By Yusuf Islam

Man naturally likes to insure himself against harm, he doesn't like being hurt and everyone wishes good for himself. Ah! how wonderful it would be if life was without problems - but that's wishful thinking.

Life on earth is dangerous, often full of pain and tribulations. Of course every human being would like to avoid these, if he or she could. This is one of the reasons why people pay so much for insurance and lash out on guarantees to cover themselves.

It's the same reason why many superstitious people resort to believing in the stars, carrying a rabbit's foot, or avoiding black cats. But people usually learn how to try and avoid pain through life's own experience.

It's understandable that the young have a particularly hard time because many haven't learned the 'ways of the world' so, they are educated the hard way: by sticking your finger in the fire, you learn fast - that was not a wise thing to do !

Often, when we get hurt, we call out for help. A child begins by calling on its Mother, who is often quick to respond. But later on in life, there are times when parents or friends are not there and there is no telephone or emergency number - who do you call on then ? That is the time that a person faces up to his weakness and his humanity, and usually, that is the time that he discovers faith. Yes ! There is someone else you can call - Your Lord, your True Sovereign King - your God.

There's a saying that you'll never find a disbeliever on a sinking ship. This is exactly the same message we find in the Qur'an; when man realises his weakness in the face of a mighty storm, then he knows that there is only One who can save him.

"Seest thou not that The ship sail through The Ocean by the grace Of Allah ? - that He may Show you of His Signs ? Verily in this are Signs For all who constantly persevere And give thanks. When a wave covers them Like the canopy (of clouds), They call to Allah, Offering Him sincere devotion, But when He has delivered them Safely to land, there are Among them those that halt Between (right and wrong).
   
But none reject Our Signs Except only a perfidious Ungrateful (wretch)!

O mankind! do your duty To your Lord, and fear (The coming of) a Day When no father can avail Aught for his son, nor A son avail aught For his father.

Verily, the promise of Allah Is true: let not then This present life deceive you, Nor let the Chief Deceiver Deceive you about Allah." (1)

This reminds us that, in reality, there is no-one who can help you overcome the trials of this world, on land, sea or in the skies - except for Allah, Exalted is He, because everything is under His Will and Control. This is the realisation of enlightened souls, you may say the Muttaqin. And the highest amongst those imbued with the knowledge of this reality were Prophets, who were the most sincere in worship and the most righteous and perfect in belief and actions.

The Last Prophet and Messenger of God, Muhammad , is a perfect example of the truly enlightened and conscious soul. Allah the Almighty has said in the Qur'an,

"You have indeed In the Messenger of Allah, A beautiful example for anyone whose Hope is in God And the Last Day And who engages In the remembrance Of God much." (2)

In a tradition which was passed down to us, we read on the authority of Abu Abbas 'Abdullah, the son of Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:

"One day I was behind the Prophet , and he said to me, 'Young man, I shall teach you some words of advice. Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, ask of Allah. If you seek help, seek help of Allah. Know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything it would benefit you only with something Allah had already prescribed for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried'." (3)

And Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah, said, "When someone of you prays, let him not say, 'O Allah forgive me if that is Your wish.' But let him be firm in conviction and cherish a great hope and Allah does not consider anything too great which He is able to grant." (4)

Prayer in Islam is one of the most beautiful and profound aspects of worship; it is a direct channel to communicate personally with your Creator, Who is ever Present, and ever Ready to Respond.

"When my servants Ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed Close (to them): I listen To the prayer of every Suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, And believe in Me: That they may walk In the right way.' (5)

People have generally forgotten the power of Prayer - (in Arabic: Du'a - literally 'calling'). Today people have ignored this aspect of seeking help when it comes to facing troubles and trials because, in this technology driven world, people have become too arrogant. They believe that, somehow, they have become masters over their own destinies.

This is the characteristic of tyrants, transgressors and, unfortunately, of many people today. They have forgotten God. When people are healthy and strong, they think. "surely we're going to live forever." Their example is like that of the Pharaohs; they considered themselves as gods, because they had command over armies and owned large tracts of land, rich palaces and slaves. They built Pyramids to immortalise themselves, so that when they died, they would wake up with all their treasures in the afterlife. They refused to listen to the commands of God and to His Prophets and Messengers so, the truth is: they will actually wake up to the Fire!

