What’s A Dua?
I’m sure most of the people reading this already know what a dua is in Islam. Still, I know a lot of new Muslims come to this website, so I’m going to give a quick definition.
The word “dua” comes from the Arabic root word da-’a-wa (dal-’ayn-waw). A simple translation means “to call.”
Islamically, dua means to make an informal prayer to Allah. A formal prayer is the Salaah, which has structured movements and sayings. But a dua is informal meaning there’s no absolute structure and nothing that absolutely must be said.
Dua means a person is calling upon Allah.
Reasons For Making Dua
Muslims make dua for just about anything and everything. In fact, a lot of our daily speech is filled with duas.
For instance:
When we recite Surah Al-Fatihah, we’re making dua.
When we say “As-Salaamu Alaikum” and respond with “Wa Alaikum Salaam” we’re making dua.
When we make Istikhaarah for decisions, we’re making dua.
There’s no escaping making dua as a Muslim. And this is a great thing because Allah loves it when we call upon Him. Calling upon Allah shows that we’re humble, and that we need Him, and that we know we are helpless without Him.
Allah doesn’t need us to make dua; instead it is we who need to make dua to Allah.
And there’s almost no limit to the things you can make dua for. So long as what you’re asking for is halaal (permissible) and good, you can make dua to Allah for whatever you need and want.
Technically speaking, you can make dua for bad things also. You can make dua against another person asking for some harm to come to them. But this is not a good thing and will probably hurt you more in the long run.
The best dua is “Alhamdulillah” or “All praises and thanks are for Allah.” This is a dua that praises Allah. So we should say this as often as possible.
And when we make dua for other Muslims, the angels make the same dua for us. That’s why we should always keep other people in our duas and refrain from making duas asking for harm against others.
Dua Requests
I get a lot of dua requests at this website. I don’t mind the requests, and I do try to fulfill them when they come. But you should know that I’m not a particularly outstanding Muslim. I try to do the best I can, but I make mistakes just like you do.
Some of my sins might be bigger than yours, and some may not. Only Allah knows that.
But it is okay to ask others to make dua for you. If you believe a certain Muslim is pious and is closer to Allah than you are, then you may ask them to make dua on your behalf. This does not mean you don’t have to make dua also. What this means is that perhaps you may have someone who Allah is more willing to listen asking for you.
The Greatest Dua In The World
A few people have asked me to teach them a really powerful dua to take care of all of their problems. I know a lot of duas that are supposed to help with many different problems.
But I don’t know of any “one dua to rule them all” type thing (any Lord Of The Rings fans out there?)
Well, actually I do know something like this.
There is one dua you can make…and it is the greatest dua in the world.
Are you ready for it?
The greatest dua in all the world is…
The dua that comes from the heart.
This is a dua that is unique. No one else can make this dua except you. And you can make it any language you want to whether that be English, Arabic, Urdu, or whatever.
The dua that comes from the heart, the dua that begs Allah for help, the dua that brings tears to your eyes and wracks your soul is the greatest dua in the world.
There’s No Magic Spells
Many Muslims take their duas like magic spells, ala Harry Potter.
Most duas are in Arabic. And most Muslims, don’t speak Arabic. Yet, we’re told to learn certain duas (and not all of them are from the Quran and Hadith) and when we say them so many times, certain problems will be taken care of.
And so we have duas for wealth and health and marriage and family and pregnancy and all sorts of things.
So you learn a dua and recite it and you don’t really know what it means but you expect certain things to happen just because you said it.
That sounds like a magic spell to me.
That’s not the way duas are supposed to work.
Definitely, you should learn certain duas from the Quran and that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught his companions. But also learn what they mean. This way, when you hold your hands up to Allah and you’re saying these duas, you can say them with feeling and conviction, even though they’re in Arabic.Don’t just memorize sounds and repeat them like a parrot and expect magic to happen.
And if you need something and you don’t know a dua from the Quran and Sunnah, then just turn to Allah and ask Him directly. Ask Him in whatever language you’re most comfortable with.
After all, doesn’t Allah know all languages?
Beg Allah for help. Even cry while you’re asking Him. Acknowledge your weakness. Repent for your sins.
There are no magic spells or magic wands. Call upon Allah with your heart and be sincere.
That is the greatest dua in the world.
