A Ramadan Story About Dua, Patience, and Raising Children Who Turn to Allah

By: Fouzia Usman

Ramadan always reminds me that dua is not just about asking.

It’s about who we turn to first.
It’s about trusting Allah’s timing.
And for our children, it’s about building a habit that can carry them for a lifetime.

Let me tell you a story about a dua that wasn’t made for one year.
Not two.
But six years.

Back in 2013, we got a cat for our daughters—even though my husband was very uncomfortable around cats. We only agreed because the girls loved them, but the cat couldn't come inside. It had to stay in the garage.

So the cat had a big little home in the garage, and life went on.

One evening, my husband came home from work and called me:
“Fouzia, where are you? When are you coming back?”

I told him I was out and would be home in about 15 minutes and asked why.

He said, “The cat is out, and I’m waiting in the garage. I want you to come and put the cat back.”

I asked him, “Are you scared?”
He said, “No… I’m just uncomfortable.”

And he waited in the garage for 15 minutes until we came back.

SubhanAllah. That was their father back then.

Do you know who he is today?

If the cats aren’t home, he is the one who goes out calling their names until they come back safely.
He is the one who feeds them every single day.
He cleans their litter.
He lets them out to play.
He calls them back home at Maghrib.
And if they’re not home yet, he is the one who goes out—even in the middle of the night—to look for them.

Allahu Akbar.

From their father—who once waited in the garage because the cat was out…
To the same father who now takes care of them like family.

How does that kind of change happen?

The answer is simple: dua.

In 2013, we eventually gave that cat away. And from that day on, my daughters started making dua for cats again.

Not for one year.
Not for two.
But almost six years.

They would ask. We would say no.
One of my daughters was allergic.
Once in Madinah, she played with a stray cat and her eyes puffed up badly—she needed medication right away.
There were so many reasons it didn’t make sense.

But they never stopped making dua.
They never stopped hoping.
They never took it off their dua list.

I still remember seeing my daughter’s dua written in her little dua book—with a cute kitty drawn next to Allah’s name. That page became more than a wish. It became a daily habit of turning to Allah.

Fast forward to 2019.

My husband went on a bike ride with our daughters. They came across a beautiful white stray cat. He saw how happy the girls were. He saw how they played with it. He saw how badly they wanted to stay there a little longer with that kitty in the middle of the road.

And he did something none of us expected.

He ignored the fact that he used to be “uncomfortable around cats”… and he told them they could adopt it.

Allahu Akbar.

My daughters couldn’t believe it. They started crying. They asked him again to confirm. They were crying out of pure happiness.

And today, their father is the one who takes care of them every single day.

Allahu Akbar.

Allah didn’t just answer their dua.
Allah transformed a heart.

And this is why this story stays with me.

This is not just a story about cats.
It’s a story about what happens when a child learns to consistently turn to Allah.
It’s about what happens when dua becomes a habit, not a last resort.
It’s about what happens when a child truly believes that Allah hears them—even if the answer takes years.

This story reminds me every single day:

• To be patient when my own duas are delayed
• To not lose hope when things look impossible
• To keep making dua even when the outcome seems unlikely
• And to trust Allah’s plan more than my own timeline

Honestly, I don’t even remember all the duas I made five years ago. I probably moved on from many of them when they didn’t happen.

But my girls didn’t.

They kept making the same dua.
They kept hoping.
They kept trusting.

And Allah, in His perfect timing, answered in a way that changed all of us.

Dua is not just about getting what you want.
It’s about becoming someone who always turns to Allah.

A Ramadan Reflection for Parents

As Ramadan begins, this is my reminder to myself—and to you:

Let’s teach our children to make dua.
Let’s help them write their own duas.
Let’s build this habit early.

Because one day, they won’t come to us first—they’ll go to Allah first.
One day, they’ll face things we can’t fix for them—but dua will still be there.
One day, they’ll need patience, resilience, and trust in Allah more than quick answers.

And habits built in childhood become anchors in adulthood.

• Sit with your child
• Help them write their own duas
• Let them keep the same dua on their list for months—or even years
• And let Ramadan be the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Allah through dua

Please download the dua book from https://www.muslimnationbuilders.com/dua

Sample dua pages below:

If this story touched your heart, I’d love to hear from you:

How did you connect with it, and what dua are you holding onto this Ramadan?

Please remember me in your duas too.