# Your Duas Can Change The Worlds | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 26 **Author:** Dr. Omar Suleiman **Series:** The Other Side | Barzakh and Beyond **Published:** 2025-03-24 **YouTube:** https://youtu.be/ym21pwm-BzU **URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/your-duas-can-change-the-worlds-the-other-side **Topics:** Afterlife, Faith ## Description Patience and gratitude are the keys to contentment, in this life and the next. For every hardship, patience brings peace and grows gardens of reward. ## Transcript **[0:00]** Your deeds and du'as are felt, even if they're not seen. How often have you prayed for change and given up because you couldn't see it? But what if your du'a was setting the stage **[0:16]** for something greater than you could ever imagine? What if it's your du'a for Gaza that's planting the feet of the people firmer, or moving up their victory by a few years? What if your du'a for a loved one is transforming their life here and there? Just because you **[0:32]** can't see how your du'a is shaping the world, doesn't mean it's not shifting its axis. You're praying to Rabb al-'Alamin, the Lord of all the worlds, and your du'a may not just be changing the world, but it could be changing the worlds. Someone may have changed your **[1:02]** world, but they left it before they could see it here. While Sumayyah (رضي الله عنها) already received her reward of shahada and has been flying around from the throne of Allah to the trees of Jannah ever since, she had no expectation of what Allah would make of her sacrifice as far as this world was concerned. But what if when Ikrimah ibn **[1:23]** Abi Jahl, the shaheed, who was the son of her tormentor, flew to her at death and said you changed the world with your perseverance, Mecca became Muslim after you, and so much more happened on the backs of you and your family's sacrifice? The people of Gaza **[1:40]** who left this world have put into motion the final freedom of al-Aqsa bi-idhnillahi ta'ala. What's it like when we will go to them insha'Allah and tell them, O people of Gaza, you have no idea what you started. This is the whole concept of a sadaqah jariyah in Islam, a continuous **[1:58]** charity where the Prophet (ﷺ) said that the good deeds that continue to benefit a believer after death are the things that he put into motion, a knowledge that he taught and disseminated, a righteous child who lived after him, a mushaf that **[2:14]** he left as inheritance, a masjid that he built, a house that he built for the wayfarers, or maybe a stream that he ran or a charity that he gave from his wealth while he was still healthy and alive. And Imam al-Mundhiri says some of the scholars say that the deeds of **[2:30]** a human being indeed end with his death. However, since he had caused these things, the rewards continue to reach him as long as they continue to exist. Why? Because Allah says in His mercy that He will not neglect an atom's weight of deeds. And since these are still the effect **[2:48]** of his deeds, Allah records these contributions for a person even after his death. And how many of those deeds that benefit people caused them to make du'a for those who made it possible for them, even if they don't know their names? Think about how many of us who made **[3:04]** tawbah in their lives now or refocused on Allah are actually the sadaqah jariyah of the people of Gaza? What's it like when a person in the grave from Gaza who was killed by an American bomb receives a du'a on the other side and says, who is that from? And the angels **[3:21]** say it's actually from an American named John or Jessica that converted to Islam because of you. Our worlds are connected. Du'as and deeds flow through. And the transmission of news while sometimes a bit fuzzy doesn't mean that we're not deeply impacting one another **[3:36]** across that barrier. When you're making du'a, you are invoking Rabb al-'Alamin, the Lord of all the worlds. So your du'a isn't limited in impact to this world. It can change someone else's world in the barzakh. And how deep is that impact? Al-Abbas ibn Ya'qub narrates **[3:54]** that one of the righteous saw his father in a dream. And he said, oh my son, why have you stopped sending your gifts to us? So he replied, oh my father, do the dead recognize the gifts of the living? And he said, ya bunayya, lawla al-ahyaa halakat al-amwat. Oh **[4:10]** my son, if it were not for the living, the dead would perish. SubhanAllah, what a powerful sentence. Sufyan ibn Uyaynah said, it used to be said, al-amwat ahwaju ila al-du'a min al-ahyaa ila al-ta'am. That the dead are in more need of du'a than the living **[4:26]** are of food. And if that's the case, how often do you make du'a for your parents or your loved ones? Once a day? Once a week? Once a year? Just like it may only seem like we increase our du'as in Ramadan, it may feel like that on the other side too. What **[4:43]** does a du'a drought look like in the barzakh? And how much impact does your du'a really have for someone in that world? There is a narration that states that the du'a is the weapon of the believer. And we often think about it exclusively in this dunya. But what if your du'a could be a weapon for the people in their graves? What if it's a shield that's **[5:01]** given to someone just when the punishment is about to reach them? Ahmed ibn Yahya says that one of my companions said to me, my brother died. And then I saw him in a dream where I asked him, in what condition were you in the moment that we placed you in your grave? **[5:17]** And he said to me, someone came to me carrying a torch. And had it not been for the du'a of one of you, he was about to set me on fire. Amr ibn Jarir said, when one supplicates for his deceased brother, an angel comes to his grave with that du'a and says, **[5:33]** يَا صَاحِبَ الْقَبْرِ الْغَرِيبُ هَدِيَّةٌ مِنْ أَخٍ عَلَيْكَ شَفِيقٍ O occupant of the grave, this is a gift from a brother who cares about you. In another narration from Ibn Abi Dunya, he says that one of the salaf said, I saw a brother of mine in a dream after his death. So I asked him, does the du'a of the living reach you? **[5:52]** And he said, by Allah, it shimmers like light. And then we adorn our graves with it. So practically speaking, when someone who is alive intercedes for a dead person who is being punished, it's very possible that his punishment is halted, even if only for **[6:08]** a short time. And when he intercedes for a righteous person already enjoying their grave, that person is just raised by even another degree. But picture this fully. Bashar ibn Ghalib (رحمه الله) said, I saw the great worshipper, Rabi'a al-Adawiyya (رضي الله عنها) **[6:23]** in a dream. And he said, and I used to always make du'a for her. So I said to her in my dream, are my du'as reaching you? She said, Ya