Islamic Duas in the Holy Month of Ramadan
Lots of them but Exaggerated
During Ramadan, lots and lots of Duas are floating around. A friend sent me a link “http://www.soundvision.com/dua-and-zikr” from Sound Vision. This is a very comprehensive and useful write up on Dua in an attractive style with beautiful photographs and several authors. The website itself is very well designed. I would like to offer my comments on some of the views expressed.
Dua is a very essential and valuable part of our Ibaadah. However this article confirms the intense exaggeration if not transgression displayed in this matter — both scholarly and popular. The role of dua is deflected and its importance magnified out of all proportion. An author in the article states: “What a tragedy, for dua is the most potent weapon of a believer. It can change fate, while no action of ours ever can. It is the essence of ibadaah or worship. With it we can never fail; without it we can never succeed. In the proper scheme of things, dua should be the first and the last resort of the believer, with all his plans and actions coming in between……..In every difficulty our first action is dua, as is our last…” Another sister had sent me a dua for Ramadan which stated that “Dua is the only element that changes TAQDEER. Everything is pre-written. But with DUA it can be re-written.” I am sorry I think these views display a very misleading ignorance of our Deen. Our mandatory prayers is the FIRST and FOREMOST worship. Reading and studying the Holy Quran — I do not mean merely chanting of words — comes next. All other forms of worship put together including Dua cannot even come close. As a matter of fact prayers combined with Fasting and Zakah can see us through , Insha Allah without any additional effort as per our beloved Holy Prophet as per this hadith:
Narrated Talha bin 'Ubaid-Ullah (Radi-Allahu 'anhu):
“A bedouin with unkempt hair came to Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa
Sallam) and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Inform me what Allah has made
compulsory for me as regards the prayers." He replied: "You have to offer
perfectly the five compulsory prayers in a day and night (24 hours), unless
you want to pray Nawafil." The bedouin further asked, "Inform me what Allah
has made compulsory for me as regards fasting." He replied, "You have to
fast during the whole month of Ramadan, unless you want to fast more as
Nawafil." The bedouin further asked, "Tell me how much Zakat Allah has
enjoined on me." Thus, Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam)
informed him about all the rules (i.e. fundamentals) of Islam. The bedouin
then said, "By Him Who has honored you, I will neither perform any Nawafil
nor will I decrease what Allah has enjoined on me. Allah's Apostle
(Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, "If he is saying the truth, he will
succeed (or he will be granted Paradise).” Bukhari Vol. 3 : No. 11
Dua is a very context sensitive ibaadah, based on the person and the occasion. A mother’s dua for his son suffering from cancer is entirely different ball game from the dua of an Imam with his large congregation. It has to be a personal pleading to his Lord Creator coming from his inner emotional self for his problems in his own words. If s/he cannot find the words to express her/his feelings, rest assure Allah Ta’aala can reach the heart. This article wants to make the practice of dua a free for all so that every body is making dua for every body about ever thing all the time. Another author in this article says “Tools like email and social networking sites like Facebook are effective ways to reach and stay in touch with many people quickly and cheaply. They are also ideal methods of reviving the practice of making Dua……Start an online Dua circle by making a list of family and friends you feel close to. Send them an email or tag them in a note explaining that you are asking them nothing more than one minute of their time once a week to make a Dua for yourself or another person on the list. It could be for a sibling to do well on an upcoming exam. It could be for someone's surgery to be successful. Then, set a day and time when everyone will make Dua for that one minute for that shared item…..”. At best, this advice sounds like converting Dua, a powerful tool of personal, emotional and direct appeal to the All Mighty into another mighty form of Ibaadah namely Zikr and Tasbeeh.
Repeatedly the authors of this article have referred to Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, as saying that Dua is the essence of worship (Tirmidhi). Very true. All of them, however then concentrate on the “essence” only and have conveniently forgotten the “worship” part of the statement.
Lastly about this prevalent and popular practice of books, pamphlets, emails, videos, texts and messages of a long list of Sample Sunnah Duas for all possible situations. (The present article gives fifteen for mercy and forty four for personal duas.) Most of these are in Arabic - many real long ones - with translation. As far as the insistence on the Arabic text is concerned, one of the authors in this article very nicely puts it “But one thing that's often forgotten about Dua is that it's direct communication with Allah. And Allah is multilingual. He actually created and knows all languages, whether it's the specific dialect of your village back home or the street talk of urban America.” Also generally speaking, how good are these duas? Are all of them reliable? Do they really work? It is worth pondering.
Dua is not reading; it is not reciting; it is not even just praying. Dua is requesting, appealing and even demanding from our Sustainer and Cherisher with the hope and conviction that HE WILL grant it BUT in HIS style, at HIS time and by HIS wisdom. Let us keep it that way, please.
July 4, 2015
