Du`a' (Supplication) Education & Science Reflections

To Be a Seeker of Miracles

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roofless/3622420071/By Lusana Ahsan

I am a believer in miracles. Yes, I was a chemistry major in college. I saw and still see this world as a conglomeration of atoms and molecules that follow the precise laws of nature in a symphony that defies the notion of miracles. I am in a profession where treatment must be evidence-based—a calculated evaluation of patient parameters where the data takes precedence over a doctor’s hunch. Yet, there are so many moments in life when I can only describe the gifts of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) as miracles—signs of His Power, Mercy and Grace.

It all started when I was a little girl in Bangladesh. I saw the servant girl removing the stems of dried pepper on the rooftop of my grandfather’s house and decided to help her. It was fun, until my hands started burning as if they were on fire. I could not stop crying.  Being only five, everyone in the house was by my side as I started bawling. I sat on my mother’s lap with my hands immersed in a jug of cold water, but the burning simply would not go away. Then my grandmother had an idea. She turns to my grandfather and goes, “Why don’t you read the du`a’ (supplication) that Ibrahim `alayhi as-salaam (peace be upon him) read when he was thrown into the fire by Firawn?” So I took my hands out of the water and held them in front of Nanabhai (Grandfather) as he repeated the du`a’ of Ibrahim and blew on my fingers.

“Sufficient for us is Allah , and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs.” (Quran 3:173)

Suddenly, the pain was gone! It was not a gradual decrease of pain the way we normally expect; but an instant relief. I remember laughing in disbelief at that amazing miracle. In my five years of existence, it was the most wonderful act of God that I had ever witnessed. Subhan’Allah (Glory be to God), there is no cure like Allah’s cure. It is a beautiful memory that still lives within me today and makes me a believer in the power of du`a’.

Du`a’ is difficult to make if you do not believe in its power to be accepted. When I was five, I believed with all my heart that my Nanabhai’s du`a’ would cease the burning of my hands and alhamdulillah, (praise be to God), it did. However, as an adult, I wonder, do I still have that same pure conviction, the same reliance on Allah’s divine help?

Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an, “And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein,” (Quran 50:16). Allah (swt) knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our thoughts, our fears, our desires and our hopes, and therefore, He grants us our du`a’ in a manner that is best for us. Allah (swt) responds to every du`a’, but we lack the clairvoyance to appreciate the journey that is necessary to receive the gifts that we desire.

Although we are encouraged to make du`a’ for many things, we will probably not live long enough to see the full effects of the du`a’ that we make for our children, community, and the world.  Other types of du`a’ we are encouraged to make are for our afterlife: to be in the shade of Allah’s Throne on the Day of Judgment, to be entered into Jannah (Paradise), etc. Although these du`a’ are for the future, there are still times, when the answer to my du`a’ is so instantaneous that it knocks me to my knees. I end here with another story.

When I was a third-year medical student, I was observing the final moments of a woman’s delivery. After thirty hours of labor, she screamed in pain as it came to the final push to the birth of her first child. Nurses and physicians smiled as the baby was finally born and we all cocked our ears for the first cry. Except the baby did not cry. The delivery room turned chaotic as pediatric intensivists rushed in to take care of the newborn. I looked at the mother and all I could see were silent tears streaming down her face. The hope that sustained her for nine months of pregnancy and thirty hours of labor had turned to devastation in the blink of an eye. I held her hand and started making sincere du`a’. Everyone in the room was silently praying. After some agonizing minutes, the baby started breathing by the mercy of Allah (swt). Alhamdulillah. You may say it was by medical intervention, but I believe it was a miraculous response to du`a’. For every human effort there is a chance that it will fail; its success is only with the permission of Allah (swt).


Lusana is currently a medical student at SUNY Downstate Medical Center working towards a career in internal medicine. Raised in the Big Apple, she is a city girl who is also in love with nature.

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17 Comments

  • “For every human effort there is a chance that it will fail; it is success is only with the permission of Allah (swt)” Lusana Ahsan
    JazakAllah khayr for reminding me the power of dua- asking and working for it.

  • Assalam alaykum wa rahmatullah 🙂

    JazakAllah khayran katheera for the beautiful and refreshing piece of reflection; with Allah’s permissin, may it be solidifying for one’s tawakkul and a gentle reminder for us to excercise Sabr and wholesome Shukr.

    I couldn’t but help but comment with a du’a.

    May Allah strengthen our sincere belief, hope and reliance in Him and our good opinion of Him! ameen.

    Keep Believing and cherish trust in Allah
    wassalam alaykum 🙂

  • Jazak Allahu Khairan katheeran Dear sister,

    Thank you for this reminder to reflect back in our own lives to realise & become aware of miracles that we face & see daily happening but are too busy with dunya to really do a sajda of shukr for all the wonderful things He does in our lives. Indeed Allah is the Greatest , The Most Loving , Alhamdullilahi Rabbil Aalameen.
    May Allah bless you immensely for this reminder,

    A sister in faith

  • Beautiful masha’Allah. I’m a first year medical student right now and this really resonated with me. May Allah bless you and may He make the upcoming match day a personal miracle for you!

  • Beautiful account and reminder Sr. Lusana. Praying for success for the remainder of your medical career and beyond, from a fellow medical graduate 🙂

  • Lusana,that do’a that healed your hot finger is a great lesson learnt till the day of saving a still born child. Alhamdullilah,you asked for ALLAH’s Mercy. We can be assured of his help for are we not under his protection at all times? He wants us to ASK and be Grateful.

  • Asdalaam walaikum, mashaAllah sister Lusana, you are great writer and an inspiration
    I enjoyed two articles of yours so far and look forward to reading more! All the best sis xxx

  • Assalamu alaikum Dear Sister – there is one small mistake in the facts – didn’t notice it the first time I read it.
    It was not Firawn who threw Ibrahim (AS) into the fire – Firawn was in the time of Moosa (as).
    I am not sure though, but I think the king at the time of Ibrahim (as) was Nimrud who thrrew him in the fire.
    Regards,

    • Jazakallah khair for pointing out the mistake RKhan! Yes, you are right, it wasn’t Firawn, it was the Babylonian king Nimrud. I mixed up the two by accident. Thanks 🙂

  • Please pray that whatever wish I made today come true, I sense pure conviction in your feeling , please pray that I get the miracle.of my life ,and I get happy again, start praying with pure conviction, and Allah set everything wrong right in my life. Thanks I request this prayers from anybody that may read this.

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    Greenery .
    The leaves speak as if their veins move as lips resounding alongside creation as a
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    Birds echo and recite on the branches of life while squirrels climb the bark for
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