How to Make Du’a to Allah (Subhanahu Wa Taala)
Article Assembled By
Mallam Abba Abana, Kubwa, Abuja, Nigeria
emails:gonidamgamiri@yahoo.com;
abba.abana@gmail.com
Saturday August 13th
2022 CE (Muharram 15th 1444 AH)
TEL +2348186961697
(WHATSAPP)
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيم
Bismillah
Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah. As-Salaam Alaikum
WA-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu.
Praise be to Allaah; we seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with
Allaah from the evil of our own souls and from our bad deeds. Whomsoever Allaah
guides will never be led astray, and whomsoever Allaah leaves astray, no one
can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allaah, and I bear witness
that Muhammad (ﷺ) is His slave and Messenger.
Reminder: Allah (God)
Almighty Says In The Noble Quran:
وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا
لِيَعۡبُدُونِ (٥٦)
I have only
created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me[1].
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ
ٱللَّهَ وَلۡتَنظُرۡ نَفۡسٌ۬ مَّا قَدَّمَتۡ لِغَدٍ۬ۖ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۚ
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ (١٨)
O
ye who believe! Fear Allah and let every soul look to what (provision) he has
sent forth for the morrow. Yea, fear Allah: for Allah is well-acquainted with
(all) that ye do[2].
بَلۡ
نَقۡذِفُ بِٱلۡحَقِّ عَلَى ٱلۡبَـٰطِلِ فَيَدۡمَغُهُ ۥ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ۬ۚ
وَلَكُمُ ٱلۡوَيۡلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ (١٨) وَلَهُ ۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ
وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَمَنۡ عِندَهُ ۥ لَا يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَلَا
يَسۡتَحۡسِرُونَ (١٩)
"[Nay, We
(Allah) fling (send down) the truth (this Quran) against the falsehood
(disbelief), so it destroys it, and behold, it (falsehood) is vanished. And woe
to you for that (lie) which you ascribe (to Allah by uttering that Allah has a
son)." "[19] To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and on earth.
And those who are near Him (i.e. the angels) are not too
proud to worship Him, nor are they weary (of His worship)[3]."
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا
ٱلرُّسُلُ كُلُواْ مِنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَٱعۡمَلُواْ صَـٰلِحًاۖ إِنِّى بِمَا
تَعۡمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ۬ (٥١) وَإِنَّ هَـٰذِهِۦۤ
أُمَّتُكُمۡ أُمَّةً۬ وَٲحِدَةً۬ وَأَنَا۟ رَبُّڪُمۡ فَٱتَّقُونِ (٥٢)
O ye
messengers! Enjoy (all) things good and pure, and work righteousness: for I am
well-acquainted with (all) that ye do. And verily this Brotherhood of yours is a
single Brotherhood and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore fear Me (and no
other)[4].
Preamble.
People are sometimes distracted by worldly gains and desires
away from Islamic aspect of life. Notably in Nigeria; some people rushed to
Alfas, nominal Imams & Mallams, Aladora spiritualists paying them on demand
tithes, passive income for immediate settlement of their means. These
Babalowos, accredited themselves seeing the future and predicting what is going
to happen. Are these gifts from Allah, No!!!
They are performing Shirks; soothsayers and unite with Jinns
to do ungodly act, since nobody knows the future except Allah.
Ummah
Will Divide Into 73 Sects
Be careful as
this Ummah will divide into 73 sects as Shaykh
al-Fawzān explains what it means from Sharhus-Sunnah Barbahārī.
Imām al-Barbahārī (Rahimahullah] died 329 AH) stated: “Know that Allah’s
Messenger ((ﷺ) said:
“My Ummah will divide into 73 sects, all of them will be in the Fire except for
one, and that is the Jamā’ah.” It was said, “And who are they, O Allah’s
Messenger?” He responded, “That which I and my Companions are upon today[5].”
The Holy Prophet
Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “the Jews are divided into 71 sects
(Firqa), the Christians into 72 sects, and my community will divide into 73
sects[6].”
So from this hadith it is clear that the Muslims will divide into 73 sects.
In another narration, it was reported from Awf ibn Maalik who said: the
Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ)
said:
"The Jews were divided into seventy-one sects, one of which is in Paradise
and seventy are in the Fire. The Christians were divided into seventy-two
sects, seventy-one of which are in the Fire and one is in Paradise. By the One
in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, my Ummah will be divided into
seventy-three sects, one of which will be in Paradise and seventy-two will be
in the Fire." It was said, O Messenger of Allaah, who are they? He said, "Al-Jamaa’ah.[7]
So out of 73 sects only one will go to Paradise and the remaining 72 will
go to hell.
What is meant by al-Jamaa’ah is the ‘Aqeedah and actions of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions.
Few
more references from Quran about sects as follows:
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ
فَرَّقُواْ دِينَہُمۡ وَكَانُواْ شِيَعً۬ا لَّسۡتَ مِنۡہُمۡ فِى شَىۡءٍۚ
إِنَّمَآ أَمۡرُهُمۡ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُہُم بِمَا كَانُواْ
يَفۡعَلُونَ (١٥٩)
"Verily those who split up their
religion and became sects, you have absolutely nothing to do with them[8]."
مِنَ
ٱلَّذِينَ فَرَّقُواْ دِينَهُمۡ وَڪَانُواْ شِيَعً۬اۖ كُلُّ حِزۡبِۭ
بِمَا لَدَيۡہِمۡ فَرِحُونَ (٣٢)
(Do not fall in
idol worship,) like those who divide their religion into sects; each party
rejoicing with what they have[9].
وَمَا
تَفَرَّقُوٓاْ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُ
بَغۡيَۢا بَيۡنَہُمۡۚ وَلَوۡلَا كَلِمَةٌ۬ سَبَقَتۡ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ۬
مُّسَمًّ۬ى لَّقُضِىَ بَيۡنَہُمۡۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُورِثُواْ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ مِنۢ
بَعۡدِهِمۡ لَفِى شَكٍّ۬ مِّنۡهُ مُرِيبٍ۬ (١٤)
Ironically, they
broke up into sects only after the knowledge had come to them, due to jealousy
and resentment among themselves. If it were not for a predetermined decision
from your Lord to respite them for a definite interim, they would have been
judged immediately. Indeed, the later generations who inherited the scripture
are full of doubts[10].
