The Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said:

مَنْ دَعَا بِهٌذَا الدُّعاءِ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ بَعْدَ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ غُفِرَتْ ذُنُوبُهُ إِلـى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ.

“Whosoever beseeches with this supplication in the Holy month of Ramadān, after the prescribed prayer, his sins (dhunūb) shall be forgiven till the Day of Judgment.”[1]

Du‘ā is not a mere verbal utterance, but “a state of real want,” which is mostly manifested by the verbal supplication. However, as long as there is no harmony between “the inner state of want” and “the verbal utterance,” the supplication would lack its spirit.

Realizing this, we say that “the state of yearning for the betterment of the human species” is an ‘innate want’ of every human being who enjoys an untainted soul. This is because every human being has been fashioned with the Attributes of Almighty Allāh. And one such attribute is “mercy” which is all-embracing. Therefore the human being innately wants the betterment of every other human being. The reason why many of us do not experience this quality is because of our separation from the neighbourhood of our All-Loving Creator. Therefore we need to undergo self-purification to expose this quality, which has been veiled by the accumulation of sins and attachment to the world of matter. And when we experience the state of “yearning for the betterment of others” and translate the same in the form of words, our supplication shall carry meaning, and we will benefit from its great merit.

However, those who have not attained this station of proximity should not despair, but recite this prayer regularly with reflection. If such illuminative supplications were intended for perfect human beings only, then the Holy Prophet (s) would not teach it to all and sundry. Therefore, we should always try to recite the supplication with reflection and change. If one were to inculcate the sublime thoughts contained in this prayer, he could really wake up from his deep slumber and change his life.

In this Glorious Month, when the over-flowing Grace of the All-Gracious is continuous, let us humbly ask Almighty Allāh to enable us to be among those who utter this wonderful supplication as a manifestation of our inner spirits.

[1] Bihār al-Anwār, v. 95, pg. 120, ch. 6