None of the above definitions is inclusive as this one is.

None of the above definitions is inclusive as this one is. Allamah Tabatabai says: “Thus, you will observe that Allah responds to supplications that are not uttered by our tongues. Allah says in the Holy Qur'an: وَآتَاكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُ وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا. “And He gives you of all that you ask Him; and if you count Allah's favors, you will not be able to number them. 14:34 ” يَسْأَلُهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ والأرض.

“All those who are in the heavens and the earth ask of him. 55:29” This shows clearly that Allah's favors are not countable. People ask God of what is in the Heavens and on the earth. What has been stated by this verse makes our definition clear. Perhaps the best thing we may get out of the above definitions of supplication is the following: The best and most inclusive definition for supplication is “asking” in its broad and common sense.

It will, then, include all the above definitions, even the genesis definition. The specific features of supplication under different situations depend on special motives which a user has in mind. Thus, we may say that the word “supplication” refers to asking a superior one by an inferior one, or to asking by an inferior from a superior or to asking of one from an equal one. This will include the genesis and innate asking as well.

Thus, the use of the word “supplication” or ( du'a ) in the holy verse, “And Allah invites you to the abode of peace,” means asking for something.[^3] The Definition of supplication based on the content We could say that defining supplication in this manner does not solve any problem unless if the intention behind its use is clear.

The summary of this discussion is that if we can find different conditions in which supplication takes place and if we arrive at different definitions and if we can analyze the cases of supplication, then the ambiguity of the word disappears and we can subsequently arrive at our destination. At the same time, what we have in mind when discussing supplication is the people's asking from their Creator and establishing relation with Him through supplication.

This can be done either through the tongue of our hearts or through our ordinary tongues. The Necessity of Supplication We shall begin this discussion with the question: Is supplication necessary? To answer this question, we resort to this verse of the Qur'an: قُلْ مَا يَعْبَأُ بِكُمْ رَبِّي لَوْلَا دُعَاؤُكُمْ.

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