Du’a/Supplication for Sunday:

“Oh Allah, join our hearts, mend our relationships, and guide us to the paths of peace. Bring us out of darkness into light and keep us away from manifest and concealed obscenities. Bless us in our ears, our eyes, our hearts, our spouses, and our offspring. Accept our repentance. Indeed, You are the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful. Make us grateful for Your blessings, so we receive them with due praise. And perfect them for us.” (Abdullah ibn Mas’ud. Sunan Abi Dawud #825)

Commentary:

According to Sayyidna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may God be pleased with him), Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to teach this du’a to his Companions for saying in the salat/prayer before ending salam.

Tags: Du'a, Ramadan, Supplication

Du’a/Supplication for Saturday:

“Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord, do not place such a burden on us as You had placed on those before us. Our Lord, burden us not with that which we have not the strength to bear. Pardon us, grant us forgiveness, and have mercy on us. You are our Protector so help us to victory over the disbelieving people.” (Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:286)

Commentary:

There are several ahadith in Musnad Ahmad, Sunan adDarimi, and Mustadrak Hakim that infrom us about the extraordinary importance  of the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah, which contain this du’a. They were given to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) out of Allah(swt: All-Mighty)’s grace, during mi’raj (Ascension) out of the special treasure underneath the ‘Arsh (Divine Throne) and they were not given to any previous Prophet.

We say this du’a out of our deep gratitude[,] for this ummah was relieved of the stringest burdens placed on the Israelites, as it is obvious to anyone who compares Islamic Shari’ah with Jewish Laws.

Sayyidna Umar and Sayyidna Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) said they thought that anybody who had any sense would never go to bed without having recited these verses.

Tags: Du'a, Ramadan, Supplication

Du’a/Supplication for Friday:

“Oh Allah, I beseech You for abiding faith, a fearful heart, beneficial knowledge, true belief, and the right religion. I beg of You safety from all mishaps, full and lasting protection, and gratitude for that protection. I seek from You freedom from dependence on other people.” (Ali ibn Abi Talib. Kanz al-’Ummal #5055)

Commentary:

This was the du’a of Sayyidna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him). According to a hadith, angel Jibreel (upon him be peace) said that Abu Dharr (ra) was more well-known among the angels than he was among the people of the world because of this du’a. He further said, whoever makes this du’a twice a day, all of his sins will be forgiven and he will be called to enter the Paradise through whichever door he wished.

Tags: Du'a, Ramadan, Supplication

Du’a/Supplication for Thursday:

“Oh Allah, all praise is due to You, the praise everlasting with Your Eternity. All praise is due to You, the praise which has no end outside Your Will. All praise is due to You, the praise which has no end outside Your Will. All praise is due to You, the praise the giver of which seeks but Your pleasure. All praise is due to You, the long lasting praise which is offered with every blink of the eye and with every breath.

Oh Allah, turn my heart to Your religion and protect us from all around with Your mercy.

Oh Allah, make me steadfast, lest I slip, and guide me lest I go astray.” (Composite: Ali ibn Abi Talib. Kanz al-’Ummal #3857; Anas ibn Malik. Majma’ az-Zawa’id #17383; Al-Hizb al-A’zam)

Commentary:

Angel Jibril/Gabriel (upon him be peace) taught this du’a to the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying: “If it pleases you to worship Allah (SWT: All-Mighty), then say these words” (Kanz al-’Ummal).

Tags: Du'a, Ramadan, Supplication

Du’a/Supplication for Wednesday:

“Oh Allah. Make my feet firm on the Bridge on the day that feet will be shaking.” (Ali ibn Abi Talib. Kanz al-‘Ummal #26692)

Commentary:

Sirat means path and the path shown by Islam is the Straight Path (as-Sirat al-Mustaqeem). Sirat is also the name of the bridge that will be laid over Hell in the Hereafter. The ease with which one will be able to cross this bridge will depend upon one’s sincerity and firmness of faith and goodness of deeds. Virtuous believers will cross it easily and reach Paradise. The hypocrites will fall off from this bridge into Hell.