So we can see clearly Allah Warned about sects 1400 years ago and today we can
clearly see the sects in Islam are more than 72….
Prophet (ﷺ) did not die before he had shown the way
clearly to his Ummah [nation]. At the end of the last Hajj [pilgrimage]
performed by the Prophet (ﷺ)
there was revealed the Aayah [verse] (interpretation of the meaning):
حُرِّمَتۡ
عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡمَيۡتَةُ وَٱلدَّمُ وَلَحۡمُ ٱلۡخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ
أُهِلَّ لِغَيۡرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ وَٱلۡمُنۡخَنِقَةُ وَٱلۡمَوۡقُوذَةُ
وَٱلۡمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ ٱلسَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا
ذَكَّيۡتُمۡ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى ٱلنُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسۡتَقۡسِمُواْ بِٱلۡأَزۡلَـٰمِۚ
ذَٲلِكُمۡ فِسۡقٌۗ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ يَٮِٕسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن دِينِكُمۡ فَلَا
تَخۡشَوۡهُمۡ وَٱخۡشَوۡنِۚ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ أَكۡمَلۡتُ لَكُمۡ دِينَكُمۡ وَأَتۡمَمۡتُ
عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعۡمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡإِسۡلَـٰمَ دِينً۬اۚ فَمَنِ ٱضۡطُرَّ
فِى مَخۡمَصَةٍ غَيۡرَ مُتَجَانِفٍ۬ لِّإِثۡمٍ۬ۙ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ۬
رَّحِيمٌ۬ (٣)
“This day, I
have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have
chosen for you Islam as your religion[11]”
Now,
a big question arises that which sect is correct?
Every sect’s claims to be right and declare others deviant or infidel? Inna
Lillahi Wa inna ilaihi Raajiun!
Supplication And Adua
Supplication (also known
as petitioning) is a form of prayer, wherein one party humbly or earnestly asks
another party to provide something, either for the party who is doing the
supplicating (e.g., "Please spare my life.") or on behalf of someone
else [In contemporary situations].
What do I say in my dua? Ask Allah for exactly what you
want. Talk to Allah like you're having a conversation with Him. Describe to Him
what's on your mind. Tell Him how you feel.
What is the difference between prayer and
supplication? One of the primary differences between prayer and supplication is that
supplication is a kind of prayer that is qualified as a request as well. In
supplication you make a request or ask for something. A prayer, on the other
hand, involves praises showered on the Allah or it could be a request for help.
Why do Muslims supplicate? In Islam the supplication which a
Muslim has been instructed to make whether singly or in congregation, whether
at the appointed hour of ritual prayer or at any sudden call or urge to His
Lord, reflects the one single
attitude of submission, humility and closeness to God.
Brief Summary
of how to make Du’a[12]:
1. Believing in Tawhid.
2. Sincerity towards Allah Alone in making Du’a.
3. Ask of Allah by His most beautiful names.
4. Praising Allah as He deserves.
5. Sending blessings upon the Prophet.
6. Facing the Qiblah.
7. Raising the hands.
8. Asking frequently.
9. Having certain faith that Allah will respond.
10. Saying Du’a three times.
11. Ensuring that one’s food and clothing are
good/lawful.
12. Saying Du’a silently etc.
Part 1
Make Du’a To Allah;
He Will Answer Our Duaas?
Du’a is worship, Allah loves to be asked, and He
encourages that in all things. He is angry with the one who does not ask of Him
and He encourages His slaves to ask of Him. Allah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘Du’a is worship itself’. Then the
Prophet (ﷺ) recited this verse, ‘Your Lord says:
“Call upon Me and I will respond to you. Verily, those who disdain My worship
will enter Hell in humiliation[13]”.
[Tirmidhi]
Du’a is very important
in Islam, so much so that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Du’a is worship.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi,
3372; Abu Dawud, 1479; Ibn Majah, 3828; classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih
al-Tirmidhi, 2590)
How should we
prepare for du’a? Alhamdulillah, you can call upon Allah at any time. You can
make du’a as soon as you wake up or as you are falling asleep, in public or in
private, as a deliberate decision or an instinctive reaction to difficulty. You
can also make du’a in any language and for any want or need (as long as you are
not asking for something sinful or wishing harm on others).
The Etiquette Of Du’a The Etiquette and Sunnah of Making Du’a
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:
Duaas and taawwudhaat
[prayers seeking refuge with Allaah] are like a weapon, and a weapon is only as
good as the person who is using it; it is not merely the matter of how sharp it
is. If the weapon is perfect and free of faults, and the arm of the person
using it is strong, and there is nothing stopping him, then he can lay waste
the enemy. But if any of these three features is lacking, then the effect will
be lacking accordingly[14].
From this it will be clear that there is an etiquette and rulings which must be
fulfilled, in the duaa and in the person making the duaa. There are also things
that may prevent the duaa reaching Allaah or being answered these things must
be removed from the person making the duaa and from the duaa. When all of these
conditions are fulfilled, then the duaa may be answered.
1. Perform wudu.
It is NOT compulsory
to perform wudu before making du’a. However, performing wudu is a way of
purifying yourself and getting into the correct mind-set for speaking to Allah.
Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (ra) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ), after the battle of Hunain, called for water,
performed wudu, then raised his hands and said: ‘O Allah! Forgive Ubaid Abi
Amir!’ [Bukhari]
2. The one
who is making Du’a should believe in Tawhid with regard to the divinity, Lordship, names and attributes
of Allah. His heart should be filled with Tawhid. In order for Allah to
respond to the Du’a, it is essential that the person should be responding to
his Lord by obeying Him and not disobeying Him. Allah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى
عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِۖ
فَلۡيَسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِى وَلۡيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِى لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡشُدُونَ (١٨٦)
“And
when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am
indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the
supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let
them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright[15].”
3. Sincerity towards
Allah Alone in making Du’a . Allah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
وَمَآ
أُمِرُوٓاْ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ مُخۡلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ حُنَفَآءَ
وَيُقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤۡتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَۚ وَذَٲلِكَ دِينُ ٱلۡقَيِّمَةِ
(٥)
“And
they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but
Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)[16].”