One of the requirements of true prayer is to recognise that there is but one True God who commands all things in the heavens and on earth and to whom we will all be brought back to on the Day of Judgement. In essence this is the core of Prayer, and this can be found in the most important supplication Muslims say in the five daily acts of obligatory worship, al Salah - the name of this prayer is al Fatihah.

"In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah The Lord of the Worlds; Most Gracious, Most Merciful; Master of the Day of Judgement. Thee do we worship, And Thine aid we seek. Show us the straight way, The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, Those whose (portion) Is not wrath, And who go not astray." (6)

The last verses of this Prayer show us what we must do to have our prayers answered. We must know the straight path - the universal path of all Prophets, the most truthful and sincere - and we must not follow the path of those who have earned Allah's anger, by ignoring His commands; and avoid the road of those who are astray, who mislead and are themselves misled.

So, the first condition of Prayer is to know, without doubt, that there is no-one in Heaven or on earth who can help you except the Lord and Creator of the Heavens and earth Himself - Allah, the Exalted, the Most High. No prophet or saint, no angel, no Imam or priest, no rabbi or politician, no idol or material object, nothing can help you or harm you - one atom - except by the Wish and Command of Allah, Exalted is He.

The Prophet Muhammad, sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said, "Prayer is the marrow of worship." (7)

If we study the Prophet's life , we will see that his closeness to Allah was exemplified at every living moment by his intimate words and insistent calling upon his Lord; when he went to sleep, when he woke up, when he washed, when he walked out of his house, when he met his companions, when he travelled, when he ate or drank, even when he slept with his wife, or when he was engaged in battle. There was never a moment when he didn't remember his Lord and seek His support or obey His command. And so it is no wonder that all his prayers were answered, including, of course, the one he has saved for the Day of Judgement which will be reserved for interceding on behalf of his followers, those who died without setting up anyone or anything as partners besides Allah. (8)

He used to teach his companions whenever it came to a decision to choose, always to seek the guidance and preference of Allah. 'Narrated Jabir; The Prophet, sall Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam, used to teach us the Istikharah, a special prayer for deciding each and every matter, as he used to teach us Surahs from the Holy Qur'an; he used to say, 'If any one of you intends to do something he should offer two rak'ats of prayer, other than the obligatory prayer, and then say:

"Allah, I seek Your preference through Your knowledge and seek from You ability through Your power and beg You for Your infinite bounty, for You have power and I have none and You have knowledge but I know not, and You are the Knower of the Unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion for my livelihood and for the consequences of my affairs then ordain it for me; and if You know that this matter is evil for me in my religion for my livelihood and for the consequences of my affairs then turn it away for me and turn me away from it and choose what is good for me wherever it may be and make me pleased with it.' After saying this then he should mention and name his difficulty and his need." (9)

The most frequent prayer of the Prophet , was, "O, Allah, grant to us goodness in this world and goodness in the Hereafter and save us from the punishment of the fire." (10)

In the end we call upon Allah Almighty to grant us His mercy and forgiveness; Glory be to Allah and all Praises are due to Him. The Prophet, sall Allahu 'alayhi wa salla, used to end meetings by praying,

"Subhanaka Allahumina wa bihamdika ash hadu an la ilaha illa ant. Istaghfiruka wa atubu ilaiyk."

'Glory be to you, O Allah, and all Praise. I bear witness that there is no God except You, I seek Your forgiveness and turn and repent unto You. Ameen.' (11)

(1) Surah Luqman (31): 31 - 33
(2) Surah Al-Azhab (33): 21
(3) Al Tirmidhi
(4) Al Bukhari
(5) Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 186
(6) Surah Al-Fatihah (1): 1 - 7
(7) Al Tirmidhi
(8) Muslim
(9) Al Bukhari
(10) Al Bukhari
(11) Al Nasa'i & Ahmad

Source: www.geocities.com/mutmainaa

To read the previous part: Click Here

by Shaykh Abû Amînah Bilâl Philips

The first method is du’â or supplication. Nothing softens the heart more than asking Allâh to soften it and make it merciful. This is the promise of the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam when he said: Call on Allâh being certain that your prayer will be answered, but know at the same time that Allâh will not answer the prayer of a heart which is negligent.

