DU‘Â – دُعَاء
From the Arabic root of د ع و (Call. Calling)
A prayer. An invocation. A supplication addressed to Allah. Salâh. Salawât.
That is to say, îmân necessarily results in Tawhîd, Tawhîd necessarily results in submission (taslîm), submission necessarily results in tawakkul, and tawakkul necessarily results in happiness within both worlds. But do not misunderstand. Tawakkul is not a complete rejection of the causes. It is rather through conforming to causes by knowing that causes are veils to the hand of qoudrah and through accepting that attempting causes is a sort of du'â by action; it consists of asking for the effects only from Janâb-i Haqq, knowing that the results are from Him and being thankful to Him.
The Twenty-Third Word-First Point
The First Subtle Point:...
Gathering causes together is a du'â for the creation of the effect. That is to say, the causes take a position that such position becomes a language of being; they offer du'â for the effect and seek it from Al-Qadîr Zuljalâl. For example, by taking a position around a seed — such position is a language of du'â — water, heat, earth and light say: "O Our Khâliq, make this seed a tree!" For the tree, which is a wonderful miracle of Qoudrah, cannot be attributed to those unconscious, lifeless, simple substances; it is impossible to attribute it to them. That is to say, gathering causes together is a sort of du'â.
The Second Subtle Point:...
du'â is an ‘ibâdah. Through du'â, the ‘abd proclaims his own impotence and poverty. The apparent aims are the times of the du'â and that ‘ibâdah of du'â; they are not the true benefits. The benefits of ‘ibâdah look to the âkhirah. If the worldly aims are not obtained, it may not be said: "The du'â was not accepted." It should rather be said: "The time for the du'â has still not ended....
The Fourth Subtle Point: The best, finest, sweetest, most immediate fruit and result of du'â is this, that the person who offers du'â knows there is someone who listens to his voice, sends a remedy for his ailment, takes pity on him, and whose hand of Qoudrah reaches everything. He is not alone in this great hostel of the world; there is a Karîm One Who looks after him and makes it friendly. He feels a joy and relief; he casts off a load as heavy as the world by the conception of being in the hudhur of the One Who can bring about all his needs and repulse all his innumerable enemies, and exclaims: الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
The Fifth Subtle Point: Du'â is the rûh of ‘ubûdiyyah and the result of sincere îmân. For one who makes du'â shows through it that there is someone who rules the whole universe; One Who knows the most insignificant things about me can bring about my most distant aims. Who sees every circumstance of mine, and hears my voice. In which case, He hears all the voices of all beings, so that He hears my voice too. He does all these things, and so I await my smallest matters from Him too. I ask Him for them.
Thus, look at the great breadth of sincere Tawhîd which du'â gives and at the sweetness and purity of the nûr of îmân that it shows. Understand the mystery of the âyah, قُلْ مَا يَعْبَؤُا بِكُمْ رَبِّى لَوْلاَ دُعَاؤُكُمْ 1 ; listen to the decree of, وَ قَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِى اَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ 2 As the saying goes: اگر نه خواهى داد ، نه دادى خواه "If He had not wanted to give, He would not have given wanting"
The First Addendum to the Twenty-Fourth Letter