Du’a is worship, as
the Prophet (ﷺ) said, so sincerity (ikhlas) is a
condition of its being accepted.
Sincerity in making duaa. This is the most important condition. Allaah has
commanded us to be sincere when making duaa, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
فَٱدۡعُواْ
ٱللَّهَ مُخۡلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ وَلَوۡ كَرِهَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ (١٤)
So, call you (O Muhammad and
the believers) upon (or invoke) Allaah making (your) worship pure for Him
(Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for
Allaahs sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in
worship)[17].
Sincerity in duaa
means having the firm belief that the One upon Whom you are calling Allaah, may
He be glorified and exalted is alone Able to meet your need, and it also means
avoiding any kind of showing off in your duaa.
4. We should ask of Allah by His most
beautiful names [Invoke Allah by His Names].
Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ
ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ فَٱدۡعُوهُ بِہَاۖ وَذَرُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلۡحِدُونَ فِىٓ
أَسۡمَـٰٓٮِٕهِۦۚ سَيُجۡزَوۡنَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ (١٨٠)
“And
(all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, and
leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against)
His Names[18].”
There are SO
many Names which you can call upon Allah by - but the above are some of the
most commonly used ones. Remember to select the most relevant Name to your
du’a. If you are asking for forgiveness, you could use Al-Ghafur; if you are
asking for help with a problem, you could use Al-Wakil.
You
can invoke Allah by His Names in a few ways:
’Ya Allah, you are Al-‘Afuww; you love to forgive, so forgive me’.
’Ya
‘Afuww, you love to forgive, so forgive me’.
‘Ya Allah, you are the Most Forgiving of all forgivers, so forgive me’.
If you want to invoke one of these Names directly (O ’Afuww / Ya ’Afuww), then
you don’t need to pronounce the two letters before the hyphen.
Do
you have a favourite name of Allah from the 99 names?
1. Ar Rahman ⋅2. Ar Rahim3. ⋅
Al Malik 4. ⋅ Al Quddus 5. ⋅ As Salam
6. ⋅ Al Mu’min 7. ⋅
Al Muhaymin 8. ⋅ Al-Aziz 9. ⋅ Al Jabbar 10. ⋅
Al Mutakabbir
11. ⋅ Al Khaliq 12. ⋅
Al-Bari 13. ⋅ Al Musawwir 14. ⋅ Al Ghaffar 15. ⋅
Al Qahhar 16. ⋅ Al Wahhab 17. ⋅ Ar Razzaq 18. ⋅
Al Fattah 19. ⋅ Al Alim 20. ⋅ Al Qabid 21. ⋅
Al Basit 22. ⋅ Al Khafid 23. ⋅ Ar Rafi 24. ⋅
Al Mu’izz 25. ⋅ Al Mudhill 26. ⋅
As Sami 27. ⋅ Al Basir 28. ⋅
Al Hakam 29. ⋅ Al Adl 30. ⋅ Al Latif 31. ⋅
Al Khabir 32. ⋅ Al Halim 33. ⋅ Al Azim 34⋅
Al Ghafoor 35⋅ Ash Shakur 36⋅ Al Aliyy
37⋅ Al Kabeer 38⋅ Al Hafiz 39 Al Muqeet 40⋅ Al Haseeb 41⋅
Al Jaleel
42⋅
Al Karim 43⋅ Ar Raqib 44⋅ Al Mujeeb 45⋅
Al Wasi 46⋅ Al Hakim
47⋅
Al Wadud 48⋅ Al Majeed 49⋅ Al Ba’ith 50⋅
Ash Shaheed 51⋅ Al Haqq
52Al Wakeel 53Al Qawiyy 54⋅ Al Matin 55⋅
Al Waliy 56⋅ Al Hameed
57⋅
Al Muhsi 58⋅ Al Mubdi 59⋅ Al Muid 60⋅ Al Muhyi 61⋅ Al Mumeet
62⋅
Al Hayy 63⋅ Al Qayyum 64⋅ Al Wajid 65⋅
Al Majid 66⋅ Al Wahid
67⋅
Al Ahad 68. As Samad 69. Al Qadir
70 Al Muqtadir 71 Al Muqaddim
72. Al Muakhkhir 73 Al Awwal
74 Al Akhir 75 Az Zaahir 76 Al Baatin
77 Al Wali 78 Al Mutaali 79 Al Barr ⋅ 80 At
Tawwab 81 Al Muntaqim
82 Al Afuw
83 Ar Rauf 84 Malik Al Mulk 85 Zul Jalaali Wal Ikram
86 Al Muqsit
87 Al Jami 88 Al Ghani 89 Al Mughni
90 Al Mani 91 Ad Darr 92 An Naafi
93 An Noor 94 Al Hadi 95 Al Badi
96 Al Baaqi 97 Al Warith
98 Ar Rashid 99 As-Sabur.
Messenger of Allah
(ﷺ) heard a man saying: O Allah, I ask Thee, I bear
witness that there is no god but Thou, the One, He to Whom men repair, Who has
not begotten, and has not been begotten, and to Whom no one is equal, and he
said: You have supplicated Allah using His Greatest Name, when asked with this
name He gives, and when supplicated by this name he answers. [Abu Dawud]
“Al-Ahad” and
“As-Samad” are one of the names of Allah. If you feel lost as to how to make a
dua with Allah’s name or attribute in your daily life, then go through the
authentic list of 99 names of Allah.
5. Repentance and turning back to Allaah. Sin is one of the main reasons why duaas
are not answered, so the person who is making duaa should hasten to repent and
seek forgiveness before he makes duaa. Allaah tells us that Nooh (peace be upon
him) said:
فَقُلۡتُ
ٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ إِنَّهُ ۥ كَانَ غَفَّارً۬ا (١٠)
يُرۡسِلِ
ٱلسَّمَآءَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّدۡرَارً۬ا (١١) وَيُمۡدِدۡكُم
بِأَمۡوَٲلٍ۬ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجۡعَل لَّكُمۡ جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ وَيَجۡعَل لَّكُمۡ
أَنۡہَـٰرً۬ا (١٢)
I said (to them): Ask
forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to
you in abundance, And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on
you gardens and bestow on you rivers[19].
