Du'a: The Greatest Weapon for The Believing Heart

Peace be upon you. Hoping that you are doing well despite of whatever worldly matter you are facing  and whatever worldly matter that is keeping you busy. Actually, I have so many things on my to-do-list and frankly confessing, deadlines are haunting me even in day light, scarier than ghost stories. Even so, I decided to escape the fiction of the world for this moment, and here am I in another sharing post on 'Dua'. Why? Because just a while ago, Allah has given me a surprise gift of encouragement, through my best friend, Ai (not her real name) in response to my desperate SOS Dua.

WARNING! Skip the italic part if you are not into stories. Read if you appreciate my writing. ^_^

The story of today will begin with the trigger. Homesickness. Don't laugh, judge or even bash me for this because if it was not because of this, I would have no inspiration in writing on this new post. And yes, homesickness is striking me in every of my free time that I had to keep my schedule busy or sleep to not think about it. It's not that I am living overseas to be this crazily and absent-mindedly missing my home all the time, but I still feel it, somehow.

Okay, and what Dua has got to do with this? The story will continue. I prayed to Allah desperately in my heart, 'I want to go back home, to my family, Ya Rabbi. You know how am I feeling right now..." And looking at the schedule, out of any other weekend, why is it that it must be THAT weekend, a charity visit was scheduled? Trying to change my place with someone else but ended up, in greater disappointment. I stubbornly checked the flight ticket and told myself, "I would not mind. Even if it is expensive..." and for all the three major flight company that I used to go back with, on that particular date, for all hours, were 'SOLD OUT'. I was so sad. And I told myself, 'It's okay Anne, it's okay. There must be good reason for this. There must be a great explanation for this. All the positive side of me, thankfully, came flying into my mind, trying to calm me down, remind me of Allah who is the Greatest of All. 

I sat on the Sajadah for quite a long time after my Zuhur prayer, reflecting and in the same time, I extended my hand and I told Allah. "Ya Rahim. this is no big deal. I'm fine of not going back but please keep everyone in my home town safe and healthy. Even though seeing me crying this hard, trying so hard, yet you are still not making it possible for me to find the remedy for this homesickness. Even so, I believe in YOU. My heart believes in YOU. If YOU have to decide to keep me here a little longer, YOU'll definitely protect me and care about me even more. That, I am sure. I feel save with YOU as my guardian, so whatever that you put for me, I'll accept it as it is.... But. right now, what should I do? I don't want to leave this Musolla. I feel so tired, because going out of this room would means that, I have to go back to the life of 'Never-ending Assignments and Deadlines'. Should I go out, shopping for groceries? Should I cook something homey taste? But I planned to do my AirTopic, should I just postpone that? Help me Ya Allah, I don't have any courage to go on..."

While thinking, still sitting, I was looking through the wall ahead of me, blanking alone when suddenly, I heard someone was calling my name, and before I could turn, I felt a peck on my cheek. I was surprised and looked at that person who was leaving, it was Ai. She was rushing to leave and without exchanging words, we gave each other a hug and that I felt a sudden rush of encouragement from what had just happened. (Smiling) All that I could think at that moment was Allah. "Is this your way of encouraging me?" I asked in my heart. "Well, Allah never fails in making me feel better..."

That was the reply to my Dua. Well, it may not sounds like the Dua we made after Solah to you, it may not sounds cool as it's not in Arabic but let me clarify something here. The definition to Dua is to call out for Allah and it could also mean the conversation we have with Allah, may it be when you are alone, or may it be when you are only saying it in your heart.

Allah is the Greatest, we all know that. No doubt. One of the greatness of HIM is the unending love and His mercy He has on us. Making us into a Khalifah in this world and in the role that we had to carry, difficulties and tests greet us every seconds, sometimes we felt down and discouraged and there would be time, we can't help but question, 'Why is it that to live for Allah is this difficult? Why can't I just live like others?. Sometimes we have to leave something that we like. Not just like, but like so super duper much. And sometimes, we have even have to walk away from something that we love. If you have felt like this before, you'll know how, once in a while, the unexplainable frustration within you just strike and push you down to the ground. Maybe you don't, but I do feel so.

