Prayers of the Pious

by Omar Suleiman

This inspirational collection of prayers and reminders is the perfect companion for anyone who wishes to connect to the Divine. Shaykh Omar Suleiman provides us with thirty short prayers taken from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and the early generations, each with a short reminder to deepen the impact of the prayer in our lives.

Prayers of the Pious provides spiritual gems that serve as valuable wisdom and practical advice for the soul. By reading this short work with an attentive heart, the reader can cultivate love for God and His Messenger and live life with gratitude and contentment.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction, Self Help, Faith, Spirituality, Muslims

128 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2019

About the author

Imam Omar Suleiman is the Founder and President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, and an Adjunct Professor of Islamic Studies in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at SMU (Southern Methodist University). He is also the Resident Scholar at Valley Ranch Islamic Center and Co-Chair Emeritus of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square.

Reviews

[Azeeza · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's so beautiful 😭😭. I'm crying because I didn't want it to end and it was such a beautiful journey for me.
Omar Suleiman had a podcast and this book is made of it (I didn't even know about the podcast until now)

This book as the name suggested contains 30 Du'as by Pious people in Islam, from the well known like Abubakr (RA) to Umar (RA) to the people I've never heard of but who had a wonderful connection with Allah (AWJ)

I love this book because it's different from Du'a books, usually Du'a books just contain lists of Du'as without explanation.
Omar Suleiman explained each Du'a, how we can implement it, who said and why he said it.

"An individual does not have to be a poet to praise Allah, you'd be surprised how poetic you can be when you're honest."

I felt reconnected to Allah honestly and it felt like I've been saying my Du'as the wrong way. These Pious humans were so sincere in prayers and they asked mostly for things that will benefit them in the Hereafter. They didn't say it for saying sake, they completely had faith in their prayers.

The Prayer Journal at the end of the book was super helpful too!!

Got this as a review copy kindly sent by Kube Publishing and I'm very grateful for it 😘.

[Türkan · Rating 5 out of 5]

2020: Just as beautiful the second time around. Each of the 30 duas have a special meaning and represents something different.
_______________
2019: Truly enlightening and beautiful. Can’t wait to read it next Ramadan again 🙏🏼

[↠Ameerah↞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omar Suleiman just knows how to get through to the soul. 💜

[Hanis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to be brutally honest. The cover attracted me the most when I first saw it. I had no idea what this book would give me, but I knew that I had to pick it up. The title came next - Prayers of the Pious, it does sound splendid, doesn’t it? Many Muslims chose this as one of their Ramadhan reads, but I guess I was late for the game. A good thing about books, though; they will never befriend expiry dates.

Anyway, a brief spoiler of this book - it contains dua(s) of the pious. There, I said it. Here are my thoughts. One; I loved how beautiful Imam Omar’s writing is! I could feel his sincerity and it made my reading journey become tranquil. You don’t need to be a poet to be poetic. His writing pretty much proved that. Two; the prayers are all magnificent. Well of course, they’re all prayers of the pious - from our beloved Prophet, his companions, and some other people whose names aren’t foreign to most people. I get why this book is perfect for Ramadhan - it allows you to learn a prayer a day! But as for me, I read this after the holy month so I could finish it faster. Three; the size of the book is pretty small, but not to worry! You’ll learn so many things from this book. I felt my heart at ease when I went through every single word, and sometimes I would read the same sentences again and again just to fully digest them in my head. Four; this book encourages you to make your own dua, and most importantly, to learn more from the people who were pious. I was able to read this book with an open heart as it gave me a shining light of encouragement to be a better Muslim every single day.

Refer to {Quran 12:101}. May Allah reserve a place for us in His beautiful Paradise. Amin.

My rating for this book is 5/5 stars. Highly recommend!

p/s : I got this book from Iman Shoppe. Get yourself a copy from their store before it’s too late!

[hannah ☾⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

a beautiful collection of prayers with the stories behind them ♡ a truly beneficial read for ramadan! ☾⋆

[Sidra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is developed out of a series of lessons that Omar Suleiman recorded as a part of the Yaqeen Institute during Ramadan in 2018.