6. Urgently beseeching and repeating the duaa,
without getting exasperated or bored; this is achieved by repeating the duaa
two or three times. Restricting it to three times is preferable, in accordance
with the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ).
Ibn Masood (may Allaah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) liked to say a duaa three times and ask
for forgiveness three times. This was narrated by Abu Dawood and al-Nasaai.
7. Making duaa
at times of ease, and saying more duaas at times of plenty. The Prophet
(ﷺ) said: Remember Allaah during times of
ease and He will remember you during times of hardship. Narrated by Ahmad.
8. Seeking to draw closer to Allaah by
calling upon Him by His Most Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes at the beginning
of the duaa or at the end. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ
ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ فَٱدۡعُوهُ بِہَاۖ وَذَرُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلۡحِدُونَ فِىٓ
أَسۡمَـٰٓٮِٕهِۦۚ سَيُجۡزَوۡنَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ (١٨٠)
And (all) the Most Beautiful
Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them[20].
9. Choosing the clearest and most concise
words and the best of duaas. The best of duaas are the duaas of the Prophet
(ﷺ), but it is permissible to say other words
according to the specific needs of a person.
Other aspects of the etiquette of making duaa, although they are not waajib
(obligatory), are: to face the Qiblah; to make duaa in a state of tahaarah
(purity); to start the duaa with praise of Allaah and blessings upon the
Prophet (ﷺ). It is also prescribed to raise the hands
when making duaa.
One of the things that helps to bring a response to duaa is to seek the best
times and places.
Among the best times is the time just before Fajr (dawn), the last third of the
night, the last hour of Jumuah (Friday), when rain is falling, and between the
Adhaan and iqaamah.
Among the best places are mosques in general, and al-Masjid al-Haraam [in
Makkah] in particular.
Among the situations in which duaa is more likely to be answered are: when one
is mistreated or oppressed, when one is travelling, when one is fasting, when
one is in desperate need, and when a Muslim makes duaa for his brother in his
absence.
10. We should praise Allah as He deserves
before we call upon Him [Begin with praise].
Al-Tirmidhi (3476)
narrated that Fadalah ibn ‘Ubayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whilst
the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
was sitting, a man came in and prayed and said, “O Allah, forgive me and have
mercy on me.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said,
“You have been too hasty, O worshipper. When you have prayed and are sitting,
praise Allah as He deserves to be praised, and send blessings upon me, then
call upon Him.” According to another version (3477): “When one of you prays, let
him start with praise of Allah, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ), then let him ask whatever he likes after
that.” Then another man prayed after that, and he praised Allah and sent
blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “O worshipper, ask and you will be
answered[21].”
Don’t rush into
your du’a without first praising Allah and then sending prayers upon our
beloved Prophet (ﷺ):
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘When any one of you have performed
Salah (prayer) and wants to supplicate, let him begin with praising His Lord (Subhanahu
Wa Taala) and glorifying Him, then send prayers upon the Prophet (ﷺ). Then he may supplicate for whatever he
wishes’. [Tirmidhi]
11. Sending blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Every Du’a is kept back until you
send blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ).”
Narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Awsat, 1/220; classed as sahهh by al-Albani in
Sahih al-Jami’, 4399.
12. Facing towards the qiblah.
Muslim (1763)
narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: On the
day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) looked at the mushrikin, who were one thousand strong, and his
Companions numbered three hundred and nineteen. Then the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) turned to face the qiblah, then he
stretched forth his hands and started to cry out to his Lord: “O Allah, grant
me what You have promised me, O Allah, give me what You have promised me. O
Allah, if this small band of Muslims perishes, You will not be worshipped on
earth.” He kept on crying out to his Lord, stretching forth his hands, facing
towards the qiblah, until his cloak fell from his shoulders…
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim: This shows that
it is mustahabb to face towards the qiblah when making Du’a, and to raise the
hands.
Again, it is NOT
compulsory to face the Qiblah while making du’a. However, the Prophet (ﷺ) would sometimes do so, as described in
the below narration:
Abdullah bin Zaid (ra) reported, ‘Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) went out to this Musalla (praying place) to offer
the prayer of Istisqa (a prayer for rain). He invoked Allah for rain and then
faced the Qiblah and turned his cloak inside out…’ [Bukhari]
13. Raising
the hands.
Abu Dawud (1488)
narrated that Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of
Allah (ﷺ) said: “Your Lord, may He be blessed and
exalted, is Kind and Most Generous, and He is too kind to let His slave, if he
raises his hands to Him, bring them back empty[22].”
The palm of the hand should be raised heavenwards, in the manner of a
humble beggar who hopes to be given something. Abu Dawud (1486) narrated from
Malik ibn Yasar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When you ask of Allah, ask of Him
with the palms of your hands, not with the backs of them.” Classed as sahih by
Shaykh al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud, 1318.
Should
the hands be held together when raising them or should there be a gap between
them?
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) stated in
al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (4/25) that they should be held together. What he said is:
“As for separating them and holding them far apart from one another, there is
no basis for that in the Sunnah or in the words of the scholars.” End quote.
SubhanAllah,
raising our hands in du’a is a Sunnah with such a beautiful meaning behind it!
We encourage you to remember the following hadith every time you physically
raise your hands:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘Indeed your Lord - Blessed and
Almighty is He - is Shy and Most Generous. He is shy when His servant raises
his hands to Him (in du’a) to turn them away empty’. [Abu Dawud]
14. Having
certain faith that Allah will respond, and focusing with proper
presence of mind, because the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Call upon Allah while you are certain of a
response, and remember that Allah will not answer a Du’a that comes from a
negligent and heedless heart[23].”
15. Asking
frequently. A person
should ask his Lord for whatever he wants of the good things in this world and
the Hereafter, and he should beseech Allah in Du’a, and not seek a hasty
response, because the Prophet (ﷺ)
said: “The slave will receive a response so long as his Du’a does not involve
sin or severing of family ties, and so long as he is not hasty.” It was said,
“What does being hasty mean?” He said: “When he says, ‘I made Du’a and I made
Du’a, and I have not seen any response,’ and he gets frustrated and stops
making Du’a[24].”
