More Du’as for Forgiveness in the Collective Voice

In my previous post of du’as for forgiveness in the collective voice, I had no time to list them all. Here are the rest, including du’as from Moses and his people, from righteous people whose du’a is quoted by Allah on Judgment day as an example of behavior earning paradise, from prophet Ibrahim/Abraham and the people who followed him (whom we don’t hear much about), as well as Adam/Eve (she is not named in the Quran which gives relatively few names for people, but simply referred to as his wife), because the wording of their du’a  is almost identical to that of Bani Isra’il (children of Israel/Jacob) expressing regret after worshiping the golden calf. (Incidentally, the featured photo above is from a collective salat by American Muslims protesting former president Trump’s “Muslim ban.”)

Du’as for Help against Injustice and Oppression

Here we specifically refer to a group or community (which could be a town or “nation”) of people who collectively engage in oppression and evil/harm against another group of people, and the du’as of those who are the victims. The children of Israel, as described in the Quran, were oppressed by the Pharaoh and his nation (the civilization and people of ancient Egypt), and below is their du’a for deliverance from that oppression. Later, the Muslim community was persecuted by many of their own relatives and neighbors who rejected the faith revealed to Prophet Mohammad, for whom the Quran gives us another du’a below. We now have a world where countless Muslims are persecuted in many different countries and communities by wicked and evil conglomerates, from local regimes to international covert agencies. And their deliverance still begins with a du’a, calling upon Allah the Almighty Whose might and weaponry against these satanic forces, despite their conspiracies and bravado, should never be underestimated. 

Du’a for Parents

This is a du’a given to us by the All-Merciful to ask for blessings and forgiveness for our parents. In the first part of this aya, we are actually enjoined to offer this du’a in love and humility. 

وَٱخۡفِضۡ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحۡمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرۡحَمۡهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًا

And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.” (Al-Isra’ 17:24)

rabbi ir’ḥamhumā kamā rabbayānī ṣaghīra

This same du’a is often recited among other supplications during the Hajj. Other du’as are below.

Du’as for a Safe Journey or Trip, from Noah and More

Below are du’as for both long journeys such as that of Noah (reminding us that life itself is a journey to Allah), and shorter trips, as we commonly take daily. The Quran’s narratives of Prophet Noah focus on the ark/ship (in Arabic not a separate word but the same used for any ship) as essentially the refuge that protected he and those with him from the catastrophic flood. It was about the believers being saved by Allah whereas the rejecters/deniers were all drowned. The ship was built over time under Allah’s guidance and also revelation as to how to build it in the same way that the Quran was revealed to prophet Mohammad. Thus the ark is also a metaphor for the Quran itself – those who read and internalize (understand and act upon) its message are like those who boarded the ark, but the catastrophe in this case is Judgment Day and the Finality Al-Akhira – likewise, the those who deny or reject the Quran’s message (including previous revealed scriptures) will be “drowned” in that ultimate catastrophe. Thus prophet Noah’s du’a for a safe journey is also more than that – we can consider it a du’a both for a specific safe journey within this life and a safe journey through our lifetime “in the ark” of the Quran to the Finality. 

Du’a of Facing Allah – Du’a At-Tawajhu

This is a du’a combining 3 Quranic ayat, to be recited at the beginning of the salat prayer before Al-Fatiha. It is called du’a at-tawajhu, which means “du’a of facing Allah.” Surprisingly, I found nothing about it online except some “study notes” for the Bayyinah Institute on a separate website that appears to keep such things online, but it gave no explanation of how it is used, just the du’a and a translation with some notes. It’s basically the du’a of prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), connected to a completion of that du’a given to prophet Mohammad at the end of the same sura (Al-An’am), and a powerful expression of faith in Allah alone (monotheism). 

Du’as for Giving Thanks

Showing appreciation to Allah Who gave us life, sustenance, enjoyment, and beauty surrounding us on earth and in the sky at day and night, is important way beyond what most people think or consider. In the Quran, the word kufr, often translated “disbelief,” really means denial and literally “covering up” – the root word means literally “to cover,” as you can even hear in the pronunciation of kufr like cover. The Quran frequently juxtaposes kufr in opposition to grateful or appreciative. With kufr as the primal sin from which other sins or wrongdoing are derived, this shows us that thankfulness is of monumental importance. The word “denial” encompasses the same two meanings: rejection of Allah the Exalted and His guidance, and denial that anything good is from Allah/God. In the current era, this denial is expressed as “self-sufficiency,” and randomness, that things just “happen” but there’s no meaning to anything other than “facts” devoid of significance except as empirical statistics. The Quran, on the other hand, shows us everything has profound meaning, purpose, and value which is freely given to all. By offering du’as of thanks and praise to Allah, we enhance this attitude and understanding – even science finds that the most balanced, beloved, and joyful people are the most grateful.  

Du’as for Accepting Repentance

There are many du’as for forgiveness, which is in many ways similar or a part of asking for Allah to accept one’s repentance, but there is a distinction. Repentance is especially required in the event of major sin or transgression. Often this involves repeated bad behavior or an attitude that leads to oppressing others. But it can also be for any kind of transgression, even done out of ignorance. The first example of this is that of Adam/Eve (Eve is not named in the Quran but I use it here to avoid confusion since that is commonly used to refer to her even in Arabic, as Hawa’.) And since Ramadan is the month associated with repentance, this is a good way to begin our examples of du’as.

The Necessity of Du’a

This Ramadan, we hope to bring a series of du’as from the Quran, given to us to supplicate Allah in the best possible way. Of course, we can pray (du’a means “pray” in the sense that the English word does, to “supplicate” directly to Allah/God. Before presenting these, however, today we will simply discuss the basic necessity of du’a to be accepted by Allah. The simplest form of prayer, sometimes called “spontaneous” prayer, that comes from one individual from the heart to call upon their Creator/Sustainer, is no less essential than the formal canonical prayer called salat, which means “connection,” and is the way we establish a daily connection to Him. But du’a is always voluntary, and often arises out of some circumstance or need. That connection is extremely important because it is personal and self-initiated. It has no set time or place, no protocols, can be aloud or silent, and Allah promises to respond to it.