Do Duas really work? Do they change laws of cause and effect?

[peace800]

Salaam

Allah swt has set the laws of the universe which do not change and people have free will. The laws of nature are constant and people die and get killed. So if Allah wanted to intervene he would and save them. My question is do Duas really work or are they just done to make people feel better etc? even though Allah does not intervene in the laws of causality to actually answer such Dua's asking for a job, etc?

Please can you not talk about how some Duas are answered immediately, some are saved etc. My question is in relation to Allah intervening in the laws, events etc to answer Duas, assuming if he does.

If everything in this world is due to cause and effect and Allah leaves that to happen why would he intervene in those laws to answer Dua of a person for things such as jobs, finance etc when everything else is left to cause and effect such as accidents, calamities etc?

thanks.

[Muslim Woman]

:wa:




......
The eminent Muslim scholar, Dr. `Atiyyah `A. Lashin, Professor of Jurisprudence at Al-Azhar University, states:"Qadar, or Divine predestination is of two kinds:



1. Unconditional predestination



2. Conditional predestination.





Du`a’ has nothing to do with the first kind, while it may change the second one.




This ruling is based on the Hadith that reads: "Nothing could change the Qadar except Du`a’."(Musnad Ahmad, Vol. 5, Hadith no. 277; Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Vol. 3, Hadith no. 139; and classified as Hasan (good) Hadith by Al-Abaani in Sahih Al-Jami`, Hadith no. 7687)”






Shedding more light on this issue, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, former president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and member of the Fiqh Council of North America, answers:"Du`a' has great power; it can change many things. We should always pray to Almighty Allah and should never give up hope in the acceptance of Du`a'. Du`a’ is the most important act of worship. It does not mean that we or any other human or jinn have power, but it means that Allah, the Almighty, has power and He can do whatever He wills. Du`a’ is the recognition and acknowledgement of our dependence upon Allah, Most High, and our deep faith that He can change anything. There are many verses in the Qur'an and many Hadiths that emphasize the importance and necessity of Du`a'.






The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Du`a’ benefits in the things that have happened as well as the things that have not happened yet. The calamity comes down, but the Du`a’ confronts it and they may continuously wrestle until the Day of Resurrection." (Reported by Al-Hakim.)In another Hadith, it is reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Nothing can change the Qadar except the Du`a’…" This Hadith is reported by several authorities on Hadith, such as Imam Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, Al-Hakim, and Ibn Majah… etc.





Most of the scholars of Hadith consider it an acceptable Hadith.There is no contradiction between our faith in the power of Du`a’ to Allah and in our belief in the Qada' and Qadar of Allah. Scholars have explained that there are two types of Qada' (Allah’s Decrees):a. those that are known as Qada' Mubram (absolute decrees);b. and those that are known as Qada' Mu`allaq (conditional decrees).







The absolute decrees do not change, but the conditional one may change if and when the conditions are fulfilled.




http://www.zawaj.com/askbilqis/dua-i...dua-and-qadar/

[Ahmad H]

Wa 'alaykum as-salaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatahu,

I will give you the answers to such questions and the explanations which are reported by the Holy Prophet (saw) himself. Since the unseen was revealed to him as the Prophet of Allah, the best answer will come from him, as Allah communicated this knowledge through him. Our logic cannot answer something which can only be understood by revelation. This is part of belief in Al-Qadar. I am primarily relying on Sunan Ibn Majah, since I am more familiar with this book of Hadith than the other books.

It was narrated that 'Ali said: “We were sitting with the Prophet (saw) and he had a stick in his hand. He scratched in the ground with it, then raised his head and said: 'There is no one among you but his place in Paradise or Hell has already been decreed.' He was asked: 'O Messenger of Allah, should we not then rely on that?' He said: 'No, strive and do not rely upon that, for it will be made easy for each person to do that for which he was created.' Then he recited: “As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, And believes in Al-Husna. We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness). But he who is a greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient. And denies Al-Husna. We will make smooth for him the path for evil.”(92:5-10) (Sahih)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #78)

'Abdullah bin Abi Mulaikah narrated that his father entered upon 'Aishah and said something to her about the Divine Decree. She said: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: 'Whoever says anything about the Divine Decree will be questioned about that on the Day of Resurrection, and whoever does not say anything about it will not be questioned about it.'” (Da'if)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #84)
NOTE: This Hadith may be considered weak, but the subject-matter is very serious. If the possibility is even there that Allah could question us on it, then we should avoid it when necessary. It is logical to follow this Hadith, since no harm could come if we don't speak about Al-Qadar, and thus are not questioned about it from Allah. Whoever is questioned by Allah on the Day of Judgment, it's not a good sign for that person.

