The Significance of Supplication
Know The Significance of Supplication to Reduce Impediments in Life
Supplication occupies the central place among all the virtuous acts in Islam. Actually, the way we supplicate indicates the level of our faith in our Creator. This beautiful Quranic verse shows the significance of supplication making to Almighty Allah:
“Say (to the rejecters): My Lord is not uneasy because of you if ye call not on Him”. (25:77)
This magnificent verse is a clear indication of Allah’s favors and blessings upon His believers due to supplication. Allah becomes happy when His creation surrenders and seeks help from Him. Supplication actually strengthens the relationship between Allah and His servants. Our beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w) described the significance of supplication in the following words: “supplication is the essence of worship.”
Now as stated above supplication is a direct link between Allah and His believers, this is just beyond our imagination what one gets out of this connection. Let us imagine a direct connection of a person with the president of a country. What comes in our mind immediately out of this connection? Surely we think of all privileges and benefits that an ordinary person cannot afford. Now get back to the connection with one who has absolute power over the whole universe. Can you imagine what one gets out of such a connection? Surely you cannot.
Etiquette of supplication
Our supplications are definitely answered by Allah Almighty but there is one important thing that we need to understand. All supplications do not bear equal weight, neither does there exist any hard and fast rule which can make a supplication powerful in front of our Lord. There is some etiquette that makes our supplications more powerful. Let us know it so that we may supplicate in a better way.
Absolute faith in Allah (SWT)
This is part of our belief that Allah has absolute authority and all powers over each and every part of the universe. At the time of supplication, we need to have faith that the thing we are asking for is within the ambit of the authority of our Lord and if in any case, he doesn’t provide it, that thing is surely not in our favor. There are some beautiful lines said by a true believer in this regard:
“I supplicate only because Allah likes me to supplicate, otherwise with my all defective knowledge how I can make suggestions to Him for myself.”
These glorious lines illustrate the level of belief one should possess.
Supplicate With Hope
If one loses hope that his supplication will be answered, his supplication loses weight. Allah (SWT) does not like hopelessness in our supplication even because of our being sinful. If one feels sinful, the best way to show his regret is to make Taubah. Distancing one’s self from hope will damage the relationship with Allah Almighty and consequently, that person will gradually divert from the righteous way. No matter how impossible we think of a thing, supplication may make it possible only if we supplicate with hope.
Supplication is not a set of crammed words
We express our mind in supplication. This is the reason that supplication is called the essence of worship. If we repeat the same crammed words at the time of supplication, we will be harming the true spirit of worship. Such supplication fails to be noticed by our Lord. Allah (SWT) likes to hear us. He knows every happening and every thought. But when we tell Him about our sufferings by expressing submission and faithfulness, it makes Him happy and He gets closer to us to help us get out of difficult times. We should seek His mercy and favor with regard to all happenings of our present time.
Order of supplication
Supplication should be started by praising Allah (SWT) and calling Him by His glorious names. Then we should send salutations to our beloved prophet Muhammad (SAWW), and afterward, we should supplicate showing our powerlessness and hope in Him. The feelings that Allah (SWT) possesses exclusively all powers and we are helpless without His favors should be evident in our supplicating words and in our minds.
How do supplications benefit us?
Apart from being a preferred act in itself, supplication revamps our belief and character as well. The first and foremost benefit of supplication is the eradication of arrogance in our behavior. Allah does not like arrogance. Supplication gradually fades away it. Supplication makes us feel like we are helpless without Allah’s mercy and He has all powers to control everything in the universe even to control our heart and mind. These feelings also save us from committing sins.
Secondly, supplications make it easier to go through the challenges we face in this life. Allah (SWT) promised in the Holy Quran that he listens when we pray. In our difficult times when we call Him, He answers and provides us with what we ask for. In case He does not provide what we want, He will give a reward for it on the Day of Judgment. In all cases, supplication benefits us a lot.
Another very important benefit of supplication is that it enhances our belief in Allah Almighty. We develop the habit of supplication in our tough times which diminishes the fear of worldly authorities. Consequently, we stuck on Tauheed more firmly.
In the end, let us discuss the most important matter about supplication. It is about supplicating for others. When we talk about supplicating for others, our parents and our children come first in the category of whom we should supplicate. Managing all responsibilities regarding our parents and children but not supplicating for them may not bring expected results. Supplication adds essence to our efforts. So, we need to develop the habit of supplicating for others as well.