HOW DO WE ANSWER THE CALL OF ALLAH? (PART IV)

(Supplicate Allah)

• Why supplication?
• Does Allah need our supplication?
• When is supplication useful?


Introduction

After discussing purification, prayer and reading the Qur’an in earlier lessons, we shall discuss another means of connection with Allah Almighty. This is a free means to contact and refuge to Allah since we can practice it anytime and anywhere or whenever we feel like it and ready to do it. Contrary to prayer, there is no time limitation or special Qur’anic words to address Allah. Whenever we feel like it and wherever we feel that our heart is aiming at Allah, we just let our tongues go to talk to our Generous Creator.

Now, let us know what Dua’a (supplication) is, if Allah needs supplication and when supplication is useful.


Why supplication?

There is a deep feeling in each one of us: we all starve since we need food; we all get sick and need a doctor and a medicine; we all feel cold, hot, pain, fear and ignorance and we all need a teacher, a fireplace, a cooler, etc… Our existence is detailed with poverty and needs. Why?

The answer is: Allah Almighty has created us to be needy so that we could have the motivation to address him and beg him to satisfy these needs.

“O ye men! It is ye that have need of Allah: but Allah is the One Free of all wants, worthy of all praise.”¹ Allah does not need anything. It is we who are in need for someone who we could go to in order to satisfy our needs. “And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)…”²

Allah invites us to refer to him for every need and to fill in the gaps and He ensures answering our calls. Who is more committed to his words and vows more than Allah! In the remaining part of the verse Allah even considers whosoever does not call him an arrogant: ﴾… but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell - in humiliation!﴿³

Hence, dua’a is a natural expression as humans in the existence of Allah and that He is the source of richness, perfection and generousity.


Does Allah need our supplication?

In the Holy Qur’an, Allah says, ﴾Say (to the Rejecters): "My Lord is not uneasy because of you if ye call not on Him…﴿⁴ This verse is an answer for the query: Allah does not need us or supplication and if it were not for supplication, Allah would not care about us.

We need supplication to approach Allah more and get closer to Him. We need supplication to feel His existence as we need Him. As we are in need of satisfying our needs from Him we need supplication itself. By supplication we know Allah, we know that he is close to us and we enhance our relation with him, so that the outcome of dua’a for us will be knowing ourselves, satisfying our needs and knowing Allah Almighty and to taste the sweetness of being close to Him and closely examine his unlimited generosity. This is why He said, ﴾When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them)…﴿⁵

Allah is close then, He hears, knows the need, and can meet it.

﴾I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me …﴿

He answers, so why does He want us to supplicate Him although he knows our needs and does not need our call? Allah answers, ﴾… Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call …﴿ Answer Allah’s call to supplicate Him because that enhances belief, ﴾… and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way.﴿

By supplication, we know the source of our existence: Allah. We recognize His richness and our poverty and need. We also exercise trust in His generosity, ability and mercy. This is the wisdom of Allah who knows His creatures. He raises us to reach the end so that we do not become indispensable of Him: ﴾Nay, but man doth transgress all bounds * In that he looketh upon himself as self-sufficient.﴿⁶

Also, dua’a is there because it keeps our relation with Allah, addressing him and deepening our feeling in his existence, generosity and mercy. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his household) said, “Dua’a is the best worship deed.”⁷

Poverty, needing, pains and dilemmas that we experience reveal how vulnerable we are and how weak we are from achieving our goals. Dua’a trains us and makes us get used to contact Allah and fixes our souls to help us discover and know them better, as well know the Lord of Lives and Their Creators, so they can link to Him and so we can restrain their tyranny and wildness. When we confess our vulnerability and sins, we wish Allah could fix these souls and heal them from their diseases.

Dua’a also enhances love for Allah in the heart of man and enhances our feeling to the beauty and generosity of Allah. Imam Al Hussein (peace be upon him) said, “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his household) once said, “Dua’a is the believer’s weapon, the pillar of religion and the light of heavens and earths””⁸


When is supplication useful?

