PROPHETIC SUPPLICATIONS AND YOU: Part 2

By Manahil Ashraf

Alhamdullilah now that we know the significance of learning the prophetic supplications let’s get down to the serious business. How to? Well, this is how I did it. I pray that you’ll find these seven tips useful as well in sha Allah.

1. Get the booklet
In case you do not already have a Hisn ul muslim at home, it’s time to visit an Islamic bookstore. I believe that every Muslim should have his personal copy of the Mushaf and Hisn ul muslim. The booklet is easily available at Darussalam in the language of your choice. Small and convenient to carry around as it easily fits in your purse. You know what it means? It means now you can memorize duas even when you’re in college, at work, while commuting etc.

2. Download the app
This step is five star important. If a Muslim does not have the Hisn ul muslim app, his smart phone should be confiscated. Kidding, but seriously the app is a must have. In case you’re thinking “I just got the booklet now you’re telling me about the app, great” By no means I am undermining the significance of a hard copy. However you can forget the book at home but never your cell phone, do you? Let’s face it in today’s time the only thing that we have on us 24×7 is our phone. Sometimes just the guilt of having duas only a ‘touch’ away is enough to make you read and memorize them.

3. Surround yourself
Ever heard of photogenic memory? Reading and listening is not good enough. You might want to look at it over and over. Set the dua you’re trying to learn as your wallpaper, desktop background etc and you’ll come across it countless times. If you have a creative side to yourself, write the dua in calligraphy and make all sorts of pretty sketches around it. Paste it someplace where you spend your time. The extra benefit in doing so is that someone else might look at it and learn. Guess who gets the reward then?

4. Know the meaning
This goes without saying, right? Since the prophetic duas are obviously in Arabic, getting their meaning might be a struggle sometimes. But Alhamdulillah translations are available so this won’t be an issue. When you don’t know the meaning of what you’re saying it doesn’t hold much weight. Remember you are memorizing duas and the duas are only powerful when they come from the heart.

5. Contemplate
Duas can only come from the heart when they have gone through the mind first. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was incredibly eloquent. His few words meant paragraphs. Take some pain in understanding the deeper meanings and deciphering the subtleties. Contemplate on the words.

6. Teach it to someone
Teaching is one of the most excellent ways of learning and often times the teacher benefits more than the student. Find a kid in the house maybe your young sibling or your child and teach them the dua. This is their perfect age for learning. Teaching a child something is like carving in stone. Lasting. And the awesome part is the sadaqa jariyah.

7. Ask Allah for help
Make dua to Allah Subhana WaTa’ala to help you learn the duas. Nothing is easy unless He makes it easy. Ask for barakah in your memory and in your time.

Often times you hear people say “I’m too old to memorize stuff now. Don’t have the memory that I used to have.” That’s just them chickening out. Give it a go at least. Put in the sincere effort. Remember the harder it is for you, the more the reward.

Got more tips? Share with us below.

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