The Power of Dua.

The Power of Dua.

During the time of Rasulullah (SAW) there was a trader who plied his trade between the Land of Syria and Medina. He would not accompany the trade caravans o­n account of his trust in Allah. He journeyed alone through the deserts and wilderness with his merchandise. Once while o­n a journey from Serbia to Medina, he was accosted by a highway robber o­n horseback. Screaming at the trader, he said: “Halt!” The trader halted and said: “Take my wealth and allow me to proceed.”
Robber: “The wealth belongs to me. I desire to take your life.”
Trader: “What will you do with my life? Your need is the wealth. Let me proceed.”
Robber: “The wealth is mine. I intend to take your life.”
Trader: “Allow me to make Wudhu, perform Salaat and make dua to my Rabb”
Robber: “Do as you please.”
The trader made Wudhu and performed 4 rakaat’s of Salaat. He then raised his hands towards the heaven and supplicated to Allah as follows:
“O Most Loving o­ne! O Most Loving o­ne! O Thou of the Majestic Throne! O Originator of Creation! O Returner (of creation after its destruction)! O Thou Who does as You please! I supplicate to You through the medium of the Noor of Your Presence, which fills the pillars of Your Arsh. I supplicate to You through the medium of Your Power by means of which You command over Your creation. And I supplicate to you through the medium of Your mercy which encompasses everything. There is no God but You. O Helper! Help me!”
After he had recited this Dua thrice, he suddenly saw a handsome man dressed in green o­n a beautiful horse standing by him. In his hand was a glittering spear. Seeing the stranger o­n horseback, the robber quickly advanced towards him. The stranger made a sudden attack and with o­ne blow sent the robber reeling to the ground. He ordered the trader to kill the robber.
Trader: “Who are you? I have never ever killed anyone and I have no desire to kill him.”
The stranger after killing the robber, said: “Know that I am an angel from the third Samaa’ (Heaven). When you supplicated (made dua) the first time, we heard the doors of the heaven creaking. We then said: ‘Something has happened.” Then you supplicated the second time. The doors of the Heaven opened up and there were sparks like the sparks of fire. Then you supplicated the third time. Jibraeel (AS) descended to us from the Samaa’ (above) proclaiming: ‘Who is prepared to aid this man in distress?’ I then supplicated: ‘O my Rabb! Appoint me to kill him (the robber). Know, O Servant of Allah! Whoever supplicates with this Dua which you had made, in any difficulty, danger and distress, Allah will remove the calamity from him and aid him.”
The trader arrived safely with his merchandise in Medina. He went to Rasulullah (SAW) and informed him of the episode and his Dua. Rasulullah (SAW) commented: “Verily, Allah had inspired you with His Asma ul Husnaa (Beautiful Names). When dua is made with these Names, He responds, and when He is asked with these Names, He gives.”

The Dua Of A Mother
Once a lady came to Hadhrat Baqi Bin Mukhallid and wailed: “The Romans have captured my son. I have no wealth with which to ransom him. For me there is neither night nor day; nor sleep or rest.” He said to her: “Go, I shall look into your matter, Insha’Allah.” The lady departed, and the Shaikh lowering his head supplicated to Allah Ta’ala. After some time the lady came to Hadhrat Baqi with her son and thanked him profusely. She said that her son had a wonderful story to tell. The son explained: “I was among a group of prisoners taken by the Romans. A man had taken us into his service. Daily the overseer would take us into the desert to work and in the evening we would be returned with our chains fitted o­n. O­ne day after Maghrib we returned with our overseer. Suddenly the chains o­n my leg fell off. The guard hearing the clang of the chain hurried to me. When he saw the chain broken and lying o­n the ground, he screamed: “You have broken your chain!” I said: “No, it fell off.” He was amazed. He reported the matter to his master who instructed the blacksmith to replace the chain. After I had walked o­nly a few steps with the new chain, it broke and fell to the ground. They were astonished. They called their priests and explained the episode. The priests said to me: “Do you have a mother?” I said: “Yes.” They responded: “Your mother’s dua has been accepted. Allah has set you free. Henceforth we shall not be able to imprison you.” They then honored me and sent a group of people to accompany me to the border of the Land of the Muslimeen.”
The priests of the Christians are described in the Qur’an as Ruhbaan. In the early days, a large part of the Truth of the Taurat and Injeel was intact with the Ruhbaan, hence they were able to discern the Truth when they witnessed it. The young son of the lady had noted the time and the date when his leg chains had miraculously fallen off. After he related his story, it transpired that the time and the date coincided with the time and date when his mother had pleaded to Hadhrat Baqi Bin Mukhallid and the latter had made his Dua.

 

Dua
The Mashaaikh say: “It is incumbent that a person be a man of dua with his tongue and a man of ridha (contentment with Allah’s Decree) with his heart so that he fulfils the demands of both, namely, dua and ridha. The effect of this attitude is peace of mind. If the object of the dua does not materialize, there will be no frustration and despondency. The supplicator will continue with dua, professing his humility and contentment with Allah’s Decree. The servant cannot impose his dua o­n Allah. Allah knows best when and how to answer our duas. The duty of the servant is never to tire of making dua.

 

The Conditions Of Dua
Among the etiquettes of Dua is presence of mind. Rasulullah (SAW) said: “Allah does not accept the dua of a servant which comes from an unmindful heart.”
Among the requisites for acceptance of Dua is halal food. Rasulullah (SAW) said to Sa’d (RA): “Make wholesome your earning, Allah will accept your Dua.”
It has also been narrated: “Dua is the key of need, and its (the key’s) teeth are lawful morsels of food.”
Moosa (AS) passed by a man who was making dua with much humility. Moosa (AS) said: “O My Allah! If I had the power, I would have fulfilled his need.”
Allah revealed to him: “I am more merciful to him than you. However, he calls to Me while his heart is attached to his sheep. I do not answer the call of a servant who calls Me while his heart is attached to something besides Me.”
Moosa (AS) informed the man of this revelation. He then denuded his heart of his wealth, and his Dua was accepted.
Someone asked a pious man: “What is wrong with us? We make dua, but why is our dua not accepted.” The pious man replied: “Because you call someone whom you have not recognized.”

 

Oppression And Dua
The ruler, Ya’qub Bin Lath was overwhelmed by a severe illness. All the physicians lost hope in curing him. They said to him: ‘In your country is a pious man called Sahl Bin Abdullah. Perhaps if he made dua for you, it will be accepted.”
Sahl Bin Abdullah was called. The ruler requested him to make dua for his cure. Sahl Bin Abdullah said: “How can I make dua for you when there are many oppressed o­nes in your prisons?” Ya’qub Bin Lath ordered the release of all the prisoners. Sahl Bin Abdullah then supplicated: “O Allah! Just as You had shown him the disgrace of sin, show him the honour of obedience.” The Dua was accepted and the ruler regained his health. The ruler presented a large amount of wealth to Sahl Bin Abdullah. When he refused to accept it, it was said to him: “If you had accepted, you could have distributed it to the Fuqara (the poor).” He cast a glance at the pebbles scattered in the desert. Suddenly all the stones turned into diamonds. He said to his companions: “One who has been bestowed with this, is not in need of the wealth of Ya’qub Bin Lath.”