Ramadhan Diaries: Supplication – Positive Reflection Of The Week
Ramadhan Diaries (Part 3) – Supplication, The Weapon Of The Believer
The Holy month of Ramadhan is the most sought-after month in the Muslim Calendar. It is a month where one can attain maximum benefit by engaging in acts of worship in this blessed month. One of the most highly recommended acts of worship (apart from fasting, of course) is making Supplication (Dua). Although we should Supplicate on a regular basis throughout the year, the Month of Ramadhan holds greater value than the rest of the months of the year.
WHAT IS SUPPLICATION?
Dua – an Arabic word, made up of three small letters whose meanings are large and awe-inspiring. The Word Dua can be roughly translated to mean Supplication, which means “communicating with a deity”.
In Islam, the Arabic root meaning of Dua is to “Call Out” or “Summon”. Supplication is therefore seen as a conversation with God, our Creator, our Lord: the All-Knowing, the All-Seeing, the All-Hearing. It is an uplifting, empowering, liberating, and transforming act and is one of the most powerful and effective acts of worship a human being can engage in.
Supplication has been called the weapon of the believer and is critical in the submission to God and manifestation of a person’s need from God.
SUPPLICATION AND PRAYER
For non-Muslims, Supplication can be understood to mean Prayer. However, the Muslim Prayer is a physical form of Supplication which is performed as five daily prayers. During their prayers, Muslims also Supplicate to God asking for forgiveness.
Supplication is a way of connecting with God. It can be done at any place and anytime, day or night by simply raising your hands and asking for God’s help, mercy, and forgiveness. It incorporates praise, thanksgiving, hope, calling on God to assist the needy and to fulfill requests. You can Supplicate for yourself, your family, your friends, strangers, the less fortunate, the sick, and for all of mankind. It can be used to seek the good in this world and the hereafter.
BENEFITS OF SUPPLICATION
There are many benefits of making supplication. Supplication has been known to change the destiny and decree of man if asked with a firm heart and belief. It increases closeness to God and faith in God. For those who are distressed, it provides hope and relief and saves the supplicant from despair and isolation.
I would like to share with you a parable:
A King once came to a Holy Shrine. He met with several blind beggars outside who immediately accosted him and begged him for alms. Exasperated, the King retorted, “You are at the most Holiest of Shrines, why don’t they ask the Almighty to restore your sight?” to which one of the beggars responded, “We have spent all our lives here begging for his mercy, but we are not the likes of who God listens to”.
Angered by this response, the King drew out his sword, and warned the beggars, “I am going inside to worship. If by the time I come out and your eyesight is not restored, all off you will be beheaded by this sword, so you better pray”.
After an infinite amount of time, the King came out. All the beggars rushed to his feet praising him and thanking him. One of the beggars grabbed hold of his robe and said, “You are a pious man. We have been begging for our eyesight to be restored for all these years, but our prayers went unanswered. Today you came and through you, God has fulfilled our prayers. We can all see”.
The King replied, “It is not because of my piety or my prayers that your sight has been restored. But, all this time you were simply asking because you had to. Today, due to the fear of the sword, you asked from the depths of your heart. Don’t you know, that the prayer that has come from the depths of the heart is never turned away”.
When making Supplication, when we call upon God in our hour of need or express our gratefulness, or for any other reason including simply to feel the comfort of being close to God, we must remember to examine our sincerity and to check our intention.
When a person makes a Supplication, God may give him what he asked for or He may divert harm that is greater than the thing he asked for, or He may store up what he has asked for, for the Hereafter. Ask as though you are knocking on the door of a house. Keep knocking, for surely the door will be opened at some point. God has commanded us to call upon Him and He has promised to respond to our call.
I pray that in this Holy month of Ramadhan may all your Supplications be answered. Amen.
Ramadhan Diaries: Charity, A Source Of Salvation
Alia Datoo, Transformational Holistic Energy Coach
Founder, Women who Hike – Africa Ltd
