The Nabi’s Company in Jannah
Rabi’ah (radiyallahu anhu) narrates: “I used to attend Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) at night. I would keep water, Miswak, praying mat, etc…., ready for his Tahajjud. Once he (being very pleased with my service) asked me what I would wish most. I submitted, ‘O Rasul of Allah, I wish your company in Jannah.’ He asked me if there was anything else I wished for . But I replied: ‘This is the only thing I long for.’ Upon this he said: ‘All right . You should help me by doing Sajdah frequently.”
Here is a lesson for us. We should not depend on verbal dua alone, but we should also make some practical efforts to gain our object. The best of all efforts is Salah. Also, it would be wrong to depend entirely on the dua of Mashayikh and pious people alone. This is a world of cause and effect’ and, no doubt, Allah Ta’ala sometimes, in His Wisdom and Might, does bring into effect things for which there is no apparent and visible cause, but this happens only on very rare occasions.
For us, as in this world we make all possible efforts, and never depend on dua alone nor rest contented with our lot, so in all gains pertaining to the Akhirah, we should try our best to conform to the conduct demanded by religious and ethical standards, and not regard verbal dua as the only factor which counts, nor like a fatalist leave all to a ruthless destiny. No doubt, the duas of pious people and lovers of Allah Ta’ala have their due effect, but they only add to our own sincere efforts, and even Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) asked Rabi’ah to “help” him by doing sajdah frequently (i.e., saying Salah is his leisure hours).