Allah says, ﴾But ask Allah of His bounty. For Allah hath full knowledge of all things.﴿⁹

There are certain needs that Allah conditioned granting them to dua’a. Moreover, certain spiritual stages cannot also be obtained but by supplication.

Imam Al Sadek (peace be upon him) said, “O Maysser! Supplicate and never say that something is done. Allah has a certain rank that cannot be obtained unless you supplicate. If a servant closes his mouth and never asks for anything, he shall not be given anything. So, ask and you will be given, Maysser. None of the doors is knocked and it is about to open.”¹⁰

Answering a supplication is guaranteed provided that dua’a is addressed because of actual need. Also, dua’a must be of interest to the suppliant. Should answering be late, let the servant know that Allah only chooses what is right and of interest to the suppliant.

“May be it is good for me not to answer me so far because you know how things may turn out.”¹¹

We must insist in supplication and do what we have to do, not to sit at home waiting for things to happen.

“A suppliant who does not work is like an archer with no bowstring.”¹²

We should also seize the adequate conditions to obtain the heart dedication to Allah. Let dua’a take place when you are pure. Also, we have to trust who we are calling and that he will answer our calls.

Imam Al Sadek (peace be upon him) says, “Should you supplicate, you have to believe that your need is at your doorsteps.”¹³

We have to work hard when we supplicate, insist, beg and dedicate, “Supplicate your Lord by secretly and persistently.”

One of the Divine Hadith reported reads, “O Issa! Supplicate me like a drowning person or a sad person who has no other aid. O Issa! Humiliate your heart for me and mention me much when you are alone. Know that I will be pleased when you sneak on me. Be alive in this and do not be dead in that. Let me hear a sad voice.”¹⁴

We must seize the best times for supplication, especially Friday night.

Imam Al Baker (peace be upon him) says, “Allah calls every Friday night from above his throne from the beginning of the night till its end… Isn’t there any believing servant who repents to Me from his sins before dawn, so I could increase his giving and reward?… Isn’t there any sick believer who asks Me for cure before dawn, so I could heal him?… Isn’t there any captured believer who asks Me for his freedom, so I could set him free? …Isn’t there any oppressed believer who asks Me for justice before dawn, so I could make sure that justice is done for him?”

Imam Al Baker (peace be upon him) says, “Allah keeps calling this way until dawn.”¹⁵

Conclusion

So Brother, let us not neglect this door that Allah opened to us and also committed Himself to answer all our calls. Let us make ourselves get used to supplication and let us commit ourselves to Konout (supplication in the middle of each prayer).

Supplication is highly recommended that is made in every prayer in the middle of our prayer, so let us choose for ourselves what the Descendents of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon them) used to say or what is included in the Holy Qur’an.

Also, let us seize the chance in holy times. Let us go to mosques every Friday night to participate in Kumail’s Dua’a, read it and contemplate its meanings. Moreover, let us head to mosques on Wednesday night to real Dua’a Al Tawasol to beg Allah by the Prophet and His Descendents (peace be upon them) who are the means to Allah. Let us make ourselves get used to that to confront the wild dreams of these souls to what begets the anger of Allah. Let us eradicate their wild thoughts.

* "Beginning of the Path", "Lesson Seven". By: Islamic Cultural Knowledge Organization. Knowledge Center for Islamic Studies and Researches.

^{1- (Fatir [The Angels, Originator] 035.015).
2- (Al-Ghafir [The Forgiver [God] 040.060).
3- (Al-Ghafir [The Forgiver [God] 040.060).
4- (Al-Furqan [The Criterion, The Standard] 025.077).
5- (Al-Baqara [The Cow] 002.186).
6- (Al-Alaq [The Clot, Read] 096.001).
7- Wasael Al Shia, v4, p1088.
8- Al kaki, v2, p468.
9- (An-Nisa [Women] 004.032).
10- Al Kafi, v2, p466.
11- Tahzib Al Ahkam, v3, p89.
12- Nahj Al Balagha, v4, p79.
13- Al Kaki, v2, p473.
14- Al Kaki, v8, p138.
15- Rawdat Al Wa’aizin, p333.}