The Common and Misunderstood Du'a (Prayer)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

There are a lot of materialistic Muslims who are completely living lives of this world and have no concern for the Hereafter. They will pray a lot and they will also go to hajj and umrah. But they don't ask Allah for forgiveness, mercy on the Judgment Day, Islam of their children, forgiveness and mercy of their parents, but they make du'a for job promotion, for increase in their wealth, growth in business, and for other worldly concerns.

Then there are many who, by their profusion in voluntary acts of worship, come to believe that they are very devoted, pious and special. In reality, hidden behind this facade is the same love of the mundane life.

Then, there are respected people who maintain relations with pious people, as well as show their regard for deceased saints and awliya, but the prevailing aim of such relationships is the vague hope that their du'a will work for them, worldly hardships will stay away, and their belongings shall be blessed.

If your biggest concern in your existence is worldly in nature, then you forgot the essence of Islam.

When we ask Allah, don't just ask Allah for this world because then you just ask for something that does not build your Hereafter. We ask Allah in priority. First, we ask Allah for guidance -- the first complete du'a that Allah taught us in the Qur'an is for guidance.

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿١﴾ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ ﴿٢﴾ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿٣﴾ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ ﴿٤﴾ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ ﴿٥﴾ اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ ﴿٦﴾ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ ﴿٧

In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. (1) [All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds - (2) The Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful, (3) Sovereign of the Day of Recompense. (4) It is You we worship and You we ask for help. (5) Guide us to the straight path - (6) The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray. (7)

[Qur'an, Al-Fatiha 1:1-7]

Everything you enjoy on this earth is to sustain yourself for your real purpose. But for some people, even though they have come to this treasure of guidance, they still don't care for the Hereafter (akhirah) and their preference is clearly this world over the Hereafter.

Allah has taught us another du'a and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam used to pray with these words very frequently, but how misunderstood this du'a is.

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ﴿٢٠١ ...

...Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire. (201)

[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:201]

This du'a is a compedium of all prayers in as much as it encompasses the entire range of one's worldly and other-worldly objectives. Apart from enjoying peace in the world, and peace in the Hereafter, the verse, refers in the end to the safety from 'the punishment of Fire' as well.

The best thing that you can have in this world is the Prophet's role model.

Allah Almighty says,

لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّـهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّـهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّـهَ كَثِيرًا ﴿٢١

There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often. (21)

[Qur'an, Al-Ahzab 33:21]

The best thing for you is to be a follower of the best role model in the best way. In other words, the best thing you can have in this world is the following of the man who live the best possible life in this world. And if you do that it is only logical that you get the best possible thing in the Hereafter. The best thing in this world does not mean the best car, the best house, the best neighborhood, the best college, the best phone, etc. If you can have all those things, maybe it is fine. But if you forget the purpose of which you live on this earth, then that is a tragedy -- the world has gotten from your head and into your heart, and that spells TROUBLE.

What is required is that we should not focus all our attention on our worldly needs as if they were the very purpose of life, but we should, along with it, show far more concern for what would happen to us in the Hereafter, and pray for it.

May Allah make us among His best servants, save us from the punishment of the Hellfire, and guide the ummah. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam