Du’a - The Essence of Worship
By Waleed Basyouni | 2026-01-10T12:10:52.579265+00:00 | Topic: Iman
Du'a - The Essence of Worship
Sheikh Waleed Basyouni
Opening and Praise
Indeed, all praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, ask for His guidance, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and the wickedness of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, there is none to misguide him, and whomever Allah leaves astray, there is none to guide him. And I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without any partners. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him].
O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.
O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment.
أما بعد عباد الله، فإن خير الكلام كلام الله وخير الهدي هدي رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وسلم) وشر الأمور محدثاتها وكل محدثة بدعة وكل بدعة ضلالة وكل ضلالة في النار
Amma ba'd
All praise is due to Allah and His praise and blessings and peace be upon His prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم), his family, his companions and his followers until the day of judgment and all the prophets and the messengers and their followers. I bear witness that the only one worthy of worship is Allah and that Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is His last and final messenger.
The Importance of Fasting and Du'a in Ramadan
My dear brothers and sisters, we all look forward to the month of Ramadan, the month where Muslims engage in so many different kinds of worship and acts of worship trying to please Allah. No doubt that the main act of worship that people always connect Ramadan to is al-siyam (fasting), and it's one of the best acts of worship that the Muslim can please Allah with, as the prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) himself said:
"Hold fast to fasting, for there is no equivalent to it." (Ibn Hibban and Imam Ahmed)
Ibn Mas'ud, Mu'adh Ibn Jabal and others used to recite the verse:
Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.
saying that those who fast, those who are patient - the reward that they will get out of fasting the month of Ramadan and any other volunteer fast that you might do during the year as well - there is no limit for the reward that you are going to gain on the Day of Judgment because of this act of worship.
Du'a: The Companion of All Worship
But also Ramadan is so connected to another act of worship that we do while we are fasting, while we are praying taraweeh, while we are breaking our fast, while we are going to the masjid, while we are making sujud. All year, all the month of Ramadan there is another act of worship very important that so many of us care about a lot - which is ad-du'a, asking Allah and praying to Him.
Du'a is something that everyone of us has experienced one time in his or her life.
When you become hopeless, when you ask for supporters and no one is willing to help, no one can offer anything, you turn to your Lord and you say, "Oh my Lord, Oh Allah."
Moments When We Turn to Allah
So many times when we start thinking about the sins that we committed in our life, the wrong deeds that we have done in our life, we think about the past - what wrong things have I committed, what have I done wrong in my life - and in that moment you know that the only one you can turn to is again Allah. You say, "Ya Rabb, Ya Rabb."
When you see injustice around you and you cannot help, you cannot change, when you see that the world around you needs Allah, a lot of things happening around you that you're not happy with, you're not satisfied with, but you know that you cannot do much, you again say, "Ya Rabb, Ya Rabb, Oh Allah."
When you see people - rich people rely on their wealth, people who are in high positions rely on their positions and their followers, leaders and presidents and kings rely on their soldiers, and everybody relies on something materialistic in this life seeking aid and support from it - and you know that in one moment in your life, you know that the only thing you really can rely on is Allah. "Ya Rabb," you raise your hand and you ask Him.
The Closeness of Allah to Our Du'a
How many times have you raised your hand and prayed to your Lord sincerely? A word came out from your heart and it was heard immediately from your Lord. Ali (رضي الله عنه) was asked, "How far is God from here?" because people know that Allah is above His throne, above the heavens and earth, above all His creations - it might be very far away from us. So Ali (رضي الله عنه) said:
"What is between the heavens and earth is like what is between you when you ask something and immediately Allah will accept it, or Allah will reward you for it, or Allah will give you what you ask for."
