Why should I give a lecture on this topic?
When thinking of worship in Islam, the five pillars of faith often come to mind first. We do our best to pray, fast, donate to the needy, make Hajj, and consistently renew our conviction in Allah and His Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ.
But while the five pillars provide us with general guides on the long and challenging journey of life, Allah mandates His creation to participate in yet another beautiful way of worship: du’a, or supplicating to Him. The One who created us all wants us to develop and maintain a conversation with Him throughout our lives.
Within our conversations, Allah encourages us to turn to Him to seek His guidance and rely on Him in good times and bad. In the process, we talk to Him about our fears, aspirations, desires, and struggles, and thank Him for the blessings in our life. Du’a acts as a powerful tool for any believer, existing simultaneously as a way to find comfort in struggle, show our gratitude and belief, and express to Allah our struggles and worries as a means of seeking His guidance. In doing so, we remain conscious of His presence and role in our lives amidst the ups and downs.