3.8 Supplication for Allah's special mercy and deliverance from going astray
This is another supplication with which sincere believers, led by the noble prophets of Allah, turn to Allah the Almighty. The Lord mentions them in His Book in order to teach us these beautiful supplications, which will help us to earn His pleasure as well as good and happiness in both worlds. It is not without reason that the Almighty speaks in His Book with praise of the people who call upon Him with such supplications.
This is the supplication of the heirs of the prophets: scholars, experts in religion, who made the best use of the opportunity to acquire beneficial knowledge. These are people of understanding, who grasp religion deeply and correctly and have a true idea of it. Firm faith and conviction in the truth of the religion they profess give rise to high aspirations in their hearts. These are people who set a beautiful example for each of us with their good words and God-pleasing deeds. Whoever follows in their footsteps will not be the loser and will attain the salvation he longs for. And their supplications are no less beautiful than the rest of their actions.
“Our Lord!” they call out. O You who created all that exists and who governs everything, to whom everything is subject, including the hearts of His servants. “Do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us!” Do not let us become like those who fell into error by rejecting the clear ayahs of the Quran, and who not only went astray themselves but also led others astray, unlike the truly believing, firm in knowledge, who themselves follow the straight path and strive to show this path to others.
This supplication is a wonderful example of courtesy. Although the believers who turn to the Almighty with this supplication wished to ask for something of enormous significance to them, whose importance they fully realised, they did not begin with what was the essence of the plea, the cherished wish they hoped to see fulfilled when they called upon the Lord with these words. They began by mentioning His Lordship, then mentioned the great mercy He had shown them by guiding them to the straight path, and only after that did they ask for what was the height of their dreams: that the Lord should keep them firm on the straight path and help them not to stray from it in the future.
They asked for the main thing, for what ought to concern a believer more than anything else. They asked to live their earthly lives worthily, righteously and rightly, and on the Day of Judgment to be among the successful and the saved. And only the one whom Allah the Almighty helps to attain this good will be able to attain it.
They also asked the Lord for His mercy. Fully aware that He grants it only to whom He wills, they asked for it as the greatest gift. And they asked not for some particular one of the mercies He bestows, but for mercy in general, which embraces faith, the profession of monotheism, beneficial knowledge and the various forms of obedience to Allah. It is a mercy that includes the Almighty’s help in doing good deeds and in steadfastly following the straight path in this world, and the attainment of eternal bliss in the Hereafter. That is why it means so much to a believer and deserves that we should beg the Almighty Lord for it again and again.
And only He grants this mercy. That is why they said “Your mercy”, acknowledging this and glorifying Him. And they confirmed it with the words “You are indeed the Giver”, emphasising the perfection of the Almighty’s attributes, for the gifts of people are nothing compared with His gifts.
This supplication reminds us that mentioning the names and attributes of the Almighty, as well as His favours, is a beautiful way of drawing near to Him when we turn to Him in supplication.
This supplication makes each of us reflect on how important it is to ask the Almighty Lord for firmness on the straight path and for help in steadfastly following it to the end of our earthly life. If the best of His servants asked Him for this, then what of us, ordinary mortals, overcome by passions and often unable to resist the whims of a soul that prefers laziness to caring for its own salvation?..