The Prayer which God Accepts
The real dua, or prayer, comes out of one’s entire being, rather than from just the utterings of some words. It is a fact, that the seeker or one who asks from God, is never deprived. But asking does not mean just the repetition of certain words. The real asking is that in which man’s entire being becomes a part of it. If someone says: “O God! Accept me,” but does things which are not acceptable to God, then that is a proof that his request was not sincere.
If a child asked his mother for bread, it is not possible that his mother would place a burning coal in his hand. God is the most compassionate of all to His creatures. It is not possible that you ask God for a humble heart (khashiyat) and that God would instead give you hardheartedness, if you ask God for remembrance of Him, it is not possible that God would grant you forgetfulness of Him, if you want your sole concern to be the Hereafter, and then God grants you love of this world, if you want true religiosity from God it is not possible for God to give you a soulless religiosity. If you ask God for truthfulness, it is not possible that God would cause you to lead your life in the darkness of misguidance.
If in your life the thing that you desire the most is absent, this is a proof that you have not so far asked God for it. If you have to buy milk and you go to the market with a sieve then even after spending money you will come away empty handed. Similarly, if you keep repeating the words of prayer with your lips, but your real being gets diverted to something else then it would be right to say that neither had you asked nor had you received, for one who seeks finds. It cannot be said of the Lord of the universe that He treats His people in such a way that when on Doomsday a person comes face to face with God, he looks at his Lord with intense regret (hasrat)—and says: “O God, I asked You for something but you did not give it to me.” By God, that is impossible, that is impossible, that is impossible! The Lord of the universe comes near you morning and evening with all His treasures and calls out: “Who is there? If you seek, I will give it to you.” But those who want God’s blessings and remain forgetful, then how can you blame the Giver?