The Key to All Worship
One of the great scholars of Islam, Mutarrif ibn Abdullah al-Shikhir, said that he was thinking about all the acts of worship that Muslims are supposed to do in their lives. We are supposed to pray, we are supposed to make zakat, to donate, to help others, to say what is good, to advise one another, to help one another - all these good deeds that you are supposed to be doing in your life. And he realized that he cannot do any one of them unless Allah guides him to it and helps him to do it. The only way to get to that level, to be able to practice all this, is by asking Him to aid him, asking Him to allow him to do that. In that moment he realized that du'a is the key to all kinds of worship.
The Prophet's Teaching on Du'a
Yes, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) put it in a very beautiful way. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, as al-Hakim reported, that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told his companions once - and he told all of us:
(Tirmidhi 2969, Abu Dawud 1479)
"Du'a is worship itself." There is nothing more honorable in Allah's sight than du'a.
Historical Example: Nuruddin Zinki
My brothers and sisters, because of that, people through the history of Islam have realized the power of du'a. In the time when so many of the Muslim areas were occupied by the crusaders, there was a great leader named Nuruddin Zinki. At that time, it was a time of war where people needed the generals to be very loyal to the leader and to support the soldiers, which Nuruddin Zinki used to do. But he used to give a lot of money also to the students of knowledge and to the scholars who were not necessarily participating physically in the war.
Some of his advisors said, "Why don't you keep this money and give it to the generals, to the lieutenants, to the soldiers, so you guarantee their loyalty and give them incentive to work and to fight harder?" He told them - and this is a great answer that I'm quoting today to support my point - this man realized the power of du'a. He said:
"My soldiers, my lieutenants, my generals are very important to me. Their weapons in the battlefield sometimes hit the target and sometimes they miss. But those people that I'm supporting, those righteous men and women that I support - their weapons, their du'a, is the greatest weapon that will never miss its target. Those people I support, when they pray for me in the night, on Jumu'ah - this prayer will help us and aid us in our battle."
Du'a as the Essence of Worship
So the meaning of tawheed, the meaning of ibadah, the meaning of (لا إله إلا الله) becomes very clear every time you pray to Him. That's why:
(Tirmidhi 2969)
It is the main act of worship.
When Du'a Seems Unanswered
But so many of us would say, "Sheikh, you know what? I have done so much du'a in my life. I prayed to Him so many times to get that job after I did my interview, but I never got that phone call. I prayed to Him so many times to save my child, but I lost my child. I was looking forward to that promotion which never came. I was fired after I prayed and prayed that I would not be one of those suffering from this economy and losing my job. I don't know if it was accepted. I was looking forward to marry that person, but my parents never agreed and it never happened."
So many things you might say now, or say to yourself - what happened to this thing that you asked for? Was it never accepted? Was it never heard? How does Allah deal with all this du'a?
The Three Ways Allah Answers Du'a
My brothers and sisters, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) answered this and told us that any du'a, any request that you make whenever you pray to your Lord - the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that Allah will deal with it in one of three manners:
This is an authentic narration that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: "Allah will give you one of three." (Ahmad 11133, Tirmidhi 3573)
First: إما أن يعجل له حاجة - Allah will give you what you asked for.
Second: أو أن يدفع عنه من الشر مثله - Allah, the One who knows the unseen, the One who knows the future, will protect you from something evil that was supposed to happen to you, only because of this du'a, only because of this prayer.
Third: أو أن يدخر له من الأجر مثله - Allah will save this as an amount of reward that you will have on the Day of Judgment when you meet Allah.
You are dealing with the One who is almighty, who is God, who is merciful. He is the Most Merciful, the Most Generous, who hears and sees everything that you ask for.
Understanding Divine Wisdom
But so many times we overlook that not necessarily what you ask for is the best for you, and not necessarily in your best interest, especially in the future. Maybe Allah did not give you that job or that money that you asked for because Allah will keep it for you as a form of reward on the Day of Judgment.
That goal that you prayed for, that position that you asked for, that person that you were thinking of as your future spouse - if you got it in the dunya, you enjoyed it in the dunya, and in no time you'll lose it. But Allah knows that you will need the reward for this the most when you meet Him on the Day of Judgment. Maybe that amount of reward from that du'a which was never accepted today is the reason for your balance to be changed, and your good deeds will outweigh your bad deeds.
