Dua means supplication, which means communicating with a deity, comes closer than invocation. It is an important part of our faith and belief. We ask from Almighty Allah for everything that we want in our life no matter how big or small. Dua is a means of keeping in touch with Allah and due to Dua, we get closer to our Lord. So, Dua is a source of keeping the supplicant closer to the Almighty Allah. Allah says:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

“And said your Lord, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you. Indeed, those who (are) proud to worship Me will enter Hell (in) humiliation.” (Surah Ghafir, 40:60)

In Islamic terminology, dua is the act of supplication.  It is calling out to God; it is a conversation with God, our Creator, our Lord, the All-Knowing, and the All-Powerful. The word Dua means “calling” in Arabic or we can say it is an act of remembering Allah Almighty. Allah says:

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ

“Our Lord! (Do) not deviate our hearts after [when] You (have) guided us, and grant (for) us from Yourself mercy. Indeed You, You (are) the Bestower.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:8)

Dua is the aspect of worship according to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW). All of us are hasty in making a decision or doing any work, we do not have patience, while Allah loves the Patient People as the verse in Quran goes “Allah is with the people who do Sabr.” Allah says:

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

“And when ask you My servants about Me, then indeed I am near. I respond (to the) invocation (of) the supplicant when he calls Me. So let them respond to Me and let them believe in Me, so that they may (be) led aright.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:186)

Dua is a form of prayer and it could be made at any time anywhere there is no fixed time and place of making Dua. It is considered as a weapon with the help of which we can change our situation by asking for help from Almighty Allah. Allah says:

رَّبَّنَا اكْشِفْ عَنَّا الْعَذَابَ إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ

“Our Lord! Remove from us the punishment; indeed, we (are) believers.” (Surah Ad-Dukhan 44:12)

Dua can change the destiny so try to make Dua in every situation because with Dua you will always get closer to Almighty Allah. It maintained a person’s belief in One Lord and it rejects all forms of idolatry. Dua is essentially submission to the Creator and a demonstration of a person’s need for Allah.

Duas during Hardships in Islam:

1. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اسْتَعِينُواْ بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلاَةِ إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ َ: “O you who believe[d]! Seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah (is) with the patient ones.” (Quran, 2:153)
2. لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ: “(There is) no god except You, Glory be to You! Indeed, [I] I am of the wrongdoers.” (Quran, 21:87)
3. وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَم يَكُن لَّهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ وَلِيٌّ مِّنَ الذُّلَّ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا: “All Praise (is) for Allah the One Who has not taken a son and not is for Him a partner in the dominion, and not is for Him any protector out of weakness. And magnify Him (with all) magnificence.” (Quran, 17:111)
4. قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي: “My Lord! Expand for me my chest and ease for me my task and untie (the) knot from my tongue that they may understand my speech.” (Quran, 20:25-28)
5. رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا: “Our Lord! Grant us from Yourself Mercy, and facilitate for us [from] our affair (in the) right way.” (Quran, 18:10)

“O Allah, Your mercy that I hope. Do not let me have a twinkle of eyes, and fix my affairs, there is no Lord besides You” (Abu Dawud). From this hadith, we concluded that the hardships that we are facing sometimes are difficult to overcome. However, there is Allah (SWT) who can help us in all of our situations.

“O One Who is Living, O Most Self-sufficient; with Your mercy, I seek help” (Tirmidhi). This Dua is to ask help from Allah Almighty. As it is mentioned in Dua that He is the Most Self-sufficient so we need to praise Him and only with His mercy, we can overcome the hardship.

Here are some benefits of making Dua:

1. Our Lord! Give us the grace to lead those who are conscious of You
2. Our Lord! You embrace all things within Your Grace and Knowledge
3. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness and Most Merciful
4. Our Lord! Take our souls in the company of the righteous
5. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and efface our bad deeds
6. Our Lord! give us help against those who reject faith
7. Our Lord! keep us safe from the torment of the Fire
8. Our Lord! Help us against those who deny the truth
9. Our Lord! Grant us good in this world
10. Our Lord! Bestow on us endurance
11. Our Lord! Make us a righteous person
12. Our Lord! Pour out on us patience and constancy
13. Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Your presence
14. Our Lord! gifted mankind Quranic duas for problems
15. Our Lord! Perfect our light for us and forgive us our sins
16. Our Lord! Forgive those who repent and follow Your path
17. Our Lord! Relieve us of the torment, for we do really believe
18. Our Lord! Behold we have heard a voice calling us unto faith
19. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and the lack of moderation in our doings
20. Our Lord! Grant that our spouses and our offspring be a comfort to our eyes

We should always get help from Allah Almighty, we need to praise and call the name of Allah continuously. Dua, on the other hand, is a Muslim way of feeling that connection to God at any time, in any place. Allah says:

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

“And from those who say, “Our Lord! Grant us in the world good and the Hereafter good, and save us (from the) punishment (of) the Fire.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:201)

Muslims call on God frequently throughout the day and night. They raise their hands in supplication and ask for His help, mercy, and forgiveness. Dua incorporates praise, thanksgiving, hope, and calling on God to assist the one in need and grant his or her requests. Allah says:

وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ

“And not were their words except that they said, “Our Lord forgive for us our sins and our excesses in our affairs and make firm our feet and give us victory over [the people] the disbelievers.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:147)

Dua certainly holds certain similarities to the prayer of Christians, however, it should not be confused with what Muslims call prayer. Prayer or in Arabic-Salat is one of the pillars of Islam, and in performing the five daily prayers. Allah says:

وَقُل رَّبِّ أَدْخِلْنِي مُدْخَلَ صِدْقٍ وَأَخْرِجْنِي مُخْرَجَ صِدْقٍ وَاجْعَل لِّي مِن لَّدُنكَ سُلْطَانًا نَّصِيرًا

And say, “My Lord! Cause me to enter an entrancing sound, and cause me to an exit sound and make for me from near You an authority helping.” (Surah Al-Isra` 17:80)

A Muslim engages in a physical form of dua asking Allah to grant them, Heaven, through their actions. All Muslims believe that all of us have to die and we will be gathering on the Day of Judgment in front of Allah with all the Good and bad deeds we have done in life.