Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | The Sunday Guardian |June 18, 2017

According to a hadith, the Prophet Muhammad is said to have remarked: "For whomsoever of you the door of supplication is opened, for him the doors of mercy have been opened. And in God's eyes praying for good health is dearer to praying for anything else." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, hadith no. 3548).

In this world, people have been given freedom, but the truth is that man's share in controlling the affairs of life is extremely limited-less than even 1%-while God's share is more than 99%. It is because of this that it is very important and necessary for human beings to engage in dua or to supplicate God. One who discovers this fact and faithfully acts accordingly will certainly come in the fold of God's mercy.

In this world, for human beings faith in God is most crucial-or, in other words, to discover the reality of life. The next most important thing to have is afiyat. By afiyat is meant what is ordinarily called 'good health' or 'well-being'.

By birth, man is a weak creature. He cannot tolerate even a minor disturbance of his health. A person who does not enjoy good health cannot do anything properly. That is why one should engage much in doing dua or supplicating God so that one becomes capable of fulfilling all one's responsibilities in the right way. But dua is not simply repeating some Arabic words that one has memorized. The true dua is one that emerges from the depths of one's heart, and not simply something that is repeated mechanically on the tongue. It is this sort of prayer that definitely reaches God and is accepted by Him.