In Islam, we are taught to be gentle with our children and Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) was the best example of this. He would take children in his arms and embrace them. He was once hugging his beloved grandsons, Hasan and Hussain (peace be upon them), when Aqrah bin Haabis told him, ‘I have got ten children. So far, I have not kissed any of them.’ The Prophet (peace be upon him) responded: “The one with no pity for others is not pitied.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim). In this way he was particularly compassionate towards children. When he saw a child crying, he sat beside him or her and talked with them, encouraging them to share their feelings. He also felt the pain of a mother for her child more than the mother herself. Once he said: “I stand in prayer and wish to prolong it. However, I hear the cry of a child and cut the prayer short for the anxiety which the mother is feeling.” (Al-Bukhari)

Shaykh Saleh Al-Meghamsi (may Allah preserve him), Imam of Masjid Quba in Madinat ( Saudi Arabia), went through such a humbling, lesson-laden moment that leaves us with much to reflect on. He relates his story saying:

I was in the intensive care unit, just beginning to regain consciousness after undergoing a 24 hour open-heart surgery, when the nurse in charge of me noticed a change in the blood. He informed a doctor, who informed another. A third doctor was then called, until 14 people, among them doctors and professionals, had gathered to discuss what they should do regarding my case. They were reading the signals from the devices over my head, and although I had no idea what the situation was, I could read fear in their faces. It seemed that the signals were not pleasant. They called Dr. Adam, a successful Sudanese doctor, to come and see. He studied the monitor and concluded that there was congealed blood on the heart and that it had to be removed. The news came down on me like a thunderbolt . The doctor sought my permission, and although fear began to overwhelm me, Allah guided me to utter the shahadah, followed by my head nodding in agreement.

Allah addresses Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the Qur’an, saying: “And yet another (blessing) that you love: help from Allah and a victory near at hand; and give glad tidings to the believers.” [Surah al-Saff: 13]

Allah has promised the believers that he will support them and grant them success in the land, and Allah never breaks His promise. We find that, since Prophet Muhammad’s time, the message of Islam has spread east and west to the far corners of the Earth. People entered into Islam in droves so that Muslims now represent a considerable portion of humanity. Islam won the people’s hearts before it became established in the land. In this way the Berbers, Persians and other nationalities entered into Islam to make up the Muslim community whose hearts are united by Allah through faith.

With all the suffering and disasters Muslims are facing in various parts of the world, the question can be directed to all of us today.

It is not that we have forgotten dua completely; we refer to it regularly. But, our ideas and practice regarding dua have become distorted. Often it is reduced to the level of a ritual. Generally it is considered when all our efforts have failed - an act of last resort. It is belittled through actions and sometimes even with words. Is it any wonder that today mostly a mention of dua is meant to indicate the hopelessness of a situation.

What a tragedy, for dua is the most potent weapon of a believer. It can change fate, while no action of ours ever can. It is the essence of ibadah or worship. With it we can never fail; without it we can never succeed. In the proper scheme of things, dua should be the first and the last resort of the believer, with all his plans and actions coming in between.