Dua of Ibraheem alayhi’salam

Our world is filled with beautiful inspirations through which all of us get motivated, reminded and supported. When we take our very first step in the way of becoming good; good inspirations always start following us. Some inspirations are so dynamic and powerful that we never get tired of drawing inspiration every time we look at them, and every time, we find new gems hidden inside. I would like to share one such priceless inspiration which influenced me in my personal life. It is a verse from the glorious Qur’an.

“Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your sacred House, our Lord, that they may establish prayer. So make hearts among the people incline toward them and provide for them from the fruits that they might be grateful..” ( Al Ibraheem 14:37)

No matter how many times I read  the aforementioned verse; it never fails to give me a fresh meaning; it never ceases to stun me with its powerful reminder.

This verse may be analyzed from various angles and through different analogies. I do not intend to give explanation to the above verse; neither am I knowledgeable enough to do such a great and noble job. I am writing this piece as an average human being who got inspired by one of its meanings and facets. I am solely responsible for any mistakes which I have penned in this article and I ask Allah  to forgive my shortcomings for He  is the Most Forgiving.

The Introduction

Prophet Ibraheem  was ordered by Allah  to leave his wife Hajarah and his son Isma’eel  in Makkah where no trace of  cultivation or civilization existed. Prophet Ibraheem  left his beloved wife and baby son there, with a leather bag containing some dates, a water skin filled with some water and set out homeward. Immediately after fulfilling Allah’s  order , Prophet Ibraheem  made the aforementioned Du’a.

The priceless possession a human being can ever have is the love that Allah instills in his heart for his family and loved ones. That particular love of Prophet Ibraheem  was tested by Allah .

When Allah  ordered Prophet Ibraheem  to leave the love of his life in a barren land, he never opposed neither dd he question back. He happily fulfilled Allah’s order and made Du’a for his beloved wife and son. The complete trust he had on his Lord helped him to move forward on this task. What inspired me about this scenario was the way Prophet Ibraheem  made Du’a.

The Inspiration

Let’s assume that we are left alone in a barren land, a desert, with no positive signal bars on our phones, emptied food packets and no water. It’s obvious that we would turn to Allah seeking His help, and ask Him to take us out of the tragedy. Let’s be honest and  answer the following question.

• How would we pray to Allah ?
• What supplication would we make?
• How would we ask Allah  for help if we were to get trapped in such a calamity?

Let me list few of them:

“Oh Allah, protect us from all harms”

“Ya Allah, please help us, let someone pass by and guide us to a safer place ”

“Ya Allah, at least show us a pond, so we can quench our thirst”

“Oh Allah! Help us this time, help us only once , we wont ask for anything thereafter ! Please help ”

Let’s think out of the box and ask ourselves whether we would ever think of asking Allah to send us a bottle of our favorite beverage and a hot pizza? Would we ask Allah  to grant us with some fruits so that we can enjoy our stay there? Would we?

Subhan’Allah ! According to many of us, these things are possible only in novels . Most of us would think  that asking  Allah for these kind of blessings is foolish, covered by lack of common sense which cannot be fulfilled even in a dream.

If one among us asks Allah  to send him his favorite food and fruits when he is lost in a barren land; we will surely label him to be one of the “mentally imbalanced”.

The fact of the matter is that, by breaking logic, priorities, formalities and “common sense”; Prophet Ibraheem  asked Allah  a greater Du’a.

1. He asked Allah  to let people pass with love so that his loved ones’ safety is assured.
2. He asked Allah  to grant fruits for his loved ones, so that they may give thanks.

Fruits in a barren desert with no cultivation thousands and thousands of years ago is obviously a phenomenon which can be questioned for its possibility. But nothing in this world stopped Prophet Ibraheem to make a prayer asking for such a big blessing even when his loved ones were left alone.

He did not restrict his Du’a only seeking their protection; neither did he limit his plea with phrases like “at least” , “only once” or “only this time”. He rather put his trust on his Lord and made the best dua he can make, because he strongly believed that nothing is impossible for Allah  .

Allah  in return gave more than what prophet Ibraheem  asked for, and favored him with the best of blessings.

What I personally learned about this supplication is that we, as Muslims, should never feel awkward to ask Allah  whatever we want. If we try to limit our Du’as, then we are literally underestimating Allah’s ability of giving blessings and His ability of transforming impossible things into a possiblity.

Du’a or Supplication itself is considered to be an act of worship.

The Prophet  said, “Du’a (supplication) is worship.”  ¹

Therefore, we must realize that Allah  is the Giver of Givers and thus, we should never be reluctant to ask Him for anything and everything. We should never think twice to supplicate in a grand manner, for Allah is “Al-Ghaniyy”: The One without any need; the Independent; The One who transcends all needs.