As-salamu alaykum! Welcome back to another newsletter. Do you pray for something to Allah and deep down, feel like what you’re asking him can never come true? Do you doubt the help of Allah? Well, I was sitting on the prayer mat a few moments ago and had an amazing reflection, Subhanallah. I cannot wait to share it. Let’s head right into it!
This newsletter is going to be a very short read but Insha’allah, very beneficial. I have finals in less than two weeks and I’ve been super stressed out because I’m hardly able to make any time, sit down, focus, and properly study (hate inconsistency to the core).
So, after I got done with my salah, I sat down on the prayer mat wondering what to ask Allah. Help? But why should He help me when I, myself am not putting in any effort? Isn’t it my fault that I’m inconsistent? Remember? How Dua’ works from my previous newsletters? You gotta put in the effort and pray. You can’t just pray for an A and not study. You gotta put in the effort. So I, like many of you sat there wondering the possibility of what I was going to ask Allah. And then, a verse clicked in my head. Two weeks ago, my sabaq (doing hifdh revision) was Surah Qamar (The Moon). And in it, was the mention of Prophet Nuh. For those of you who don’t know, he lived (that is to say, he preached) for about 950 years and not many believed him. His nation was extremely rebellious and they rejected him as a prophet and the idea of Allah as the one and only god and afterlife;
۞كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍۢ فَكَذَّبُوا۟ عَبْدَنَا وَقَالُوا۟ مَجْنُونٌۭ وَٱزْدُجِرَ
“Before them, the people of Noah denied ˹the truth˺ and rejected Our servant, calling ˹him˺ insane. And he was intimidated.”
And then he made a dua’ to Allah in his intimidation:
۞فَدَعَا رَبَّهُۥٓ أَنِّى مَغْلُوبٌۭ فَٱنتَصِرْ
“So he cried out to his Lord, “I am helpless, so help ˹me˺!””
And Subhanallah, what happens next is incredible. Notice how his dua’ is just a plain dua’. ‘Oh Allah, I’m helpless so help me.’ Look how Allah responds to his dua’:
۞فَفَتَحْنَآ أَبْوَٰبَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ بِمَآءٍۢ مُّنْهَمِرٍۢ
“So We opened the gates of the sky with pouring rain,”
۞وَفَجَّرْنَا ٱلْأَرْضَ عُيُونًۭا فَٱلْتَقَى ٱلْمَآءُ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرٍۢ قَدْ قُدِرَ
“and caused the earth to burst with springs, so the waters met for a fate already set.”
۞وَحَمَلْنَـٰهُ عَلَىٰ ذَاتِ أَلْوَٰحٍۢ وَدُسُرٍۢ
“We carried him on that ˹Ark made˺ of planks and nails,”
۞تَجْرِى بِأَعْيُنِنَا جَزَآءًۭ لِّمَن كَانَ كُفِرَ
“sailing under Our ˹watchful˺ Eyes—a ˹fair˺ punishment on behalf of the one ˹they˺ denied.”
Allah! Opened the gates of the sky. Caused the earth to burst. Why? Because a dua’ had been made to him sincerely asking for help. I’m just… in awe right now. Such a plain dua’ and Allah unleashed destruction upon the disbelievers. All it took Him was just a dua’. The one who opens the gates of the sky and causes the to earth break open as a response to a dua’ cannot help you pass a lowly exam? What an ill-judgement of Allah’s help!
I’m leaving you this recitation as a gift. This is so close to my heart.
This newsletter is a reminder for myself before anyone else. I ask Allah for forgiveness if I misinterpreted any of his ayahs (if I did). This is it. Have hope and ask for big not small. Small things are not worthy of His Majesty. You’ll see miracles happening every day. All you need is sincerity in your dua’. Please ignore any typos I have written this on super-jet speed. Wassalamu’alaykum.
Masha'Allah
Mashallah Sidra. Keep up the good work!