The Indispensable Place of Supplication in Servanthood
Supplication (dua; supplication) is a spiritual window opened by the human being—who is powerless and mortal—to the Creator, who possesses infinite power, and it is the strongest refuge. ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Geylânî (k.s.; may Allah sanctify his secret) expresses that souls who are on the verge of drowning in the prison of the world's sorrows can only carry hope of salvation through supplication, saying: "Supplication is a breath for the drowning person; it serves as a window for the people of the dungeon." However, in the ethics of Sufism (taṣawwuf), the true aim of supplication is not to constantly present a list of worldly needs, but rather to taste the delight of being with Allah and to remember (dhikr; remembrance of God) Him.
The Superiority of Remembrance Over Supplication and Serenity
Perfect believers, when they forget their own troubles and become completely immersed in the remembrance (dhikr) of their Lord, Allah fulfills even those desires of theirs which they are unable to express, and does so abundantly. Geylânî Hazretleri heralds this lofty station with the following sacred hadith (hadith qudsi): "To the one who is occupied with My remembrance and does not ask Me for anything, I give more than I give to those who ask." To act hastily in supplication, to show greed, to persist as if dictating to Allah what He should do, and to shout and cry out are not befitting the etiquette (adab) of the Divine Presence. For the Truth, Exalted is He, commands surrender by saying: "Call upon your Lord in humility and in secret. He does not love the transgressors." (Qur'an, al-Aʿrāf 7:55)