This is the book that brought me home from prison. Dua: The Weapon of the Believer by Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi, an American Muslim scholar.

A few weeks ago I met its author, Sheikh Yasir Qadhi, at a dinner in south London. We had performed the Hajj pilgrimage together in 2002 and he had written to me in 2013 when I was detained in a Supermax prison in the United States.

As I lined up to greet him, I was not sure if he would still recognise me by face after so many years. I was mistaken. He recognised me straight away and gave me a tight, long hug.

After he finished, we exchanged pleasantries. I then said to him,

“Your book, Dua: The Weapon of the Believer brought me home from prison.”

He immediately sought to correct me and said, “No, Allah brought you home from prison.”

I replied, “Yes. It was through your book that Allah brought me home from prison.”

I then told him that I had already read his book twice before I went to prison in 2004, but during the 11 years I spent in prison, I read it another four or five times.

I told him how I had kept a copy of his book throughout the 8 years I was detained in Britain without charge. And then after I was extradited to the United States I had my family send me another copy.

I told him that along with my Quran and two other books, his book was the only book that I never lent to any other prisoner, out of fear that it might get lost or damaged.

Prison is an unpredictable place. At any moment, a prison can be transferred to another unit or another prison. Transfers happen so quickly that you have no time to say goodbye to your friends, let alone get your books back from them.

In a very readable manner, Sheikh Yasir Qadhi explains the simple steps that one needs to do to have every single one of his duas (supplications) answered by Allah (G0d). It is full of anecdotes and quotes.

One of my favourite passages was the one in which he writes about the hadith (narration) regarding the person who has been wronged:

“Three people’s duas are never rejected: the one who is fasting, until he breaks his fast; the just ruler; and the one who has been wronged, Allah raises it above the clouds, and the doors of the skies are opened for it, and the Lord says, ‘By My Honour and Glory! I will help you, even if it be after some time!’ “

He then goes on to describe how Allah is so Merciful that He sometimes even responds to the duas of a disbeliever in distress or severe circumstances who calls upon Him.

So even though this disbeliever does not even believe in Him or acknowledge Him, Allah still responds to his cries of distress, like a father might send money to an estranged son who has run away from home.

If that is the case of someone who does not even believe that Allah exists, what of one who believes in Him, worships Him and asks Him day and night? Will He not answer the dua of such a person?

This book will change your life. Literally. If you read it with an open mind, it will not only change your mindset, it will tell you exactly what you have to do to have Allah answer every single one of your duas.

So whether you are suffering a hardship or you really want something. Whether you are in despair over illness, poverty or debt. Or you really want a child, or to marry someone, or wealth, or a house or car… this book will help show you the way to have Allah answer every single one of your duas.

It may take time but He will answer. Sometimes you will get exactly what you ask for, immediately, like magic. That happened to me several times in prison.

Or you will get it after some time. Or you will not get what you asked for, but you will get something far better that you could have ever imagined.

Dua: The Weapon of the Believer by Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi is 237pp and is available from Al Hidaayah Publishers here.

If you cannot wait, then someone has put up a scanned PDF copy here. (Personally I prefer to have a hard copy in my room, online just isn’t the same.)

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Here is my story and why I was in prison.