فضائل ماه مبارک رمضان – شب بیست و ششم

دریافت فایل صوتی

Importance of Dua

Continuing our discussion from the previous session where we highlighted 6 merits of Duas, we discuss a few more today

📌 7. Dua is a weapon of a believer
When we decide to fight our enemies, we arm ourselves with weapons. Then, dua is the weapon that Allah has provided you to confront and fight against your difficulties and free yourself from their clutches.

Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) said to his companions, Should I inform you of a weapon that will give you success against your enemies and increase your sustenance? The people replied Yes. So he (sawa) said, Call out to your Lord day and night. For prayers are the weapon of a believer (Kafi, 2/468)
In some other tradition, Ameerul Momeneen (a.s) has compared prayers with a shield. Just as a shield is kept in front in a battle, to protect us from swords and spears, similarly duas can defend us from the onslaught of troubles and difficulties.

📌 8 Dua changes destiny
Allah has made a destiny for everything. This destiny is at various stages – masheeyat, iradah, Qadr, Qaza, Ijrah According to hadees even if the destiny has reached to the stage of qaza (decree) and only the last stage is remaining which is ijrah (Implementation), even at that stage, the dua of a person can change his destiny and the destined thing will/will not be implemented.
The best example in this regard is the incident of the people of H Yunus. Not only did they not accept his invitation but they also make fun of him. Finally, H Yunus gave them three days to change their behaviour and accept the religion. Else the punishment of Allah would befall upon them. Yet they ignored his warnings. H Yunus left the region with a group of his followers anticipating the Divine chastisement. After 3 days, when the skies turned dark and the wind started blowing, the people realised that Divine chastisement is imminent. Immediately all of them gathered and began wailing and crying and seeking Allah’s forgiveness and mercy. Seeing their repentance, Allah ordered J Jibraeel to remove the calamity from the people and transfer the rain over mountains and plains. J Jibraeel did as he was told.
Hence, we see that the destiny that had reached to the stage of implementation – and had in fact started and had engulfed the people – was changed due to the duas of the people.
Dua can change the masheeyat, iradah, Qaza of Allah. It can also alter the execution of the destiny. Hence, by duas hands of Allah can be untied.
The condition for acceptance of dua is that a person should turn towards Allah with complete faith in His Powers and believe that Allah can change the destiny.
Imam Baqir (a.s) says, Duas can change the decree (Qaza) even if it is confirmed and approved (Kafi, 2/470).

Imam Kazim (as) says, Duas can change the things that are destined. And even the things that are not destined Narrator asked, How can Allah change the things which were never (yet) destined? Imam (as) replied, Allah knows the things that He will destine for you and me. Hence, if a person prays, then the thing that was in the knowledge of Allah and soon going to become his destiny, Allah will change that and not keep it in his destiny. (Al-Ikhtesaas, pg 219)

📌 9 Repelling of calamity
In his short and brief sayings that have been collected in Ghurar Hikam, Ameerul Momeneen (a.s) says, Allah has destined difficulties and calamities for a believer. So when they descend, repel them with duas

📌 10 Praying before the descent of calamity
Imam Sadiq (as) says, When a person prays (regularly) before the onset of calamities, then at the time of calamities when he prays, it will be said, This voice sounds familiar And such a voice is not hidden in the heavens. But if a person prays only at the time of calamity, then the angels say This is a strange and unknown voice (Behaar, 90/296)
In traditions, it has come that before any calamity befalls upon you, pray to Allah. Hence, we should always pray before the descent of calamity. If a person prays only at the time of calamities (and not at other times), the angels say that this voice is unfamiliar. And possibly, they would ignore it. But if a person prays regularly – for example in these last times for the protection of faith – then when he prays later, the angels will be familiar with his voice and his duas will be accepted swiftly.

📌 11. Method of praying
How should one pray and put forth our wishes and demands before Allah? Traditions have shown the correct way of praying to Allah. If we follow that method, then the possibility of fulfilment of duas is more.

🔖 (a) We should precede our supplications with the names of Mohammed (s.a.w.a) and his progeny (as). And ask Allah for our wishes by their right. In these times we can ask by the right of Imam Zamana (as).
Imam Reza (as) says, If you have any demand before Allah, then say O Allah! I ask You by the right _(haqq) of Mohammad and Ali. For both of them have a lofty status in front of You. And a power before You. So for the sake of that rank, and that power, You send Your Blessings upon Mohammad and Ali and fulfill my following desires.._ (Dawaat Rawandi, pg 51)

🔖 (b) Pray to Allah with His Noble names and call out to Him by His attributes

🔖 (c) At the time of prayers, raise your hands upwards in the direction of the Arsh since it is the place from Divine Mercy spreads all around. Then raising the hands and praying to Allah is one of the causes of its acceptance.

🔖 (d) Become hopeless of everyone else.
When praying to Allah, do not have the image of someone else and you think in your heart that I will call him for the work to be done. Then, such a dua will not be accepted. Then, we should be dejected and hopeless of everyone. Of course it does not mean that we don’t do the needful for fulling our work. If there is someone through whom Allah has kept the fulfillment of our work, then we should approach him. But faith and hope should be only with Allah. Allah has given us doctors and medicines. We should use them. But submit only to Allah.

🔖 (e) Eat halal food
One of the obstacles in the acceptance of duas is haram food. Then, we should always consume halal food. Our duas will be accepted quickly.

🔖 (f) We should be sincere
Our duas should be accompanied with sincerity and honesty. We should not be after fame and popularity. If duas are accompanied with sincerity, then we can be rest assured that of its acceptance.

🔖 (g) We should be sure of its acceptance and not have doubts concerning it.

O Allah! Hasten the Zuhoor of Imam Zamana (as). Grant us the taufeeq, to pray in this holy month. And by the prayers of Imam Zamana, repel the calamities and difficulties that surround the Shias in these times.