How to make Dua: Tip #26

To Implore Allah Earnestly

One should ask of Allah with a sense of urgency and comprehensiveness, for example, asking not just for forgiveness of your sins, but of all your past sins and future sins as well.
Another etiquette of du’a is that a person implore Allah, and beseech Him. This sense of urgency is demonstrated in the Sunnah of the Prophet [May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him]. A’ishah reported that when the Prophet [May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him] was afflicted with magic, he made du’a, then he made du’a, then he made du’a. [Muslim #2189] This incident demonstrates a sense of urgency and insistence that is needed while making du’a.

Additionally, we find this same characteristic in many of the du’as that the Prophet [May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him] used to make. For example, he would pray: O Allah! Forgive me all (my sins) that I have already done, and will do (in the future), and what I have done in private, and what I have done in public, and all (sins) that you know from me. [Muslim #771]

Now, it was possible to just say, ‘Forgive all my sins’, and the meaning would have been the same. However, in this beautiful prophetic du’a, there is a strong sense of urgency – of imploring Allah, and beseeching Him, of pleading to Him, and insisting on this forgiveness. All of this not conveyed in the simple phrase,’ Forgive my sins.’