Page 25 - Pakistan Link - December 31, 2021

RELIGION DECEMBER 31, 2021 – PAKISTAN LINK – P25
Du’a: The Reliance of the Believers Gems from the

Holy Qur’an

Khutbah at ISOC – Jumada I
19, 1441/ January 17, 2020

n By Dr Muzammil H. Siddiqi
here is no power and no
strength except with Allah.
TThis is one of the most re-
peated statements of Islam. It is
not used only to turn away Satan;
it is used to express our trust and
reliance on Allah.
It means that only
Allah is in control
of everything. Only
Allah has all the
power to change.
None can change
anything against From the translation by Mu-
the will of Allah. Allah can bring hammad Asad (Leopold Weiss)
light out of darkness and dark-
ness out of light. People may About the translator:
think that they are high, but Allah Muhammad Asad, Leopold
can bring them down and people Weiss, was born of Jewish parents in
may think that they are down, but Livow, Austria (later Poland) in 1900,
Allah can raise them up high. Be- and at the age of 22 made his first visit
lievers must turn to Allah in every to the Middle East. He later became an
situation. another god beside Allah? Little no- of it in our struggles in life and in midhi, and Ibn Hibban) outstanding foreign correspondent for
We know that the Ummah is tice you take. (Al-Naml 27:62) our battles against oppression and 4. Blessings here and in the Franfurter Zeitung, and after years
facing many challenges in different Du’a means ‘calling, supplica- injustice. Those who are in diffi- Hereafter: When you pray, pray of devoted study became one of the
parts of the world. As believers, we tion, invocation, prayer.’ Du’a is our culty, they should turn to Allah with for good things of this life and for leading Muslim scholars of our age. His
must trust in Allah and we should special conversation with Allah. Al- sincere devotion. Allah is near those the life to come. Do not pray only translation of the Holy Qur’an is one
know that we have a way out of lah has honored human beings that who make du’a and He responds to for the good things of this life. Al- of the most lucid and well-referenced
distress and difficulties. Muslims they can speak to Him at any time. them. (Your Lord said, ‘Call me and lah says, works in this category, dedicated to “li-
of Uyghur are suffering. More than We do not need an intermediary to I shall answer you.’ Ghafir 40:60). Among the people there are qawmin yatafakkaroon” (people who
two million are sent to concentra- speak to Allah. We do not need to But there are some rules and man- some who pray, ‘Our Lord, give think).
tion camps. Muslims of Kashmir wait for an appointment, we can talk ners of du’a that should be observed. us good in this world,’ and they
have been suffering for about sev- to Him directly at any time. Allah 1. Sincerity: Pray to Allah shall have no share in the Hereaf- Chapter 17, Verses 59
enty years. For the last few months says, most sincerely. There should not ter. There are others who say, ‘Our And nothing has prevented Us
they are in great difficulty. Two If My servants ask you about be any shirk in du’a. Du’a should Lord, give us good in this world from sending [this message, like the
hundred million Muslims of India Me, I am near. I respond to those be only to Allah, not to any angel, and in the Hereafter, and protect earlier ones,] with miraculous signs
are receiving threats of alienation who call Me, so let them respond to prophet, saint or any person. The us from the torments of the Fire. [in its wake], save [Our knowledge]
and persecution. Muslims of Pales- Me, and believe in Me, so that they Prophet – peace be upon him - ad- They will have the share they have that the people of olden times [only
tine are under occupation for a long may be guided. (Al-Baqarah 2:186) vised his young cousin Abdullah ibn worked for. Allah is swift in reck- too often] gave the lie to them [ 1 ]:
time. There are sufferings, pain and Du’a is part of our faith and it is ‘Abbas, oning. (Al-Baqarah 2:200-202) thus, We provided for [the tribe of]
destruction in Yemen, Libya and an act of worship and devotion. The Whenever you pray for some- 5. Du’a with good deeds: Thamud the she-camel as the light-
many other places. We should do Prophet - peace be upon him - also thing, pray to Allah; whenever you The du’as done after doing some giving portent, and they sinned
our duties to help them. We should said, need help seek help from Allah… good deeds and the acts of char- against it. And never did We send
do things in the right way with wis- The du’a is worship. (reported (Sunan al-Tirmidhi) ity are always very effective. It is those signs for any other purpose
dom and understanding. We should by al-Tirmidhi) 2. Full attention and de- good to give some sadaqah before than to convey a warning.
turn to Allah and pray for us and Allah loves those who seek votion: When you make du’a, you making du’a. _____________