Du’â will soften the heart and Allâh is the One who will soften the heart. Our du’â to Him will be answered, but we have to believe it. If we just raise our hands and ask, " O Allâh, soften my heart!" and not really ask from the heart, it is just something we said - and we could have said ANYTHING else! If we call on Allâh SINCERELY, He will soften the heart. " Call on Me and I will answer you."

"When my servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close to them: I respond to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me; let them also, with a will, listen to My call and believe in Me: that they may walk in the right way" [Qur’ân, Sûrah Al-Baqarah 2:186]

If we consider the many examples that we have from the lives of the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam and his companions, they would show us that it is Allâh who can change the hearts.

Let us consider 'Umar ibn Al-Khattâb. His attitude towards the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam and Islâm was so harsh that he set out one day to kill the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi Wa sallam. He was fed up with the efforts of Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam to spread Islâm that he felt he had to take it in his hands to finish this. He strapped on his sword and set out. On his way, he met another companion who told him to check on his own sister before seeing the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi Wa sallam. He was surprised and went to his sister's house, virtually tearing down the door. He slapped her and her husband until blood came from her face. He then stopped and looked at what he had caused.

On his way in, he had heard something from the Qur’ân and it had touched him, but his anger did not allow it a chance to settle in his heart. But when he struck his sister and saw the blood, it stopped him for a minute. What he had heard before touched his heart. He asked what was being read before and some of the Qur’ân was read for him. And he changed.

That was enough to turn him upside down. This was 'Umar! On another occasion, the other companions saw him laughing and then crying; one after the other. They asked what had caused that to happen to him. He said.

"I remember that in the days of Jâhiliyya, I used to have this idol made of dates. One day, I became so hungry that I ate a piece of it. And then, I cried when I remembered digging a hole and burying my daughter. Whilst I was putting her in, she reached up and brushed dirt from my beard."

And he had buried her alive. That was the practice - those who felt it was a dishonour to have a daughter killed them. That was how hard his heart was - how hard his heart had become, to bury his daughter alive.

But his heart changed. Changed so much that 'Umar, when he used to lead the prayers, would be so choked up with tears that people from way back in the third row could hear him crying. This was ‘Umar, a man who was so harsh, so powerful. a courageous individual, but with the acceptance of Islâm, his heart was turned around.

So we should do as the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam advised us – to go to Allâh and call on him to give us softened hearts and we should seek refuge as the Prophet SallAllâhu 'Alayhi wa sallam had from the heart without fear. And in the same du’â, he also sought refuge from the eyes that do not become full with tears, eyes that never cry.

Source: http://www.islaam.net

To read the second method to achieve a Soft Heart: Click Here

Imaam Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah

Here there occurs a very popular question and it is:

If the thing that is being supplicated for is already decreed for the servant, then there is no doubt that it is going to come to pass for him, regardless of whether he supplicates for it or not. And if it has not been decreed for him, then it will not come to pass, regardless of whether he asks Allaah for it or not.

There is one group that perceives this question to be valid and so they have abandoned the supplication and are of the view that there is no benefit in doing it. These people, along with their excessive ignorance and misguidance are in clear contradiction, for if we were to follow their opinion, it would require us to reject all the different means for attaining something (desired).

So it can be said to one of them:

If satisfying your appetite and quenching your thirst were already decreed for you, then there is no doubt that they are going to come to pass, whether you eat and drink or you don’t. And if they were not decreed for you, they will not come to pass, whether you eat and drink or you don’t.

And likewise, if a child were decreed for you, then you will definitely receive it, whether you have sexual intercourse with your wife or you don’t. And if that was not decreed for you, then it will not come to pass. Thus there is no need for marrying, having sexual relations and so on and so forth.

