The Power of Dua

In this post, I'm going to discuss a form of prayer in Islam called "dua". In my previous post, Why do Muslims Pray Five Times a Day?, I offer a brief description of dua, but in this post I want to dive deeper and explain more on dua and its benefits! Making dua is considered to be one of the most powerful forms of worship in Islam and is even referred to as "the weapon of the believer". I hope that this post will help those who are unfamiliar with dua, because it's extremely powerful and beneficial. We can use it to not only strengthen our connection with the Creator, but also use it to bring meaning into our everyday lives!

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What is Dua?

Conversations with Allah: One type of dua is making a supplication or intimate conversation with Allah, such as sharing a plea, desire, fear, or expressing gratitude. This type of dua does not have specific recitations like salat, or any proper form other than holding out our hands in front of us. Dua can be performed any time of the day, in any place, in any language. Although there are no specific times or places where one must perform dua, there are circumstances that are recommended for making dua which I will share in a later post! I find it very comforting and relieving to talk to Allah throughout my day, and I always make sure that I make dua before leaving my prayer mat. It's very important throughout the day to express and share our inner feelings with Allah so that we may seek comfort and guidance in every step we take.

“Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” (Quran, 40:60)

Dua Recitations: Other types of duas that we can make throughout our day are duas that were used by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his family, and scholars of Islam. Early Muslims were extremely careful to record these specific duas and share them with the following generations. There are hundreds of different types of duas for different situations, such as alleviation from stress and sorrow, protection, forgiveness and gratitude. There are duas to say in the morning, in the evening, before eating, before praying, and even before getting dressed! These duas can help us to put intention into the daily activities that we might not have given much thought to before. For example, reciting a dua when putting on clothes will remind you how blessed you are for something as simple as the clothes on your back and remind you to thank Allah for providing you with the garments you have. Learning duas made for specific situations is extremely helpful in setting the right intentions for the day and making every day tasks turn into something special.

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Using Dua to Change Your Life

Asking Allah for Assistance: Making dua allows us to bring our desires into reality through verbally expressing them to Allah and allows us the opportunity to reflect on our blessings and focus on what we are seeking in life. By sharing your wants and desires with Allah, you're constantly hearing yourself express the things you want in your life, and by doing so, you're reminding yourself to keep working to achieve these goals. The point of making dua is not asking Allah for something, then sitting around and waiting for a miracle to happen. Instead, it's important to express the things or goals you're trying to achieve in your life and ask Allah to make your way easy and guide you along your path. It is then your duty to put in the effort and work, and Allah will make your way easy if the things you asked for are meant to be in your life.

When I make dua throughout the day, I ask Allah multiple times for whatever it is I'm seeking in my life at that time. By doing this, I am constantly reminded of what I'm seeking in my life, and I work on achieving that throughout my day. Once I've given my best and there's nothing more I can do, I leave the rest up to Allah and have faith that all good things meant for me are coming my way!

Seeking Comfort in Allah: Like I mentioned before, dua is also used to express any concerns, sorrows, or stresses that you have in your life. The way that dua works for these circumstances is when you consolidate and pour your heart out to Allah, it's extremely relieving of the pain caused by carrying these burdensome emotions locked up inside all day. When we put our faith into Allah and ask for guidance through obstacles in our lives, it eases the pain that comes from the challenges of the physical world.

It may sometimes seem as if everything is going wrong and falling apart, but Allah puts challenges and obstacles in our lives to help us grow. When we are faced with adversities and things don't seem to get better, it gives us the opportunity learn to find happiness in the simple things in our lives, and have faith that Allah has a reason for everything even if we can't understand it.

I find dua to be a source of tranquility and peacefulness, especially when I have problems in my life that I feel I will never overcome. Whatever challenges you're facing in life, ask Allah for help, and fully believe that help is coming your way. Stay patient and keep your faith, because every adversity and struggle we face in our lives come as a test from Allah and is for your best interest!

Expressing gratitude: I'm a firm believer that when you show gratitude for what you already have, your blessings only increase and continue to flourish. Using dua to express gratitude to Allah for everything that you have in your life is especially important! I have found that this is one of the most powerful ways that dua has changed my life. When I make dua throughout my day, most of the time I'm expressing gratitude for the small things that I've been given in this life that I never paid much attention to before. In doing so, I have begun to romanticize my life and find bliss and happiness in everything around me!

By making dua throughout my day and expressing gratitude for everything around me, I am much more mindful of the blessings that each moment brings. Try making dua throughout your day and expressing gratitude for all of life's small blessings. Many blessings we often taken for granted, such as being able to wake up to a new day, being able to spend another day with your family, being able to hold your spouse, having a roof over your head, having good health, and having food in your stomach. All of these blessings are far too often taken for granted, and usually we don't realize their importance until they have been taken away from us. Taking the time to make dua will raise your awareness and appreciation for all of the small blessings that we don't always recognize.

Try and think of all the things in your life that you're blessed to have, whatever they may be, and you'll be surprised at how rich your life already is. Continue to show gratitude and watch your mindset and your life improve!

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Making Dua a Habit

For someone who is new to Islam, making dua may feel awkward at first or it may be hard to connect your words with your emotions. When I first started making dua, I felt like I was just talking to myself and I had a difficult time opening my heart. I often saw other Muslims making dua and I could see from their facial expressions how deeply emotionally invested they were in their prayer. Many times people would even cry when they made dua and I always wanted to be able to connect spiritually and emotionally with my prayers on such a deep level!

It took me awhile to get where I am now, but I am finally comfortable in making dua and I feel the deep sense of connection that I was seeking before. The best advice I can offer someone who is new to making dua is to keep practicing and make dua consistently. Keep reminding yourself throughout the day to make dua, and you'll see an improvement. The more you make dua, the more focused and precise you will become. At a certain point you will not need to remind yourself anymore and instead you'll realize that you will automatically making dua throughout your day.

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Whether you're already a Muslim, thinking about converting to the religion, or just curious about Islam in general, inshallah I hope that this post has helped you to better understand the power of dua and the ways it can benefit your life!