But Can it Really Come True?

There's something I really want and I know that it's like near impossible for me to get it. I've done all that I can to be "accepted" in it, but I know that I should be making more dua. The problem is that a part of me just feels like "There's no way my dua will be accepted. It's just too hard". I don't know what to do about that. It's like whenever I try to put my faith and trust in Allah, shaitaan distracts me. I'm finding it hard to do so now and I feel soooooo lost sometimes. Please advise me.

Dear Needing to Trust,

First of all, let me start off by saying that I hope you get whatever is best for you, inshaAllah.

Second of all, I understand that there's something that you want, but you feel like it's "almost impossible" for it to happen. Like it just "can't realistically be". 

Well, hunny, the simple (and amazing) truth is that it may be "too hard" for YOU, but it's not too hard for Allah. HE is not like us. 

Allah is Al Aziz. He is "All Mighty". To Him belongs victory, strength, and might (i.e. al-Izzah) and overcoming (all else)

And there is nothing in the Heavens and nor in the Earth that can render Allâh incapable ” (Faatir 35:44).”

He is also "Al Malik"; He is the Owner and the the One who executes His command in His possession. He can command, make and do whatever He wants. 

He says "Be" and it is. 

That's why the first thing you gotta do is stop confusing human abilities with Allah's abilities. Don't impose human limitations on Allah.  There's nothing that is impossible for Him to do.

Nothing!

Who was it but Allah who allowed a burning fire to feel cold to Prophet Abraham? 

Who was it but Allah who saved Prophet Yunus when he was in the whale’s belly in the deep of the ocean in the pitch of the night? 

Who was it but Allah that allowed Prophet Moosa’s rod split the ocean into half and let the people of the Israelis cross?

No dua is too hard for Him to respond to. 

 Allah subhanoo Wa' Tala always always responds to our duas (provided the person is not asking for haraam things or eating haram money and the other conditions are fulfilled). 

Don't take my word for it. Look at the Quran: 

And your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you.’ Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible,”(Qur’an, 40:60). 

(See how Allah compares those who do not make dua as those who do disdainHis worship?)

"When my servants ask you concerning me, (tell them) I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on me." [2:186] 

In fact, if we look at the Quran, we see lots of  stories of people making duas and having their duas answered in the most INCREDIBLE ways. 

 Take Prophet Nuh alyhee as salat wa'salam: 

Nuh prayed, "Lord, help me; I am defeated". (10) We opened the gates of the sky and water started to pour down. (11) We caused the earth to burst forth with springs so that the waters could come together for a predestined purpose. (12)We carried him, (Nuh), on a vessel built with boards fixed together with nails, (13) which floated on the water before Our very eyes. [Sura 54: Al Qamar]

Allah caused a barren desert to flood with torrential rain and springs of water because of the dua of His servant!  As Al Aziz (the Al Mighty), He came to the victory of His servant.

And what about Zakariya?

And [mention] Zakariya, when he called to his Lord, ‘My Lord, do not leave me alone [with no heir], while you are the Best of Inheritors.’ So We responded to him, and We gave to him Yahya, and amended for him his wife. Indeed, they used to hasten to good deeds and supplicate Us in hope and fear, and they were to Us humbly submissive.” (Qur’an, 21:89-90)

Zakariya's wife was actually infertile, yet because he prayed to Allah and asked for an heir, Allah caused her to be fertile! He granted them a righteous son.

And Prophet Ayub, too: 

He fell ill with a debilitating disease and lost his family too. He didn't complain but rather turned to Allah:

“And (remember) Ayub, when he cried to his Lord, “Truly distress has seized me, but You are the Most Merciful of those that are merciful.” (Qur’an, 21:83)

Allah responded in the most amazing way: He granted him a new family (double the size of the family he'd had) and also cured him. 

“Then We heard his prayer and removed that adversity from which he suffered, and We gave him his household (that he had lost) and the like thereof along with them, a mercy from near Us, and a remembrance for the worshipers.” (Qur’an, 21:84)

 Now, I can almost hear you say..."Yeah, I know all that...But....those persons were special. Not like little o'le me." 

A lot of us fall into that trap! We attribute their duas being answered because "well, they were prophets or righteous persons". But when we really think about that, that's actually belittling Allah's Name, AL MUJEEB. Yes, those who are obedient and extremely pious have "special duas", but the fact of the matter is that Allah is AL MUJEEB. This is His attribute- that means HE answers the call of the supplicant...be it a poor old woman or a mighty king...a little girl or a prophet. 

You and me.

He promised us that. 

“Or who listens to the soul distressed when it calls on Him, and who relieves its suffering” (NAML, 62)

And in yet, in another verse of the Quran, Allah describes Himself not only as the one who responds but as the "Best" one who responds: ...[We are] the best of responders.(75)  (Surah 37)

The BEST Of responders!! Think of your mother when you ask her for a favor...or your best friend who you can call in the middle of the night. Allah's a better responder than that. He has the full Power and authority to grant you whatever you need...and what's more, He knows what you need and what is best for you! He is Generous, AlMighty, Compassionate and Wise. 

Doesn't reading these verses help you trust Him more? Seriously, if you want to trust in Allah more, you've got to "know" more about Him! Read the Quran and see His Beautiful Attributes. Watch lectures on His names, such as this series: An Introduction to the Series of "Living with Allah's Names"

The second thing to realize is that you're totally right in saying that Shaytaan is trying to distract you when you want to make dua. You see, the prophet sallah Allahoo Alyhee wa salam said: “Dua is Ibadah [worship]” (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Abu Dawud). 

Like all acts of worship, Shaytaan doesn't want you doing dua. But this is especially true in the case of dua. The reason being that dua is really intense ibada or worship because it puts us in the place of the servant and puts Allah as our Master; it demonstrates our belief in our Creator and our knowledge of His Uniqueness, Kingdom, Sovereignty. It shows our belief in "tawheed" totally. So obviously, when you raise your hands and get ready to make dua, Shaytaan understands that you're about to do some serious worship. He doesn't want you to do that, so he starts to put doubts in your heart or whispers to you something so you even forget to make dua.  

That's why what I like to do sometimes is just sit down and list a couple of duas that I really need to make. I jot them down quickly (writing them down helps me be firmer in my resolution to make them as duas) and then, I sit down, turn off the lights, sit in a room by myself and supplicate to Allah.The list really helps me remember all that I wanted to make dua for and it makes me more conscious of the fact that I have things I need to supplicate for (no matter what Shaytaan tries to convince me of).

Of course the last thing we have to say is seek refuge in Allah! Don't forget to say Audoo billah also when you start getting such thoughts.

I hope inshaAllah this post helps you a bit.

Lots of love,

P.s. Take a look at our 2 posts: "God Answered Me" and "I Didn't Get in" to read more about duas =)