The difference between du’aa’ for asking and du’aa’ for worship : PART - 1

Subject: The difference between du’aa’ for asking and du’aa’ for worship : PART - 1

We use the word du’aa’ (invocation) to refer to two things:

1- Du’aa’ for asking, which means seeking that which will benefit, or asking to ward off that which will cause harm, by asking Allaah for that which will benefit in this world and in the Hereafter, and to ward off that which will cause harm in this world and in the Hereafter,

Such as du’aa’ for forgiveness, mercy, guidance, help, to attain Paradise, to be saved from Hell, for Allaah to grant good things in this world and in the Hereafter and so on.

2- Du’aa’ for worship, which means that the person is worshipping Allaah by any of the types of worship, in the heart or physically or financially, such as fearing Allaah, loving Him, hoping for His mercy, putting one’s trust in Him, praying, fasting, doing Hajj, reading Qur’aan, reciting tasbeeh and dhikr, giving zakaah and charity, jihad for the sake of Allaah, calling people to Allaah, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and so on.

Everyone who does any of these acts of worship is calling upon Allaah.

See: al-Qawl al-Mufeed (1/264) and Tasheeh al-Du’aa’ (p. 15-21).

Usually when the word du’aa’ appears in verses of the Qur’aan, it refers to both meanings, because they are interconnected. So everyone who asks of Allaah verbally is worshipping Him, because du’aa’ is worship, and every worshipper who prays to Allaah, fasts or does Hajj is doing that hoping for reward from Allaah and to attain Paradise and to be saved from punishment.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Everything in the Qur’aan that enjoins du’aa’ and forbids du’aa’ to or calling upon anyone other than Allaah, and praises those who say du’aa’ or call upon Him, includes the du’aa’ of asking and the du’aa’ of worship.

End quote.

Al-Qawaa’id al-Hisaan (no. 51).

One of the two types of du’aa’ may be more apparent than the other in some verses.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said concerning the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors. And do not do mischief on the earth, after it has been set in order, and invoke Him with fear and hope. Surely, Allaah’s Mercy is (ever) near unto the good doers” [al-A’raaf 7:55-56]:

These two verses include the etiquette of two types of du’aa’: the du’aa’ of worship and the du’aa’ of asking. Du’aa’ in the Qur’aan may refer to either of these types, or it may refer to both, because they are interconnected. Du’aa’ of asking means seeking that which will benefit the supplicant, and asking to be spared that which will harm him, and for it to be warded off. So he asks for benefit and for harm to be warded off, and that is du’aa’ of asking.

And the du’aa’ that is offered with hope and fear is the du’aa’ of worship. Therefore it is known that both types are interconnected. Every du’aa’ of worship implies du’aa’ of asking, and every du’aa’ of asking implies du’aa’ of worship.

Based on this, the words (interpretation of the meaning):

“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor)” [al-Baqarah 2:186] include both types of du’aa’, and it is in terms of both that the verse is to be understood. It was said: I will give to him when he asks of Me, and it was said: I will reward him if he worships Me. Both are interconnected.

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TO BE CONTINUED... INSHA ALLAH