“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.”(Surah Baqarah: 186).
A Du’a is a conversation with Allah, our Creator, our Lord and Master, the All Knowing, the All Powerful. This act in itself is of extraordinary significance. It is the most uplifting, liberating, empowering, and transforming conversation a person can ever have. We turn to Him because we know that He alone can lift our sufferings and solve our problems. We feel relieved after narrating our difficulties to our Creator. We feel empowered after having communicated with the All Mighty. We sense His mercy all around us after talking to the Most Merciful. We get a new commitment to follow His path for that is the only path for success. We feel blessed with each such commitment.
In every difficulty our first action is du’a, as is our last. We ask Allah to show us the way to handle that difficulty; we seek His help in following the path He shows to us; we seek His aid in making our efforts successful. When we fall sick, we know that we cannot find the right doctor without His Will; that the best doctor may not be able to diagnose our condition without His Command; that the best treatment plan will not succeed without His Permission. We make du’a for all of these. We make dua before we seek medical help, while we are receiving it and after it has been delivered. The same is true for all of the other difficulties we may encounter.
The power of du’a itself is already magnificent, so what is the status of a du’a made while fasting Ramadan? The Prophet SAW (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“The supplications of three persons are never turned away: a just ruler, a fasting person until he breaks his fast, and the supplication of an oppressed person which is raised by Allah to the clouds on the Day of Resurrection, and the gates of heaven are opened for it and Allah says: By My might, I will help you even if it is after a while” (Sunan Ibn Majah No. 1624).
So let us not waste any time in the month of Ramadan and let us utilize this month wisely by increasing our du’as to the One who responds to all invocations. When you break your fast at the time of Iftar, make du’a. When you pray Qiyamul Layl in the night of Ramadan, make du’a. When you are in the Masjid between the Adhan and the Iqamah, make du’a.