Who says such a statement? Is it one possessing common sense or a beast? Rather, even the animal has a natural inclination (fitrah) towards seeking the means of attaining something (desired), which (for example) will give it sustenance and livelihood. So the animals have more common sense and possess more understanding than these types of people who are like cattle – nay, far worse!

Some of them try to be clever and say:

Preoccupying oneself with supplication falls into the realm of worship solely – Allaah will reward the one supplicating, without that having an effect on what he is asking for in any way. According to this type of person, there is no difference between supplicating and refraining from supplicating by heart and tongue, with regard to that having an effect on attaining what is being asked for. And according to them, the relation of the supplication to it (what is being asked for) is like its relation with silence. There is no difference between them.

Another group, more slick than this one says:

Rather, the supplication is a sign, which Allaah displays as a symbol that a matter has been carried out. So when Allaah grants his servant the ability to supplicate, it is a sign and a symbol that the matter he was requesting has been carried out. This is just as if one were to see a frigid black cloud during the winter season. It is a sign and an implication that it will rain.

They say: Similarly is enacting good deeds with respect to reward, and committing disbelief and sins with respect to punishment – they are pure signs for the occurrence of (either) reward or punishment – not means (by which the result will be attained).

Likewise, according to them, with the matters of breaking, kindling and destroying – none of these things serves as a means for the occurrence (result) of a wreck, fire and death, respectively. Nor is there any connection between those things and what results from them, other than the fact that they are normally paired together – not that one is caused due to the means of the other!

They have contradicted perceptual observation and common sense with this opinion, as well as revelation and fitrah (natural inclination), not to mention all of the other intellectual groups. Rather, those with intellects laugh at them!

The correct view: There is a third category, apart from those mentioned by the questioner. And it is that the decreed result is preordained along with its proper means, which lead to its occurrence. One of these means is the supplication. It is not preordained just like that, without any means (leading to its occurrence), rather it is preordained along with its proper means (which will ensure its occurrence). So when a person comes across the means, the decreed matter will come to pass. And if he does not come across those means, the decreed matter is denied.

So satisfying one’s appetite and quenching one’s thirst are preordained with (the means of) eating and drinking. Children are preordained with (the means of) sexual intercourse. Harvesting crops is preordained with (the means of) planting and, the withdrawal of the soul from an animal is decreed with slaughter. Likewise, entrance into Paradise is preordained with (good) deeds, while entrance into the Hellfire is preordained with (bad) deeds.

Source: http://www.alghurabaa.org

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The Power of Supplication

Allah says in the Qur'an:

"And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): But those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell in humiliation!" (40:60)

"When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them); I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me; let them also with a will listen to My call and believe in Me; that they may walk in the right way." (2:186)

"The most beautiful names belong to Allah: so call on Him by them; but shun such men as use profanity in His names: for what they do, they will soon be requited." (7:180)

Conditions of Du'aa

1. Obeying Allah's commands.
2. Sincerity.
3. Invoke Him using His beautiful names.
4. Facing the Qiblah.
5. Raising the hands.

Etiquettes of Du'aa

1. Praising Allah with His beautiful names and Praising Prophet (saw).
2. Be continous in making the Du'aa. Allah loves those who keep asking Allah.
3. Repeat the Du'a 3 times.
4. Seek the best times of making Du'a.

Why our Supplications are not answered?

1. We know Allah, yet we do not obey Him.
2. We recite Qur'an, yet we do not act according to it.
3. We know Satan, yet we have agreed with him.
4. We proclaim we love Prophet (saw), yet abandon His sunnah.
5. We proclaim love for paradise, yet we do not act to gain it.
6. We proclaim our fear for the fire, yet we do not prevent from sin.
7. Death is true, yet we do not get prepared for it.
8. We eat and do not thank Allah.
9. We bury the dead, yet we do not take any lessons from it.

How is Du'aa answered?

1. Allah grants the person what he asks for as he asks for it right away.
2. Allah, instead, removes a calamity in the future of that person, similar to what he asked for.
3. Allah saves it for him for the Hereafter.