This book is a compilation of 30 du'ā's taken from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the early generations. Each du'ā is narrated in the simplest but profound way, providing not only the translation of each du'ā but also explaining the backstories and wisdom of the du'ā and teaching how to implement them in our daily prayers to strengthen our connection to ALLAH ﷻ.

This book is beautifully composed and not only inspires but also assists as valuable wisdom and practical advice for the soul. One thing I find missing is that author didn't provide any references in the book, other than that it's a motivating and practical book that can be beneficial to obtain a closer connection to ALLAH ﷻ. It's a short book and can be read in one sitting but it is recommended to read it slowly and reflect upon every du'ā to get the most benefits.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem of a book!

Prayers of the Pious is a book based on the series done by Omar Suleiman in Ramadan 2018. I must be the only person who wasn't aware of this series until the book was published, because even though I love Omar Suleiman's work, I don't like to listen to anything short-form. So this book was perfect for me. It has thirty duas from our pious predecessors for the thirty days of Ramadan. Some of the duas are familiar ones from the sunnah and others are truly unique.

The duas appear in Arabic along with their transliteration and translation and are followed by their backstory and some explanation of the deeper meanings inherent in the duas.

At the end of the book is a Prayer Journal with prompts that remind readers to use the names of Allah and to call on Him for all of their needs.

The book is beautifully produced, in a perfectly sized hardcover with silver foiling on the cover, full-color pages, and a ribbon bookmark. It would make a beautiful gift. 

I can see myself returning to this book every Ramadan to benefit from the beautiful duas and the heartfelt stories behind them.

Thank you to Kube Publishing for so kindly sending me a free copy. 

[Aisha (thatothernigeriangirl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening to the podcast series after which this book was named was immensely helpful but reading the book itself was out of this world.
I’m grateful to Kube Publishing for publishing this book and for sending me a review copy because it has been very helpful this Ramadan.
Prayers of the Pious, as the name suggests, contains 30 dua from Pious people in Islamic history. Each dua is touching, thought provoking and deep yet they all manage to revolve around 3 mains themes; Sincerity, Fear of hypocrisy and desire for a good end/hereafter.
I have began to renew my relationship with dua after listening to the podcast series but being the human that I am, I slacked along the way but reading the lessons in a book has somehow solidified the importance so I advise everyone to get a copy of this book, read it and ponder over the duas and their lessons.
Also, make use of the Prayer Journal at the end of the book and begin your journey to reconnecting with Allah SWt through prayers .
It’s a solid 5 stars for me!

[alyymaas]

pre-read:
GUYS I GOTTA HUSTLE RAMADAN IS ALMOST OVER AND I HAVEN'T READ 4 ISLAMIC BOOKS (that was one of my goals). this one is about 100 pages so Inshallah i'll finish this one quick! ❤️

[Zeynep زينب (HIATUS) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infinity stars ✨

This was just as expected. I cannot write a review that will do justice to this book, so I'll keep it short.

I believe every Muslim should read this gem of a book filled with amazing, deep, and heartfelt duas made by some of the pious people in history. Those thirty duas in themselves are so beautiful, but in addition to those, Omar Suleiman ends every chapter with a dua in his own that is inspired by that chapter's main dua. I really wanna read this book again sometime later and memorize some of the duas for daily use. 🤍✨

I also love that the book ends with a couple of pages for you to make your own duas with some keywords for inspiration.


May Allah (glorified and exalted is He) allow us to be upon the path of guidance and to guide others. May He never let us stray by the actions of the accursed devil or by the lowliness of ourselves, and may Allah (glorified and exalted is He) allow that path of guidance to result in a path to Paradise and entering into His mercy on the Day of Judgement. Āmīn.

[Shifa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short but amazing book is worth the read. It totally deserves 5 stars 🌟. Each chapter has a beautiful heartfelt dua made by the earlier generations, which guides as to how to connect to our Lord. ♥️

[Aiza Idris (biblio_mom) · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my honest opinion, this book is an essential read to anyone in need of inspiration to feel more connected to Allah. There are 30 easy to comprehend and followed prayers taken from the teachings of Rasulullah and his beloved Companions which InshaaAllah can bring a big impact on our lives in general, and our prayers.