Tags: Du'a, Ramadan, Supplication

Du’a/Supplication for Tuesday:

“Oh Allah, to You is due all praise with thanks; it is only Your domain to do favors with grace. Oh Allah. I beseech You to enable me to perform the deeds loved by You, develop sincere reliance on You, and hold good expectations from You.” (Composite: Ka’b ibn ‘Ujrah and Abu Hurayrah. Kanz al-‘Ummal #3654)

Commentary:

It is important to hold good expectations from Allah (swt: All-Mighty), for Allah(swt) deals with a person according to his expectations. When a servant of Allah sincerely puts his trust and hopes in Him, Allah(swt) does not disappoint him.

Tags: Du'a, Ramadan, Supplication

Du’a/Supplication for Monday:

“Oh Allah, put Light in my heart, Light in my sight, Light in my hearing, Light to my right, Light to my left, Light behind me, and Light in front of me. Oh Allah, bestow upon me Light. Oh Allah put Light in my muscles, Light in my flesh, Light in my blood, Light in my hair, Light in my skin, Light in my tongue, and Light in my soul. Make my Light great and make me all Light. And put Light above me and Light below me. Oh Allah, give me Light.” (Abdullah Ibn Abbas, Sahih al-Bukhari #5841, Sahih Muslim #1279)

Commentary:

According to the ahadith, this du’a should be made while going to the masjid for Fajr prayer. The darkness of the surroundings at that time reminds us of the general darkness of the human condition. Those who wake up and walk to the masjid/mosque at this time are true seekers of light. We seek it from God (All-Mighty), as He is the only source of light. There is no light and there is no enlightenment without Him. “And he for whom Allah has not appointed light, for him there is no light.” (Qur’an, Surah An-Noor, 24:40).

Tags: Du'a, Ramadan, Supplication

Du’a/Supplication for Sunday:

“Our Lord, give unto us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire” (Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:201).

Commentary:

This is a very well-known supplication. If a Muslim knows any supplication in Arabic, it is very probable that this is one of them. However, its message and significance escape many.

It is the unique feature of Islam that it strikes a perfect balance everywhere, including between this world and the Hereafter. This world is important as is the Hereafter; we will reap there what we sow here. We pray for both, and mention them in their natural chronological order. But what we are seeking—and here is the crucial difference—are not the goods so this world, but the good. Here and in the Hereafter. Hasanah (good) denotes every conceivable form of good: health, livelihood, fulfillment of genuine needs (not wants), good morals, virtuous deeds, beneficial knowledge, honor and prestige, strength of faith, and sincerity in worship. Actually, everything in this world is good that will lead, directly or indirectly, to the good in the Hereafter. A Muslim informed by this du’a/supplication wil neither focus entirely on this world, seeking exclusively the comforts here, nor will he declare that he has nothing to do with it.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once visited a man who had been debilitated by sickness and asked him whether he had been making any supplication. He had. It was, “Oh God, whatever punishment you are going to give me in the Hereafter, give it to me here.” Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) asked him why he had not made this du’a/supplication instead. He did and was cured from his disease.

The Prophet (pbuh) used to make this du’a/supplication very often (Sahih al-Bukhari). He used to recite this du’a/supplication between the Rukn-e-Yamani and the Black Stone while making tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka’bah) (Sunan Abi Dawud). Whenever he shook hands with a person he did not leave his hand without making this du’a (Ibn as Sunni). Imam Nawawi recommends this du’a/supplication at the time of great difficulties or when facing major issues. It is also recommended after praying Salat ul-Hajah (a special salat/prayer at the time of need).

