His Eminence, the Grand Imam, Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, emphasized that supplication is not merely a spiritual act of worship, but rather a means to avert calamity and adjust fate. He pointed out that God Almighty may decree calamity and, along with it, decree the supplication that it raises. He revealed the pitfalls that prevent a servant from having his supplications answered, most notably haste and despair.

During his talk today on the "Imam El-Tayeb" program, the Grand Imam highlighted the philosophy of supplication in Islam, responding to questions about its effectiveness if fate is predestined. He explained that "supplication and calamity clash until the Day of Judgment," and that supplication is like a shield in war. Just as a shield repels arrows, supplication repels calamity. He noted that scholars have said that repelling calamity through supplication is part of divine decree itself.