Our soul needs to be seeded with valuable advices and wisdom for it to grow and blooms into something that can make our love towards Allah and His Messenger even stronger, and to live life with gratitude and contentment. Reading this book is a very humbling experience. It touched me how sincerely humble and lovely the words of the pious put in their prayers that got me into thinking, why wouldn’t someone like me not following their steps. Its truly a wake up call.

Omar Suleiman also includes a prayer journal at the back of the book for us to practice writing our prayers.

I cannot thanked the publisher enough for sending me a copy.

[Abu Kamdar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, inspirational and powerful collection of prayers and stories.

[Robert Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Beautiful Reflection on the Power of Duʿāʾ

I picked up Prayers of the Pious during Ramadan because I wanted something that would support spiritual growth and help me stay focused on Islam during the month. What I did not expect was how perfectly the book’s structure would fit Ramadan itself. With thirty chapters, it works beautifully as a daily read, though in my case it was so engaging that I ended up finishing it in just a few hours. I really could not put it down. The book is centered on prayers connected to people of significance in Islamic history, and that gave it a depth that made it more than just a collection of reflections.

What I liked most was how brief yet effective the chapters were. The book includes meaningful prayers along with small but powerful bits of history, which helped give each chapter weight without making it feel heavy or overextended. The central message comes through clearly: the power of duʿāʾ, the importance of relying on Allah, and the need to place your trust in Him fully. Those themes are familiar, of course, but they are presented in a way that still feels moving and sincere.

My only real criticism is that some of the material becomes a little repetitive at times. Still, that did not bother me too much because the book’s purpose is to return again and again to prayer, trust, and reliance on Allah. Overall, I found this to be a beautiful and spiritually uplifting read. I would definitely recommend it to Muslims, especially during Ramadan, and also to anyone looking for meaningful prayers and reminders to turn back to Allah.

[Uzma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly inspiring book, loved it!

[Yunis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is great. A good selection of supplications of various righteous individuals throughout early Islamic history. A book that I would like to read over and over.
That being said,
The book lacks the main feature of a non fiction which is a bibliography. I can't take a book serious if it lacks the fundamentals of non fiction.
I understand that the book designers wanted to make the book simplified in it's look, but the author needs to understand that some people want sources for the statements that they are reading.

The next time I read this I am going to have "sheik" Google to guide me through the sources.

[Iris Ymra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book presented collection of prayers by the sahabah. Along with narration of sirah -- that is written in a simplicity we can easily understand -- behind every prayer that we as a reader can definitely reflect upon, and aspired to be like them.

The best thing is, we can also practise all of these prayers as our daily routine. And one thing I learned throughout my reading is that, our prayers to Allah s.w.t don't have to be poetic and beautifully arranged -- all we have to do is ask, make our prayer.

[Nazeera☕︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just beautiful duas that one should encompass and remember always.

[نيرة · Rating 5 out of 5]

Been a fan of Omar Suleiman for a couple of years now and this book is another reason why!
Its a small book of beautiful duaas narrated by amazing key figures in Islam. Each Duaa has the translation, a little background story and a little analysis - which I found extremely helpful.
I believe that this was a Ramadan series a few (~2) years back? So it you prefer listening to him speak you can find it on the Yaqeen institute YouTube channel

Personally my fav dua’a from the book was the one narrated by Habibah al-‘Adawiyah (May Allah have mercy on her). One of the beauties of Islam is that there aren’t any mediators between us and our Creator, and this duaa establishes that relationship.

"إلهي غارت النجوم و نامت العيون وغلقت الملوك أبوابها و بابك مفتوح وخلا كل حبيبٍ بحبيبه و هذا مقامي بين يديك"

“ O Allah, the stars have vanished, the eyes have slept, the kings have locked their doors, and Your door remains open. Every lover has found privacy with their beloved, and I am here standing before You”

“Hafiz ibn Rajab stated that you spend your days at the doors of the kings, but at night when the King of all kings calls upon you, you fail to stand for Him and you fail to reach out and respond, even though He calls upon you wanting to provide for you”

[Ayesha Mashiat]

This would be perfect during Ramadan

[aliaareadstoo · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I received the book, I was skeptical because I didn't expect that the book would be a small size. But when I started to read it, I realized that the knowledge contained in it are indeed expensive and appeared bigger than its size. As I was passing Chapter 5, I was already in tears. It's really overwhelming to see how the pious placed their words in their prayers in a very proper, sufficient way and that's something that I learned. Definitely will read this book again and again.

