Supplication for the Acceptance of Prayers & Deeds

Our Lord accept [our deeds] from us. You, indeed, are the

Hearing, the Knowing^[1].

Note: According

to the Qur'an, when Abraham (pbuh) and Ishmael (pbuh) were raising the walls of

the Ka`bah, as directed by God,

it was then that they called upon God, with the referred words^[2].

This is a concise supplication for the acceptance of our good

deeds as well as our prayers. The reference to God's attribute of 'Hearing' at

the end of the supplication is to express our trust in Him, especially with

reference to hearing our prayers. While the reference to the attribute of

'Knowing' is to express our reliance on His all-encompassing knowledge - which

includes the knowledge of our desires, our intentions as well as the knowledge

of what is best for us. The reference to these two attributes points out the

spirit with which man should call upon God. On the one hand, man should have an

unshakable trust in the fact that God hears his prayers; while on the other, he

should trust God's decisions to be the best, even if they are not according to

his desires, as they are based on God's absolute knowledge and wisdom.