16. He should be
firm in his Du’a, because the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “No one of you should say, ‘O Allah, forgive
me if You wish, O Allah, have mercy on me if You wish’; he should be firm in
his asking, for Allah cannot be compelled.” Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6339;
Muslim, 2679.
17. Beseeching, humbling oneself, hoping
for Allaahs reward and fearing His punishment. This is the spirit, essence
and purpose of duaa. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): Beseeching,
humility, hope and fear. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
ٱدۡعُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ
تَضَرُّعً۬ا وَخُفۡيَةًۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَ (٥٥)
Invoke your Lord with
humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors[25].
فَٱسۡتَجَبۡنَا
لَهُ ۥ وَوَهَبۡنَا لَهُ ۥ يَحۡيَىٰ وَأَصۡلَحۡنَا لَهُ ۥ
زَوۡجَهُ ۥۤۚ إِنَّهُمۡ ڪَانُواْ يُسَـٰرِعُونَ فِى ٱلۡخَيۡرَٲتِ
وَيَدۡعُونَنَا رَغَبً۬ا وَرَهَبً۬اۖ وَڪَانُواْ لَنَا خَـٰشِعِينَ (٩٠)
“Verily,
they used to hasten to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and
fear, and used to humble themselves before Us[26].”
وَٱذۡكُر
رَّبَّكَ فِى نَفۡسِكَ تَضَرُّعً۬ا وَخِيفَةً۬ وَدُونَ ٱلۡجَهۡرِ مِنَ
ٱلۡقَوۡلِ بِٱلۡغُدُوِّ وَٱلۡأَصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلۡغَـٰفِلِينَ (٢٠٥)
“And
remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and with fear and without loudness
in words in the mornings and in the afternoons[27].”
18. Saying Du’as three times.
Al-Bukhari (240) and Muslim (1794) narrated that ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ud (may
Allah be pleased with him) said: “Whilst the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was praying at the Ka’bah, Abu Jahl and
his companions were sitting nearby. They had slaughtered a camel the previous
day, and Abu Jahl said: “Which of you will go and get the abdominal contents of
the camel of Banu So and So and put it on the back of Muhammad when he
prostrates?” The worst of the people went and got it, and when the Prophet (ﷺ) prostrated, he placed it between his
shoulders. They started laughing, leaning against one another. I was standing
there watching, and if I had had any power, I would have lifted it from the
back of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
The Prophet (ﷺ) remained in prostration, not lifting his
head, until someone went and told Fatimah. She came with Juwayriyah, and lifted
it from him, then she turned to them and rebuked them. When the Prophet (ﷺ) had finished his prayer, he raised his
voice and prayed against them – and when he made Du’a or asked of Allah he
would repeat it three times – and he said: “O Allah, punish Quraysh” three
times. When they heard his voice, they stopped laughing and were afraid because
of his Du’a. Then he said, “O Allah, punish Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, ‘Utbah ibn
Rabi'ah, Shaybah ibn Rabi'ah, al-Walid ibn ‘Uqbah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf and
‘Uqbah ibn Abu Mu’ayt,” and he mentioned the seventh but I cannot remember who
it was. By the One Who sent Muhammad (ﷺ) with the truth, I saw those whom he had named slain on the day of
Badr, then they were dragged and thrown into the well, the well of Badr.
19. Ensuring
that one’s food and clothing are good (i.e., halal). Muslim (1015)
narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger
of Allah (ﷺ) said: “O people, Allah is Good and does
not accept anything but that which is good. Allah enjoins upon the believers
the same as He enjoined upon the Messengers.
He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلرُّسُلُ كُلُواْ مِنَ
ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَٱعۡمَلُواْ صَـٰلِحًاۖ إِنِّى بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ۬ (٥١)
‘O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibat [all kinds of Halal (lawful) foods
which Allah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk
products, fats, vegetables, fruits)] and do righteous deeds. Verily, I am
Well-Acquainted with what you do[28].’
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ڪُلُواْ مِن
طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنَـٰكُمۡ وَٱشۡكُرُواْ لِلَّهِ إِن ڪُنتُمۡ إِيَّاهُ
تَعۡبُدُونَ (١٧٢)
‘O you who
believe (in the Oneness of Allah — Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful
things that We have provided you with[29].’
Then he mentioned a man who travels for a long distance and is disheveled and
dusty, and he stretches forth his hands towards heaven saying, ‘O Lord, O
Lord,’ but his food is haram, his drink is haram, his clothing is haram, he has
been nourished with haram, so how can he be responded to?
Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Ensuring that one’s food, drink
and clothing are halal, and that one is nourished with halal, is a means of
having one’s Du’a answered. End quote.
20. Saying Du’a
silently and not out loud [Call
upon Allah in a low voice]
Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
ٱدۡعُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ
تَضَرُّعً۬ا وَخُفۡيَةًۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَ (٥٥)
“Invoke your
Lord with humility and in secret[30].”
And Allah praised His slave Zakariyya (peace be upon him) by saying
(interpretation of the meaning):
إِذۡ نَادَىٰ
رَبَّهُ ۥ نِدَآءً خَفِيًّ۬ا (٣)
“When he
called to his Lord (Allah) a call in secret[31].”
We have also discussed Du’a and specific means by which a person may receive a
response, as well as the etiquette of Du’a and the times and places when a
response may be hoped for, the state in which a person should be when making
Du’a, impediments to a response to Du’a and the types of response.
Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (ra)
said, ‘We were in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) on a journey, and
whenever we ascended a high place, we used to say Takbir (in a loud voice). The
Prophet (ﷺ) said, “O people! Be kind to yourselves, for you are not
calling upon a deaf or an absent one, but you are supplicating the All-Hearing,
the All-Seeing”’. [Bukhari]
The above hadith is a beautiful reminder that, when you are making a private
du’a, Allah is always close to us and there is no need to be loud! As Allah
says:
وَٱذۡكُر
رَّبَّكَ فِى نَفۡسِكَ تَضَرُّعً۬ا وَخِيفَةً۬ وَدُونَ ٱلۡجَهۡرِ مِنَ
ٱلۡقَوۡلِ بِٱلۡغُدُوِّ وَٱلۡأَصَالِ وَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلۡغَـٰفِلِينَ (٢٠٥)
‘And
remember your Lord by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and with fear,
without loudness in words, in the morning and in the afternoon, and be not of
those who are neglectful[32]’.
