385. Why Do We Make Dua?

By Asma bint Shameem 

We make duaa because:

1. It’s a COMMAND from Allaah

Allaah says:

ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ 

“And your Lord has said, ‘Call upon Me” (Surah Ghaafir :60)

2. Allaah LOVES to be asked

He encourages us, His weak slaves, to ask Him and make duaa to Him. 

Allaah says:

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) 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 (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 186)

3. Duaa is the CORE of worship because it establishes Allaah’s Tawheed.

Allaah says:

فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

“So do not invoke or call upon anyone along with Allaah.” (Surah Jinn:18)

This is a command so make duaa  purely for Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala Alone.

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:

“Du’aa’ is worship.” (al-Tirmidhi -saheeh by al-Albaani)

4. Duaa establishes Allaah’s Power and shows our HUMILITY and our NEED for our Rabb.

*And how much we DEPEND on Him for everything.* 

And Allaah LOVES to see that. 

Allaah says:

وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا 

“And to Allaah belong (all) the Most Beautiful Names, so CALL on Him by them.”

(Surah al-Araaf :180)

5.  Duaa is a way out of our troubles

 Allaah says:

أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

“Is He not best, the One who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity besides Allaah? Little do you remember.” (An-Naml 27:62)

 6. Allaah hates not to be asked

In fact if someone does not ask Allaah, He calls them arrogant and gets ANGRY with them.

Allaah warns us:

“And your Lord said: ‘Call on Me, (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness,] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!” 

(Surah Ghaafir :60)

The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said

“Whoever does not supplicate (make Dua’) to Allaah, then Allaah is ANGRY with him.” (al-Bukhaari in ‘Adab al-Mufrad’, Tirmidhi, others- hasan by al-Albaani)

*QUESTION*?

*Why make duaa if Allaah already knows our fate and Decree ?*

Shaykh al-Albaani explains:

“And there is no doubt that staying away from Allaah’s worship due to arrogance and not making Duaa’ to Him necessitates Allaah’s anger upon the one who does not make Duaa’ to Him.

*When the slave of Allaah makes Duaa’ to His Lord, it is not the case that the slave of Allaah is “INFORMING” Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala his need of Him.*

“He knows what is kept secret and that which is yet more hidden.”

*Rather it is the act of actualization of the SERVITUDE to Allaah and the slave of Allaah’s NEED of Him and his own impoverishment.”* 

(‘Silsilah Ahadeeth As-Saheehah’ vol.6 Hadeeth no. 2654 p.323-326)

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

“Duaa is not in conflict with Tawakkul, because duaa denotes APPLICATION of the “means” 

Whoever thinks that Tawakkul means ‘deserting Duaa’, is fabricating lies against Sharee’ah; the same as the one who thinks that Tawakkul can be a substitute for the application of the means, like selling, purchasing, cultivating in addition to other means. 

What is lawful for every Muslim is COMBINING Tawwakul with PURSUING the rightful and permissible MEANS.” 

(Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’)

And Allaah knows best