for all those who are in difficulties. His help and pray to Him. Allah’s should pay full attention to what you Ask Allah for everything. Translator’s Notes
Du’a will not be effective unless we messengers and prophets used to say. During du’a, your heart, mind There is nothing too big for Allah [ 1 ] This highly elliptic sen-
do our duties and we cannot do our pray to him. The Qur’an has given and soul should all be focused to- and there is nothing impossible to tence has a fundamental bearing on
duties fully and properly without us the du’as of many prophets and wards Allah. The Prophet – peace be Him. Always ask him for Halal the purport of the Qur’an as a whole.
du’a. We should always make du’a. messengers of Allah. Adam, Nuh, upon him - said, and good things, never ask Allah In many places the Qur’an stresses
Du’a is the key. It is the reli- Ibrahim, Daud, Yunus, Zakariya, Make du’a and be sure that for that which is Haram, sinful, the fact that the Prophet Muham-
ance of the believers. It is their Ayub, Musa, Isa and the last Prophet Allah will respond. And know that corrupt and oppressive. Among mad, despite his being the last and
source of strength and confidence. Muhammad – peace be them all - Allah does not respond to the du’a the etiquettes of du’a is that you greatest of God’s apostles, was not
It is a great resource available to ev- prayed and their beautiful du’as are of a person who has distracted and pray to Allah always in all situa- empowered to perform miracles
ery believer. We should not ignore mentioned in the Qur’an, to teach inattentive heart. (Al-Tirmidhi and tions. Do not pray to Him only at similar to those with which the ear-
it; we should never think little of it. us how to pray to Allah in any situ- al-Hakim) the time of difficulties and trou- lier prophets are said to have rein-
Du’a has power to move the moun- ation. It is good, though not required, bles; pray to Him when you are forced their verbal messages. His
tains and remove the difficulties by Du’a is the weapon of the be- to raise hand with palms open to- happy, healthy and prosperous as only miracle was, and is, the Qur’an
the will of Allah. Allah says in the liever is a popular Hadith, but ac- wards the heaven when making well as when you are sad, sick and itself – a message perfect in its lucid-
Qur’an: cording to many scholars of Hadith, du’a. The Prophet – peace be upon poor. Those who remember Him ity and ethical comprehensiveness,
Who answers the one in dis- it is a weak (da’if) Hadith. Its mean- him - said, in the situations of prosperity and destined for all times and all stages
tress when he calls upon Him and ing, however, is correct. It means Allah is shy and generous. comfort, He also remembers them of human development, addressed
removes the harm and who makes that du’a is the believer’s source of When a person raises his hands when they are in pain and diffi- not merely to the feelings but also to
you successors in the earth? Is it strength. We should take full benefit begging Him, He feels shy to return culty. the minds of men, open to everyone,
them empty. (Re- All prayers are beneficial. whatever his or her race or social
ported Ahmad, Abu The Prophet - peace be upon him environment, and bound to remain
Daud, al-Tirmidhi - told us that some of our prayers unchanged forever. Since the earlier
and al-Hakim) come as we ask immediately. prophets invariably appealed to their
3. G o o d Some are kept for us for our future own community and their own time
opening: Begin benefit in this world or the here- alone, their teachings were, of neces-
your du’a with after and some help us by avert- sity, circumscribed by the social and
the praise of Allah ing evils and harms from us. Let intellectual conditions of that partic-
and with Salat and us all make special du’as at this ular community and time; and since
Salam on Prophet time of difficulties and distress for the people to whom they addressed
Muhammad, his the Ummah. We should pray with themselves had not yet reached the
family and follow- utmost humbleness and devotion. stage of independent thinking, those
ers. It is recom- We should pray not only for our- prophets stood in need of symbolic
mended: selves, but for all those who are portents or miracles in order to
When you pray, in difficulty, all those who are dis- make the people concerned realize
begin with thanks tressed due to sickness, poverty, the inner truth of their mission. The
and praise of Allah discrimination, hate or violence. message of the Qur’an, on the other
and then with salat Let us ask Allah to remove the hand, was revealed at a time when
on the Prophet and difficulty of all those who are in mankind (and in particular, that
then ask whatever difficulty and guide the human- part of it which inhabited the regions
you wish to ask. ity to live in peace and harmony. marked by the earlier, Judaeo-Chris-
(Abu Daud, al-Tir- Ameen. GEMS, P28
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