The du’a is the message.
No, brother, hands are raised in du’a!
We’ve all heard the hadith that the du’a is worship right. See, the thing about du’a is that you could plan on making a few after a fardh salah or in the third part of the night, but it’s when you actually make the du’a that you feel an immediate effect. That’s why sometimes the quiet, urgent du’a you make on the move is the most moving.
Take the regular istighfar for a simple example. It’s when you seek forgiveness from Allah sincerely that you realise the extent of your sins and that you have a whole lot more to be sorry for. At the same time, you start feeling the true magnitude of Allah’s Mercy. It’s amazing how a du’a so ingrained in us can take on a new meaning everytime we say it in different circumstances. We should strive to prevent the du’as we make from reaching a monotonous state.
Anyway, there’s this powerful du’a that I was reminded of and shared with a few people in the last couple of weeks.
اللهÙمَّ لا تجعل من الدنيا أكبرهمنا
Allahumma la taj’al min al-dunya akbara hammina.
Oh Allah, do not make from this dunya the greatest of our worries.
It gives great perspective just by saying it. Like, wait a second, this matter that’s causing me so much stress is merely part of this world, why am I making it my biggest concern? And the lesson it brings is moderation.
So folks. With du’a comes great perspective. You could creatively craft a personal du’a or memorise a super long du’a, but essentially it has to have that internal effect. That’s when you truly believe your du’a will be answered.
I found your thought processes to be very refined and on the mark all the time.
*thumbs up* (@ your thought process)
abushamyul and Traveller, jazakumallahu khair. Always nice to know stuff I’ve written is coherent enough! :)
good post!
I just want to mention that even if one is indeed allowed to raise his/her hands when making dua…there is no evidence, however, to suggest that we can (or should) make a “group dua” as many Muslims do after the fard prayer.
sorry if I stated the obvious…
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=2287&CATE=169
Abu ameerah, learn not to talk without knowledge, insha Allah.
Nuqtah…
i take that as a compliment from someone of your caliber.
How about you learn the Prophet’s manner in correcting the mistakes of fellow believer’s (not that I made a mistake).
Nuqtah…learn to calm down little one :)
akhi it was not a ‘correction’. It was an equal rebuke to an insidious point you made. ;)
Anyhow, it’s better not to turn this place into a battleground. Since, Im not really a fan of the *brazen* manner of your *debating* prowess.
“…not a ‘correction’.”
–aight. then what was it?
“…insidious…”
– Thar u go with them SAT wurdz ahgen!
“…Im not really a fan of the *brazen* manner…”
–That in itself is BRAAAAAAAAZEN indeed!
Sorry if the truth hurts little one.
~peace and hair grease
I feel bad for ‘editor’. But let me be frank here. Do you think acting silly helps?
Age doesn’t matter. Learn to humble yourself.
Why ‘editor’?? :O
Anyway, this is one of those issues where one will almost always remain faithful to the opinion they’ve been taught.
I personally avoid the group du’a after salah (and I actually work at a mosque where the imam performs it without fail) because I follow the opinion that it is allowed (as per the final quote in the sunnipath link) so as to teach the congregation of the qur’anic or prophetic du’as. I myself have previously learnt some of the du’as through listening to the imam so I find it practical in that sense. As to what happens after the followers have memorised the supplications for themselves, then I leave the matter to the differing opinions. ;)
It boils down to having studied the issue, proper guidance from a teacher (if there exists even the slightest doubt/confusion) and in the end, being confident of what you practise.
Asalaamu alaikum. This is a great post on a great topic. You wrote, “We should strive to prevent the du’as we make from reaching a monotonous state.” That is very true. Sometimes my dua starts to sound like a legal disclaimer on a pharmaceutical ad - full of information but way too fast to absorb ;)
wa ‘alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
Haha yeah, that happens. It’s more ironic then when the imam does it in situations where it’s supposed to educate the other Muslims. How is someone going to remember a du’a where the only discernible words are “Allahumma” and “Ya Rabb al-’Alamin”?
The du’a is such a powerful tool, an honorable privilege for the believer. Unfortunately, we often miss out by granting it the “second best” status of being optional.