Quran Ends with two beatiful chapters giving mankind such great tools to seek refuge from all that is evil and to seek asylum in the hands of the Creator.
When we read across, Quran is quoting the invocations of many of the earlier prophets:
The invocation of Prophet Adam (AS)and Eve: Asking forgiveness for their sin.
The invocation of Prophet Noah (AS): Praying for the forgivesness of parents, Muslim men and women.
The invocation of Prophet Yunus (AS): The famous invocation from the darkness inside the stomach of the whlale to rescue him.
The invocation of Prophet Ayyoob (AS): The invocation to cure his disease, which made all his friends, relatives including wife abandoned him.
The invocation of Prophet Yusuf (AS): His beatiful invoation to make him die as a muslim and to enjoin him among the righteous people (Faathirassamaavaathi Wal Ardhi, Antha Waliyyee fiddunyaa Wal Aakhirathi, Tawaffanee Musliman Wa Alhiqnee bissaliheen)
The invocation of Prophet Ibrahim / Abraham (AS): The duaa to accept their good deed of re-constructing Holy Kaaba in Makkah.
Each invocation is a lesson for us. Let us look at the invocation of Prophet Ibrahim, for example.
Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ismail rebuilt the Holy Kaaba in Makkah. After they completed their hard work they raised their hands to Allah and made this Duaa to accept their good deed. There is a great lesson in this. It is not always enough that we work hard in the cause of Allah. Along with our work there should be a praying heart, which makes the work we did more deeper and stronger.
Duaa is a strong weapon, which is too much under utilized by us. Duaa can change the state of the affairs in totality! See this saying of Prophet (SA): Beware of the duaa of the oppressed! Because there is no partition between their duaa and Allah!
WHAT MORE IS TO BE SAID ABOUT THIS WEAPON?!
Prophet Mohammed (SA) has taught us Duaas for all occassions in life:
- There is Duua when you get up from the bed.
- There is Duua when you go to toilet
- There is Duua when you eat food
- There is Duua when you wear a new dress
- There is Duua when you embark a vehicle
- There is Duua when you start your journey
- There is Duua when you visit a patient
- There is Duua when you go to bed
YES. There is Duaa to make all the occassions more meaningful and powerful.....!
Allah has promised that he will answer all the prayers of his slaves- in any one of the three form of answering and rewarding. (Wa Ida Sa'alaka Ibadee Annee..........Ujeebu Da'watha-dda'i ida da'anee: Quran)
Dua has certain simple priorities:
First priority is to pray for ourselves
Then for our parents and relatives
Then for the whole Ummath, to those who are alive and to those who already started the eternal jouney before us.
Duaa of a good child is one of the great blessing a human being can have even after his death!Remember the saying of Prophet (SA): Only three things remain after the death of person: His good deeds, His charities-which are still delivering, His children who are praying for him!
Similarly there are certain conditions for Duaa to be accepted by Allah:
In one of his saying Prophet (SA) said: Some of you raise the hands and says "Ya Rabb", "Ya Rabb". How can his invocation be answered? What he eats is from forbidden means, what he drinks is from forbidden means, what he wears is from forbidden means.
YES. We must make sure that we are not crossing the boarders, to make sure that our duaas are answered.
Allah has earmarked certain time and space in a bid to give better chances for us to make duaa and make use of them while drive through. For example:
- Duaa after five time compulsory prayers is most recommended.
- Duaa between Adhan and Iqaamath is most recommended.
- Duaa in the state of Wudu is most recommended.
- Duaa in the state of turning towards Qibla is most recommended.
- Duaa during and after Tahjjud prayer is most recommended.
- Duaa after breaking the fast is most recommended.
- Duaa in the month of Ramadaan is most recommended.
- Duaa during the first ten days of Dulhijja is most recommended.
- Duaa while you tavel is most recommended.
Never miss a chance for duaa and zikr (Remembrance and /or Praise to Allah).
Prophet (SA) said: Make use of two words, which are very light for the tongue at the same time very heavy in the 'balance'. Those words are: Subhaanallahi Wabihamdihi Subhanallahil Adheem.
We can make Zikr at any occassions and at any state we are in to. As per Quran, all creatures in the universe are making zikr. How can one keep away from supplication and zikr, except those who are arrogant and having 'hearts harder than stones'. (Like the ones in Quran Chapter -2: Verse -74)
I remember reading Kamala Srayya (Madhavikkutti) once: I have the greatest hope in Allah's promise that He will forgive "ALL SINS" in totality to those who whole-heartedly return back to him.
YES!
What else can make our mind so cool and floating (THE NIRVAANA STATE?) except this promise from Allah!
=======Written from the spirit (Not all text are from the speech) of the speech by Br. Sakeer Farooqi in Jeddah on 11th February 2011.======
