What Is Meant By Dua In Islam? In Islam, Dua In Islam is the act of supplication or asking Allah for something. It is a form of worship and communication with Allah, where a person expresses their praise and asks for blessings, forgiveness, guidance, or anything else they may need.
Dua can be made in any language, but it is traditionally performed in Arabic as it is the language of the Quran.
Muslims are encouraged to make dua regularly, particularly during times of need or distress, as it is believed to be a powerful act of worship that can bring peace and blessings.
Dua is considered to be a personal and private act of worship, and it can be performed at any time and in any place.
It can be done individually or in a group setting, and it is often done during the five daily prayers, as well as during other Islamic rituals and occasions.
dua is the act of supplication or asking Allah for something in Islam.
It is an important form of worship and communication with Allah, and it can be done at any time and in any place.
Asking for Allah’s help and trusting His procedures is an integral part of Muslims’ faith. When you ask for Allah’s help, you grow closer to Him and learn to turn to Him whenever you’re in trouble.
“And your Lord says: “Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer): but those who are too arrogant to serve Me will surely find themselves in Hell – in humiliation”
(Surah Ghafir)
Asking for Allah’s help is called Dua. Islamic Dua can be for anything you want, in this world or the afterlife. You can make dua for anything you want Allah SWT to grant you. The more you make Dua the more Allah SWT bestows His blessings on you.
How To Make Dua?
To make dua, you must first clear your mind of all distractions. Choose a decent moment; Islamic Shaykhs recommend doing that after praying (salah), start by praising Allah The Almighty and thanking Him for all His bounties, then reveal your wishes for Allah to bless you.
We must repeatedly make dua and never feel tired of it. Allah SWT has told us many stories in the Quran of people who constantly asked for His help until He saved them with His glorious powers. This is one of them, telling Prophet Ayub’s story:
“So We listened to him: We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his people to him, and doubled their number,- as a Grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration, for all who serve Us.”
(Surah Al-Anbiyaa)
Best Times To Make Dua
You can make dua anytime and anywhere you like. However, there have been specific times when Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) preferred to make dua. These times include:
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Between Adhan and Iqamah
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In the short period between announcing Adhan in mosques and their Iqamah, the dua is not rejected. Anas (May Allah Be Pleased With Him) narrated that Allah’s Prophet (PBUH) said:“dua made between the Adhan and Iqama is not rejected.”(Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)
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Right after Wudu
- Wudu is a ritual of cleaning before performing prayers. Umar ibn Al-Khattab reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “There is not one of you that makes wudu, and does it perfectly, then says: I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. he is Alone, having no partners. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger’, except that the eight gates of Paradise are opened for him, and he can enter into it through whichever one he pleases”(Muslim, Abu Dawud, Ahmad, an-Nasa’i)
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During Sujood (prostration)
- You have a chance every time you prostrate to Allah SWT to ask for a wish by making dua. Muslims pray 5 times a day with 34 sujoods, making dua in each one of them can’t be missed. Abu Hurairah (May Allah Be Pleased With Him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (PBUH), said:
“The nearest a slave can be to Allah is when he is prostrating, so invoke (make dua) to Allah (SWT) much in it.”(Muslim, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa’i and others)
- You have a chance every time you prostrate to Allah SWT to ask for a wish by making dua. Muslims pray 5 times a day with 34 sujoods, making dua in each one of them can’t be missed. Abu Hurairah (May Allah Be Pleased With Him) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (PBUH), said:
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During The Last Third Of The Night
- The last third of the night is the last few hours before Fajr. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) encouraged making dua during this time.“In the last third of every night, Allah SWT descends to the lowermost heaven and says: Who is calling Me, so that I may answer him? Who is asking Me so that may I grant him? Who is seeking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith Qudsi)
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Asr Time On Fridays
- Between the Asr prayer and the Maghrib prayer comes a magical hour when all your wishes can come true if you put them into dua. Abu Hurairah (May Allah Be Pleased With Him) narrated that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “There is an hour on Friday and if a Muslim gets it while offering Salat (prayer) and asks something from Allah (SWT), then Allah (SWT) will definitely meet his demand.”(Sahih al-Bukhari)
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When Breaking Fast
- That’s why Ramadan is the month of wishes for Muslims. Anyone who makes dua after fasting the whole day in Ramadan, Allah will grant them what they wish for before the next Ramadan comes. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “When Ramadan comes, the Doors of Mercy (another narration says Paradise) are opened, and the doors of Hell are closed, and the Shaitans are locked up”(Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim)
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Dua on The Day of Arafat
- The day of Arafat is the peak of Hajj. it comes on the 9th day of Dhul Hajjah, the last month of the Hijri calendar. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:“The best supplication is the supplication on the day of Arafat”(Tirmidhi and Malik)
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When Traveling
- Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:“Three supplications will not be rejected [by Allah SWT], the supplication of the parent for his child, the supplication of the one who is fasting, and the supplication of the traveler.”(al-Bayhaqi and at-Tirmidhi)
There are lots of other times you can cherish in making dua such as when you wake up at night, or when you feel oppressed, or when you hear a crowing of a roaster, or when you first see Kaaba, and so much more.
Allah gave us these times to use in making dua and get closer to Him, so we must use them right.
Things To Consider When Making Dua
Dua has no restrictions, you can ask for whatever you want and it’s recommended to intentionally ask for what you see as impossible but have faith in Allah SWT that He’s going to make it come true.
Students make dua for success, unmarried people make dua for marriage, parents make dua to protect their children, and all Muslims make dua for Allah SWT to grant them Jannah in the afterlife.
There are some things we must grasp in order to guarantee that our dua is not hampered by something we do unknowingly; here is a list of things to think about the next time you make dua:
- We must maintain our confidence (yaqeen) that Allah, The Glorious, will respond to our dua. There should be no doubt about acceptance, and there should be no objections to the time of acceptance.
- We must also be careful not to lose trust in our dua or become disappointed when the acceptance process takes longer than expected. After all, it’s been postponed for a reason.
- We must remember that getting our dua answered requires patience and a strong desire. Allah frequently delays the acceptance of our duas so that He can hear how continuously we seek His help.
- We must beg Allah for forgiveness for the sins we have done, which may be preventing Allah from accepting our dua. Those that we know and those that we don’t.
Know that your dua is immediately heard when you make it. Allah SWT said in the Quran:
“for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein”
(Surah Qaf)
Sometimes our dua is immediately answered and accepted, and other times it is postponed for a good reason.
In any case, we continue to believe that all of our duas are answered in accordance with Allah’s plan and the judgment in which we place our trust.