'Amr bin Shu'aib narrated from his father that his grandfather said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) came out to his Companions when they were disputing about the Divine Decree, and it was as if pomegranate seeds had burst on his face (i.e., it turned red) because of anger. He said: 'Have you been commanded to do this, or were you created for this purpose? You are using one part of the Quran against another part, and this is what led to the doom of the nations before you.'” 'Abdullah bin 'Amr said: “I was never so happy to have missed a gathering with the Messenger of Allah (saw) as I was to have missed that gathering.” (Hasan)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #85)
NOTE: This shows how much we should refrain from debating about Al-Qadar. Not that you are, but this Hadith demonstrates the seriousness of it.

It was narrated that Suraqah bin Ju'shum said: “I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, is one's deed in that which has already dried of the Pen and what has passed of the Divine Decree, or is it in the future?' He said: 'No, it is in that which is already dried of the Pen and what has passed of the Divine Decree, and each person is facilitated for what he has been created.'” (Sahih)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #91)
NOTE: This is the answer the Holy Prophet (saw) gave with respect to how you should act with respect to Al-Qadar, things will all happen as they should. We simply have to do our best, and Allah will facilitate our actions.

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that when the Messenger of Allah (saw) was coming back from the battle of Khaibar, night came and he felt sleepy, so he made camp and said to Bilal: “Keep watch for us tonight.” Bilal prayed as much as Allah decreed for him, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) and his Companions went to sleep. When dawn was approaching, Bilal went to his mount, facing towards the east, watching for the dawn. Then Bilal’s eyes grew heavy while he was leaning on his mount (and he slept). Neither Bilal nor any of his Companions woke until they felt the heat of the sun. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was the first one to wake up. The Messenger of Allah (saw) was startled and said: “O Bilal!” Bilal said: “The same thing happened to me as happened to you. May my father and mother be ransomed for you, O Messenger of Allah!” He said: “Bring you mounts forward a little.” So they brought their mounts forward a little (away from that place). Then the Messenger of Allah (saw) performed ablution and told Bilal to call the Iqamah for prayer, and he led them in prayer. When the Prophet (saw) finished praying, he said: “Whoever forgets a Salah, let him pray it when he remembers, for Allah says: And perform the prayer for My remembrance.”[20:14] He (one of the narrators) said: “Ibn Shihab used to recite this Verse as meaning, ‘when you remember.’”
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #697)
NOTE: The Hadith says, Hazrat Bilal (ra) prayed as much as Allah decreed that he would pray.


There are some Ahadith that show some prayers that reveal some significant points about Al-Qadar and prayers.

It was narrated that Al-Hasan bin ‘Ali said: “My grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (saw), taught me some words to say in Qunut of Witr: Allahumma ‘afini fiman ‘afait, wa tawallani fiman tawallait, wahdini fiman hadait, wa qini sharra ma qadait, wa barik li fima a’tait. Innaka taqdi wa la yuqda ‘alaik, innahu la yudhillu man walait. Subhanaka rabbana tabarakta wa ta’alait (O Allah, pardon me along with those whom You have pardoned, be an ally to me along with those whom You are an ally to, guide me along with those whom You have guided, protect me from the evil that You have decreed, and bless for me that which You have bestowed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted).” (Sahih)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #1178)

It was narrated that ‘Abdullah bin Abi Awfa Al-Aslami said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) came out to us and said: ‘Whoever has some need from Allah or from any of His creation, let him perform ablution and pray two Rak’ah, then let him say: La ilaha illallahul-Halimul-Karim. Subhan-Allahi Rabbil-‘arshil-‘azim. Al-hamdu Lillahi Rabbil-‘Alamin. Allahumma inni as’aluka mujibat rahmatika, wa ‘aza’ima maghfiratika, wal-ghanimata min kulli barrin, was-salamata min kulli ithmnin. As’aluka alla tada’a li dhanban illa ghafartahu, wa la hamman illa farrajtahu, wa la hajah hiya laka irdan illa qadaitaha li (None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Forbearing, the Most Generous. Glory is to Allah, the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Praise is to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. O Allah, I ask You for the means of Your mercy and forgiveness, the benefit of every good deed and safety from all sins. I ask You not to leave any sin of mine but You forgive it, or any distress but You relieve it, or any need that is pleasing to You but You meet it). Then he should ask Allah for whatever he wants in this world and in the Hereafter, for it is decreed.” (Da’if)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #1384)


It was narrated that Abu Khizamah said: “The Messenger of Allah (saw) was asked: ‘Do you think that the medicines with which we treat ourselves, the Ruqyah by which we seek healing, and the means of protection that we seek, change the decree of Allah at all?’ He said: ‘They are part of the decree of Allah.’” (Da’if)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #3437)
NOTE: This also refers to prayers and their relation with the Divine Decree.

