Prayer, or dua, is the act of turning to Allah with one's entire being and presenting both material and spiritual requests to Him. It is also a form of remembrance (dhikr) and worship.
So, what is the significance of prayer? How should one pray? What should we pay attention to when praying? What prayers did our Prophet make? What are the manners and etiquettes of prayer?
The dictionary definition of dua is "to call, to invoke, to request, to seek help." As a religious term, it means turning to Allah with all one's being and presenting material and spiritual requests to Him.
Since its essence is for a person to present their state to Allah and supplicate to Him, prayer is a connection between Allah and the servant.
Prayer always contains the meaning of tazim (glorifying Allah) and requesting something along with tazim. Prayer is also remembrance and worship. Thus, in prayer, there are always two elements side by side: remembrance and respect, as well as a request.
For this reason, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Prayer is the essence of worship" (Tirmidhi, Deavat, 2). For the same reason, the most important worship, the prayer (salah), is expressed with the word dua (En'am, 6/52; Kahf, 18/28).
In another verse, it is stated, "Say, 'What would my Lord care for you if not for your supplication?'" (Furqan, 25/77), indicating that a person's value comes from this orientation towards Allah. The emphasis is placed on directing prayer solely to Allah; not to idols or other creatures attributed with superior qualities (Shuara, 26/213; Qasas, 28/88).
HOW SHOULD PRAYER BE PERFORMED?
Believers should choose concise and meaningful words when presenting their states and needs to Allah. When praying, one should think of being in the presence of their Lord and pay attention to what comes out of their mouth. Since prayer is the presentation of wishes to the Almighty, one should ask for beneficial things for both this world and the Hereafter.
WHAT SHOULD WE PAY ATTENTION TO WHEN PRAYING?
Our Prophet, who is the best example for us in every matter, has also explained the manners and subtleties that should be observed in prayer:
When praying, it is necessary to begin with praise and glorification of Allah and salutation upon the Prophet.
WHAT ARE THE PRAYERS MADE BY OUR PROPHET?
The Prophet (peace be upon him) most frequently prayed as follows:
Recitation: "Allāhumma Rabbanā ātinā fid-dunyā hasanatan wa fil-ākhirati hasanatan wa qinā ʿadhāban-nār."
Meaning: "O Allah! O our Lord! Grant us goodness and beauty in this world, and goodness and beauty in the Hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the Fire."
(Bukhari, De'avât, 55)
Recitation: "Allāhumma innī as'aluka al-hudā wa-t-tuqa wa-al-ʿafāfa wa-al-ghinā."
Meaning: "O Allah! I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and contentment."
(Muslim, Dua, 72; Ibn Hibban, Ad'iya, No: 900)
Recitation: "Allāhumma qanniʿnī bimā razaqtanī wa bārik lī fīhi wa-khlif ʿalayya kulli ghā'ibatin lī bikhayr."
Meaning: "O Allah! Make me content with what You have provided for me, bless it for me, and grant me something better in place of whatever is lost."
(Hakim, De'avât, No: 1878)
