A Muslim strives to remember Allah Ta‘ala at every moment of his life, and Allah Ta‘ala, in His infinite kindness and generosity, is always prepared to bless His servants and shower His favours upon them. Hence, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) has taught us specific du‘aas to be made on specific occasions. If we have to learn and punctually recite the sunnah du‘aas relevant to the various daily activities and occasions, there will hardly be a moment where we will not be turning to Allah Ta‘ala in du‘aa, due to which we will perpetually enjoy the bounties and favours of Allah Ta‘ala.
Some of these du‘aas are well known such as the du‘aas to be recited before and after eating, whereas other du‘aas are perhaps not known to most people, for instance the du‘aa to recite when sighting the moon of the new Islamic month.
In order to easily introduce these dynamic du‘aas into our lives, we should incorporate the learning of these du‘aas into our daily home ta’leem. One du‘aa should be selected which will be revised during the daily ta’leem for the entire week. Once the week has elapsed and the whole family has learnt the du‘aa, another du‘aa may be selected and learnt. Furthermore, in order to assist one another in practicing upon the du‘aa, when the relevant occasion arrives, we should recite the du‘aa audibly (provided that we will not be disturbing others). By reciting it audibly, others will also be reminded and encouraged to recite the du‘aa. In this manner, by us becoming a means for others to recite, we will have a share in their reward for reciting the du‘aa.
By us practicing on these du‘aas, our children will automatically learn them and du‘aas will occupy an important position in their life. If children are not practically taught and encouraged to recite the du‘aas, then du‘aas will remain a mere subject in madrasah – something to learn for the exam and thereafter forget.
The next time we sit to eat, or complete eating, or commence a journey, let us recite the du‘aa aloud.