hassana elkoussi
Junior Member
How strong and effective is your weapon?
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“Du’aa’s and ta’awwudhaat [prayers seeking refuge with Allaah] are like a weapon, and a weapon is only as good as the person who is using it; it is not merely the matter of how sharp it is. If the weapon is perfect and free of faults, and the arm of the person using it is strong, and there is nothing stopping him, then he can lay waste the enemy. But if any of these three features is lacking, then the effect will be lacking accordingly.”
Here are some tips to make our weapon ( du'aa ) effective:
1. Sincerity in making du’aa’. This is the most important condition.
“Sincerity in du’aa’ means having the firm belief that the One upon Whom you are calling – Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted – is alone Able to meet your need, and it also means avoiding any kind of showing off in your du’aa’.
2. Repentance and turning back to Allaah. Sin is one of the main reasons why du’aa’s are not answered, so the person who is making du’aa’ should hasten to repent and seek forgiveness before he makes du’aa’. Allaah tells us that Nooh (peace be upon him) said:
I said (to them): ‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.’ ” [Nooh 71:10-12
3. Beseeching, humbling oneself, hoping for Allaah’s reward and fearing His punishment. This is the spirit, essence and purpose of du’aa’. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors” [al-A’raaf 7:55].
4. Urgently beseeching and repeating the du’aa’, without getting exasperated or bored; this is achieved by repeating the du’aa’ two or three times. Restricting it to three times is preferable, in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) liked to say a du’aa’ three times and ask for forgiveness three times. This was narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Nasaa’i.
5. Making du’aa’ at times of ease, and saying more du’aa’s at times of plenty. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Remember Allaah during times of ease and He will remember you during times of hardship.” Narrated by Ahmad.
6. Seeking to draw closer to Allaah by calling upon Him by His Most Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes at the beginning of the du’aa’ or at the end. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them” [al-A’raaf 7:180].
7. Choosing the clearest and most concise words and the best of du’aa’s. The best of du’aa’s are "the du’aa’s of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but it is permissible to say other words according to the specific needs of a person.
:salam2:
for this beautiful reminder. May Allah reward you in this life & the next 