[Mushee Rah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I will always cherish 💫

[Rizwa ᥫ᭡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝑂ℎ, 𝐻𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑒, 𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑥𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑑𝑜𝑢𝑏𝑡, 𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑒, 𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠, 𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟; 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑛𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑎𝑦, 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑚 𝑛𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑑, 𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑠𝑒𝑎 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑡ℎ𝑠, 𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑟𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑑𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠! 𝑀𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑑𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑦 𝐼 𝑚𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑌𝑜𝑢.” [one of my favs in the book]

Prayers of the Pious is a collection of 30 beautiful duas and reflections taken from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his companions and other pious people in the earlier generations. Omar Suleiman's book reminds us of the importance of duas, how they offer solace during any situation life throws at us. It tells us duas are like the bridge connecting us to Allah, carrying hope and love for our Lord.💜
At first, I thought it was a regular dua book, but it truly inspired and moved me. The thoughtful reflections of each dua hit me deep. Apart from the meanings of the dua, the book offers the origin or story behind the duas which was such a nice surprise. 💜
I will have to read it again soon and take notes - also memorize some of the gems.✨️

[Yousra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully inspiring book! I learned so much from this, and I know that I will be seeking this again and again.

[berkan berghahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Omar Suleiman's work.

[Sharmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

so enlightening, loved reading the wisdom behind the duas of the pious and the book overall made me think about my own dua’s in a whole new light

[Mohammad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice brief collection of supplications that most people will not have come across.

[Neelam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Kube Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love listening to Imam Omar Suleiman’s lectures and have attended some of his courses when he has come to London so I was really excited when I heard that Kube Publishing were releasing a book written by him! This book is developed from his Ramadan lecture series and I absolutely loved it!

This book has thirty duas from both well known companions and those early generations of Muslims and some that I have never heard of before, I really loved the variety. It was so amazing to read about these people who had such a beautiful connection with Allah and how their duas have been forever remembered by so many people for over a thousand years.

The duas are written in Arabic, there is also the transliteration and the translation in English. I found this really helpful as although I can read Arabic I can’t understand what it says and the transliteration means I can make sure I read the duas correctly. This really helped me to engage with the duas and be able to even memorise them to be able to read them myself.

There are so many beautiful duas in this book that it’s hard to choose which is my favourite. Every single dua included is one to gain closeness to Allah and was perfect to read in Ramadan. Each dua is touching and thought provoking and you can tell it comes from a place of humility and sincerity, which makes the duas even more beautiful.

Omar Suleiman gives the context of each dua, when it was said and why each person made that dua. He then he explains the dua and how we can implement them in our lives. How we can benefit from them so he makes it really relatable to us. I love that he made it relatable as we often hear about these amazing Muslims and feel as though we can never achieve their greatness and it can make people feel as though they aren’t good enough and he shows us that we can be just like them.
Another thing I loved about this book is at the end there is a section where you can write your own duas and there are even prompts to help you write them.

This book is full of inspiring and uplifting gems. It’s a book that you can benefit from time and time again and I know that I will be coming back to these and reading them again. Just reading them gave me a sense of closeness to Allah and I highly recommend you all read this book.

[Ronald Chevalier · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Christian, I found so much connection in this book. Too often we focus on what is different or separates us. We are all creations of Allah (exalted and glorified is He). In these du’as, I find inspiration for my own daily prayers. Learning about others’ spiritual journey inspires my own. I read through an English translation of the Qur’an. Thanks to Omar Suleiman for thought provoking and prayer enriching reflections.

[Lady Lazzarus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short read, however this is a book for a lifetime. Short recitations, which hold immense power, proclaimed by the holiest of Allah's people at crucial moments of their lives. Something to re-read and memorize over.