The First Addendum to the Twenty-Fourth Letter

بِاسْمِهِ وَاِنْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ اِلاَّ يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ1

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Listen to the five subtle points of the âyah قُلْ مَا يَعْبَؤُا بِكُمْ رَبِّى لَوْلاَ دُعَاؤُكُمْ, the meaning of which is, “What importance would you have if it were not for your du'â?”

FIRST SUBTLE POINT

Du'â is a mighty mystery of ‘ubûdiyyah; indeed, it is the rûh of ‘ubûdiyyah. As we have mentioned in many places, du'â is of three kinds:

The First Kind of Du'â: This is the du'â by the language of capacity in the fitrah, through which all seeds and grains offer du'â to Al-Fâtir, Who is Hakîm, saying: "Make us sprout forth and grow! Make our tiny haqiqah blossom and transform it into the mighty haqiqah of a tree, so that we can display the embroideries of Your Names!"

Furthermore, one sort of this kind of du'â by the language of capacity in the fitrah is this: causes gathering together is a du'â for the creation of the effect. That is to say, the causes take a specific position. That position becomes a language of being, through which they offer du'â for the effect and seek it from Al-Qadîr Zuljalâl. For example, water, heat, earth and light take a specific position around a seed. That position becomes a language of du'â, through which they 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 and simple substances; it is impossible to attribute it to them. This means that causes gathering together is a kind of du'â.

The Second Kind of Du'â: This is the du'â by the language of need in the fitrah. It is a kind of du'â offered by all living beings to Al-Khâliq, Who is Rahîm, for the bestowal of the things they need and desire, which are beyond their power and will, from unexpected places and at the precise time of need. For a Hakîm, Who is Rahîm, sends them all these things at the precise time of need, from places they do not know, beyond their power and will. Their hands cannot reach them. That is to say, that bestowal is the result of du'â.

In Short: What rises from the entire universe to the court of Allah is a du'â. Those things that are employed as causes seek the effects from Allah.

The Third Kind of Du'â: This is the du'â of conscious beings arising from their need. It is of two kinds.

If it is at a time of sheer necessity, or is completely corresponding with the need of fitrah, or if it is close to the language of capacity in the fitrah, or is by the tongue of a pure, sincere heart, it is accepted almost without exception. The majority of human progress and most discoveries are the result of a kind of du'â. The things they call the wonders of civilisation and the matters they regard as a source of pride in their discoveries are the result of a ma’nawî du'â. They were asked for with a sincere language of capacity in the fitrah, and thus they were granted. If there is no obstacle and if the conditions are fulfilled, du'âs offered through the language of capacity in the fitrah and the language of the need of fitrah are always accepted.

The Second Kind: It is the well-known du'â. This, too, is of two kinds: one is du'â by action and the other is by words. For example, ploughing is a du'â by action. It is not seeking the rizq from the earth. Rather, the earth is a door to the treasury of Rahmah; with the plough, man knocks on the earth, which is the door of Rahmah.

Passing over the details of the other kinds, we shall explain one or two of the mysteries of du'â by words in the following two or three Subtle Points.

SECOND SUBTLE POINT

The effect of du'â is immense. Especially if the du'â gains universality and persists, it yields results almost without exception, indeed, its result is perpetual. It can even be said that one of the reasons for the creation of the ‘âlam is du'â. That is to say, the immense du'â offered foremost by mankind, foremost among them the Islamic world and at the head of that is Muhammad the Arabian, ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm, is one of the reasons for the creation of this ‘âlam, after the creation of the universe. That is to say, the Khâliq of the ‘âlam knew that in the future, that personage (asm) would ask for eternal happiness and being a place of manifestation of His Names in the name of mankind, indeed, on behalf of all beings. He accepted that future du'â and created the universe.

Since du'â possesses such immense importance and vastness, is it at all possible that the du'âs offered persistently across thirteen hundred and fifty years — by three hundred million of mankind, and by countless blessed personages among men, jinn, malâikah and rûhânîyât, unanimously in unison for Muhammad ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm, the supreme rahmah of Allah, eternal happiness and the attainment of the ultimate aim — would not be accepted? Is it in any way possible that their du'âs would be rejected?

Since these du'âs have acquired such universality, vastness and persistence, reaching the level of the language of capacity in the fitrah and the language of the need of fitrah, Muhammad the Arabian ‘Alayhissalâtu Wassalâm is undoubtedly at such a rank and degree as a result of those du'âs that if all minds were to gather and become a single mind, they could not completely comprehend the haqiqah of that rank.

