God and His Creation Plan

A believer may pray to his Creator regarding anything, without any constraints. However, the manner in which the prayer is answered shall be governed by divine will. At times, prayer is answered instantly and at other times, there passes a long time before one’s request is fulfilled. A verse in the Quran gives us the prayer of the virtuous in these words: Our Lord, grant us good in this world as well as good in the world to come, and protect us from the torment of the Fire. (Quran 2:201) The essence of a true prayer is patience. A believer must submit to the divine will and entrust his matters to his Creator. He should pray to God for guidance and sustenance. Prayer is not the mere repetition or usage of specific words, rather it is the expression of the believer’s deep sentiment, entreating divine succour. The Quran mentions several expressions of prayers through which divine guidance is sought. Can I ask God for death? No, this is completely forbidden according to Islamic teachings. This has been alluded to in the following hadith: Sad ibn Ubaid narrated that the Prophet once said, ‘None of you should long for death, for if he is a good man, he may increase his good deeds and if he is an evil doer, he may stop the evil deeds and repent.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no. 7235) Hence, the longer you live, the more opportunities you get to do good deeds, or repent if you have committed any bad ones. Keeping this wisdom in mind, one should always pray for well-being and happiness and not anything negative. According to the creation plan