DU‘Â – دُعَاء

 

Derived from the root د ع و    which means call, calling. A prayer. An invocation. A supplication addressed to Allah. Salâh. Salawât.

 

Just as îmân necessitates du'â as an absolute means and man’s fitrah desires it intensely, so does Janâb-i Haqq decree قُلْ مَا يَعْبَؤُا بِكُمْ رَبِّى لَوْلاَ دُعَاؤُكُمْ , in meaning, “What importance would you have if you did not have du'â?” He also commands 1 اُدْعُونِى اَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ

If you say: “We many times offer du'â but they are not accepted. Whereas the âyah is general, it states that there is an answer for every du'â.”

The Answer: To answer is one thing, but to accept is something different. Every du'â is answered, but to accept it and to give exactly what was sought are dependent on the hikmah of Janâb-i Haqq.

For example, a sick child calls out, "O, doctor! Look at me." The doctor says, “Labbayk2,” and answers, “What do you want?” The child says, "Give me that medicine!" The doctor gives him exactly what he asks for, or something better in consequence of his benefit, or he knows that it is harmful for his illness and does not give anything. Thus, since Janâb-i Haqq, the Absolute Hakîm, Whose presence is everywhere and sees everything, He answers the du'â of the ‘abd. He transforms terror arising from desolation and fear into familiarity through His presence and answer, but not through man’s commandment that is enslaved by his nafs and follows its desires. Rather, through the requirement of the hikmah of Ar-Rabb, He gives either what he sought, or what is better than it, or He does not give anything.

Furthermore, du'â is an ‘ubûdiyyah. As for ‘ubûdiyyah, its fruits belong to the âkhirah. The purposes related to this world are times for that kind of du'â and ‘ibâdah; these purposes are not their aims. For example, salâh and du'â for rain are an ‘ibâdah. Drought is the time of that ‘ibâdah, but that ‘ibâdah and that du'â are not for bringing rain. If it is offered only for that intention, that ‘ibâdah and that du'â will not be worthy of being accepted because they were not sincere.

Just as sunset is the time for the maghrib salâh, and the eclipses of the sun and moon are the times for two particular ‘ibâdahs called as-salâh al-kusuf and as-salâh al-khusuf. That is, at those times, Janâb-i Haqq invites his ‘abds to a kind of ‘ibâdah since, with the veiling of luminous âyahs of the night and day, their eclipses become the means of proclamation of the grandeur of Allah, but that salâh is not to reveal the eclipses of the sun and moon. (Whose appearances and the length of their continuance are known by astronomers’ calculations.)

In just the same way, drought, too, is the time for the rain-request salâh, and the invasion of calamities and the attacks of harmful things are particular times for certain du'âs that man understands his impotence at those times, and through du'â and supplication, he seeks refuge at the court of Absolute Qadîr. It should not be said, “The du’â was not accepted,” if calamities are not repelled in spite of du'âs being offered many times. It should rather be said, “The time for du'â is not over and has not become qadha.3” If through His fadl and munificence Janâb-i Haqq removes the calamity, nûr upon nûr, then the time for du'â will be over and it will be qadha. It means that du'â is a mystery of ‘ubûdiyyah.

As for ‘ubûdiyyah, it should be sincerely for the sake of Allah. Through displaying his impotence, one should only seek refuge in Him with du'â. His rubûbiyyah should not be interfered with. One should leave the arrangement and management to Him, trust His hikmah and not accuse His rahmah.

In fact, what is demonstrated through the expression of evident ayâhs is that just as all beings, each of them offers a special tasbîh and performs a particular ‘ibâdah and sajda; it is du'â what rises to the court of Allah from the entire universe. 

This is either through the language of disposition. (Like the du'âs of all plants; each of them desires a form from the Absolute Fayyadh through the language of its disposition and requests to be an extensive place of manifestation of His Names.)

Or it is through the language of the need of fitrah. (These are the du'âs offered by all living beings for their essential needs that are beyond their power to obtain; through such a language of the need of fitrah, each of them asks the Absolute Jawwâd for certain wishes that are a kind of rizq for the continuance of their lives.)

Or it is a du'â through the language of sheer necessity. (Each helpless being with rûh offers du'â by seeking a shelter and takes refuge in an unknown protector; indeed, they turn towards their Rabb, Who is Rahîm.) If there is nothing to prevent them, these three sorts of du'âs are always accepted.

The fourth kind is the most well known; it is our du'â. This, too, is of two kinds: one is through action and being, and the other is through the heart and with words.

For example, taking action by using causes is du'â by action. Gathering the causes together is not for creating the effect but rather to take up an acceptable position in order to seek the effect from Janâb-i Haqq through the language of being. Ploughing even is to knock on the door of the treasury of rahmah. Since this kind of du'â by action turns towards the name and title of the Absolute Jawwâd, the absolute majority of them are accepted.

The second kind is to offer du'â through the tongue and the heart. It is to seek the wishes that one’s hand cannot reach. The most important aspect, the most beautiful aim and the sweetest fruit of it is this: "The man who offers du'â understands that there is Someone Who hears the thoughts, feelings and content of his heart. His hand can reach everything; He can fulfil each of his wishes; He shows mercy on his impotence and assists his poverty." 

Thus, O impotent man and O poor mankind! Do not abandon a means like the du'â, which is the key to the treasury of rahmah and the source of inexhaustible strength! Adhere to it and rise to the ‘a’lâ ‘iIlliyyin of humanity! Like a sultân, include the du'âs of the entire universe in your du'â! Say,اِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ4, like a universal ‘abd and general representative! Be a beautiful form of the universe!

The Twenty-Third Word-Fifth Point 

 

It means that the necessary result of îmân is tawhîd, the necessary result of tawhîd is submission (taslîm), the necessary result of submission (taslîm) is tawakkul, and the necessary result of tawakkul is happiness in both worlds. But do not misunderstand. Tawakkul is not a complete rejection of the causes. Rather, it consists of conforming to causes by knowing that causes are veils to the hand of Qoudrah, accepting that taking action by using causes is a sort of du'â by action, 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-Third 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:

…

As is explained in others Words du'â is an ‘ibâdah. An ‘abd proclaims his impotence and poverty through du'â. As for the apparent aims, they are the times of the du'â and that ‘ibâdah of du'â; they are not their true benefits. The benefit of ‘ibâdah looks to the âkhirah. If the worldly aim is not obtained, it cannot be said, "The du'â was not accepted." It should rather be said, "The time for 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 with his du'â, one who offers du'â shows that there is Someone Who rules the whole universe; He knows the most insignificant things and matters of mine; He can fulfil my most distant aims; He sees every state of mine and hears my voice. In that case, He hears all the voices of all beings, so He hears my voice too. He does all these things, so I await and ask for even my smallest things and matters from Him.

Thus, look at the vastness of sincere tawhîd that du'â gives and the sweetness and purity of the nûr of îmân that it shows. Understand the mystery of  قُلْ مَا يَعْبَؤُا بِكُمْ رَبِّى لَوْلاَ دُعَاؤُكُمْ 5 , and listen to the decree of وَ قَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِى اَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ 6 . As it was said, 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