Maybe that is what will raise your level in Jannah to reach that position that Allah wants you to be in. He didn't give you what you wanted in this dunya because He wants to save it for you when you meet Him.
Lessons from the Story of Khidr
Sometimes He didn't give you what you asked for because Allah knows that maybe if He gave you that child, he would cause so much trouble in your life. Read the story of Al-Khidr (Quran 18:65-82) to understand this fact.
And also maybe that money that you were looking for, maybe that job, that position that you're after - (لأطغاك وأنساك وأفسدك) - would make you change into another person, other than what Allah wants you to be.
Remember, my brothers and sisters, that Allah will not always give you what you ask Him, in the time and manner that you request, but in the time and manner He thinks is best for you.
Reasons for Delayed Answers
Sometimes Allah doesn't give us what we ask for, my brothers and sisters, because maybe the source of your income is based on haram, unlawful sources. Maybe something you need to change in your life. Maybe you took money which doesn't belong to you. Maybe you're working in an area which you know you're not supposed to be working in, and He wants you to go back and check yourself. It's time for change - time to change that type of job or to return what you have taken that doesn't belong to you.
Sometimes Allah doesn't give you what you ask for immediately because Allah misses you in places and times that He would love to see you in. He doesn't see you much in the masjid. He doesn't see you coming constantly. He wants to see you at night praying to Him, coming to Fajr prayer, coming to
Maghrib, to Isha. He wants to see you reading the Quran. He wants to see those tears coming down from your eyes to make your heart softer than what it is now.
Trust in Allah's Timing
It has been said that Allah sometimes, when you ask Him something, don't expect the answer to come in the time that you request it, but He will answer it in the time that He knows is better for you.
My brothers and sisters, we should always rely on our Lord in all matters. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
(Ahmad 25348, Abu Dawud 5090)
"Don't let me rely on myself even for the blink of an eye."
Examples from the Quran
Look at the story of Adam (عليه السلام) - he wanted to achieve a position in Jannah through eating from the tree, but he was sent out to earth. When Yusuf (عليه السلام) was trying to get out of jail through that man who was released and was going to serve the king, and he told him through this man he could get out - he stayed in jail more years.
But on the other hand, every time we read the stories in the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) when people rely on Allah, depend on Allah, they are never let down.
Our Need for Allah
My brothers and sisters, as long as we show Allah our sincerity, admitting our weakness in front of Him and our need for Him:
"O mankind, you are in great need of Allah. Allah is free of need, praiseworthy."
(Muslim 2577)
"If the first and last of you, and the humans and jinn among you, were to stand in one place and ask Allah, and Allah were to give everyone what he asked for, that would not decrease His dominion in any way, except as a needle decreases the sea when dipped into it."
الحمد لله وحده والصلاة والسلام على من لا نبي بعده
His praise and blessings and peace be upon the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and all the Prophets and Messengers.
Conditions for Accepted Du'a
My dear brothers and sisters, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said that whoever doesn't pray to Allah in the time of peace - if that person only knows Allah in the time of hardship and calamity - his du'a might not be accepted because that person is taking advantage of the situation.
We should always be praying to Allah, always showing our servitude and gratitude. We should be thankful to our Lord in the time of peace and in the time of hardship.
If you want your du'a to be accepted, make sure that you always make your du'a after offering good deeds. That's why the du'a after salah, the du'a in sujud, after you read the Quran - you read, you glorify Allah, then when you go to sujud, you're ready to ask Allah. After you break your fast, when you're about to start your fasting at suhur time, in the fajr prayer, after a whole day and night that you maybe spent in qiyam al-layl, or salah, or sadaqah, and so on.
Have Certainty and Don't Give Up
Also, when you pray to Allah, make sure that you have certainty in your heart. Don't ever doubt, because as I told you, you're dealing with the Most Merciful, the Most Generous. Be certain that Allah always chooses for us what is good for us, and not necessarily my choice is the best for me.
Don't ever give up on du'a because you feel that you didn't get what you asked for, because nothing is going to be wasted from your du'a.
Prepare for Ramadan through Repentance
Also, my brothers and sisters, if you want your du'a to be accepted, if you want your du'a to be taken by Allah and raised to the best level that you can ever imagine, make sure that you repent and go back to Allah, especially before the month of Ramadan. If you want this month to be a blessed month, your best Ramadan ever, make sure that this month begins while you are clean.
You know, it's like a white garment that you have. If it's dusty, so dirty, it's very hard - even if you put cologne on it or decorate it or put something on it - it's not going to look good because you need to clean it first. Ramadan, yes, it's going to beautify you, it's going to make you do a lot of good things, but in order for this month to really be very effective, make sure that we clean our hearts, clean our minds before this month comes.
The Story of Musa and the Rain
Ibn al-Qayim mentioned a story about Musa (عليه السلام): he went with 70,000 of the children of Israel to
pray, asking God for rain. After he prayed, nothing happened - no rain, it was very sunny.
So Musa said, "70,000 of Your servants came to You, and You didn't accept from them?" Then Allah told Musa: "One of them for the last 40 years has never done good in his life. I never saw any good from him, and because of him, I did not give all this crowd what they asked for."
Musa asked, "If I ask him to leave the crowd, will our prayer be accepted?"
Immediately, Musa addressed the crowd and said, "That one who never prayed to God, who never did any good in his life for the last 40 years, leave the crowd so the rain can come."
The man put his head down and realized that this was a moment. He was afraid to be exposed in front of humans - so what about these sins being exposed in front of Allah tomorrow? With words mixed with tears, he said:
"Ya Rabb, for the last 40 years, You never exposed me. You always covered me. Ya Rabb, I am admitting now my sins. Ya Rabb, I ask You to forgive me."
When he did that, immediately the rain started falling.
So Musa said, "Ya Rabb, we did not see anyone leave the crowd."
Then Allah called to Musa: "This man has repented to Me, and because of him, I am giving you the rain that you asked for."
Musa said, "Ya Rabb, for one man the rain was prevented from us, and because of the same man, the rain was given to us. Who is that person?"
And Allah called to Musa: "Ya Musa, when he was sinning, I did not expose him. So how will I expose him after he repented to Me? There is no way I will reveal the identity of that person."
Lesson: Our Sins Affect the Community
If there is anything you can learn from this story, learn that your sins are not only affecting you, but affecting the whole community as well.
My brothers and sisters, don't let this month pass without taking advantage of these few days left before the month of Ramadan. Repent to Allah and ask Him to forgive you. Think about everything that you need to change in your life. It's an excellent opportunity for all of us to repent to Allah and to change our way of life.
Set Clear Goals for Ramadan
Great things have happened in the month of Ramadan throughout Islamic history - new countries that
Islam reached, new leaders were born, tyrants who made Muslims suffer died in Ramadan. But it's not about history - what's really important for us is: what will happen in your Ramadan? What will happen to you? What's going to change in your life?
If you don't have a clear goal - what do you want to achieve in this month, what do you want to change in yourself - I can guarantee you, this Ramadan will be like any other Ramadan in your life. But if you set a clear goal that you want to achieve in this month and you focus on it, you will be able to achieve these goals.
Let's make sure that at least one of these goals is that we change the attitude with which we look at du'a - the concept of du'a.
Closing Du'a
"You are my guardian, there is no god but You. Glory be to You, indeed I was of the wrongdoers."
O Allah, we ask You, O Most Merciful, O King of the Day of Recompense, O our Beloved, O Most Merciful, we ask You to forgive the Muslim men and women, the living and the dead. O Allah, we ask You, O Most Merciful, to be the guardian of the people of this blessed mosque, to be the guardian of the people of this blessed country.
(Bukhari 3370, Muslim 406)
O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. And bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed the family of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious."
"I seek refuge in Allah from Satan the accursed."