But, our Lover Ar-Rahim did not just leave us in this battlefield. HE provides us with a great weapon in this fight. The best weapon ever existed in the history of life. It is invisible, it is not heavy, it is not something that we need to carry and all, it is a weapon that can change what is destined.

Rasulullah PBUH has said that, "What is destined cannot be averted except through Dua" 

Don't you feel that this is super cool? It is. You know what, I used to feel that Harry Potter's world is super awesome. Man, you can just do everything, like everything, if you could remember all of the spells in the Book of Charms for all edition in your five years of study in Hogwarts, but there is no spell to change what has been destined has been recorded (Sorry for those who has no idea about what I am writing about, but just know that there is such fiction book). And they need wand, but we just have to extend our hands. That weapon is Dua. And Allahu Rabbi has promised to answer them all. The thing is that, it is only immediately, or later. And Dua is also answered in the form that we are averted from difficulty or given as a reward in the Hereafter.

Dear comrades, Allah loves those who pray and ask from Him. If you ever ask this in your life, "How do I make Allah love me?" Then, one of the answer is make Dua. Because with that, we pleased HIM. That is what He want. Why would you ask help from someone else, who is just like you, when you have the Creator of this universe, available for you 24 hours, waiting for you, to go and ask from HIM? This weapon that we are talking, if used often, it makes the heart peaceful. Why? Because when we make Dua, properly, with all of our emotions, somehow, we are putting on our trust to Allah and that will make us realize how small we are, how weak we are as His servants. We cannot be weak as human because we have a battle to win. But we are weak, as Allah's servants. Not asking from HIM, abandoning the weapon He provided us with. Doesn't that make you an arrogant servant?

In the holy Al-Quran in Surah Gafir (40), verse 60

And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you. Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible"

And, in making Dua, do it properly. Start with 'Bismillah', Send blessings to our Prophet Muhammad PBUH and his family, praise Allah, admit our sins, and asked from HIM with all of our heart, believe in HIM. Believe that somehow, though things look impossible, believe that He'll help and sort out things for you. Dua in every conditions in your daily life. Ask and converse with Allah. A person who make Dua with his or her emotions, they will never feel lonely because Allah will always attend to them. Allah will remember you if you remember HIM.

Writing this, it is a reminder to me. Sometimes, this may be just a trivial matter for you. You've heard this so many times. But, I don't care. I'll write and keep on writing if that could be a reminder, because human tends to forget. In the world that has kept us busy for things that doesn't last long, sometimes, no, I mean all the time, we easily forget. 

Let's now stop forgetting and start to remind each other. To use the weapon with a heart that believes. This weapon helps in every aspect of life here and after.

Sometimes, we feel down and tired, maybe not because we are not strong enough to face it, but it must  be because we have forgotten to lean on Allah. We forgot that we need to keep on asking from HIM. 

Pray to Allah for His mercy, ask from His to place us in His heaven, pray for everything and have great faith that you prayers would be answered.

Today, my Dua was answered immediately. That moment, I couldn't just stop smiling. My love for Allah grows and it made me want to love HIM more. He always know what I need. Sometimes, even when I didn't ask, He give it all though. Can you imagine what would He do and how would He response if you ask from HIM? He wold have give you something even more beautiful.

Well, I'm still lacking of many things, but every seconds is a new chance to me and also to you. We cannot run from making sins and mistakes, I feel sad when I did something bad or something that Allah hates, but the fact that He would forgive as long as we ask for His forgiveness, make me realize how Great and Great Allah is. Stand up dear comrades, grab your weapon and let's continue fighting in this battle with even a greater strength than before. As long as the heart is beating for Allah, as long as you hold dearly and believe in Allah, with the weapon, we could fight any barrier that comes ahead. InshaAllah. 

That's all from me today. I hope you found something good from this post and if you do, it is from Allah for sure. And in all the mistakes you could point out, then, it is my lacking and I apologize for that. 

Written by:
AnneZR

p/s: A lover like Allah, with surprises and unexpected events in a tiring day, how could we not love HIM more than any other things? HE waters your wilted smile and make it bloom beautifully like flowers, so let's keep standing though wind is strongly blowing.

pp/s: Credit to someone who told me, 'Things can be impossible, but not for the believing heart..." If you are reading, I bet you are smiling. Anyway, thanks for coming and talked nonsense with me on my stressful evening. And I believe that comes from Allah.