The dua of Hazrat Moosa (on him be peace) is one that is very dear to me. At first I simply thought it was a prayer for help with public speaking, but as I wrote it out for the kids to memorize, I realized that it was meant for much more than preparing for a speech. The amazing thing about prophets and saints is that nothing they did was simply for this world. In their lives the spiritual and physical were fused together so as to become inseparable.
Hazrat Moosa faced many trials in his life. When he was chosen for prophethood, he did not think himself equal to the task and asked Allah to help him with the tremendous work ahead of him. He prayed with all his heart:
Oh Allah, open up my heart for me and make my work easy.
Loosen the knot from my tongue to that my words can be understood
He was meant to convey a message to his nation and could not do that if his heart was constricted with fear and doubt, his burdens felt too heavy, and his speech was not clear. From the Quran we learn that Allah accepted his prayers, as He indeed accepts the prayers of the righteous, and granted Hazrat Moosa great strength to face the mighty and evil Pharoah, and to lead his nation out of slavery.
I felt that this prayer could enrich our daily lives in many ways.
O Allah open my heart for me …
An open heart is that first thing we need as we go about our daily business. We must be open to receive knowledge, and to be open and flexible to the opportunities that arise before us. O
And make my work easy ...
Sometimes our daily burdens can seem to crush us with their weight. A connection with Allah allows us to shift our attitude towards gratitude, to sing as we work and skip as we walk, even though the work may be uphill.
Loosen the knot from my tongue to that my words can be understood.
Often problems in communication create the most bother and anguish. As a mother I often throw up my hands in frustration, feeling as if no one can understand the simple instructions I give for a task to be done. Whether we are working at home or working at work, being clear in our speech and motives can help our day go smoothly, allowing ourselves and those around us to feel calm and peaceful.
What a great blessing Allah has given us by preserving the prayers of the prophets for us so we can remember their exact words and repeat them, deriving wisdom and guidance from the prayers of those esteemed persons, who wholly dedicated their lives to Allah. May we follow in their footsteps. Ameen.
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