Only Allah can be my Confidant

By Sister Ruhi, Muslim Villa contributor.

Ah!  How refreshing it feels to step into our lovely Prayer Room.  I've come here after pretty long but that doesn't mean I haven't been in need of dua   Who doesn't need dua?  And tonight I have a lovely supplication to share with you folks.




"Qaala  innama  ashku  bathi  wahuzni  ila Ilahi' " (V.12:86) Surah Yusuf.

"He said, 'Only I complain (of) my suffering and my grief to Allah ' " (Corpus Quran word by word translation).

"He said: 'I expose my distress and anguish only unto Allah,' "  (Pickthall translation).

This is a tremendous dua (supplication) straight from the Noble Quran, Verse 12:86, where The Almighty quotes the prayer of Prophet Jacob (Yakob) (pbuh), when Jacob was in the depth of his grief after losing his young son Prophet Joseph (Yusuf), and then also getting the bad news of Joseph's younger brother being held back in Egypt.  To learn the complete facts, read Surah 12 (Yusuf).  What makes this Surah different is that the entire Chapter deals with a single subject, that is, the story of Prophet Yusuf (pbuh) - the son of Prophet Yakob (pbuh).  If you're fortunate enough to be well versed in literary Arabic, you will find the manner of narration, its eloquence and its vivid style of articulation absolutely mesmerizing that cannot be expressed half as beautifully even in the best of translations.

Needless to say, the depth of a father's grief on losing two of his beloved children is inexplicable. 

At all times, humans have experienced hardships in life often followed by sadness or simply emotional lows that engulf them in seemingly insurmountable misery and the psychological trauma can be so severe that it often robs them of the incentive to live.  What deepens the stress is the futility of confiding in others ensuing from the lack of human ability or desire to understand the grief of their fellow humans.  In all such cases handling one's grief becomes infinitely simpler for a believer with firm Faith in Allah Almighty alone.  You sit down to offer your daily prayers.  When you finish, you supplicate and pour out your heart to Allah only.  You can speak to HIM as openly as you like.  Ask HIM for forgiveness, ask for guidance, beg for perseverance, implore HIM to intervene in your life and lighten the cruel pressures of the unjust world.  You can be one hundred percent sure HE is listening and HE will act the way He considers best for you and at a time HE knows would be most appropriate for you.  Contrary to this, an aggrieved person with no faith has nowhere to go other than disinterested fellow human beings and gossip mongers.  Even their closest family members or best friends will not have the permanent patience anywhere close to the Patience of Allah.  Rest assured about that.

Your permanent Confidant can only be ALLAH, Who will never tire of you no matter how often you trouble HIM, pester HIM endlessly, with your tears and requests.

I have memorized the original Arabic and also its translation, so I understand my supplication when I speak to Allah.  If you like, you can start memorizing it from the word "innama" for your personal dua or supplication, because "Qaala" (He said) refers to Prophet Yakob as Allah is quoting him in this Verse.