Dua's

Now it's not really possible to make Sala all day and night

when you have responsibilities to other people in life,

your family and community.

But that doesn't mean that you can't make prayers to Allah in another less formal way,

talking to God and asking God to help

and asking for forgiveness for any acts committed with the intention of doing wrong.

This kind of prayer is known as Dua', which means "calling out" to God,

though it need not be out loud, as God can hear the thoughts inside our heads

and the feelings in our hearts,

so no matter how quiet our inner words are never wasted.

And we don't always get what we ask for,

which is just as well,

because we don't always know what is best for ourselves,

and it is said that we should always be wary of what we ask for

in case we get it,

only to find out that it wasn't really what we wanted.

But there are safe things to ask for,

and we can know what is best by looking to the example of

the prayers of those who God loved and gave us as examples.

And some of these can be found in the Qur'an,

making them very special Dua's,

as saying them is not only following an example that God sent us,

but is also reciting ayats from the Qur'an.

One Dua' like this is said by many people as part of their Salaat,

being one of the prayers of Ibrahim in the Surah bearing his name,

where God tells us that he asks that he and his descendants be people who are conscientious in making Salaat,

asking God to accept his prayer,

and to forgive him and his parents and the believers on the Day of Reckoning.

But as well as Dua's to be found in the Qur'an,

there are many Dua's that are traced back to the words of the Messenger.

These are many and varied,

as he didn't always say the same prayer in the same situations,

but some of them are particularly beloved of muslims,

and have been repeated on numerous occasions

by vast numbers of people over the years.

So when going to the mosque,

echoing the Messenger,

many muslims will say

"O God, make a light in my heart

and a light in my tongue.

Make a light in my ear

and make a light in my eye.

Make a light behind me

and a light in front of me,

and make a light above me.

O God give me light."

Or when going out for some other need, they will say

"O God, I take refuge with you

that I should not wrong or be wronged,

and that I should not be foolish or be fooled."

And when looking at their reflection in a mirror will say

"Praise be to God, Who has given moderation and uprightness to my person,

and has given nobility and beauty to the form of my face,

and Who has made me one of the muslims."

These prayers of the Messenger are to be found in many books drawn from the Hadith collections,

but there are many other books recording the Dua's of any number of famous holy people,

and some of them are in Arabic,

and some are in the mother tongue of those who spoke them.

And although it is good to know how others have made Dua's,

that should not take away from the understanding

that Allah hears what we say in our own ways

and our own words.

It may be good to show reverence and respect to those who went before us,

but our own words will often be the best expression of what we feel in our hearts.

And God will surely hear Dua's that are heartfelt.