Friday, February 4, 2011

Daily Duas-what difference do they make?

I have a chart like this but I never use it. My kids have never used it either, we've never bothered to memorize any duas. I have some on my door for entering and leaving, once in a blue moon I will read from them to make dua. People who grew up muslim learned these since they were kids and they roll off their tongues.Other kids are suprised my kids don't know them. I guess I've never really bothered with them because I don't see the point. I mean of coure its to worship Allah but what difference do they really make in your life. Are people using them just out of habit? Do they think they make a difference? Do they feel they are like insurance? Do they do it because everyone else is doing it? I don't know why but I can't get over the idea that these duas are like accessories instead of the main outfit which are fard prayers but I also feel that way about sunnah prayers and dhikr. I think I am like the bedouin and just want to stick to the fard and leave off the rest. Conversion was hard enough with all its changes. I feel adding more even after all these years feels like a burden. So tell me if I'm wrong! What difference does it make???

17 comments:

  1. Salam alaykom,

    *note: this is my 2nd attempt at this. my net disconnected just b4 I wanted to press post and it was looong arghh!!

    I don't know where to start at this, subhanallah. There are many many benefits for dua.

    1. Three things happen when you make a dua. a) Allah grants your dua and you get what asked for, b) Allah protects you from something harmful that was in your path, and c) the dua is reserved for yawm al-qiyama where you receive rewards for making it (and this is where you wish non of your dua's in dunya were answered :))

    2. One point of dua is to remind us, the servants of Allah, that we are not self reliant and we NEED Allah's help in all matters of our life. By not asking Allah for things then we will begin to have the mentality that we can do things on our own and do not need to ask him for anything. Nothing is insignificant when it comes to dua, whether you are asking for protection from judgement day or that your dinner comes out tasting fabulous!

    3. Are we not instructed to follow the book of Allah and the teaching of Rasullah saw? Then implementing the Sunnah should be a must and should be definitely taught to our children. When you say the dua b4 entering the toilet, you are blocking the sight of the jinns in there from seeing you doing your business and upon leaving you are asking Allah for his forgiveness (we can't get enough of that dua, can we?). When leaving and entering the home you are declaring everything in the name of Allah and submitting yourself to him, is our creator not worthy of even that? Before sleeping you are asking Allah for protection against the evils in the night, witchcraft etc. All these dua's in the Sunnah are beautiful and they all serve a purpose in our lives and our ikhirah. Even personal dua's where we can ask Allah for anything and everything and be content with what he does and does not give us.

    I guess what I am trying to say is that NOTHING is wasted at all. It is all good and you are benefited in every way ;) Do not take the power of dua lightly b/c one must belief that Allah will answer her dua for it to be benefitual. So please teach it to your children and in turn you will learn it. Your children will be grateful that they can just roll it off their tongues. Also, you will be rewarded everytime they recite a dua you taught them. 10 kids times (let's say) 5 dua's daily is lots of rewards :D

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  2. Some hadiths to encourage you inshallah;


    Some ahadith for you inshallah :)

    Abdullah bin Umar narrates from Rasool-Allah ," Among whatever has been descended and whatever has not been descended Duaa is beneficial of all. Oh people of Allah! Assume Duaa a must for yourselves. (Tirmizi)

    Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Allah is extremely displeased with the person who doesn't do duaa to Allah". (Tirmizi)

    Jabir narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Whoever does duaa to Allah, Allah fulfills his seeking or in exchange averts misfortune until the duaa is not related to sin or breaking some relation." (Tirmizi)

    Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Do duaa to Allah with this confidence that HE will accept it and know this well that Allah doesn't accept the duaa done with a negligent and careless heart. (Tirmizi)

    Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Allah excepts the duaa of a person till the duaa is not related to sin or breaking of some relation and until he does not haste in that duaa. The people (May Allah be happy with them) asked, "Oh Rasool-Allah! What is meant by haste?" He replied, "That the person say "I did duaa again and again but my duaa wasn't accepted and afterwards he becomes hopeless and leaves the duaa. This is called haste." (Muslim)

    Abu Hurairah narrates from Rasool-Allah , "Saying subhanallah, alhamdulillah wa laillaha illallah allahu akbar, is dearer to me than this world and all that is in it." (Mislim)

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  3. Asalaamu Alaikum Qiyama

    Thanks for taking the time to post this not once but twice! May Allah reward you and so many people will read these reminders as well. What I was hoping for was some personal anecdotes about how making these duas has made a difference in people's lives. Also I cannot understand why you have to ask for forgiveness after coming out of the bathroom when you weren't even engaged in sin. Am I missing something? I guess something is lost in translation.

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  4. ASA

    C -- think about this -- we ask for forgiveness AFTER WE PRAY!! 3 times!!

    I also never saw the point of it -- but have been slowly incorporating them into my life. I especially like the one to say upon waking up "Oh Allah, thank you for giving me life" (or something like that....it really sets your day up on the right path...

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  5. Wa Alaikum salaam

    Are you supposed to ask for forgiveness after you pray? That makes more sense to me because you are already talking to God right then and thinking of Judgement day anyway. After the bathroom not so much.

    So you have noticed a difference then in your life?

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  6. Wa laykom musalam,

    We ask for forgiveness after we leave the bathroom not b/c we necessarily did a sin but any chance to ask for forgiveness should be taken. Rasullah SAW asked for forgiveness 70x (plus in some hadiths) a day and he was already forgiven for his past and future sins ;). It is us humbling ourselves infront of our Creator. I bet normal Muslims don't even ask for forgiveness 10x a day....allahualem.

