This is because that the act of supplication entails lots of...
This is because that the act of supplication entails lots of responsibilities which this individual has been negligent of. He may even use his tongue without intending what he says. This means that his mouth's tongue might not be in harmony with his heart's tongue. Imam Ali (s) says: اَللّهُمّ اغْفِرْ لي ما تَقَرَّبْتُ بهِ إلَيكَ بِلِساني ثُمّ خالَفَهُ قَلبي.
“O Allah, forgive me for what I have approached to You with my tongue and then my heart has opposed it.”[^3] When Abraham (s) was arguing with the infidels and was praising his God, he said: My God is one, who: الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِي. وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِي. وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِي. وَالَّذِي يُمِيتُنِي ثُمَّ يُحْيِينِ. وَالَّذِي أَطْمَعُ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ لِي خَطِيئَتِي يَوْمَ الدِّينِ. “Who created me, then He had shown me the way.
And He who gives me to eat and gives me to drink. And when I am sick, then He restores me to health; and He who will cause me to die, then gives me life; and who, I hope, will forgive me my mistakes on the Day of Judgment. 26:78-82” He has ascribed to God the power of guidance and the acceptance of guidance to himself. He has ascribed feeding to God and hunger and thirst to himself. He ascribed healing to God, but disease to himself. He recognizes life and death to be Allah's.
He knows that to err is a matter of man but to forgive is Allah's. Then he invoked Allah by saying: رَبِّ هَبْ لِي حُكْمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ. وَاجْعَلْ لِي لِسَانَ صِدْقٍ فِي الْآخِرِينَ. وَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ وَرَثَةِ جَنَّةِ النَّعِيمِ. وَاغْفِرْ لِأَبِي إِنَّهُ كَانَ مِنْ الضَّالِّينَ. “My Lord, grant me wisdom, and join me with the good; and ordain for me a goodly mention among posterity; and make me of the heirs of the garden of bliss.
And forgive my father, for surely he is of those who have gone astray; and disgrace me not on the day when they are raised. 26:83-86” Abraham (s), through these words has asked God for all means of perfection. He considers himself as devoid of any sort of perfection and he has ascribed to God all good epithets.
First Constituent: The Spiritual Attraction One of the most significant assets God has bestowed upon His servants is the spiritual attraction which is emphasized in numerous traditions: مَنْ أعْطَى الدُّعاءَ أَعْطى الإجَابَةَ. “The one who has given you supplication will respond to it.”[^4] Both Sunni and Shia sources report from the Prophet (s) his saying: الدُّعاءُ سِلاحُ المُؤمِنِ.