"Du'aa is like a weapon and a weapon is only as good as the person who is using it, it is not merely the matter of how sharp it is. If the weapon is perfect and free of faults, and the arm of the person using it is strong, and there is nothing stopping him, then he can lay waste the enemy. But if any of these three features is lacking, then the effect will be lacking accordingly. " (Ibn Al Qayyim)

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Meaning of Duà: In Arabic, it means Request.

The word Dua is used in various shades of meaning in the Quràn:

1. An Act of Worship (Ibadah)
   
   Allah says in the Quràn:
   
   "And invoke not besides Allâh, any that will neither profit you, nor hurt you..." (10:106)
   
   
2. Seeking Help
   
   Allah says in the Quràn:
   
   "...and call your witnesses or helpers (if there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true..." (2:23)
   
   
3. Asking for something
   
   Allah says in the Quràn:
   
   "And your Lord says: Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)" (40:60)
   
   
4. A Statement
   
   Allah says in the Quràn:
   
   "Their statement therein will be: `Glory be to You, O Allah..." (10:10)
   
   
5. Calling someone
   
   Allah says in the Quràn:
   
   "On the day when He will call you, and you will answer...." (17:52)
   
   
6. Praising Highly Off
   
   Allah says in the Quràn:
   
   "Say: `Invoke Allah, or invoke the Most Gracious." (17:110)

Why make Duà? If Allah knows everything what will happen in our future, then why should we make Dua? If something in not decreed for us, then why should we make Dua because it won`t be answered. Then Why make Duà?

1. The Manifestation of humility, humbleness and dependency on Allah: A person reaches the highest level of humility while making Duà. Humility is the key to surrender to Allah. If we are proud, we would not want to humble our self in front of Allah. Jannah is not a place for arrogant people. Pride is a barrier to humble oneself in front of Allah. That is why Satan was thrown out from heaven. It Is narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. Mas'ud that the Prophet of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam), observed: "He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise." (Muslim)
   
   
2. Getting the reward by obeying the order: We are commanded to make Duà. So even if our Duà is answered or not, we shall get the reward for it because we obeyed Allah. When women during their menstrual cycle do not pray, they are getting rewarded because they are obeying the commands of Allah, Subhan Allah. Ladies can do a lot of Du`as during those days. Duà is an Ibadah (Worship).
   
   
3. We truly acknowledge that Allah has power: When we make Duà we are acknowledging that we are helpless and only Allah has the power to accept our Duàs. We know that without Allah's Mercy and Help our Du`as will not be answered. If we make Duà and we believe firmly that only if Allah wills, our Duà will be answered, then making Duà is a form of submission to Allah.
   
   
4. The possibility that the thing asked for is dependent on the Duà: What if Allah has decided that unless we do not make Du`a, He will not grant it for us. So only if we make Duà, it might be answered. Allah is the creator of the causes and the effects, so maybe only if we make Du`a it will be answered.

How is Duà Answered?

We should always believe that our Duà is answered in some way or the other. Duà is always answered in one of the following ways:

1. Allah grants the person what he asks for as he asks for it right away.
2. Allah, instead, removes a calamity in the future of that person, similar to what he asked for.
3. Allah saves it for him for the Hereafter.

Instead of asking why Allah did not answer our Duàs, we should think that Allah is removing any calamity from us or Allah is saving it for us to enter Jannah. Maybe it might be that one Duà of ours unanswered in this world that can save us from the Hell-fire, Subhan Allah.

We should always ask for beneficial things for this worldly life and for the Hereafter.

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

``Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire.`` (2:201)

Barriers to Duà being accepted

1. Asking for something sinful and asking for the severing of family ties.
   
   The Prophet(SAW) said, “ The Dua’a of anyone of you maybe answered by Allah as long as his does not involve a bad deed or severing kinship ties.” (Tirmidhi)
   
   
2. Food, drink and dress not being halal.
   
   
The Prophet, peace be upon him, then made mention of a person who travels widely, his hair dishevelled, and covered with dust."He lifts his hands and makes supplication, 'O Lord, O Lord,' but his diet is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, and his clothes are unlawful, and his nourishment is unlawful. How then can his supplication be accepted?" (Muslim and Ahmad)


