Everyday Dua

I had a hundred things to do in the next thirty minutes, and not a moment to spare to look for my daughter’s tiny missing earring. Besides, she had been romping in the snow and slept at her cousin’s house the night before. The earring could have fallen off two days ago.

I had no time to look in her bed or on the floor. It was lost for sure. But I said the dua anyway. “O Allah, You are the One who brings people to a Day of which there is no doubt, so bring back to me what I have lost.” And then I forgot about it. I proceeded to fold blankets, pack a suitcase, change a diaper, and put a baby to sleep. And out of one of the blankets I noticed a gleaming speck fall to the ground.

“Subhanallah!” I exclaimed. Only Allah swt led me to notice the rice-sized piece of gold. It was missing the post, but that was easy to replace. I smiled at the signs of Allah in my day.

Three minutes later, in another room, I stepped on a grain-sized object. No… it couldn’t be…it was! I attached the earring to its post and tucked it in my wallet, eager to tell my daughter that Allah had answered this little dua.

For the rest of the day, I couldn’t stop wondering at how, from my perspective, a teeny-tiny dua was answered by my Lord so promptly and perfectly. It wouldn’t have been a big deal if the earring wasn’t found, and I was too busy to look for it. But I took a moment to make the dua, so my Lord took a moment to answer it.

There must be so many things in our day that if we just paused to ask, they would be answered. Constantly asking may lead us to experience an intimate closeness with our Creator and a constant awareness of our utter dependence on Him. We always remember to pray for the big things, but what about the mundane stuff? O Allah, please help me get my child in the car without losing my temper! O Allah, help me be patient while teaching her this lesson. O Allah, grant me synergy and success in my day. O Allah, please reward me for the housework and make it less of a burden on me. O Allah, make my spouse feel content and loved when he walks in the door…

My father-in-law walked in that same day, also with a smile on his face. He explained that he had spent several moments staring powerlessly at the four-foot pile of snow blocking the driveway. With a flimsy shovel, there was no way he would be able to do it without tremendous exertion.

“O Allah, grant me a way out from this pile of snow!”

Seconds later, a generous neighbor appeared with a smile, shovel, and strong arms. The driveway was cleared within a half hour.

Just as we raise our hands in appeal over our futures, our marriages, and our health, we can also raise our hands over tantrums, messes, flat tires, pimples, and colds—making our reliance on Allah the rhythm of our day.

Maha Ezzeddine

Maha Ezzeddine lives in Houston, Texas with her husband and three daughters. She is a dedicated MAS worker, part-time writer, and creative homemaker.