" Dua (Invocation) " 1 comments

 Why should I pray?

Why do we make dua although Allah (swt) knows the best for us?

Answer:

Dua is worship

“And your Lord says: Call upon Me, I will answer you; surely those who are too proud for My service shall soon enter hell abased.” (Surah al Mu’min, 60)

 

Elmalılı Hamdi Yazir, in his tafseer, states for this ayah that:

“In the ayah ‘Call upon (make dua)’ stands for the meaning of “worship” as it does in many ayahs of the Quran. So it means “Perform worship and servitude to me so that I will reward you.” To make dua is enjoined. “Surely those who are too proud for My service shall soon enter hell abased.”

The order of dua in the ayah is quite significant. Whether it is in the meaning of “worship” or “dua”, it enjoins mankind to “call upon Allah swt” and it is laid down as a condition for the response and acceptance of Allah swt.

 

Our Blessed Prophet (pbuh) stated that “dua” is the essence of worship

"Dua is the essence of Ibadah (worship)." (Tirmidhi)

Narrated An-Nu'man ibn Bashir:

 The Prophet (pbuh) said: Supplication (du'a') is itself the worship. (He then recited :) "And your Lord said: Call on Me, I will answer you. Verily! Those who scorn My worship they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!"" (Abu Dawud , 8, 1474)

The Blessed Prophet (pbuh) says in his hadith that dua is worship and the 60. ayah of Surah al Mu’min confirms it referring to “dua”  as “worship”:  “Call on Me, I will answer you. Verily! Those who scorn My worship…”

 

Worship is not limited to certain actions

Although the pillars of İslam are worship, ibadah is not limited to them. Any behavior or action that Allah swt is pleased with is a sort of worship. Therefore, as praying and fasting are ibadah, the good attitudes and actions such as having good morals, seeking knowledge for the consent of Allah swt, having patience with diseases, troubles are also ibadah.  And making dua is one the most important of all these tasks and good deeds which makes it a sort of ibadah.

 

Dua is worship since man comprehends his impotence and poverty through it

Worship involves the meaning of recognition of man's impotence and his servitude to Allah swt.

In other words, a servant confronted by troubles and tribulations knows that he is impotent to overcome the problems which lead him to seek help in the infinite power of Almighty Allah swt through worship. Besides, in the face of his endless needs and innumerable desires, he feels his poverty and beseeches and supplicates Allah swt who is the Provider of Needs.

In just the same way, dua is the servant’s acknowledging his impotence and poverty and inclining to his Lord whose might is endless and his invocation to Allah swt for his needs. So dua is the basis of worship. 

 

Dua can change the fate

“Allah blots out what He wills and confirms (what He wills). And with Him is the Mother of the Book (The Preserved Tablet of Divine Decrees)” (Surah al Ra’d, 39)

Any deeds are in the eternal and everlasting knowledge of Allah (swt) and are written in the Lawh al-Mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet). Surely, the Divine knowledge never changes, neither does the preserved tablet. However, there is another part of destiny which is written in the Lawh al Mahw wa ithbat (The tablet of erasure and writing) that is not certain and can change with charity (sadaqa) and dua of the servant.

For example, assume that it is written on the lawh al mahw wa ithbat that a person to make a journey will avoid an accident as long as he makes dua. Here, his dua determines his fate. He can avoid the accident with his supplication to Allah swt.  However, we should bear in mind that the consequence of his decision has already been recorded on lawh al-mahfuz and is already in the Divine knowledge.  His dua and sadaqa help him avoid the harm.

 

There are eternal rewards in return for any dua performed for the sake of Allah swt

Any wishes, desires, whether accepted or not,  that are asked Allah swt for are just like seeds planted in this world. When the performer of the dua goes to afterlife, he is benefited from the fruits of his dua. Besides, it is narrated that servants, when they see the good rewards their dua, would say: “O my Lord! I wish You haven’t accepted any of my duas in the world so that I would have more rewards here.”

Moreover, Our Blessed  Prophet (pbuh) is narrated to state that a servant gets one of the three results when he makes dua:

1. He is either forgiven due to his duas

2. Or he attains what he asks for 

3. Or else, he gets his reward in return in the hereafter. (Musnad)

 

Dua should be performed just for the sake of Allah swt

The reason of worship is the order of Allah swt, so if it is made for the purpose of just obtaining what is asked or for gaining reward or for attaining the high ranks of jannah, the sincerity in worship is destroyed. There is benefit in worship out of sincerity neither in this world nor in the akhirah, because in such worship, wordly benefits and intentions take precedence over the order and consent of Allah swt. Kaynak: http://askaquestionto.us - Why should I pray?