3. Being Impatient or hasty in wanting an answer as soon as possible.
   

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "The invocation of anyone of you is granted (by Allah) if he does not show impatience (by saying, "I invoked Allah but my request has not been granted.") (Bukhari)

The Prophet(SAW) said: “You should know that Allah does not answer the Dua’a that comes from a heedless heart.” (Tirmidhi)

Prophet(SAW) taught ”Make Dua’a while being certain of the response.” (Tirmidhi)

1. Be Sincere.
2. Begin by praising Allah and sending peace and blessings upon our Prophet (saw).
3. Be patient with conviction that Allah hears and will answer.
4. Seek out the appropriate times like sujood, after azaan, etc.
5. Raise hands.
6. Being in a state of Wodhu.
7. Facing the Qiblah.
8. Making tawbah and istigfaar before asking for what we want.
9. Ask Allah using His names and Attributes.
10. Pour our feelings out, say exactly how we feel.
11. Be firm/positive in asking.

Narrated Anas: Allah's Apostle said, "When anyone of you appeal to Allah for something, he should ask with determination and should not say, 'O Allah, if You wish, give me.', for nobody can force Allah to do something against His Will." (Bukhari)

By Amatullah Abdullah

Freelance Writer

It was a Saturday, and as usual I went to my son's school for the mothers' meeting held every Saturday. The school usually runs women's programs. That day, the mothers were asked to speak on an issue or a topic that touches their heart. One sister came forward mentioning the following hadith. Abdullah ibn `Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said,

Three persons set out on a journey. They were overtaken by rain and they had to find protection in a mountain cave, where at its mouth there fell a rock of that mountain and thus blocked them altogether.

One of them said to the others, "Remember your good deeds that you performed for the sake of Allah and then supplicate Allah the Exalted, that He might rescue you."

One of them said, "O Allah, I had my parents, who were old, and my wife and my small children, too. I tended the flock and when I came back home in the evening, I milked them (the sheep, goats, cows, etc.) and first served that milk to my parents.

One day, I was obliged to go out to a distant place in search of fodder; I could not come back until evening and found my parents asleep. I milked the animals as I used to and brought the milk to them and stood by their heads avoiding to wake them up; I did not deem it advisable to serve milk to my children before serving my parents.

My children wept near my feet. I remained in that very state until it was morning. And (O Allah), if You are aware that I did this in order to seek Your pleasure, grant us riddance from this trouble."

The rock slipped a bit that they could see the sky.

The second one said, "O Allah, I had a female cousin whom I loved more than any man can love a woman. I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her; she refused.

It was with difficulty that I could collect one hundred dinars and then paid them to her. When I was going to have sexual intercourse with her, that she said, 'Servant of Allah, fear Allah and do not break the seal (of chastity) but by lawful means.' I got up, gave her the money she needed, and did not touch her. O Allah, if You are aware that I did this for Your sake, rid us from this trouble."

The situation was somewhat eased for them, as the rock further moved away from the entrance.

The third one said, "O Allah, I employed a hand for a measure of rice. After he had finished his work, I gave him his dues (in the form of) a measure of rice, but he did not accept them. I used this rice as seeds, and that gave a bumper crop and I became rich enough to have cows and flocks (in my possession.)

He came to me and said, 'Fear Allah, and commit no cruelty upon me in regard to my dues.' I said to him, 'Take away this flock of cows and sheep.' He said, 'Fear Allah, and do not make fun of me.' I said, 'I am not making fun of you. Take the cows and the flock.' So he took them. O Allah, if You are aware that I did it for Your sake, end this calamity."

The rock further moved away, and they managed to get out. (Al-Bukhari)

The sister at the mothers' meeting then said, "I always think about this supplication of the three persons of the cave." She added, "I always wonder, do we have any deeds like these persons, which would come to our rescue when there is a disaster?"

I too have felt many times, "Is there any deed we have done solely for the sake of the Creator alone? Can any of our deeds help us the way the deeds of these three men in the cave helped them?"

No doubt, most of us have noticed that when we begin an act of worship - for example, salah (ritual prayer) -, our intention will be sincere, but the moment we are in the salah, Satan tries to distract us from it, thus makes us lose our sincerity in intention. The good news is that we can still battle Satan by being conscious, seeking refuge in Allah from Satan, and constantly asking Allah to purify our intention and make it sincere.

Du`aa'(supplication) is a blessing from Allah, a tool to achieve our goals in this life and the hereafter. Allah loves it when we ask Him for anything. He is expecting us to ask Him for our needs. Allah says in the Qur'an what means,

"I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls on Me (seeking My help without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright." (Al-Baqarah 2:186)

When we ask Allah something, it proves that we are admitting we are weak and He is the Almighty, the Most Merciful, and most Bountiful!

"O humankind! It is you who stand in need of Allah, but Allah is Rich (Free of all wants and needs), Worthy of all praise." (Fatir 35:15)

May Allah continue to bless us with listening to our du`aa', help us to make our deeds sincere, and help us to purify our intention to get closer to Him.

Amatullah Abdullah is a freelance writer who resides in Chennai, India. Her essays have been published in India, the UK, and the US. She holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and is currently working on her master's.AmatullahAbdullah is is the managing editor of Iqra! Newspaper, and an active member of the Islamic Writers Alliance (IWA). She can be reached at amatullah110@yahoo.com. To read more of her works, visit http://writerinislam.blogspot.com/.

Source: www.readingislam.com

1. Praying to other than Allah:

   Prophet(SAW)taught his cousin Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, “ when you ask, ask of Allah; and when u seek help, seek help from Allah.“ ( TIRMIDHI)

   Therefore, Always ask Allah directly seeking no intermediary between us and Him.

   Allah says: And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright (2:186)
   

2. Being heedless:

   When making Dua’a, we should collect your heart, stay focused, and consciously think of the One you are calling upon. The Prophet(SAW) said: “You should know that Allah does not answer the dua’a that comes from a heedless heart.” (Tirmidhi)

3. Lack of Sincerity:

   Allah says: “Call then upon Allah with sincere devotion to Him.” (40:14)
   

4. Doubting Allah’s response:

   When we make Dua’a, we should put our trust in Allah and be sure of Allah’s response.Never think of the bad deeds we have committed, because Allah is the Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.

   Prophet(SAW) taught “ Make dua’a while being certain of the response.” (Tirmidhi)

5. Showing Impatience:

   We should never be hasty while making dua’a nor stop making dua’a because you do not get a response. The Prophet(SAW): “ The (dua’a) of anyone of you maybe answered( by Allah) as long as he does show impatience by saying, “ I prayed to Allah but my prayers have not been answered.” (Bukhari)

6. Earning harm(unfawful) income:

   We should make sure we earn income from halal(lawful) resources, otherwise our dua’a will be rejected.The Prophet, peace be upon him, then made mention of a person who travels widely, his hair dishevelled, and covered with dust. "He lifts his hands and makes supplication, 'O Lord, O Lord,' but his diet is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, and his clothes are unlawful, and his nourishment is unlawful. How then can his supplication be accepted?" (Muslim and Ahmad)

   ''O you Messengers! Eat of the good things and do righteous actions.'' [3:51]

   ''O you who Believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you.'' [2:172]

7. Praying for sin:

   We must avoid any kind of prayer that involves a sin, especially severing kinship ties. The Prophet(SAW) said, “ The Dua’a of anyone of you maybe answered by Allah as long as his does not involve a bad deed or severing kinship ties.” (Tirmidhi)

8. Neither enjoins good nor forbids evil:

   Hudhaifah (May Allah bepleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "By Him in Whose Hand my life is, you either enjoin good and forbid evil, or Allah will certainly soon send His punishment to you. Then you will make supplication and it will not be accepted". [At-Tirmidhi].

   If you are committing any sin which you are aware of, then it is best advised to stop committing that sin so that Allah will answer your dua’s. We don’t know which sin of ours is stopping Allah from accepting our prayers.

   The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Any Muslim who makes a supplication containing nothing which is sinful, or which involves breaking ties of relationship, will be given for it by Allah one of three things:

   1. He will give him swift answer,
   2. or store it up for him in the next world,
   3. or turn away from him an equivalent amount of evil."

   Those who heard it said they would then make many supplications and he (peace be upon him) replied that Allah was more ready to answer than they were to ask! (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith)

Allaah loves to be asked, and He encourages that in all things. He is angry with the one who does not ask of Him and He encourages His slaves to ask of Him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And your Lord said: "Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation)" [Ghaafir 40:60]

Du'aa' is very important in Islam, so much so that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Du'aa' is worship." (al-Tirmidhi)

The etiquette of du'aa':

The one who is making du'aa' should believe in Tawheed with regard to the divinity, Lordship, names and attributes of Allaah. His heart should be filled with Tawheed. In order for Allaah to respond to the du'aa', it is essential that the person should be responding to his Lord by obeying Him and not disobeying Him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allaah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)"   [al-Bayyinah 98:5]

Du'aa' is worship, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, so sincerity (ikhlaas) is a condition of its being accepted.

We should ask of Allaah by His most beautiful names. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names"[al-A'raaf 7:180]

We should praise Allaah as He deserves before we call upon Him. Fadaalah ibn 'Ubayd (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: Whilst the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sitting, a man came in and prayed and said, "O Allaah, forgive me and have mercy on me." The Messenger of Allaah (S) said, "You have been too hasty, O worshipper. When you have prayed and are sitting, praise Allaah as He deserves to be praised, and send blessings upon me, then call upon Him."(Tirmidhi)

Facing towards the qiblah. 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) looked at the mushrikeen, who were one thousand strong, and his companions numbered three hundred and nineteen. Then the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned to face the qiblah, then he stretched forth his hands and started to cry out to his Lord: "O Allaah, grant me what You have promised me, O Allaah, give me what You have promised me. O Allaah, if this small band of Muslims perishes, You will not be worshipped on earth." He kept on crying out to his Lord, stretching forth his hands, facing towards the qiblah, until his cloak fell from his shoulders…(Muslim)

Raising the hands. Salmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Your Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, is Kind and Most Generous, and He is too kind to let His slave, if he raises his hands to Him, bring them back empty."(Abu Dawud)

Having certain faith that Allaah will respond, and focusing with proper presence of mind, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Call upon Allaah when you are certain of a response, and remember that Allaah will not answer a du'aa' that comes from a negligent and heedless heart." (al-Tirmidhi)

Asking frequently. A person should ask his Lord for whatever he wants of the good things in this world and the Hereafter, and he should beseech Allaah in du'aa', and not seek a hasty response, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:"The slave will receive a response so long as his du'aa' does not involve sin or severing of family ties, and so long as he is not hasty." It was said, "What does being hasty mean?" He said: "When he says, 'I made du'aa' and I made du'aa', and I have not seen any response,' and he gets frustrated and stops making du'aa'." ( al-Bukahari)

He should be firm in his du'aa', because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "No one of you should say, 'O Allaah, forgive me if You wish, O Allaah, have mercy on me if You wish'; he should be firm in his asking, for Allaah cannot be compelled." (Al Bukhari)

Beseeching, humility, hope and fear. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret" [al-A'raaf 7:55]

"Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us"  [al-Anbiya' 21:60]

"And remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and with fear and without loudness in words in the mornings and in the afternoons" [al-A'raaf 7:20]

Saying du'aa's three times. Its from the Sunnah of the Prophet(SAW) that its good to recite each dua 3 times.

Ensuring that one's food and clothing are good (i.e., halaal). Muslim (1015) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "O people, Allaah is Good and does not accept anything but that which is good." Allaah enjoins upon the believers the same as He enjoined upon the Messengers. He says (interpretation of the meaning):

'O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah — Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with' [al-Baqarah 2:172]

Saying du'aa' silently and not out loud. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret"  [al-A'raaf 7:55]

And Allaah praised His slave Zakariyyah (peace be upon him) by saying (interpretation of the meaning):

"When he called to his Lord (Allaah) a call in secret"[Maryam 19:3]