This not only applies to our private rooms, but also if we are making du’a in a
masjid - it’s better not to disturb those around us. There are many times when
we get emotional and start crying - and the Prophet (ﷺ) used to cry during du’a! - but while we are
speaking, we should be sure to maintain a low tone.
To
summarise: the best way to prepare for du’a is to make wudu, face the Qiblah,
raise your hands and call upon your Lord in a low voice.
What should we include in our du’a?
As well as preparing for du’a, there is also a correct etiquette for
what we should say after raising our hands. This is NOT compulsory, but again,
it is highly recommended! Naturally, we should try to call upon Allah in a
manner that is pleasing to Him, as taught to us by our Prophet (ﷺ).
21. Ask for
everything you need,
It is extremely important to include everything you need and want
while making du’a, without holding back. No desire is too much for Allah to
grant it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘When one of you calls upon Allah, let him hope for the
greatest of things. Verily, nothing has any greatness over Allah’. [Ibn Hibban]
22. Make du’a
for others [Supplicate for others]
Don’t miss out on making du’a
for other people! The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘No Muslim servant supplicates for his brother
behind his back but that an angel says, “And for you the same”’. [Muslim]
It is also important to make du’a for the Ummah in general, for example by
saying, ‘Our Lord, forgive all the believers’. As the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘Whoever seeks forgiveness for the
believing men and women, Allah will record a good deed for him by each man and
woman’. [Tabarani]
Make Dua for others what
you want for yourself. As a Muslim, we are supposed to feel the pain of other
Muslims and pray for them. Life can throw us in the same situation where we
might need Duas from others.
“He who
supplicates for his brother behind his back (in his absence), the Angel
commissioned (for carrying supplication to his Lord) says: Amen, and it is for
you also”.[Sahih Muslim]
You can ask people
to make Dua for you as well. This is a tacky situation sometimes as there’s a
fine line between depending on Allah alone or thinking that someone’s
intercession is divine. Please know that nobody can fulfill your wishes except
Allah so asking others to make Dua for you can simply be a way to connect. This
does not mean that you go to a righteous scholar etc. with the intention that
their Dua will ALWAYS be heard. By the end of the day, if Allah doesn’t will,
nothing can be done. He has a complete authority. But this does not mean that
we can’t ask people to pray for us. We may not even have to ask people for a
Dua if we help them out, solve their problems, be of use to them. Duas may pour
out directly from their hearts.
23. Conclude with ‘Amin’
When
you have finished supplicating Allah, say ‘Amin’ to seal your du’a:
As Abu Zuhayr reported, ‘We went out one night with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and a man came to us who
was earnestly supplicating to Allah for some matter. The Prophet stopped and
listened to him, then he said, “It must be so if he seals it”. A man among the
people said, “With what does he seal it?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Amin, for if he
ends it with amin, it will be so…“’ [Abu Dawud]
To
summarise: your du’a should include praise for Allah and prayers for the
Prophet (ﷺ), invoking Allah by His
Names, asking for every matter, big and small, making du’a for others and
concluding with amin.
What should our attitude towards du’a be?
Firstly,
we should absolutely not be reluctant or shy to ask for anything. Allah loves
for us to turn to Him and supplicate Him, and He will never tire of fulfilling
our needs or granting us forgiveness.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘Ask Allah for His favour.
Verily, Allah Almighty loves to be asked and among the best acts of worship is
to wait in expectation of relief’. [Tirmidhi]
Secondly, it is extremely important to trust in Allah and have certainty that
He will answer our du’as.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ’There is no Muslim who calls upon Allah, without sin
or cutting family ties, but that Allah will give him one of three answers: He
will quickly fulfil his supplication, He will store it for him in the
Hereafter, or He will divert an evil from him similar to it’. They said, ‘In
that case we will ask for more’. The Prophet said, ′Allah has even more’.
[Ahmad]
Therefore, while making du’a, we should not be hesitant or uncertain; and
afterwards, we should not question whether or not Allah has answered our du’as.
Thirdly, we should be patient while waiting for an answer from Allah.
The Prophet said, ‘The servant will continue to have his supplications answered
as long as he does not ask for sin or cut family ties, and he is not impatient’.
They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is its impatience?’ The Prophet said,
’He says, ”I have supplicated again and again, but I have not seen an answer”.
He becomes frustrated with that and gives up supplicating”’. [Bukhari]
SubhanAllah, we must always remember
that Allah is Ash-Shakur (The Appreciative One) and Ar-Rahman (The Most
Gracious or Compassionate); therefore, we can never have doubt that He hears
our du’as and He will answer in the best way for us.
We would like to conclude with one final point: good deeds elevate our du’as.
Allah says,
مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلۡعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ
ٱلۡعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًاۚ إِلَيۡهِ يَصۡعَدُ ٱلۡكَلِمُ ٱلطَّيِّبُ وَٱلۡعَمَلُ
ٱلصَّـٰلِحُ يَرۡفَعُهُۚ ۥ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَمۡكُرُونَ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ لَهُمۡ
عَذَابٌ۬ شَدِيدٌ۬ۖ وَمَكۡرُ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُوَ يَبُورُ
‘To Him do good words go up and righteous
action uplifts them[33]’.
Just as Sulaiman (AS) supplicated Allah while performing a good deed for His
sake - rebuilding Masjid Al-Aqsa - we should also fill our days with good deeds
while we supplicate Allah! From giving to those most in need to honouring His
Blessed Masjid, there are so many ways we can show our sincerity to Allah and
our desire to please Him. As we await His answer to our du’as, we should never
become impatient - rather, we should increase our righteous actions for His
sake!
Part 2
What Are The Secrets Behind A Dua
That Gets Accepted?
1)
Make duas mentioned in Qur’an &
Sunnah
Most of us think
that Allah knows what we want so we don’t make Duas at all, but what we forget
is that we have nothing to lose here. We don’t go empty handed when we make a dua.
