The Importance of Supplications in the Life of a Muslim

By Amina Salau

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Making supplications is a normal part of worship for Muslims. It is our way of praising Allah, following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (sa), and seeking favours from our Creator. It is additional to the five daily prayers, and it gives us an extra means of communicating with Allah.

Supplicating has a lot of benefits for the faith of a Muslim. But apart from benefits, there are certain important purposes of supplications in our lives. Here are a few of them:

A means of guidance

There is a supplication for almost every event in our lives, positive or negative: from the moment we wake till it is time to sleep and everything in between. There are supplications for our interaction with people, illnesses, protection against evil, and seeking Allah’s mercy.

All these supplications guide us on how to live our daily lives in light of the Qur’an and Sunnah. They teach us how a Muslim should respond to both the good and bad things that may happen.

Keeps us on the straight path

As supplications serve as a means of guidance for a Muslim, they also keep our feet firm on the path of Islam. An-Numan ibn Basheer reported that Prophet Muhammad (sa) said: Supplication is worship. Then he recited: And your Lord said: Call upon Me, I will answer you. Verily, those who scorn my worship, they will surely enter Hell in humiliation. (40:60) (at-Tirmidhi; authentic)

It is important for us as Muslims to constantly call upon Allah and supplication is one of the ways to do that.

Provides relief from worry and anxiety

There are several supplications for protection against worry and anxiety, and if you have ever recited one, you know that one experiences calmness after supplicating. We live our lives worrying about college, getting a good job, marrying the right person, or having healthy children. Almost all the milestones we cross are filled with some level of anxiety about what the future holds.

This is where supplication is important for us. When faced with worry or anxiety, we use supplication to submit ourselves to Allah, asking Him to make our desires possible, or grant us whatever is best for us.

A show of humility

If we were capable of overseeing our own affairs, would we need to supplicate to the Almighty? No. The act of supplication is good for our soul and our ego. It reminds us that we are human, and only Allah is capable of overseeing our affairs.

It is important for a Muslim to remain humble and constantly remember that he or she is a slave of Allah. So, with supplication, we submit ourselves to His mercy.

A weapon against tribulations

Supplication is the weapon of a believer, and this weapon is best used to seek refuge when we are going through trials and difficulties. Whenever a Muslim faces difficulties, no matter how insignificant or minor, the best medicine is to supplicate to Allah for ease.

We use supplications to seek refuge from Allah. Abu Hurayrah reported that the beloved Prophet (sa) said: “Seek refuge in Allah against turmoil, attacks of misfortunes, evil of judgement, and joys of the enemies.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

A means of expiation of sins

As Muslims, having our sins forgiven is one of the paths to our ultimate goal: paradise. Supplications that can help us seek forgiveness from Allah are important. The Prophet (sa) said that he supplicated to Allah for forgiveness a hundred times a day. (Muslim)

The importance of supplications in our lives cannot be overemphasized. As Muslims, the core of our faith depends on our relationship with our Creator, and through supplications, we strengthen and uphold this relationship. It is beneficial for us to ensure that supplications are a regular part of our worship.

Amina Salau is a freelance writer who is passionate about women’s issues in Islam.