13. Du'a — Supplication

دعا

Dear friends! One of the foundational principles of Islam is Du'a (supplication) — and concerning it we must investigate in detail, because our Lord and Sustainer Allah Most High says:

ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ

"Call upon Me; I will respond to you." (Ghafir, 40:60) — Call upon Me and I will answer you. This is the direct invitation from Allah to His servants to engage in supplication.

Why do we make du'a? What is its nature? It is the expression of our need. We turn toward Allah to seek from Him. Allah Most High is self-sufficient, existing by His own essence. He needs nothing — He is Al-Ghani (the Rich, the Self-Sufficient). He needs no intercessor. Our du'a is not for Allah's benefit — it is for ours. What is our purpose in making du'a? To establish our own need and to express our poverty before Him — for Allah's hand opens both worlds for us:

يُطْعِمُ وَلَا يُطْعَمُ

"He feeds but is not fed." (Al-An'am, 6:14, related verse) — He gives without needing anything in return.

Remember: our personal needs are always with us. We never become needless of our own essence (zaati istikhraj). When we make du'a we are declaring our own personal need and our need before Allah — for the essence of Allah is all things: one hand gives worldly things, one hand gives religious things. Both hands are always open:

بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ يُنفِقُ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ

"Rather, both His hands are extended; He spends however He wills." (Al-Ma'idah, 5:64) — Allah's hands are always open; He gives however He wills.

Remember: it is never necessary to separate the essence from its personal needs. We cannot seek relief from the personal essence — so let us go to Him. Let us ask Him to grant us our need.

A ruba'i (quatrain) by Hasrat Siddiqui:

"You are my God, I am Your servant, and You are in need of me. Whenever I seek You out, I will go to You as a friend. When manifestations of the self appear, I shall call out." (Hasrat Siddiqui)

Dear friends! When someone comes to you with something that is already yours — what does God have? He has everything — He is Al-Ghani al-Mutlaq (the Absolute Rich). Then what is it? Everything of His — then why would He need anything? And what does someone bring to Him? That which is already His — therefore the one who comes to Him with a need goes to Him because He is the only one who can fulfill it. Then what do we find when we go to Him — we go for something that He Himself does not possess? That which is a personal need — whose personal possession is it? It is the personal possession that has nothing alongside it. And when the person brings his need (du'a) before Allah — he is expressing his personal need (istikhraj-e-zaati) — and proclaiming it.

Dear friends! What happens in du'a? The need of the heart becomes visible. The small heart's greatest wish will be granted its proper worth. Every Day of Judgment those people whose du'as were accepted in this world will have good conditions for them — and those whose du'as were not accepted in this world — remember: do not be miserly in asking from God — God's religion is much more abundant.

Dear friends! The best of all those who ask is the one who asks generously. Look at the generous person — he is happy and fulfilled when asked, and the one who does not ask is unhappy. Never stop making du'a. Ask! Open your heart! Ask — keep asking.

I wanted to say that in the court of Allah — the court of Dhul-Jalal wal-Ikram — the grand and glorious court — I will go with both hands joined in supplication, saying the following du'a which I am presenting to you to read with me:

رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

"Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people." (Al-Baqarah, 2:286)

Our Lord! Do not blame us if we have forgotten or made mistakes — as You have blamed those before us. Do not lay upon us a burden we cannot bear. Our Lord! Grant us Your mercy and forgiveness — we pray for Your mercy. But we are Muslims — and through the name of Your Beloved (the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him):

فَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

"So give us victory over the disbelieving people." (Al-Baqarah, 2:286) — Grant us victory over our enemies. And do not use these principles as a pretext for weakness.

بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ ۝ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

"By Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful. And all praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds."