Power of Dua in Islam

Expression of submission of faith to Allah and of one's neediness is called Dua.  Dua is a way of contacting Allah.  Muslims regard this as a profound act of worship. By the acts of Dua, one gets closer to Allah as he submits to the will of God and accepts that he himself is nothing and only is The Provider and The Benefiter. Dua is a way of communicating with God when a person is depressed or sad, it is also a way of communication when a person is happy and wants to thank his Lord who made it possible.

Dua is an important part of our religion, as the Holy Quran says,

“Say, “What would my Lord care for you if not for your supplication?”[25:77]

Dua is a form of prayer and it could be made at any time anywhere there is no fixed time and place. It changes your destiny and makes you closer to Almighty Allah. We should make Dua at all times, if a person is sad and supplicates and his Lord hears him and fulfills his wishes then he/she should also make Dua and thank Him. The Holy Quran addresses this,

“And when We bestow favor upon man, he turns away and distances himself; but when evil touches him, then he is full of extensive supplication.”[41:51]

Supplication is a form of submission to the Creator and a demonstration of a person’s need for Allah. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran,

“When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me.” [2:186]. 

To make Duas powerful and to be heard quickly we must indulge ourselves in the righteous deeds. We must address Almighty Allah Alone, who has no partner. Our intentions when making the Dua must be to please Allah, obey and trust Him completely. We must keep strong faith in Him and be patient. The Holy Quran says,

“And He answers [the supplication of] those who have believed and done righteous deeds and increases [for] them from His bounty.”[42:26]

Also,

“Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors.”[7:55]

Our Holy Prophet (PBUH) also instructed us to supplicate and remember the Al-Mighty Allah. He told us the benefits and blessings that come with supplication and how much Allah admires the one making dua. He said, “A slave becomes nearest to his Lord when he is in prostration. So increase supplications in prostrations.” (Sahih Muslim 482). He also taught that supplication is itself an act of worship, saying “Supplication is worship,” in Arabic الدُّعَاءُ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ, and then reciting the verse “Call upon Me; I will respond to you” (Surah Ghafir 40:60). This is recorded in Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 3247, graded hasan sahih, and in Sunan Abi Dawud 1479.

Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “For whoever the door of Dua opened, for him, the doors of mercy are opened.” (Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 3548) Scholars grade this particular narration weak (da‘if), so the virtue of supplication is best anchored to the authentic report above, Sahih Muslim 482.

Dua can change our life and our fate. It is the strongest weapon. As Muslims, we should never give up, because we have the weapon of Dua.

Three short supplications from the Sunnah can be kept up every day. Each is given here with its Arabic, a transliteration, the meaning, and its primary source.

1. Seeking forgiveness

Arabic: أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَىُّ الْقَيُّومُ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْهِ

Transliteration: Astaghfirullaha alladhi la ilaha illa huwa al-Hayyu al-Qayyumu wa atubu ilayh

Meaning: “I seek the forgiveness of Allah, besides whom there is no deity, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all, and I turn to Him in repentance.” The Prophet said that whoever says it is forgiven, even if he had fled from the advance of an army.

Recorded in Sunan Abi Dawud 1517, with a parallel wording in Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 3577. Graded sahih by al-Albani and hasan by Ibn Hajar, although some scholars weakened the chain because two of its narrators are not well known.

2. Protection from harm

Arabic: بِسْمِ اللهِ الَّذِي لَا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

Transliteration: Bismillahi alladhi la yadurru ma‘a ismihi shay’un fi al-ardi wa la fi as-sama’i wa huwa as-Sami‘u al-‘Alim

Meaning: “In the name of Allah, with whose name nothing in the earth or in the heaven can cause harm, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” Recited three times each morning and evening.

Recorded in Sunan Abi Dawud 5088, Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 3388 and Sunan Ibn Majah 3869, from Uthman ibn Affan. Graded sahih by al-Albani.

3. The Greatest Name

Arabic: اللهم إنّي أسألك بأنّي أشهد أنك أنت الله لا إله إلا أنت الأحد الصمد الذي لم يلد و لم يولد و لم يكن له كفوً أحد

Transliteration: Allahumma inni as’aluka bi-anni ashhadu annaka anta Allahu la ilaha illa anta al-Ahadu as-Samadu alladhi lam yalid wa lam yulad wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad

Meaning: “O Allah, I ask You by my testimony that You are Allah, there is no deity but You, the One, the Eternal Refuge, who neither begets nor is begotten, and to whom none is comparable.” The Prophet said the man had supplicated Allah by His Greatest Name, by which when He is asked He gives and when He is called upon He answers.

Recorded in Sunan Abi Dawud 1493, Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi 3475, Sunan Ibn Majah 3857 and Musnad Ahmad 22965, from Buraydah ibn al-Husayb. Graded sahih by al-Albani, and Ibn Hajar regarded its chain as the strongest of the reports about the Greatest Name.

Seeking forgiveness, istighfar, is a form of supplication with its own promise attached. Allah relates the words of Nuh to his people:

“Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver. He will send rain from the sky upon you in continuing showers, and give you increase in wealth and children, and provide for you gardens and provide for you rivers.”
Surah Nuh 71:10 to 12

A similar promise is given in Surah Hud 11:52. Relief, provision and mercy are tied in the Quran itself to turning back to Allah, which is why istighfar belongs in daily supplication rather than being kept for moments of crisis.

Dua is a source of communication and a very powerful tool to be connected with Allah. If a person wants to be soulfully connected to almighty Allah, he or she should be devotedly praying to Allah and ask for anything. Dua is basically asking God or be thankful to Him. So, whenever you are making a Dua you could be asking for something and you are considering Him as omnipotent and creator who holds the most power in this universe. So automatically you are praising God and asking for something that you think can only be given by Him. Dua is very powerful as it gives a personal devotion, it makes a person ask from Allah which is underlined by a firm belief that Allah is the giver. Dua should be said with the purest intention and Allah will definitely listen to your requests. A person who doesn’t get what he wants, he should ask more and more from Him as it pleases God.

Signup Free for Learn Quran Online and many more Courses about Islam and Principals of Islam.

Everyday expressions of praise carry the same spirit of turning to Allah. See our guide to the significance of MashaAllah TabarakAllah for how Muslims acknowledge Allah’s will when admiring a blessing.

Two further reads on daily practice: the 6 Kalimas of Islam, the short declarations of faith many Muslims memorise, and Islamic greetings and the meaning of Assalamu Alaikum.