The Power of Du'a | Hidden Treasures Episode 20 | Ustadh Majed Mahmoud

The Essence of Worship

The Prophet ﷺ — and remember to say sallallahu alayhi wasallam — he said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3372; Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 1479 — graded Sahih)

Du'a is the essence of worship. Just like how you and I know that Allah created us to worship Him, and a big part of it is our du'a. So how is your du'a and my du'a going this time around in our lives? We should increase it as much as we possibly can, because in it you are humble to Allah. In the du'a you realize you are the slave of Allah. In the du'a you come to reset the brain and realize that it is Allah — in His hands is everything:

No change or power except by the will of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. Du'a makes you know your real position. Du'a makes you realize Allah's status. So do as much as you possibly can. It's the essence of what? Of ibadah, of worship.

Your Call to Allah Will Never Be Ignored

The Prophet ﷺ tells you more — a hadith to encourage you to make du'a, to tell you your call to Allah will never be ignored, your call to Allah will never be blocked. Allah will always answer. He ﷺ said that Allah said, in a hadith qudsi — an authentic narration:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2577)

Oh My servants — Allah is saying — Oh My slaves, pay attention. If all of you, from the time of the first human being all the way to the last human being — we're talking billions of people — إِنْسَكُمْ وَجِنَّكُمْ — and even the jinn. Allahu Akbar, can you imagine the population? All the human beings and all of the jinn asked Allah for something — made a request at the same time. Wallahi, right now two people are talking and I don't know sometimes who's saying what. Allah is saying: all of humanity and all of the jinn are asking Allah for something at the same time. Allah says: I will give everyone what they asked for. My kingdom will not decrease. That's how much He has. That's how powerful He is. That's how much He can answer. That's how many of His creation He is providing for. Be encouraged by that.

The Quranic Command: Call Upon Me

Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, in the Quran — the treasure of du'a — Allah is telling you:

Call upon Me, I will respond. Allah says: ask Me. Nowadays, what happens? If you need help, what do you do? You go text someone. Do you think this guy can help me out? And you're nervous. Then you type the text: "Brother, I need your help." Then you think about it — I didn't call him in three years, now I'm asking him to fix something for me. Then you struggle. Then you go to ChatGPT to rewrite the text. All of that you're nervous — to go ask someone for help.

Allah is the best of examples. Allah is saying: ask Me for help. Allah is saying: I am here. Allah wants you to talk to Him. Allah is the one reaching out — what help do you want? So Allah says: call Me, call Me. And Allah said: I will respond. May Allah forgive us.

Then Allah changes the tone — you might be surprised. The same verse. Allah says: call upon Me, I will reply. Then He says: those who are arrogant towards My worship. What does worship here mean? Remember the hadith — worship and du'a and the relationship. Allah says: those who are arrogant from My worship, meaning arrogant from making du'a to Allah — they will enter into Jahannam, humiliated. May Allah protect us.

Allah is threatening you, and threatening me, and threatening the creation — if you don't call upon Allah, you may go to Hell for that. So are we being forced to make du'a? It's for your own benefit that Allah is warning you. Allah does not want you or I to humiliate ourselves to other people — accepting jobs that are haram because "no one is really providing, this is the only job that gave me an interview, let me go for it." A relationship that is haram because "no one is wanting me in marriage, I don't know where to put my desire, I don't know with what family to build, I have this man, I have this woman" — and so on and so forth. These are the situations where Allah says: call upon Me. Did you call Me? Did you do the right thing? Did you do what I told you to do?

Allah is warning us for our own benefit. If the reward does not move you, let the fear move you. So may Allah bless you and I, and may Allah make us always remember to make du'a to Allah.

One of Three Things Always Happens

I will end with this hadith. The Prophet ﷺ teaches us that whenever you make du'a to Allah, one of three things happen. And why am I ending on this? Because some people say: "Brother, I hear you, I read this stuff before, I heard it in a khutbah — I make du'a and Allah never gave me what I asked for. Is Allah answering me?" But how do we know that?

(Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 11149; al-Adab al-Mufrad, Hadith 710 — graded Sahih)

Option One: Allah Gives You Exactly What You Asked For

Either Option One — Allah gives you whatever you asked for, exactly. You want this, Allah gives it to you.

Option Two: Allah Blocks a Hardship Coming Your Way

The other option — you ask for something, but Allah the All-Wise knows that the thing you're asking for is not good for you. You're asking Allah: I want this, I want this — but it's not good for you, though you cannot see it. But Allah sees it. Allah the All-Wise will not give it to you. "Oh, so I wasted my time?" No, you did not waste your time. Your du'a goes to Allah, and He does not do Option One. Instead, Option Two — He blocks a hardship coming your way.

What do you mean? You're about to have a car accident — God forbid — and then you go to your right, then you go to your left, and your car slides. "Oh my God, I'm going to hit the concrete wall!" Then you don't hit the concrete wall. You're saved. No — you're not a good driver, don't think you're so good at it. It's Allah that saved you, from a du'a maybe you made three or four years ago: "Ya Allah, make me get into this university" — "Ya Allah, make me marry this person" — and Allah never gave it to you. And today Allah answered it, and the best way for you was to save you from a deadly car accident. Your du'a has not been blocked or unanswered — it was answered the way Allah saw best for you.

Option Three: Your Du'a Is Transformed Into Good Deeds on the Day of Judgment

Option Three — you make du'a to Allah, He does not give you what you asked for in Option One, and He does not use it to block a hardship. Instead, your du'a gets transformed into good deeds on the Day of Judgment, where the scale is heavy with good deeds.

Imagine your scale heavy with bad deeds, and you're nervous — "Oh my God, this is my ending." But then all the hasanat from that du'a that was not answered the way you wanted it — those hasanat are being put on the scale of good deeds, and it becomes heavy. Then you entered into Jannah. You're like: "Alhamdulillah, the du'a was not given in the dunya — I have it now in the akhira." Allah chose that which is best for you, though you may have wanted one of the three in the dunya.

Which of the Three Is Best?

Which of the three is the best? Don't leave it in the comment section below — make du'a in the comment section below, and share this video for others to benefit, inshallah. You know which of the three is best? Whatever Allah sees best for you.

May Allah bless you and protect you. Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.