Customize Your Dua for Ramadan – Seek What and When to Ask

A year has passed since the last Ramadan we have spent and it was a year full of blessings, worship, joys, and regret. Now yet again we have stepped into a new year in which we can mend what we forgot to do in previous Ramadan and what we did not accomplish because of either lack of spirit or lack of time. Ramadan is a month, which invigorates our relation with Mighty Lord and asks us to seek repentance and forgiveness by abandoning food and thirst for Allah.

The privilege that Allah has bestowed upon its followers in this divine month of Ramadan is to accept supplication regardless of purpose and occasion. For this reason, Dua has termed the essence of worship and the Supplication of a fasting person never gets rejected.

There are three whose supplication is not rejected: The fasting person when he breaks his fast, the just leader, and the supplication of the oppressed person; Allah raises it up above the clouds and opens the gates of heaven to it. And the Lord says: ‘By My might, I shall surely aid you, even if it should be after a while.’”[Tirmidhi]

Purpose of a Believer:

Purpose of believer in this entire Ramadan is to strengthen his/her relation with Allah in order to ask what he desires and has ever asked for on other occasions. There is no such thing that can shield or safeguard Muslims from the tribulations of this world other than Dua that is why Allah Almighty loves those who seek His help and ask His assistance, as Quran says:

“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” [2:186]

Dua needs to be productive and necessarily should not be a long one because in the end it was not the length of the Dua that matters but the meanings and intention with which you are asking from Allah. Hazrat Ayesha (RA) said:

“Messenger of Allah (PBUH) preferred Dua that were few in words and comprehensive in meaning.” [Abu Dawud]

Customizing Dua in Ramadan:

When Ramadan starts we are so stuck in our professional and personal life that we almost forgot what to do and what to ask in this imperative month of Ramadan Kareem. In order not to forget and be in the high spirits, make your reverend Dua customize with the help of following few easy tips:

• Write down all the supplications you want to be fulfilled and get answered quickly. Better and convenient is to write all these Duas under one single heading so that you need not to write all the content for Dua.
• Memorize at least one Dua for a day for any particular activity or daily task but do not worry if you cannot help yourself to memorize it. Write in on a pad and paste it somewhere where you usually spend few minutes of your life.
• Make some Dua cards and stick it at feasible places in your home so that not only you but your family too can reap the benefits from it.

Dua Etiquettes:

Everything has etiquettes and Dua too has some without which Dua can be invalid. There are some etiquettes that a believer should observe prior making supplication.

• Have faith in Allah
• Face Qibla whilst making Dua
• Do not raise your voice too high while asking in supplication
• Start Dua by praising Allah and calling Him with beautiful 99 names

Occasions in Ramadan to Make Supplication:

There are few occasions on which you can make Dua and offers supplication besides Sahoor and Iftar and after each Namaz. There are certain occasion on which prayers are answered and should not be missed this Ramadan.

• Supplication After Ablution:

“The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: ‘Whoever performs Wudu’ and does it well, then says: “I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is his slave and Messenger),” eight gates of Paradise will be opened for him, and he may enter through whichever one he wishes.’” [Sunan an-Nasa’i]

• Supplication During Sujood:

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, “A slave becomes nearest to his Rab when he is in prostration. So increase supplications while prostrating.” [Muslim]

• Supplication After Obligatory Prayers:

“It was said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, which supplication is most likely to be listened to?’ He said: ‘(During) the last part of the night, and at the end of the obligatory prayers.’” [Tirmidhi]

These are significant Duas but make sure that your tongue remains moist with the remembrance of Allah in this Ramadan as in it lies satisfaction of heart and soul. Supplication is the only way to beseech guidance, help, knowledge, and mercy from Allah, as He is the sole merciful and Omnipotent Lord of the world.

“Our Lord, indeed we have heard a caller calling to faith, [saying], ‘Believe in your Lord,’ and we have believed. Our Lord, so forgive us our sins and remove from us our misdeeds and cause us to die with the righteous.” [3:193]