Bashar ibn Ghalib, your du'as come to us like gifts upon platters of light. And they're covered with silk napkins as they're **[6:40]** then presented to us. I asked, how is that? She said, this is how the du'a of the living believers for the deceased works. And that gift is far more precious than anything you could have given someone while they were still here. What more beautiful, what more expensive, **[6:56]** what more rewarding than a du'a that decorates the grave and expands it. And as you look forward to your most precious night in Ramadan to make all those special du'as for yourself, don't forget those precious souls that are hoping you'll remember them that night as well. ## Other Episodes in "The Other Side | Barzakh and Beyond" - [6,000 Bodies Washed and Buried | Dr. Omar Suleiman and Sh. Ahmad Hraichie, “The Muslim Undertaker”](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/6000-bodies-washed-and-buried-muslim-undertaker-the-other-side-barzakh.md) - [SERIES FINALE: It’s Not the End | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 30](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/the-greatest-deed-is-hope-in-allah-the-other-side.md) - [Everyone Will Have Regrets | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 29](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/everyone-will-have-regrets-the-other-side.md) - [Your Tahajjud Just Earned You Jannah | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 28](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/your-tahajjud-just-earned-you-jannah-the-other-side.md) - [Laylatul Qadr in the Heavens and the Graves | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 27](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/layalatul-qadr-in-the-heavens-and-the-graves-the-other-side.md) - [People From a Past Life | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 25](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/people-from-a-past-life-the-other-side.md) - [Best Friends Forever | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 24](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/best-friends-forever-the-other-side.md) - [Your Loved Ones Never Left You | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 23](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/your-loved-ones-never-left-you-the-other-side.md) - [Why Allah prescribes you Bitter Medicine | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 22](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/when-allah-prescribes-you-bitter-medicine-the-other-side.md) - [The Most Important Prayer of Your Life | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 21](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/the-most-important-prayer-of-your-life-the-other-side.md) - [When The Qur’an Arrives in Your Grave | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 20](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/the-quran-in-your-head-or-crushing-it-the-other-side.md) - [The Many Forms of Zina | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 19](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/the-many-forms-of-zina-the-other-side.md) - ["You Owe Me." Free Yourself from Riba and Debt | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 18](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/the-chains-of-riba-and-debt-the-other-side.md) - [Was it that big of a deal? Your Wudu is Serious | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 17](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/your-wudu-is-a-big-deal-the-other-side.md) - [Watch Your Mouth | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 16](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/watch-your-mouth-the-other-side.md) - [We Will Not Fix What You Have Ruined | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 15](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/we-will-not-fix-what-you-have-ruined-the-other-side.md) - [Deeds that Save you from Punishment of the Grave | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 14](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/the-one-deed-that-saved-you-the-other-side.md) - [Did Allah Put You On This List? | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 13](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/did-allah-put-you-on-this-list-the-other-side.md) - [Now You Can Fly | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 12](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/now-you-can-fly-the-other-side.md) - [How to Have a Bigger Grave | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 11](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/how-to-have-a-bigger-grave-the-other-side.md) - [What About The Innocent Children? | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 10](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/what-about-the-innocent-children-the-other-side.md) - [When You Meet The Souls of Gaza | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 9](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/divine-justice-is-already-happening-the-other-side.md) - [What it Feels Like to Die | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 8](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/what-it-feels-like-to-die-the-other-side.md) - [How Many Lives Do You Really Have? | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 7](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/how-many-lives-do-you-really-have-the-other-side.md) - [Is Allah Speaking to You ? | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 6](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/can-you-see-allah-in-a-dream-the-other-side.md) - [How to See the Prophet ﷺ in a Dream | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 5](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/how-to-see-the-prophet-in-a-dream-the-other-side.md) - [What Do My Dreams Really Mean? | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 4](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/what-do-my-dreams-really-mean-the-other-side.md) - [They May Have Another Name For You | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 3](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/your-name-in-the-heavens-the-other-side.md) - [They Know About Your World | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 2](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/theyre-watching-your-world-the-other-side.md) - [The Dead Are Alive in Their Graves | The Other Side: Barzakh and Beyond Ep. 1](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/the-dead-are-alive-in-their-graves-the-other-side.md) - [Trailer: The Other Side | Barzakh and Beyond | Ramadan Series 2025](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond/trailer-the-other-side-barzakh-and-beyond-ramadan-series-2025.md)