Du’a – The Believer’s Most Powerful Weapon

Praise be to Allah (SWT) and peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

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When My servants ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about Me: I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when they call upon Me. [Al Baqarah, 2:186]

In a dark American prison, a lonely, distressed woman, burdened by humiliations and atrocities suffered at the hands of her jailers, supplicates, wails, and screams in the darkness; a lonely woman, unjustly condemned, abandoned by her country, forgotten by the Ummah… That woman is Aafia Siddiqui, Pakistani scientist, kidnapped with the collusion of her country, and is the most oppressed Muslim woman in the world, ever since.

Allah (SWT) will never forgive us for ignoring her supplications, her cries of pain, her wails.

For Allah (SWT) reminds us:

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The believers are but one brotherhood, so make peace between your brothers. And be mindful of Allah so you may be shown mercy. [Hujurat, 49:10]

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has said:

“The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion, and sympathy are like one body; when one part of it aches, the whole body responds with wakefulness and fever.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Remaining quiet in the face of the torture and oppression being inflicted on Aafia, as well as hundreds of our brothers and sisters, in some cases, children less than 12 years old, in Israeli, American, Saudi Arabian or Chinese prisons, means remaining quiet in the face of injustice, and being complicit with the oppressors, for Allah (SWT) demands that Muslims be defenders of justice, Himself being Al-Adl, the Just.

According to Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui, sister of Aafia and a neurologist, Aafia has become a zombie, a living-dead, having seen her after 20 years, in prison.

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[…] Their prejudice has become evident from what they say—and what their hearts hide is far worse. We have made Our revelations clear to you, if only you understood. [Ali Imran, 3:118]

The awareness campaign initiated in June by the NGO, FLAG, around Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s detainment and torture, her arbitrary condemnation period of 86 years in an American prison and the powerlessness of her country of origin, Pakistan, to plead for her liberation, is now headed in a new direction, with an appeal from the local Support Committee in favour of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui, inviting Muslims to show their support and solidarity, and most importantly to take to Tahajjud prayers to appeal to Allah (SWT).

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When My servants ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about Me: I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when they call upon Me. […] [Al Baqarah, 2:186]

The situation in which our sister finds herself urges us to understand the principle of du’a and renew our faith, our Tawakkul, our dependence on Allah’s (SWT) power and authority.

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Your Lord has proclaimed, “Call upon Me, I will respond to you. Surely those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell, fully humbled. [Ghafir, 40:60]

Muhammad (SAW) has also said:

“Du’a is the essence of adoration.”

The concept of du’a implies a complete submission to Allah (SWT), a perfect recognition of His right to be adored. The one who refuses to supplicate to Allah (SWT) is arrogant.

Du’a is the noblest form of adoration, it is a call from the heart.

When we address our supplications to Allah (SWT), we confirm our conviction that Allah (SWT) is listening and that He answers us. Moreover, du’a is an implicit affirmation of our conviction in the concept of Tawheed in its entirety. Du’a is recognition of man’s weakness, of his dependence and of his status as a slave.

The other concept that we strengthen through du’a is Tawakkul, absolute trust in Allah (SWT).

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The "true" believers are only those whose hearts tremble at the remembrance of Allah, whose faith increases when His revelations are recited to them, and who put their trust in their Lord. [Al Anfal, 8:2]

The meaning of faith, submission, resilience and complete faith in Allah (SWT), which we would have found only in books, are being shown to us every day that the war in Gaza continues. Among the rubble, dust and ash of their destroyed homes, Palestinians are giving us a lesson of resilience, courage and utmost faith in Allah (SWT).

The Muslim whose conviction is total in at tawhid, the Oneness of Allah (SWT); the one who has placed his complete trust in Allah (SWT), who believes that Allah is the Only Master of this world and that nothing happens except that He has thus decided, has no fear, for he has tawakkul.

Tawakkul means “trust and dependence”, each linked to the other.

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[…] And whoever puts their trust in Allah, then He ˹alone˺ is sufficient for them […] [At Talaq, 65:3]

Tawakkul means trusting and depending on Allah (SWT) in our daily affairs, as well as in deen. Slaves that we are, need to acknowledge that worldly matters as well as those of the Hereafter are between the hands of Allah (SWT).

Depending on Allah (SWT) for the freedom of our sister Aafia is a form of ibaadah (adoration) and a refining of our imaan (faith).

It is the Muslim’s duty to place his trust in Allah (SWT) and to depend on Him exclusively, making Him the Decider of our affairs. Tawakkul, as taught by Muhammad (SAW), is intricately linked with a submission to and faith in Allah (SWT).

The word tawakkul is one that summarises the concept of dependence on Allah (SWT), or being trustful in Allah’s (SWT) plan, in Arabic. It means absolute trust and dependence on Him only. It means trusting Allah (SWT) with the result of our efforts after having done our best and exercised all our capabilities. Tawakkul also means the acceptance of our weaknesses and humble submission to Allah (SWT).

It is our duty to shoulder our responsibilities and fulfil our obligations. We need to understand that tawakkul means doing our part, knowing that the success and result of our endeavour depends on Allah (SWT).

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Allah—there is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him. So in Allah let the believers put their trust. [At Taghabun, 64:13]

May Allah (SWT) help and guide us.