Supplication

PART I.

“And when my servants ask you about Me, I am close indeed—I hearken to the prayer of the supplicant when one calls on Me; so let them hearken to Me, and let them believe in Me, that they may go the right way.”

HUMAN EXPERIENCE
*Trials, tribulations, hardships, and anxieties are core part of the human experience.

*Sometimes this is a result of experiencing some loss, such as temporary unemployment or the loss of a loved one.

*Other times we experience some uncertainty about the future, such as concern for the well being of our children, and other such things that may lie ahead.

*And yet other times we may feel a sense of despair about the world around, world events, social conditions, even though they may not be affecting us directly.

POWER OF DUA’

*Regardless of what it may be, know my dear brothers and sisters, that as a believer in Allah (swt) you have a most powerful and beautiful gift in the form of dua’—supplication, petitioning, asking of Allah (swt) for all that you need and hope for.

*The Prophet Muhammad (s) taught us that dua’ is the weapon of a believer—a weapon against anxiety, despair, and tribulation. It is an act of placing one’s trust in the only One who posses in reality the power to help or hinder any one. It is to affirm with one’s heart and tongue the reality of the Prophet Muhammad (s) telling us that “if all human beings gathered together to benefit us, they would not be able to do so unless it was the will of the Allah (swt); and if all of humanity gathered together to harm us, they would be unable to do so unless it was the will of Allah (swt).”

*The Prophet Muhammad (s) said that dua is ‘mukh al-‘ibadah’—that supplication is the core or essence of worship—because it is when we spread our hands as beggars before the Majestic that we display the ultimate truth—Allah is ghanee (rich, generous, bountiful) while we are fuqarah (poor, humble, and meek). And this goes to the heart of tawheed, which is the act placing our full belief, trust, and submission in no one and nothing else, other than Allah (swt). It is an act of realizing that Allah (swt) is the Master and we are his servants and devotees.

*The gift of dua’ is a mercy from Allah (swt) who is always kind and loving toward his creatures and particularly toward his devotees.

* We have tried nothing if we have not tried dua.

* Particular dua need to be memorized, such as ayat al-kursi or last ayats al-baraqara: dua al-hajah and dua al-istikhara. Not doing so is oppression.

DUA, SINCERITY, AND RIGHT ACTION

*For dua’ to be accepted one must be sincere, and sincerity means right action—doing things as best as one can in accordance with divine will and law.

PART II.

DUA FOR WELFARE OF COMMUNITY

*Building a masjid is only the beginning, it is the people inside of it that really matter and can really make a difference.

*We need to focus on our youth—where have they gone?

*We need to start placing our investment in human resources who will look after the welfare of the community—imams, teachers, counselors, youth directors, etc.