An excerpt from the Friday sermon, —Habib Nooh
Dear brothers and sisters:
Today’s reminder is about something that every one of us needs, something we all turn to in times of hardship and ease — and that is du‘a, calling upon Allah (SWT).
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says in the Qur’an:
(Surah Ghaafi—40: 60)
{وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ}
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ
“And your Lord says,
ادْعُونِي
Call upon Me,
أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
I will respond to you.”
Reflect on this powerful verse. Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the One who controls everything, is دعوت you — calling you — to ask Him. This is not simply permission, it is an invitation, a command, and a promise all in one.
Du‘a is not just something we do when we are desperate. It is an act of worship. It is a sign of humility. It is a recognition that we are ضعفاء (weak), and Allah is القوي (All-Powerful).
But, dear brothers and sisters, just as every act of worship has manners and etiquettes, so too does du‘a.
The Messenger of Allah (SWS) taught us how to make du‘a properly. In a hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Hadith-1481), he heard a man making du‘a in his prayer, but the man did not praise Allah nor send blessings upon the Prophet (SWS). So the Prophet (SWS) said:
” عَجِلَ هَذَا ”
“This man has been hasty.”
Then he said:
“When one of you prays, let him begin by praising Allah and glorifying Him, then send blessings upon the Prophet (SWS), then let him ask for whatever he wishes.”
This hadith gives us a simple but powerful structure for our du‘a.
So remember this simple structure:
First, praise Allah — glorify Him and acknowledge His greatness.
Second, send blessings upon the Prophet (SWS).
Third, ask Allah sincerely, with humility and certainty.
Brothers and sisters,
do not be hasty in your du‘a. Do not rush straight into asking without حضور القلب (presence of heart).
Du‘a is not just a list of requests — it is a conversation with your Lord. It is worship. It is closeness.
And remember: Allah loves that you ask Him. Nothing is too small, and nothing is too great.
