Du3a ( Part two)

Du’aa is also the best way for us to strengthen our iman. This is due to many factors. One is that it makes us very aware of the fact that we have absolutely no control over our destiny, Alhamdulillah rabbil ‘alameen. It shows how much we need our Lord, our Rabb. And by making du’aa sincerely we confirm that Allaah hears our du’aa and that He answers our du’aa. The more we realise we are nothing but poor servants to Allaah, the more will our iman increase. And the more we know and understand and appreciate Allah’s perfect names and attributes, the more will our iman increase. The inner nature of iman and to be a true servant of Allaah is to know and understand that we are in a dire need of Allaah and to know and understand the perfect nature of Allaah. By making du’aa we show that we believe in Allaah and that only Allaah subhano wata’ala can listen to our prayer and only Allaah can answer our prayers. No one else!

Allaah says in soorah al-Jinn, ayah 20:

قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَدۡعُواْ رَبِّى وَلَآ أُشۡرِكُ بِهِۦۤ أَحَدً۬ا

Say: "I do no more than invoke my Lord, and I join not with Him any (false god)." (72:20)

To make du’aa to someone other than Allaah is nothing but shirk! It is shirk, because making du’aa to someone or something other than Allaah means that we attribute this person, thing, something that Allaah created, with attributes that only Allaah has. I mean, a person that makes du’aa to a person, living or dead, a stone, rock, yes whatever it can be, except Allaah, is in fact saying that this person whether it is living or dead, or that this object actually can hear you, and can respond to your prayer. That this created object has power to change our destiny, the power to see what state he is in, or what is in his heart. And has the power to grant him what he asks for. May Allaah protect us from such belief. The only one that can do this and can do this perfect is Allaah, azza WA jall. Allaah says in soorah Faatir, ayah 14:

إِن تَدۡعُوهُمۡ لَا يَسۡمَعُواْ دُعَآءَكُمۡ وَلَوۡ سَمِعُواْ مَا ٱسۡتَجَابُواْ لَكُمۡۖ وَيَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ يَكۡفُرُونَ بِشِرۡڪِكُمۡۚ وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثۡلُ خَبِيرٍ۬

If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call, and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad SAW) like Him Who the All Knower (of everything) is. (35:14)

And this shows clearly that the object you would call on, won’t hear you. And even if they could, they won’t be able to respond to you, to your call. In soorah al-Hajj, ayah 12-13, Allaah describes these objects that some people call out to, make du’aa to.

يَدۡعُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُ ۥ وَمَا لَا يَنفَعُهُ ۥ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ هُوَ ٱلضَّلَـٰلُ ٱلۡبَعِيدُ

يَدۡعُواْ لَمَن ضَرُّهُ ۥۤ أَقۡرَبُ مِن نَّفۡعِهِۦ‌ۚ لَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡمَوۡلَىٰ وَلَبِئۡسَ ٱلۡعَشِيرُ

life not benefit them nor harm them. They can’t help them. They can’t give them anything. And they can’t hurt them. In this life. But by calling on them instead of or besides Allaah, will cause a person great harm if he or she doesn’t repent from such evil ways. Because this is as we already said, shirk. And shirk is the only sin Allaah doesn’t forgive.

وَمَنۡ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدۡعُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مَن لَّا يَسۡتَجِيبُ لَهُ ۥۤ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ وَهُمۡ عَن دُعَآٮِٕهِمۡ غَـٰفِلُونَ

And who is more astray than one who calls on (invokes) besides Allah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are (even) unaware of their calls (invocations) to them? (46:5)

Subhanaka allahomma wa bihamdik
ashhado anla ilaha illa ant
wastaghfirooka waatoobo ilayk

Ibnul Qayyim said:” Du’a and the seeking of protection from Allah are like weapons, but the sharpness of a weapon is not sufficient for it to cause effect, for the person that handles it also plays a role. So whenever the weapon is a perfect one, having no flaw in it, and the forearm is strong, and there are no preventing factors, then it will cause and effect on the enemy…”