Tags: Du'a, Ramadan, Supplication

ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ

“Call on your Lord humbly and secretly…” (Qur’an, Surah Al-A’raf, 7:55)

“Du’a (supplication) is the essence of worship. It is the weapon of a believer. With it we can never fail; without it we can never succeed. It is a whispering conversation with God (swt), the most uplifting, liberating, empowering, and transforming conversation one can ever have”

All of the dua’s/supplications and their commentary referenced are from the book “The Accepted Whispers” by Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (Translation/Commentary by Khalid Baig). I highly recommend buying, reading, and memorizing this book! Almost all the du’as/supplications are quoted with reference (and commentary) and (for some) the instance(s) in which the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used those du’as/supplications. Also the book divides up the du’as by days of the week, so that’s the format in which I’ll be presenting my favorite ones throughout the month of Ramadan.

Supplication and Its Etiquettes

The Qur’an and Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) literature tell us about the extraordinary importance of praying to God (All-Mighty) for all our needs. They also teach us its proper etiquettes. This is a brief selection.

Significance

“And your Lord says: Call on Me; I will answer your (prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me shall soon enter Hell—in humiliation.” (Qur’an 40:60)

This verse uses the words du’a (supplication) and ibadah (worship) interchangeably, thereby affirming that du’a/supplication is an act of worship.

“And when My servants ask you concerning Me, surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me in order that they may be led aright/astraight.” (Qur’an 2:186)

Abdullah Ibn Umar (RA: May God be please with him) narrates that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Anyone of you for whom the door to du’a/supplication has been opened for him. And the thing that Allah likes most to be asked for is ‘afiyah (health, security, protection).” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

Abdullah Ibn Umar (may God be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Du’a/supplication is beneficial regarding calamities that have fallen and calamities that have not fallen. So, servants of God, devote yourselves to du’a/supplication.” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad)

It means that du’a/supplications can prevent a disaster that was going to happen as well as lift the one that has already happened.

Attitude

“Call on your Lord humbly and secretly; surely He does not love those who exceed the limits.” (Qur’an 7:55).

Abu Hurayrah (May God be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Pray to Allah with the conviction that you will be answered and know that Allah does not answer a supplication that comes from a careless and inattentive heart.” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi)

Abu Hurayrah (May God be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Whoever likes that Allah answer his dua’s/supplications in hard times and periods of worry, he should abundantly make du’a in good times.” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi)

Practice (extremely concise)

1. Halal/permissible earnings and consumption are necessary for Du’as to be answered
2. Pray for yourself before praying for others

• Logic: First and foremost, because it was practiced by the Prophet(pbuh). In his great wisdom the Prophet taught that we are all in need of God’s mercy all the time. This practice will, God-willing, ensure that our dua’s/supplication to God for others do not lead us to think that we are superior to them.

1. Begin with Hamd and Salat Alan Nabi
2. End with Amin
3. Request others to pray for you

Most likely accepted Du’a/Supplications

Abu Hurayrah (ra) narrates that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Three du’as are answered, there is no doubt about them: the du’a of a parent, the du’a of a traveler, and the du’a of the one who has been wronged.” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi,Sunan Abi Dawud, and Ibn Majah)

This has a several implications. We should pray for our children. If we are fortunate that our parents are alive, we should request them for du’as and try to earn it by winning their hearts through our good treatment. We should take care of travelers so we can earn their du’as. (It goes without saying that the traveler meant her is one traveling for a good cause. It does not apply to those engaged in sin.) And we must be very alert never to wrong any person, for Allah (All-Mighty) accepts the du’a of the wronged. On the other hand we should help a person who has been wronged so he or she prays for us.

Abdullah ibn Abbas (ra) narrates that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Five dua’s are answered: the dua’a of the one who has been wronged till help comes, the du’a of the a pilgrim/traveler until he comes home, the du’a of one engaged in jihad until he stops, the du’a of a sick person until he recovers, and the du’a of someone for a brother [or sister] in his absence. Then he added, “Of these the one that gets the quickest answer is that for a brother in his absence.” (Ad-Da’awat al-Kabir)

Tags: Du'a, Ramadan, Supplication