    One point I put in my 1st (deleted) post that I forgot to mention in my 2nd was about dhikr. You should do dhikr whenever you can so you constantly have the remembrance of Allah. I do dhikr when I am doing something that need little concentration (folding laundry, cooking, dishes etc) and when I am shopping. I find it helps me alot whilst shopping b/c it reminds me of Allah and things I am meant to be doing like lowering the gaze on men and indecent picutres and generally with not backbiting, sitting with backbiters, doing kind acts etc. So basically, don't give up a moment and not do dhikr.

    Has it made a difference in my life? Yes! definitely. I only started this about a year ago. I started small and mashallah alot of it is 2nd nature to me now. When I have learnt a dua and it rolls off my tongue, I know it is time to learn a new one. I find my day runs smoother and I am happier and more content. Little things make my day, like finding parking at the shopping center right infront of the door (I dhikr in the car whilst driving), Juju taking his naps at convenient times whilst doing errands, juju behaving and listening to me when we are out, me finishing chores very early and my treatment towards my family is improving b/c I strive to do it for Allah and make dua for kheir.

    Inshallah you will start doing this and encourage your children as well. I feel like you are missing out and we don't want to regret in the here after. These are easy little rewards and we overlook them easily. I still feel like I can do more but I like to progress little by little or then I feel like I get burnt out and I stop altogether.

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  7. Asalaamu Alaikum

    Thanks for this. This is what I was looking for, the difference it makes in someone's life.

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  8. Wa laykom Musalam,

    Don't focus so much on what it does in ur life now.....b/c the rewards you are racking up, inshallah, cannot compare ;)

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  9. Assalaamu aleikum sis
    I'm a bit embarrassed to say that in some ways I never really got into dua for the longest time. Conversion was a major upheaval of course, and the focus was on learning how to pray. Then it was school, marriage, isolation, children, sickness, moving countries and other overwhelming things, not necessarily in that order and often simultaneous and/or repeated...
    Fast forward to last fall when I finally got to go for Hajj, alhamdulillah, and as an old fogey (as per the visa rules) I went on my own with a group. No hands-on responsibilities for care and feeding of husband and kids gave me a lot of time to focus on other matters. Add the group's shaykh's halaqahs and reminders, and the prompting of a sister to sit with her on several mornings after Fajr in the courtyard of the Prophet's Mosque and read/listen to duas on her ipod... subhan Allah, I began to taste the sweetness of dua and dhikr in a way I never did before.
    I'm back in the thick of things now, of course, but still trying to hold on to that spirit. I guess my message is, don't give up, and it's never too late to learn or to start doing a good action.

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  10. Wa Alaikum Salaam

    Masha Allah you are a hajja. My daughter is too but sadly not me. Time to be alone and focus on Allah, I can only imagine (except for RIS) but that's not quite the same. So I guess I'm not the only one so I shouldn't feel so bad. How has dua and dhikr changed your life?

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  11. Alhamdulillah, it was a wonderful journey. I hope you will get the chance to go soon, in sha Allah.
    As for dua and dhikr changing one's life, well, it's a work in progress. I need to keep charging my spiritual batteries, that's for sure!
    I remember something I learned from one of the sisters in the group - she said that Allah loves for His slaves to ask of Him, so don't stop, whether you "see results" or not. And as your friend Qiyama pointed out, it may be that we will not see it until in the Hereafter.
    BTW I used to call RIS "Hajj training" because of the crowds!

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  12. Yesterday while listening to a cd in the car called Angels and Jinn the speaker said that all these duas are to protect you from shaitan. I knew the bathroom one was for that but never thought the other ones were too. May Allah increase us in knowledge. Amin.

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  13. I think one of the reasons of asking for forgiveness after prayer is to perfect the prayer from all the moments during it when I was not concentrated and my mind wandered off.

    Also, benefits of dhikr and dua I see in my life:

    - when I remember Allah, I remember why I am here on the Earth, what's the purpose of it all. It gives me the right perspective on life

    - it makes me more joyful. When I remember Allah through dhikr and dua I remember all the beautiful things I got from Him in my life. And I'm so happy!

    - helps for loneliness. There isn't many muslims in my city, I don't have friends and family here (except my husband who is a great friend and supporter). So sometimes I get lonely. Remembering Allah and talking to Him makes me feel there is someone who always sees me and cares for me

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  14. Forgiveness after prayer is one thing but why do you need to ask forgiveness after going to the bathroom? I was wondering how those dua help people like the dua before getting dressed, the dua before and after going to the bathroom, the dua before and after going out of the house etc.

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  15. http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-17803.html

    As I understand, the asking for forgiveness maybe due to several reasons, if we look into the carefulness we take when releiving oneself,keeping our garments , maybe the request forgiveness maybe for neglecting or any carelessness regarding these issues.

    That being said, I find it difficult to keep up with all the Duas for leaving entering riding etc, but I try to remember to say bismillah often before leaving,entering home etc. I do know some who do keep up with all the Duas before and after an act. MashaAllah!

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  16. Ok I just read this in Purification of the heart.

    Talking about supplications that were listed on the page it said:

    When these supplications are said each day, you will see the difference in your life. If you skip a day, you will feel a subtle sense that something is missing or incomplete, as if you left home without clothing. First and foremost we should form this habit for the sake of God, for he commanded us to remember Him - the benefit which is entirely ours. Sidi Ahmad al-Zarruq said that engaging in regular remembarance is expressing gratitude to God.

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  17. I forgot to add that someone once answered this question about the bathroom by saying that in an arabic book which hasn't been translated to english (don't know what it is) the reason is because you might have done something to the jinn in the bathroom without knowing it..I guess like hitting them or something etc...Allahu alim. Anyone ever heard that?

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