Is It OK to Not Make Du’a after Prayer So My Stress Does Not Increase?

Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

Is it okay not to make du`a after praying? Making du`a reminds me that my mother has cancer, and I prefer to forget about it. I am providing all the support I can, but when I am alone, I feel lost. I am also finding myself sinning more. Every year, I stayed awake for Laylat-ul-Qadr, but this year, I was not able to worship on the odd nights of the end of Ramadan because I had nocturnal discharge, and given the night is very short where I live, by the time I was purified, it was fajr time. It made me feel rejected in my religion as I was not able to pray on sacred nights for my mother. I feel like I am in a very dark place and not even sure what I am asking for.

Answer

Thank you for your question.  May Allah aid you in your distress, and relieve your mother of her pain, and give her a quick recovery. I urge you to make du`a instead of passing it up.

Du`a

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) was asked: “At what time does the supplication find the greatest response?” He replied, “A supplication made during the middle of the last part of the night and after the conclusion of the obligatory prayers.” [Tirmidhi]

Mu`adh (bin Jabal) (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) held my hand and said, “O Mu`adh, By Allah, I love you and advise you not to miss supplicating after every Salat (prayer) saying: ‘Allahumma a‘inni ‘ala dhikrika wa shukrika, wa husni ‘ibadatika,’ (O Allah, help me in remembering You, expressing gratitude to You and worshipping You in the best manner).” [Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi]

Distress

It is permissible to forgo du`a after the prayer, but it is the absolute best time to ask Allah for what you want. I urge you to develop a relationship with Allah Most High such that you speak to him in your own language and spill out your feelings, and pain, and ask for everything under the sun. You don’t have to bring up your mother. You can ask Allah to guide you, give you ease, help you stay away from sin, strengthen your faith, etc. Remember that any problem that comes your way is from Allah, out of His wisdom, and only He can send the solution. Release your emotions with Allah, Who else could be a better listener and completely understand what you need and have all the power in the universe to help you?

Please see these links as well:

• Chaos in My Life
• 6 Key Things to Help Ease Stress- Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
• Advice for Dealing With Serious Illnesses

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.