So many women complain after marriage that their husbands never speak to them. He responds, “but Maulana she speaks about vanilla essence and rose essence, whereas I’m used to speaking about guns and sports with my friends! I just don’t know what to say to her.” However, as the relationship matures they learn how to communicate. Eventually, they find that they actually have a lot to talk about.
Likewise, we have to learn how to communicate with Allah. How to talk, cry and build our relationship with Allah. Nabi ﷺ said, “Dua is the essence of worship”. In this state a person should showcase total need for Allah and total helplessness before Him. Allah understands all languages. He knows the deepest, concealed secrets of the heart. Submit your heart in sajdah before Allah, cry to Him.
Crying does not mean we have to shed tears. Yes, shedding tears is a bonus. This is why Nabi ﷺ advised us to imitate a crying person (if we cannot cry), because Allah loves those tears. However, what matters most is that our heart cries before Allah. In other words, our heart is totally repentant and remorseful before the One who created it. This is true crying, to cry from the heart.
Sometimes when Shaykh Yunus Patel رحمة الله عليه would reach the end of his Ramadan duas, rather than finishing the dua he would just start all over again. He would plead and beg Allah, he just could not stop! Other times he would go completely silent, saying no words, just sobbing. We get two types of people. Some, complain they cannot cry. And others like Shaykh رحمة الله عليه just couldn’t stop!
This is because he had a special bond with Allah, there was so much to speak about. You must’ve noticed this. When you’re out with a friend and they come across an old friend or family member. They know this person from years back, so they meet each other and they’re talking happily about old times. As for you, you’re just standing on the side thinking, when is this going to finish so we can carry on with our outing? You’re standing there bored. However, this friend of yours is having the time of his life, going down to memory lane and catching up.
This is because your friend has a connection with this person. He has a relationship with him but you’re a stranger to him. Now take this example to assess your relationship with Allah. Are you a stranger in your relationship with Allah? Or are you the one who has a strong connection?
A believer makes dua to Allah in good and bad times. Like eating and sleeping, he makes dua a permanent, unmissable feature in his daily routine. Every day, regardless of what happens, he raises his hands before Allah. Thus, the day he falls in distress, then the angels notice. We sit on the floor making dua but Allah makes these duas echo in the heavens. Then the angels plead the case of this person to Allah. What an honour!
A young friend of mine said, “Maulana I don’t know how to make dua, I just don’t know what to say!” I said, “Ok, read Shaykh’s book on dua for 5-7 minutes per day. However, don’t read it like a book or article, read it from the heart as a dua. Then once the time you allocated is up, stop reading and put a marker where you stopped. Then carry on tomorrow. Within a short while, Allah will open the locks of your heart. And you will begin to enjoy it.”
A lover of Allah wants to talk to Allah. When a husband goes abroad, he will obtain a calling card to speak to his wife and kids. He will ask the same questions, such as, how are you? How are the kids? How is the garden? Usually, not much will change within 24 hours. But he asks because he gets an enjoyment speaking to his wife and children.
Likewise, when we make dua to Allah, we often say the same things as the day before. Such as, “O Allah forgive me, guide me and bless me”. We ask the same thing. However, for the one who loves Allah more than his family, there’s a far greater enjoyment. Allah listens to each one of us. He is never too busy on Whatsapp. He hears our call. Therefore, make this a daily habit and in a short while, you’ll be saying 5-7 minutes is just not enough time with Allah, I have too much to say! I need to increase this time.
And what is better than a lover talking to the beloved? We are lovers and Allah is our beloved. Speak to Him. He is listening.
“And your Lord says, call upon Me, I will respond to you.” (Quran, 40:60)
May Allah give us tawfiq Aameen.
— Shaykh Dawood Seedat حفظه الله
Above is an extract from Shaykh’s talk on 8/3/16 in Beatrice Street Musallah, Durban. To listen to the full audio, please click here