We get a reward or we get
acceptance.
If you don’t know
whether you’re asking for the right thing or no, if it has khair or no, then
pray Istikhara. As a matter of fact, pray istikhara for every small matter –
asking Allah to put khair in whatever you ask from Him.
Making Duas from
the Qur’an and Sunnah are the best way to cover all matters of your life in a
compact form of words.
2)
Ask during the accepted times
Allah did not
place a limit on the number or type of Duas you can make. Show Allah your
dependence on Him through constant supplications. Following is the list of best
places and times to make Duas (all references linked within):
1.
Laylat al-Qadar
2.
At the time of Tahajjud
3.
After obligatory prayers
4.
Between Adhan and the Iqama
5.
At the time of rain
6.
A certain time on Friday
7.
While traveling
8.
In sickness/ pain/ oppression (during calamity)
9.
While prostrating
10. During Hajj (On the day of
Arafah)
11. When breaking your fast
12. Whatever you drink Zamzam
13. Supplication of a parent
for his child
4)
Just pray Tahajjud
If you really want
something and you haven’t prayed Tahajjud, then do you really want it that
much?
Allah’s Messenger
(ﷺ) said, “Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes
every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night
remains, saying: “Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to
invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is
there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?” [Bukhari]
6) Give up a sin and do good instead
Begin supplication
with the praise of Allah. Send peace and blessings upon Rasool Allah ﷺ.
وَذَا
ٱلنُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَـٰضِبً۬ا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقۡدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ فَنَادَىٰ
فِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ أَن لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنتَ سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ إِنِّى ڪُنتُ
مِنَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ (٨٧) فَٱسۡتَجَبۡنَا لَهُ ۥ
وَنَجَّيۡنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَمِّۚ وَكَذَٲلِكَ نُـۨجِى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ (٨٨)
And remember Dhu
al Nun, when he departed in wrath: he imagined that We had no power over him!
but he cried through the depths of darkness "There is no god but Thou:
Glory to Thee: I was indeed wrong!" (87) So We listened to him: and
delivered him from distress: and thus do We deliver those who have faith[34].
Ibrahim bin
Muhammad bin Sa`d narrated from his father, from Sa`d that the Messenger of
Allah (ﷺ) said: “The supplication of Dhun-Nun (Prophet Yunus
AS) when he supplicated, while in the belly of the whale was: ‘There is none
worthy of worship except You, Glory to You, Indeed, I have been of the
transgressors. (Lā Ilāha
Illā Anta Subḥānaka Innī Kuntu Minaẓẓālimīn)’ So indeed, no Muslim man supplicates with it for
anything, ever, except Allah responds to him.” [Tirmidhi]
While reciting
this ayah, think of at least one sin that you committed and are willing to give
up for the sake of Allah.
For some people,
the wordings of Dua can make a huge difference. So if you feel awful and
unproductive by dragging yourself through the guilt trip – by saying something
like – Ya Allah I’m sorry I didn’t pray. Instead, try making Dua with the
formation of words like – Ya Allah I want to pray and I need Your help.
Regret sins on a
fine line. As long as it encourages you to make a change, it’s good for you but
if you think that Shaitan will drag you into hopelessness due to the
overwhelming amount of guilt, then try switching up the words you utter to
yourself. And stick to what works for you. By the end of the day, the result we
want to achieve is BETTERMENT.
7)
Show gratitude
Be thankful for
what you already have, no matter how meagre it is, in order to receive more.
Allah says:
وَإِذۡ
تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمۡ لَٮِٕن شَڪَرۡتُمۡ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمۡۖ وَلَٮِٕن ڪَفَرۡتُمۡ
إِنَّ عَذَابِى لَشَدِيدٌ۬ (٧)
“…If you give
thanks, I will give you more….[35]”
If you want more
wealth, give thanks for every Dollar [Naira in Nigeria]. If you need help in
staying more grateful and positive (especially for the tiny things in your life
that you usually take for granted), a gratitude journal catered for Muslims can
be a great way to start this journey in shaa Allah. When your dua is answered,
say Alhamdulillah from the heart, make sujood, increase in your ibadah and
decrease your disobedience. Show gratefulness through your actions and words
both.
8)
Be proactive and remember Allah in
the times of ease as well
Along with
prayers, make some effort as well. Do something about it. Do everything you can
to make it possible. Show Allah you are working really hard. Consistent efforts
combined with Dua really does wonders.
The Messenger of
Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever wishes that Allah would respond to
him during hardship and grief, then let him supplicate plentifully when at
ease.” [Tirmidhi]
9)
Do not be hasty
Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“One of you will be responded to, so long as he is not hasty, saying: ‘I
supplicated, and I was not responded to.’” [Tirmidhi]
Messenger of Allah
(ﷺ) said: “It is necessary that you do not become
hasty.” It was said:
“What does being
hasty mean, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “When one says: ‘I supplicated to
Allah but Allah did not answer me.'” [Ibn Majah]
10)
Hope for positive results and do not
give up
Ask and you shall
receive. Have firm faith that your Dua will be answered and your wish will
definitely be granted. You have asked the King – for Whom, nothing is
impossible. No matter, how big your need is, or how difficult you think your
problem is, or how messy your situation is, it is a matter of Kun fayakun for
Him.
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:
“A supplication should be made in full confidence and one should persistently
express his desire (before Allah) in his supplication, for no bounty is too
great for Allah to bestow (upon his slaves).” [Muslim]
If the Dua leaves
your lips without the feeling of excitement and hope of acceptance, then try
tweaking your Dua a little. Put anticipation in your Dua. For e.g.: Instead of
saying – “O Allah! Grant me, children”. Maybe you can ask “O Allah! Let me be a
part of my Child’s wedding”. This may keep you more hopeful and excited every
time you make this Dua.
Don’t lower your standards, raise
your DUA! What is your experience with Duas? What tips have worked for
you?
Istikhara
“Asking Allah to
put khair in whatever you ask from Him. Making Duas from the Qur’an and Sunnah
are the best way to cover all matters of your life in a compact form of words.”
“Don’t lower your standards, raise your DUA!”
