Concluding Du’a:
“Oh Allah, forgive our sins, cover our faults, put our minds at rest, protect and enlighten our hearts, facilitate our tasks, let us achieve our goals, make up for our shortcomings, and protect us from whatever we are afraid of. Oh the One Who is always on the lookout to extend His Kindness!”
Importance of Du’a:
“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me. So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.” (Holy Qur’an 2:186)
Reflection (by Shaykh Muhammad Dhorat):
“Du’a is asking Allah for help or for the fulfillment of a particular need. It expresses a slave’s helplessness and dependence on Allah, the All-Powerful and Merciful. It is the channel through which one gets directly in touch with one’s Creator.
The purpose of man’s creation is worship and according to a Hadeeth, Du’a is the essence of worship’. (Tirmidhi) And according to another Hadeeth, Du’a is the worship’. (Tirmidhi)
Just as Salah [prayer], Sawm [fasting], Zakah [charity], Hajj [pilgrimage] etc. are acts of worship, du’a too is an act of worship. Therefore just as one takes out time to pray Salah or to recite the Qur’an or make dhikr, similarly, according equal importance to du’a, one should also take out sufficient time for the sake of du’a.
The objective behind every act of worship is the Recognition of Allah as the Creator and the All-Powerful, and that one acts according to His Will and not as one likes. A Servant of Allah accepts his weaknesses and recognizes his need for Allah. Out of all devotions, this humbleness and total submission is best expressed in du’a. Furthermore, other acts of worship can become a source of pride whilst du’a is an act which is usually free from any trace of pride.
Nowadays, du’a has become a mere ritual. It has become a routine practice which one is accustomed to perform at certain times of the day. People raise their hands for a few moments at the time of du’a, uttering a few words, some consciously, and some without even realizing what they are asking for.