This Thing about Du'a
Dr. Pasha
(Bringing Islam to the World One Concept at a Time!
Taking the Qur'an to Every Home and Heart that Needs It --
And which One Does Not?)
Allah says in the Qur'an that when you call him he responds. I have never seen anything like this in the world. And I have scoured world literature in several languages.
Come, hear his words:
Ujeebu D'awatad Daa-i,
Idhaa Da'anee!
The word "Idhaa" blows me away. Like every thing else in the Qur'an does.
And I don't care what the Mullahs and the Mowlanas say.
Poor people! These Mullahs and Mowlanas! I go after them from time to time. But they are good people. Most of them. Generally harmless. And ineffective in the larger scheme of things.
Even though some of them are rotten apples. Traitors. Charlatans. Sleeping with the enemy.
And some simply buying their Duniya -- wealth, power, prestige, pomp and so on -- with their Deen: their true commitment and loyalty to God and to God's people and creation on this earth.
In any case, as they say, the word "idhaa" leaves me speechless and awestruck.
And that is because most people will translate Idhaa as "When." And they will be right.
In the dictionary, that is exactly what that word means. In Arabic Lexicon, the word Idhaa means When.
But I see in it another meaning, albeit a very closely related one: "As."
So my translation will be "When," yes, but also "As."
So, to me the Aayat Karimah's paraphrase will go like this:
One: "I answer the call of those who call me 'whenever' they call me."
Absolutely correct.
But I will go one step further and paraphrase it as:
Two: "I answer the call of those who call me 'as' they call me."
Three: "I respond to those who call me 'even as' they call me."
Clear Implications:
"Even as they lift their hands."
"Even as words of Du'a escape their lips."
"Even as the thought of making Du'a enters their heart and mind."
Surprised? I am not. And I will tell you why.
Simple! God Almighty makes the same promise to you any number of times in a 24-hour period. It is just that you do not pay attention.
Remember, this is the same God who told you to perform Salaah so many times a day. Both Fard and Sunnah.
And a countless number of Nafil.
And made Rukoo' compulsory in each Rak'ah of each Salaah or Namaaz.
And taught you to say this first:
"God Almighty has already heard and
accepted from those who praise him."
Sami'allahu Liman Hamidah!
And then he reminds you, knowing you so well as he does, not to forget to praise him. And even taught you the wording for how to do it:
Rabbanaa wa Lakal Hamdu!
Paraphrase:
"And, also, Thank You so much, Master!"
"And, yes, of course, All praise to you, my Lord!"
But then the trick is to get your Du'a right. And to give your Du'a any chance of being accepted, your Du'a must come from the heart.
And it must be accompanied with a lot of crying, and begging, and pleading.
And so on and so forth.
Get it?
END
