'Dua' means 'to call or to seek help'. 'Nudba' means to cry or wail. The Islamic books of traditions lay great stress upon 'Dua'. Dua is the weapon of the believer, the essence of belief and the connection between the Creator of the universe and his slaves. One of the treasure of Duas is a pearl, known as Dua-e-Nudba. In this supplication, the foundations of faith are enumerated before moving on to appreciate the need for a Divine Guide who oversees and leads humanity to its best interests and its object of creation. It is the belief of the Shia creed that it derives from the very Grace of the Almighty that existence cannot be without a Divine Guide. In this supplication, Muslims beseech the Almighty to hasten in the return of the Divine Guide of the Time, Imam Al-Mahdi (a), a descendant of the Holy Prophet and the Twelfth Imam, who is in occultation and will return alongwith Jesus Christ to establish truth, justice and equity all over the Earth.
