January 1996: Page 1, 2, 3, 4

Submitters Perspective

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Implore God With the Best Prayers

When My servants ask you about Me, I am always near. I answer their prayers when they pray to Me.
The people shall respond to Me and believe in Me, in order to be guided. (2:186)

The Quran informs us that we attain value at our Lord only through our worship (25:77), and supplication is a form of worship.

Your Lord says, “Implore Me, and I will respond to you. Surely, those who are too arrogant to worship Me will enter Gehenna, forcibly.” (40:60)

When you implore God, you are doing the right thing (13:14), and He gives you what you implore Him for (14:34). God is hearer of prayers (3:38). He rescues the needy, relieves adversity (27:62), and answers prayers if He so wills (6:41, 14:39). He is with you wherever you may be (57:4, 58:7). Thus, implore your Lord to shower you with His grace (4:32) and His Mercy (7:155), and never despair (15:55). God is Possessor of Infinite Grace (57:21).

The Importance of Imploring

God willing, we all know that we must implore only God (25:68, 7:37), and the Quran teaches us that God test people with adversity and hardship that they may implore (6:42, 7:94). It also points out: “f only they implored when test came to them! (6:43).”

Throughout the Quran we see many examples. When Noah called upon God, He responded to him by saving him and his family from the great disaster (21:76, 26:117,118). When the devil afflicted Job with hardship and pain, he called upon His Lord and He answered his prayer (38:41, 21:84). When the youth took refuge in the cave, they implored God to bless their affairs with His guidance (18:10). The wife of Pharaoh implored God to build a home for her at Him in Paradise (66:11).

When Jonah implored God, He saved him from misery (21:87-88). When Zachariah implored his Lord, God responded to him and granted him John (21:90). When Moses and Aaron

asked God to wipe out the wealth of Pharaoh and his elders, their prayers were answered (10:88-89). God answered the prayer of Joseph and protected him from the women's schemes (12:34). Lot implored God for victory (29:30), so did Saleh, Shuaib, Hood, Abraham and others.

You may even implore God for material things just as Solomon did (38:35), as long as you do not neglect your share in the Hereafter. But never implore God on behalf of those who have transgressed (11:37, 60:4), and remember that God rewards people for what they say (5:84-85). On the Day of Resurrection, He will point out that a group of His servants used to implore Him (52:28), and used to say “ur Lord, we have believed, so forgive us and shower us with mercy” 23:109, 118); and they prayed at dawn for forgiveness (51:18).

Why Some Prayers Are
Not Answered?

The Quran informs us that the human being often prays for something that may hurt him, thinking that he is praying for something good. The human being is impatient (17:11). He may dislike something which is good for him, and he may like something which is bad for him (2:216, 4:19). GOD knows while we do not know.

God answers the prayers of His servants. On the other hand, the supplications of the disbelievers are in vain (2:186, 13:14, 40:50).

What Are the Best Prayers?

Since God did not leave anything out of the Quran (6:38), let us use the Quran as a source to find the best prayers which will help us grow our souls, and maintain our righteousness.

Our Lord, perfect our light for us and forgive us (66:88), increase our knowledge and include us with the

righteous (26:83). We believe in what you have revealed and we follow the messenger, so count us among the
witnesses (3:53, 5:83). Guide us in the right path (1:6), make us submitters to You (2:128), and make us one of those who consistently observe the Contact Prayers (14:40). Grant us in this world righteousness and spare us the agony of Hell in the Hereafter (3:16, 3:201, 25:65, 7:156). Grant us steadfastness, strengthen our foothold, and support us against the disbelieving people (2:250, 3:147), and let us die as a submitter (7:126).

Our Lord, do not condemn us if we forget or make mistakes. Protect us from blaspheming against You, like those before us have done. Our Lord, protect us from sinning until it becomes too late for us to repent (2:286). Pardon us, forgive us our transgressions, remit our sins, and let us be among the righteous when we die (3:193). Grant us what you promised us through Your messengers and do not forsake us on the Day of Resurrection. You never break a promise (3:194). Protect us from worshiping idols (14:35), and from falling into sin (40:9).

Our Lord, direct us to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed upon us and upon our parents, and to work righteousness that pleases You. Let our children to be righteous as well (46:15), and admit us an honorable admittance and let us depart an honorable departure. Grant us from You a powerful support (17:80). Forgive us and our parents, and the believers on the day when the reckoning takes place (14:41), and shower our parents with Your mercy for they have raised us from infancy (17:24).

Our Lord, let our spouses and our children be a source of joy for us, and keep us in the forefront of the

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