! Allah is al-Tayyib (pure), and He only accepts that which is pure! Allah has commanded the Messengers, for He said, 'O Messengers! Eat from the pure foods, and do right.' Furthermore he said, 'O you who believe! Eat from the pure and good foods we have given you.' Then the Prophet Muhammad Sal Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam mentioned a traveller on a long journey, who is dishevelled and dusty, and he stretches forth his hands to the sky, saying, 'O my Lord! O my Lord!', While his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully; how can he be answered?" [16]
The hadith above describes a man who earned his money by cheating other people. His money was impure so therefore everything he purchased with his money became impure. His clothes, drink, and food were all purchased with that money which was considered impure, so his clothes, drink and food were all considered impure. According to the above hadith, in Islam a person's du'a will not be accepted by Allah if he earns unlawful money.
The hadith also stresses that according to Islam, anyone who eats impure foods, such as pork, will have his or her du'a rejected by Allah.
[edit] 9. That the Du'a Does not Interfere With Something More Important
In Islam, there is no specific time of day in which making du'a is restricted to. In Islam, if something more important comes up than du'a, then that takes presedence. What is more important than du'a is defined by the Quran and Sunnah. Some examples include the call to prayer. If the adhan is called, in Islam one must respond to it. Another example is if a person is making du'a, and his or her parents call him or her for assistance, then responding to his or her parents takes presedence over du'a. This means a person must stop making du'a when he or she hears the adhan or their parents calling him or her, to respond. In Islam, the rights of the parents are great and are empahsized greatly in the Quran and Hadiths.
This article lists only nine pre-conditions of du'a in Islam. There are more pre-conditions in Islam that have not been included in this article. This is done so to keep this article short.
[edit] The Etiquette of Du'a
There are Etiquettes that are described in the Quran and Sunnah that Muslims are encouraged by scholars to follow. Listed here are a limited few. Listed here are just a fraction of ettiquettes of du'a that scholars have found in reference to in the Quran and Sunnah.
[edit] 1. Praising Allah Before the Du'a and Praying Upon the Prophet Muhammad
It has been reported in a hadith the following,
Once a man said, "O Allah, forgive me and have mercy and have mercy on me!" This was after the man had finished two raka'ats. The Prophet Muhammad sal Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam said, "You have been hasty, O worshipper! When you finish your prayer, then sit down and praise Allah with the praise that he is worthy of, and pray upon me, then state your du'a..." [17]
[edit] 2. Raising One's Hands
There are many hadith that describe how Prophet Muhammad Sal Allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam raised his hands during du'a. Some hadith describe him having raised his hands way up high in emergency situations. Many scholars agree that if it is not an extreme situation that Prophet Muhammad Sal allahu Alayhi Wa Sallam did not raise his hands above his head. The exact manner that many scholars in Islam describe how high the hands should be raised during a regular du'a is up to the shoulders with palms placed together. The palms should be turned to the skies with the back of the hands facing the earth or the palms can be facing the face of the one making du'a with the back of the hands facing away from the person's face.
[edit] 3. Facing The Qiblah
The Qiblah is the direction that Muslims face while performing salah. It has been reported in hadith that Prophet Muhammad - the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him) - faced the Qiblah while making du'a as narrated in several hadith, however the actual qibla of dua is the sky. When standing before the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in the sacred mosque in Madina al-Munawwara, the scholars of the sunni schools of thought hold that one should face the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and not turns one's back on him.
[edit] Summary of the Etiquettes
There are numerous etiquettes of du'a mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah. Too numerous to list all of them in detail here. Here is a rough list of a few other etiquettes of du'a:
4. Performing wudu
5. To Cry during du'a
6. To Expect the best from Allah
7. To Pray with Humility and fear
8. To Complain Only to Allah
9. To Pray Quietly
10. Acknowledge One's sins
11. To Implore Allah Earnestly
12. To Be Determined in One's Request
13. To Repeat the Du'a Three Times
14. To Use Du'as of the Quran and Sunnah
[edit] Other Topics
In Islam there are many more topics regarding du'a. There are acts that are discouraged during du'a. There are times described in the Quran and Sunnah when a person's du'a is more likely to be answered. There are also specific du'as for specific occasions mentioned in the Sunnah. There are numerous topics, so numerous that all of them can not be discussed in this article, that is why only a few have been mentioned.
[edit] Conclusion
There are a numerous number of books written on du'a over the history of Islam. There are so many Hadiths and verses in the Quran regarding du'a. This article just gave a fraction of the information. There are also slight differences among different sects of Muslims regarding du'a. The du'a remains the most powerful tool and a source of trust for the one who believes in God.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Quran Surah 40 Verse 60
- ^ Quran Surah 72 Verse 20
- ^ Quran Surah 35 Verse 14
- ^ Hadith narrated by Ahmad, al-tirmidhi, al-Hakim and others all of them from Abu Hurayrah, as mentioned in sahih al-Jami #5392
- ^ Hadith reported by al-Hakim (1/491), who considered it authentic; see al-sahihah #1579
- ^ Quran Surah 27 Verse 62
- ^ Quran Surah 72 Verse 18
- ^ Quran Surah 6 Verse 40
- ^ Quran Surah 7 Verse 194
- ^ Quran Surah 7 Verse 197
- ^ Hadith narrated by Muslim fro mAbu Hurayrah, as mentioned in sahih al-Jami #7705
- ^ Quran Surah 21 Verse 19
- ^ Hadith narrated by al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud and others, from abu Hurayrah, as mentioned in sahih al-Jami #8085
- ^ Hadith authentic, narrated by al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim from Abu-Hurayrah and authenticated by al-Albani in sahih al-Jami
- ^ Quran Surah 2 Verse 200
- ^ Hadith reported by Ahmad, Muslim, and al-Tirmidhi from Abu Hurayrah, as mentioned in sahih al-Jami #2744
- ^ Hadith; Authentic, narrated by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasa'i from Fadalah ibn Ubayd and authenticated by Al-albani in Sahih al Jami #3988
[edit] References
Nawawi, Abu Zakariyya Yahiya Ibn Sharaf Kitab al-Adhkar.
Qadhi, Yasir Du'a: the Weapon of the Believer. Al-Hidaayah Publishing & Distribution, ISBN 1-898649-63-4
[edit] External links
- Selected Prayers Dua's Guidance, Knowledge, Forgiveness, Rizk increase and many more dua's from Qur'an (including audio recitation of dua's).
- Dua or Duas
- The Du'aa Blog - blog with a growing list of duas.
- Audio Islam Lecture Series on Dua --> Scroll down to Dua Weapon of the Believer
- Book:Fortification of the Muslim Online
[edit] Downloads
(Download by right-clicking on link and selecting 'Save Target As...' )
Du'a by Yahya Hawwa (.mp3) :
Categories: Islam | Salat