Behold, O Muslim! Such a shafî’ awaits you on the Day of Judgment. In order to attract his shafâ’ah toward yourself, adhere to his Sunnah!

If you say: Since he is Habîbullah2 , what need does he have of all these salawât and du'â?

The Answer: That noble personage (asm) is connected with the happiness of all his ummah. He shares in every sort of their happiness and is anxious at every sort of their tribulations. Therefore, although the degrees of happiness and perfection in regard to himself are endless, such a noble personage — who ardently desires the endless kinds of happiness of the endless members of his ummah across an endless time and who is deeply grieved by their endless kinds of miseries — is surely worthy of and in need of endless salawât, du‘â and rahmah.

If you say: Sometimes du‘â is made for matters that will definitely happen. For example, the du‘â in salâh al-kusûf and salâh al-khusûf.3 And sometimes du‘â is made for things that will never happen?

The Answer: As is explained in other Words, du'â is an ‘ibâdah. The ‘abd proclaims his impotence and poverty through du'â. As for the apparent purposes, they are the times and occasions for that du'â, which is an ‘ibâdah; they are not its ultimate aims. The benefit of ‘ibâdah looks to the âkhirah. If the aims pertaining to this world are not obtained, it cannot be said, "The du'â was not accepted." It should rather be said, "The time for du'â has yet not ended."

Furthermore, is it at all possible that eternal happiness, which all mu’mins have asked for at all times, continuously, with complete sincerity, yearning and du'â, would not be given to them? Is it at all possible that the Absolute Karîm, the Absolute Rahîm — Who, according to the testimony of all the universe, possesses boundless rahmah — would not accept the du'â offered by all of them, and that eternal happiness would not be created?

THIRD SUBTLE POINT

The acceptance of voluntary du'â by words is two ways. It is either accepted exactly as desired or what is better is granted.

For example, someone asks for a son. Janâb-i Haqq grants a daughter like Hazrat Maryam. It cannot be said, “His du'â was not accepted”; it is rather said, “It was accepted in a more excellent form.”

Also, sometimes someone makes du'â for his own happiness in this world, but it is accepted for the âkhirah. It cannot be said, "His du'â was rejected"; it is rather said, "It was accepted in a more beneficial form." And likewise… Since Janâb-i Haqq is Hakîm, we supplicate to Him and He responds to us. But He treats us according to His hikmah.

A sick person should not blame the hikmah of his doctor. He asks for honey, but the expert physician gives him quinine for his malaria. He cannot say, “The doctor did not listen to me.” Rather, he listened to his sighs and moans, heard them, responded to them and provided better than what was asked for.

FOURTH SUBTLE POINT

The best, finest, sweetest, most immediate fruit and result of du'â is this: a man who offers du'â knows that there is Someone Who listens to his voice, sends a cure for his trouble and shows mercy to him. The hand of His Qoudrah reaches everything. He is not alone in this great guesthouse of the world; there is Someone Who is Karîm and Who looks after him and bestows upon him a sense of intimacy. Imagining himself in the presence of the One Who can fulfil his infinite needs and repel his innumerable enemies, he feels a profound joy and relief, casts off a load as heavy as the world and says:

الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

FIFTH SUBTLE POINT

Du'â is the rûh of ‘ubûdiyyah and the result of a sincere îmân. For, a man who offers du'â shows by his du'â that there is Someone Who rules the entire universe, He is aware of and knows my most minute affairs, He can fulfil my most distant aims He sees every state of mine and hears my voice. Thus, as He hears all the voices of all beings, He hears my voice too, and as He does all these things, I await from Him and ask of Him even my most minute affairs.

Now, look at the vastness of sincere tawhîd that du'â provides and the sweetness and purity of the nûr of îmân that it demonstrates. Understand the mystery of

قُلْ مَا يَعْبَؤُا بِكُمْ رَبِّى لَوْلاَ دُعَاؤُكُمْ 4

and listen to the decree of

وَ قَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِى اَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ 5

As it was said, اگر نه خواهى داد ، نه دادى خواه

“If He had not willed to give, He would not have given the desire to ask.”

سُبْحَانَكَ لاَ عِلْمَ لَنَا اِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

اَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ مِنَ اْلاَزَلِ اِلَى اْلاَبَدِ عَدَدَ مَا فِى عِلْمِ اللّٰهِ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وَ صَحْبِهِ وَ سَلِّمْ سَلِّمْنَا وَ سَلِّمْ دِينَنَا آمِينَ. وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