The Significance and Excellence of Dua

Dua is the best and most tried-and-tested means of beseechment in the court of Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ, gaining nearness to Him, becoming worthy of His favors and bounties and receiving the glad-tidings of forgiveness and absolution. Offering Dua has also been a regular practice of the Holy Prophet Muhammad صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ and the pious predecessors. In truth, Dua is not just a form of worship but the brain, core and essence of worship and a great blessing of Almighty Allah for his sinful bondmen. The true value of offering Dua may be realized by the following verses of the Noble Quran Karim in which Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ declares:

اُدْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

“Pray to Me, I will accept; indeed those who stay conceited towards worshipping Me, will enter hell in disgrace.”

(Momin 40:60)

And

أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ

“I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he calls on Me.”

(Baqarah 2:186)

In addition, right after his arrival in this world, the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ supplicated in favor of his Ummah by saying, “O my Lord! Forgive my Ummah for my sake!” and he will proclaim on the Judgment Day, “It is my job” i.e. your intercession is my responsibility and then he will bow down in prostration in the court of Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ, intercede for his Ummah and will have them forgiven. The importance of Dua can also be understood by how much emphasis has been put on offering Dua and warnings against forgoing it. Actually, Dua is a great blessing and wealth granted and taught by Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ to His bondmen. There is nothing more effective than Dua in solving problems and averting hardships and calamities.

Imam Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasai and Ibn -e- Maja have reported on the authority of Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہ that the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ said: Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ declares: “I am as My servant thinks I am.” i.e. I do with him what he expects of Me. And “I am with him when he supplicates to me.” If you think about it, Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ is close to everything and everyone by his knowledge and power but this is a special closeness of mercy and grace which is granted to the person offering Dua. Can there be any bigger more precious wealth?

The Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ said:

لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ أَكْرَم عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنَ الدُّعَاءِ

“There is nothing more honorable with Almighty Allah than supplication.”

(Tirmidhi)

The Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ said: Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ says:

يا ابن آدم، إنك ما دعوتني ورجوتني غفرت لك على ما كان منك ولا أبالي، يا أبن آدم، لو بلغت ذنوبك عنان السماء، ثم استغفرتني غفرت لك

“O son of Adam, I forgive you as long as you pray to Me and hope for My forgiveness, whatever sins you have committed. O son of 'Adam, I do not care if your sins reach the heights of the heaven, then you ask for My forgiveness, I would forgive you.”

(Tirmidhi)

The Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ said:

“Dua is the weapon of the believers and a pillar of faith and the light of the earth and the sky”

(Mustadrak Hakim)

The Noble Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ said:

الدُّعَاءُ مُخُّ الْعِبَادَةِ

“The supplication is the essence of worship.”

Besides being accepted, there are numerous other benefits that Dua brings with it some of which are that a person enters the circle of Abidoon (Worshippers) by virtue of Dua, doing Dua means obeying the command of Shariah and getting rewarded for that and lastly, offering Dua is following the Sunnah of Rasoolullah صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ. It is stated in a Hadith that On the Day of Judgment, when a person sees those of his supplications which were not answered and their reward was accumulated for him in the hereafter, he will wish that none of his prayers were accepted and all were stored there in the hereafter for him.

May Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ enable us to keep praying to him morning, noon and night and keep beseeching for his immense mercy and blessings!