Seeking help from prayer in times of distress can provide solace, strength, and guidance. Prayer is a deeply personal and spiritual practice that allows individuals to connect with Allah almighty, a higher power or source of divine energy. In moments of distress, turning to prayer can provide a sense of comfort and reassurance, knowing that one is not alone in their struggles. Prayer enables us to express our worries, fears, and anxieties, and to seek guidance and support from a power greater than ourselves and that is Allah. It offers an opportunity for reflection, self-refinement, and surrendering our burdens to a higher wisdom. Through prayer, we can find inner peace, a renewed sense of hope, and a belief that there is a greater plan at work. It allows us to tap into our own inner resilience and strength, while also cultivating trust and faith in something beyond our human capabilities. In times of distress, seeking help from prayer can serve as a source of comfort, guidance, and a reminder that there is always a higher power ready to listen and offer solace to those who seek it. Indeed Allah almighty is the only God and we seek help from prayers.
Allah the almighty said in Quran:
“And attain help through patience and the prayer, and indeed the prayer is burdensome except for those who submit to Me from the heart.”
Patience increases spiritual strength and through the Prayer, one’s bond with Allah almighty is strengthened. Both elements enable one to face and tackle adversity.
What is prayer or salah?
Salah, also known as Salat, is the Islamic ritual prayer performed by Muslims as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. It is a physical and spiritual act of worship that Muslims engage in to connect with Allah (God). Salah is considered a mandatory practice and holds great importance in the lives of Muslims.
Salah involves a specific sequence of physical postures and recitations performed while facing the Kaaba in Mecca, the holiest site in Islam. The prayer includes standing, bowing, prostrating, and sitting positions, accompanied by recitations from the Quran and supplications.
Muslims are required to perform Salah five times a day at designated times: Fajr (dawn), Dhuhr (midday), Asr (afternoon), Maghrib (sunset), and Isha (night). The timings of these prayers are determined by the movement of the sun and vary according to geographic location and season.
Salah serves multiple purposes for Muslims. It is a means of expressing gratitude and devotion to Allah, seeking forgiveness for sins, seeking guidance, and fostering spiritual connection and mindfulness. It serves as a reminder of one’s duties and responsibilities as a Muslim, promoting discipline, humility, and self-reflection.
The performance of Salah requires cleanliness and adherence to specific etiquettes, such as facing the qibla (direction of the Kaaba), reciting specific verses and phrases, and maintaining concentration and reverence throughout the prayer.
Salah plays a significant role in the daily lives of Muslims, providing a means to strengthen their faith, seek closeness to Allah, and find inner peace and tranquility. It serves as a constant reminder of their connection to the divine and their commitment to fulfilling their religious obligations.
Here are the three Stories regarding seeking help from prayer
Following are three narrative stories regarding seeking help from prayer at the time of difficulty. These will strengthen our faith and believe on importance and value of offering prayer.
Police released the Son
Once a woman in the neighborhood of Hazrat Saiyyiduna Abul-Hasan Saree Saqti (r.a) came to him and said, O Abul-Hasan! last night the police has arrested my son, i am afraid they will hurt him, please intercede or else send someone with me. Listening to the requesting of the lady, the friend of Allah Hazrat Saree Saqti (r.a) started offering prayer with humility and submission. After passing much time the lady said, O Abul-Hasan! Hurry up, lest the governer put my son in prison. He continued his prayer and after finishing the Salah he said, O servant of Allah! Its your case that I am solving. While they were talking, the maid of the lady came and said, O ma’am! Let’s go home, your son has come back. Hearing this news the lady got very happy and left from there praying for him.
(Uyun-ul-Hikayaat, pg164)
May Allah bless mercy upon them and forgive us for their sake without accountability. Aameen.
O Prisoners! You want to be Free, Offer Prayer with all your heart
You will get rid of every misery, Offer Prayer with all your heart
Heavy Rainfall Started
Once the gardener of Prophet’s servant Hazrat Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (radi Allah anho) came to him and complained about the famine and drought. Sayyiduna said, Your Highness, I don’t see anything in the sky. The Prophet’s Companion offered prayer again and asked the same and the gardener replied the same. Then third time or fourth time after offering prayer he asked the same again and the gardener told that a piece of cloud equal to a bird’s feather can be seen. Hazrat Anas (r.a) kept on offering prayer untill the sky got full of clouds and the heavy rainfall started. He ordered the gardener to check how far the rain is falling? He checked all around on his horse and came back and told him the names of those areas where rain fall reached.
May Allah bless mercy upon them and forgive us for their sake without accountability. Aameen.
The clouds of mercy will fall with swings, offer prayer with all your heart
Femine will depart, and will arrive spring, offer prayer with all your heart
The Fountain
Once the army of Hazrat Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Naafey’ Fehri (r.a) reached a point in the Jihads of Africa where there was no sign of water. The Islamic army became desperate with intensified thirst. Hazrat Ubqah (r.a) offered prayer and then supplicated to Allah. Meanwhile his horse started raking on land with its foot. He got there and saw the soil had been removed and a rock was seen. As soon as he removed that rock suddenly a fountain began to flow. They got so much water from the fountain that whole army got satisfied. All animals drank water and the soldiers filled their muskets. Afterwards they went ahead leaving that fountain flowing as it is.
May Allah bless mercy upon them and forgive us for their sake without accountability. Aameen.
When you are desperate with miseries, offer prayer with all your heart
Satisfy the thirst n fear intensities, offer prayer with all your heart
When we face any trouble or misery or if we have any sensitive issue to resolve we should offer prayer. The Last Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to offer prayer at the time of important matters. Prayer is a comprehensive worship including all types of remembrance of Allah. It gives relief during sufferings and miseries.
According to Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Amjad Ali Aazmi (r.a) offering two rakat prayer is Mustahab at the times of following calamities:
- When a strong wind comes
- When darkness covers the light of day time
- When there be a terrible light in the night time
- When it rains heavily continuously
- When hail heavily
- When sky becomes reddish
- When frequently lightening flashes
- When frequently stars break
- When plague or other epidemics spread
- When there are frequent earthquakes.
- When having fear of enemy or any terrible case found
From hunger and the poverty and the hell’s fire flare
You will be saved from everything by offering Prayer
