Supplication is an act of worship. It is the weapon of the believer and the only thing which can change Fate or Destiny. It can change the Divine decree and relieve distress. Allah Says in AlQuran:
“And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me [i.e. believes in My Oneness and asks 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 40:60]
In another Verse, Allah says:
“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad PBUH) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me” [Surah al-Baqarah 2:186]
Duaaa is beneficial with regard to what has been decreed and what has not been decreed.
In Hadith:
The Prophet (Peace be upon Him) said:
“Nothing can change the Divine decree except Dua.” (Narrated by Ahmad, 5/677; Ibn Maajah, 90; al-Tirmidhi, 139. Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 76687. See also al-Saheehah, 145)
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
“Du’aa’ may be of benefit with regard to what has already happened or what has not yet happened, so adhere to Du’aa’, O slaves of Allaah.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (3548)
If a person says that he does not say Dua because he relies on the divine decree, he is wrong, because Allah has made Dua and asking means of attaining His forgiveness, mercy, guidance, support and provision. If good is decreed for a person he will attain by means of Du’aa’ what he cannot attain without Du’aa’.
Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon Him) said:
“No precaution can protect against the decree of Allaah. Du’aa’ is beneficial with regard to what has been decreed and what has not been decreed. The du’aa’ meets the calamity that has been decreed and wrestles with it, until the Day of Resurrection.” (Narrated by al-Tabaraani, 2/800 (33). Al-Albaani said in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 7739, (it is) hasan).
How Duas can prevent Calamities:
Pray to Allah as it is one of the most beneficial of remedies; as, it is the enemy of calamity; it wards it off, remedies it, prevents it befalling, alleviates it or reduces it if it befalls. It is the weapon of the believer. In the case of calamity, one of three scenarios must apply:
1. If this is stronger than the calamity, so it wards it off.
2. As If it is weaker than the calamity, so the calamity overpowers it and befalls the person, but it may reduce it even if it is weak.
3. They resist one another and each impedes the other.
Source to reach Allah:
Du’a is one of the means by which what is asked for is attained. As it is the only thing that wards off the divine decree. For example, a Person may pray to Allah for achieving something and he achieves it with the help of Dua, If he didn’t Pray he wouldn’t have achieved it. But we should say: Allah decreed that the person would get that thing by means of Du’a, and this is what was decreed. He thinks that were it not for the Dua he would have been deprived of it, but in fact he did not ward off the divine decree, because the basic principle is that Du’a was decreed and that the person would get that thing by means of Du’a, and this is the original fate that was decreed from eternity. The same applies to everything that is decreed to happen through some means or cause. Allah has made this means the cause for the thing to happen, and that was written from eternity, before it happened.
In a saheeh Hadeeth the Messenger of Allaah (Peace be upon Him) said:
“A person may be deprived of provision because of sins that he commits, and the decree is not warded of by anything but Dua, and nothing increases one’s lifespan except righteousness.”
So, we should realize the importance of Dua and ask Allah for everything. We should make Dua for all things in our life big and small. Also we should make Dua at all times, not only during times of distress. May Allah accept our Duas. Ameen.