It was narrated that ‘Ubaid bin Rifa’ah Az-Zuraqi said: “Asma’ said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! The children of Ja’far have been afflicted by the evil eye, shall I recite Ruqyah* for them?’ He said: ‘Yes, for if anything were to overtake the Divine decree it would be the evil eye.’” (Sahih)
*Ruqyah: Divine speech recited as a means of curing disease...
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #3510)
NOTE: This does not mean the evil eye overtakes the Divine Decree, it is just a saying that if anything would, the evil eye would have done so. But it doesn't.

It was narrated that Anas said: “The Prophet (saw) said: ‘There is no ‘Adwa* and no omen, but I like Al-Fa’l As-Salih.”**
*’There is no ‘Adwa meaning there is no spread of disease – from the sick person to the healthy person – naturally, as an independent action of the disease. Rather, everything is by the decree of Allah, subject to the will of Allah. See Hadith no. 3540.
**That is, an encouraging sign to do something good.
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #3537)
NOTE: Everything is by the Decree of Allah.

It was narrated from ‘Aishah that the Messenger of Allah (saw) taught her this supplication: “Allahumma inni as’aluka minal-khayri kullihi, ‘ajilihi wa ajilihi, ma ‘alimtu minhu wa ma la a’lam. Wa a’udhu bika minash-sharri kullihi, ‘ajilihiwa ajilihi, ma ‘alimtu minhu wa ma la a’lam. Allahumma inni as’aluka wa nabiyyuka, wa a’udhu bika min sharri ma ‘adha bihi ‘abduka wa nabiyyuka. Allahumma inni as’alukal-jannatah wa ma qarraba ilayha min qawlin aw ‘amalin, wa a’udhu bika minan-nari wa ma qarraba ilayha min qawlin aw ‘amalin, wa as’aluka an taj’al kulla qada’in qadaytahuli khayran (O Allah, I ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what I know and what I do not know. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what I know and what i do not know. O Allah, I ask You for the good that Your slave and Prophet has asked You for, and I seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your slave and Prophet sought refuge. O Allah, I ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and I seek refuge in You from hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And I ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning me good).” (Sahih)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #3846)
NOTE: The Holy Prophet (saw) taught us here to ask Allah to decree good for us, and not to allow evil to be decreed for us. Prayers have an effect on the Divine Decree. As the next Hadith shows.

It was narrated from Thawban that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Nothing increases one’s life span except righteousness and nothing repels the Divine decree except supplication, and a man may be deprived of provision by a sin that he commits.’” (Da’if)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #4022)
NOTE: It is obvious from some of the other Ahadith above on prayers, that we can ask Allah to decree good for us rather than evil. The worldly people are given only what Allah already decreed for them (see next Hadith below), while the people who pray to Him are given what they ask for, and are facilitated in that. So there is an obvious effect, otherwise Allah would not have allowed us to pray for a change in the Divine Decree.

‘Abdur-Rahman bin Aban bin ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan narrated that his father said: “Zaid bin Thabit departed from Marwan at mid-day. I said: ‘He has not sent him out at this time of the day except for something he asked.’ So I asked him, and he said: ‘He asked me about some things we heard from the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: “Whoever is focused only on this world, Allah will confound his affairs and make him fear poverty constantly, and he will not get anything of this world except that which has been decreed for him. Whoever is focused on the Hereafter, Allah will settle his affairs for him and make him feel content with his lost, and his provision and worldly gains will undoubtedly come to him.” (Sahih)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #4105)

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said, attributing it to the Prophet (saw): “The stronger believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, although both are good. Strive to seek that which will benefit you and do not feel helpless. Is something overwhelms you, then say: Qadarullah, wa ma sha’a fa’al (It is the decree of Allah and what He wills He does). And beware of (saying) ‘If only,’ for ‘If only’ opens the door to Satan.” (Sahih)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #4168)
NOTE: This is important, it shows we shouldn't dwell on things that could have happened, things which already happened, happened because Allah decreed it to happen. We should accept what He decreed and not think we know better than Him. He knows all, being the All-Knowing, what we think does not comprehend the wisdom behind His actions. Everything is a result of His actions only. Therefore, questioning the Divine Decree is definitely a door opened to Shaytan. Non-believers always say, "If only" whenever something happened they didn't like. They dwell on those things and it ruins their life. As Muslims, we should always be at peace with what happens, since we know Allah is the Prime Mover of everything.


I hope this answered your questions. The notes were my own, but they are all based upon what these Ahadith say through mutual support. These are not just in Sunan Ibn Majah, some are mentioned in other sets of Ahadith as well.

[Eric H]

Greetings and peace be with you peace800;

My question is do Duas really work or are they just done to make people feel better etc?

I believe that Duas do work, but they are answered in a way that prepares us for life after death, this might not have anything to do with making us feel better.

to actually answer such Dua's asking for a job, etc?

