Answer
Short Answer:
- There is no obligation to stick purely to the duas of other people. Dua can be anything from your heart at any moment in your native language as well – it just has to have the intention to be dua. Your prayers must be from the heart and that is all Allah Most High asks from us.
- Dua journalling is a beautiful practice that anybody can do whenever they feel so inclined. It can be a Google Doc or any memo app where you write down the things you would like to talk to the Almighty about. Perhaps if you have the ability to, consider buying a pretty journal or notebook that brings you joy to write in.
- Health, wisdom, tranquility, deeper understanding, forgiveness – these are all great things to talk to Allah about. Of course, He is also there to listen to the negative feelings too. If you’re feeling frustrated with family issues or betrayed by loved ones, He will hear you out when you talk about these things too. He is there in times of distress but also in times of delight, so try to talk to Him when you can, much like a close friend.
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Asalaam alaikum,
Thank you for contacting AboutIslam about making dua.
Being a convert myself, I remember having similar questions about the concept of dua.
At first, it felt very confusing for me as well, and I too felt overwhelmed – so please know that you aren’t alone in feeling this way at first. I pray this answer may provide some clarity for you perhaps.
What is Dua?
Dua is commonly translated as supplication. It is the other type of prayer, besides salah, the daily obligatory prayer. Now what people don’t always make super clear when explaining it to somebody new to the faith is that many things count as duas, from the super small and simple to the lengthy and eloquent.
Allah Most High says in the Holy Quran,
“Your Lord has proclaimed, “Call upon Me, I will respond to you. Surely those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell, fully humbled.” (Surah Ghafir, Ayah 60)
The truth is that the duas people often teach each other are also from Quran or hadith and they’re ones often given to Prophets before us who had success with their duas.
That being said, there is no obligation to stick purely to the duas of other people. Dua can be anything from your heart at any moment in your native language as well – it just has to have the intention to be dua. Your prayers must be from the heart and that is all Allah Most High asks from us.
Bite-sized Duas With Powerful Meaning
To prove my point about small duas people do without realizing it is considered a dua, I thought I would include a small list of them.
- Saying “peace be upon him” after mentioning the Messenger of Allah, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
- Subhanallah (Glory be to God)
- Alhamdulillah (All praises be to God)
- Astaghfirullah (I seek forgiveness from God)
- The last two chapters of the Quran double as duas as well
- Surah al-Fatiha
There are many more, of course, but these are often the most common duas Muslims may do without realizing they’re even duas. Of course, there are many gems in the Quran that are a bit longer (more like multi-word phrases) and then of course, long paragraphs of prayers people do, if they feel so inclined. However, I recommend everybody keep a Dua Journal when possible.
Dua Journaling
Dua journalling is a beautiful practice that anybody can do whenever they feel so inclined. It can be a Google Doc or any memo app where you write down the things you would like to talk to the Almighty about. Perhaps if you have the ability to, consider buying a pretty journal or notebook that brings you joy to write in.
Health, wisdom, tranquility, deeper understanding, forgiveness – these are all great things to talk to Allah about. Of course, He is also there to listen to the negative feelings too. If you’re feeling frustrated with family issues or betrayed by loved ones, He will hear you out when you talk about these things too. He is there in times of distress but also in times of delight, so try to talk to Him when you can, much like a close friend.
It is also a really lovely practice I recommend for people so we can keep track of all of the times we’ve said we would pray for somebody, even in passing. (I know I’ve told my family “Don’t worry! I’ll pray for you.” on facebook or something and then totally forget when I close my computer, because I didn’t write it down so having a dua journal helped me remember my promises better.)
How a Dua Journal Will Brighten Up Your Days
A dua journal is also a good way to later reflect back and see all of the blessings and bounties the Almighty has already given you before that you didn’t realize were answered. Like somebody might look back in ten years and simply say, “I remember feeling unsure of how to make dua and now I’m very comfortable with it since I prayed to Him that He would put ease in my prayers.” It is often said that God works in mysterious ways, but I find that a dua journal really helps solidify that God works in the best of ways for us.
In short, please consider making a dua journal or memo and focus on doing little daily dua phrases like the above mentioned so you can get more generally comfortable with dua. He did not want you to stress so much when you talk to Him, because He loves to hear from you over and over again. Allah is al-Wadood or the Divine Source of Love.
And Allah knows best.
I hope this helps. Please keep in touch.
Walaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh
(From Ask About Islam archive)
Please continue feeding your curiosity, and find more info in the following links:
Why Is My Duaa Not Being Answered?