If we were given this job after making Duas, would we continuously thank Allah for all he has provided, and strive to do his will at all times, or would all this extra money fuel our sinful desires. I believe this prayer helps us understand how Duas might be answered...


I asked for Strength.........
And Allah gave me Difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for Wisdom.........
And Allah gave me Problems to solve.
I asked for Prosperity.........
And Allah gave me Brain and Brawn to work.
I asked for Courage.........
And Allah gave me Danger to overcome.
I asked for Love.........
And Allah gave me Troubled people to help.
I asked for Favours.........
And Allah gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted
I received everything I needed
My Prayer has been answered.

In the spirit of praying for extra faith and trust

Eric

Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.

When you create an account, you can participate in the discussions and share your thoughts. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and make new friends.
Sign Up

[Periwinkle18]

Duas do work trust me they do. I prayed last , wanted to wake up at 4 :30 am wanted to do something buh I slept really late n I just knew I would not wake up buh I made dua with all my heart n guess what I woke up at EXACTLY 4:30 I mean SubhanAllah I couldn't believe it. This happened today!! :) They work one just needs to believe.

[peace800]

Thank you so much for the brilliant replies. I really appreciate it that.

Does this mean that if one does Dua for a job, finance etc then the laws of nature and cause and affect mean that nothing happens? What I mean by that is does Allah intervene and create situations/circumstance in order to accept such Duas in the world or do Duas for a job, a spouse etc don't work as Allah leaves everything the way it is in terms of cause and effect i.e you work hard to get a job etc but Allah plays no part in assisting you?

Can someone clarify that?

[M.I.A.]

i suppose what you are asking is if people have extreme changes in luck.

it happens but its rare.

but those rare incidences happen each and every day.



im at a point where i seriously consider freedom of choice to be limited.. almost non existent.

which makes dua all the more important imo.


depends on your perspective really.

although i would guess that allah swt already knows the secrets of hearts and minds.

so i dont make dua for a job anymore.

['Abd-al Latif]

so i dont make dua for a job anymore.

You ask for something if you really want it. An abstract desire in your heart isn't going to bring anything to you.

"...He gave you of all that you asked for. And if you count the Blessings of Allâh, never will you be able to count them..." (Quran 14:33)

[Periwinkle18]

All I know is tht Allah wants us to ask from Him only, so don't worry just ask away!! ask for anything nothings impossible for him anything can happen have that Yakeen tht He'll give n if He doesn't over then inshaAllah you'll have mountains of rewards in the hereafter so its a win-win situation :)

hmm well just remember this Allah can do anything nths impossible for him I once prayed for something n thought i'd never get it cuz I thought it was impossible but after 2 years I got the thing I wanted n got in the way I asked for.. So if u want to make dua for a job then go for it!! Allah loves it wen we ask Him, He's the one we're suppose to turn to.



The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Man should call upon Allah alone to provide for all his needs, so much so that even if a shoe-lace is broken, he should pray to Allah to provide a shoe-lace, and if he needs salt, he should beseech Allah to send it to him.” [Tirmidhi]

[Ahmad H]

Does this mean that if one does Dua for a job, finance etc then the laws of nature and cause and affect mean that nothing happens? What I mean by that is does Allah intervene and create situations/circumstance in order to accept such Duas in the world or do Duas for a job, a spouse etc don't work as Allah leaves everything the way it is in terms of cause and effect i.e you work hard to get a job etc but Allah plays no part in assisting you?

Can someone clarify that?

‘Abdur-Rahman bin Aban bin ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan narrated that his father said: “Zaid bin Thabit departed from Marwan at mid-day. I said: ‘He has not sent him out at this time of the day except for something he asked.’ So I asked him, and he said: ‘He asked me about some things we heard from the Messenger of Allah (saw) say: “Whoever is focused only on this world, Allah will confound his affairs and make him fear poverty constantly, and he will not get anything of this world except that which has been decreed for him. Whoever is focused on the Hereafter, Allah will settle his affairs for him and make him feel content with his lost, and his provision and worldly gains will undoubtedly come to him.” (Sahih)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #4105)

Everyone is decreed what they will gain in this life, where they will die, whether they will be righteous or unrighteous and how long they will live while they are in their mother's wombs after 3 periods of 40 days (120 days). Thus, what the above Hadith is saying is that what was determined in the womb is all that a person attached to this world will receive, that is decreed by Allah and that is all they will have. However, if you pray to Allah and have faith in Him, then you will receive more and Allah will settle all those matters and give you more. This is why in another Hadith, the Holy Prophet (saw) said that prayer has an effect on the Divine Decree:

It was narrated from Thawban that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Nothing increases one’s life span except righteousness and nothing repels the Divine decree except supplication, and a man may be deprived of provision by a sin that he commits.’” (Da’if)
(Sunan Ibn Majah, #4022)