The Secrets of an Accepted Dua
How to Make Dhikr a Daily Habit
The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
“Dua (supplication) is worship.” [Abu Dawud]
Dua – a beautiful
word for “supplication” in Arabic. Its root words are د ع و ( Dal-Ayn-Waw )
which means to seek, desire, ask, demand, call upon, invoke, ascribe, cry out,
call out to, pray, supplicate etc.
It is a powerful
weapon of the believer. If his/her Dua gets accepted, there’s khair in it. If
it doesn’t get accepted, it could either be a source of source of salvation in
the hereafter or a way to ward off evil from you.
In short, a Dua can result in the
following:
1)
Allah will answer immediately.
2)
Allah will postpone it for a better time and we’ll be
rewarded for the patience in shaa Allah.
3)
It will be rejected because Allah knows what’s best for us
and it can help ward off harm in Dunya or Aakhirah (here or hereafter).
The Messenger of
Allah (ﷺ) said, “Whenever a Muslim supplicates Allah, He
accepts his supplication or averts any similar kind of trouble from him until
he prays for something sinful or something that may break the ties of kinship.”
Upon this, someone of the Companions said: “Then we shall supplicate plenty.” The
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Allah is more plentiful (in
responding).” [At- Tirmidhi].
Brief summary of this article:
The
best way to prepare for du’a is to make wudu, face the Qiblah, raise your hands
and call upon your Lord in a low voice.
Our du’a should include praise for Allah and prayers for the Prophet (ﷺ), invoking Allah by His
Names, asking for every matter, big and small, making du’a for others and
concluding with amin.
Our attitude towards du’a should be filled with sincerity, confidence, trust in
Allah and patience in awaiting His answer, and good deeds elevate our du’as.
The Power of Du’a: Sayyiduna
Abu Hurayrah (radiyallahu ’anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ’alayhi
wasallam) said: ‘Make du’a to Allah with conviction of acceptance.’ (Sunan
Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3479)
When asking from Allah Ta’ala, one should always envisage Allah’s unlimited
treasures and power.
We hope this article was helpful to you. May Allah accept our du’as and make us
from those who never abandon du’a, Amin!
Part 3
Things Which May Prevent Duaa From Being
Answered Include[36]:
1. When the duaa is weak in itself,
because it involves something inappropriate, or involves bad manners towards
Allaah, may He be exalted, or it is inappropriate, which means asking Allaah
for something which it is not permitted to ask, e.g. when a man asks to live
forever in this world, or he asks for a sin or something haraam, or he prays
that he will die, and so on. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ)
said: A person's duaas will continue to be answered so long as he does not pray
for something sinful or for the breaking of family ties. Narrated by Muslim.
2. When the
person who is making duaa is weak in himself, because he is
faint-hearted in his turning towards Allaah. This may be either because of bad
manners towards Allaah, may He be exalted such as raising his voice in duaa or
making duaa in the manner of one who thinks he has no need of Allaah; or
because he pays too much attention to the wording and tries to come up with
unnecessarily ornate phrases, without paying attention to the meaning; or
because he tries too hard to weep or shout without really feeling it, or he
goes to extremes in that.
3. The reason
why his duaa is not answered may be because he has done something that Allaah has forbidden, such
as having haraam wealth whether it be food or drink or clothing or
accommodation or transportation, or he has taken a haraam job, or the stain of
sin is still in his heart, or he is following bidah (innovation) in religion,
or his heart has been overtaken by negligence.
4. Consuming haraam wealth. This is
one of the major reasons why duaas are not answered. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah
be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) said: O people, Allaah is Good and only accepts that
which is good. Allaah commanded the pious to follow the same commandments as He
gave to the Messengers. He says (interpretation of the meaning):
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلرُّسُلُ كُلُواْ مِنَ
ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَٱعۡمَلُواْ صَـٰلِحًاۖ إِنِّى بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ۬ (٥١)
O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halaal (lawful) foods
which Allaah has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk
products, fats, vegetables, fruits)] and do righteous deeds. Verily, I am
Well-Acquainted with what you do[37]
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ڪُلُواْ مِن
طَيِّبَـٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنَـٰكُمۡ وَٱشۡكُرُواْ لِلَّهِ إِن ڪُنتُمۡ إِيَّاهُ
تَعۡبُدُونَ (١٧٢)
O you who believe
(in the Oneness of Allaah Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We
have provided you with[38]
Then he mentioned a man who has travelled on a long journey and is dishevelled
and covered with dust; he stretches forth his hands to the heaven, (saying) O
Lord, O Lord, but his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, all his nourishment
is haraam, so how can he duaa be accepted? Narrated by [Muslim].
The man described by the Prophet (ﷺ) had some of the characteristics which help duaas to be answered he
was travelling and he was in need of Allaah, may He be exalted and glorified
but the fact that he consumed haraam wealth prevented his duaa from being
answered. We ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound.
5. Trying to
hasten the response. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ)
said: The duaa of any one of you will be answered so long as he is not
impatient and says, I made duaa but it was not answered. Narrated by
al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
6. Making the
duaa [conditional], such as saying, O Allaah, forgive me if You will
or O Allaah, have mercy upon me if You will. The person who makes duaa has to
be resolute in his supplication, striving hard and earnestly repeating his
duaa. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Let
not any one of you say, O Allaah, forgive me if You will, O Allaah, have mercy
on me if You will. Let him be resolute in the matter, whilst knowing that no
one can compel Allaah to do anything. Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim.
In order for duaas to be answered, it is not essential to adhere to all of
these points and be free of all that could prevent ones duaas from being
answered. That is something which happens very rarely. But one has to try hard
and strive towards achieving this.
Another important point is to realize that the response to the duaa may take
different forms: either Allaah will respond and fulfil the desire of the person
who made the duaa, or He will ward off some evil from him because of the duaa,
or He will make something good easy for him to attain because of it, or He will
save it with Him for him on the Day of Resurrection when he will be most in need
of it.
And Allah knows
best.
[1] Holy Quran chapter 51.56
[2] Holy Quran chapter 59.18
[3] [he Noble
Quran 21:18-19
[4] Holy Quran Chapter 23.51-52
[5] [Tirmidhī, no. 2641; Ibn Nasr al-Marwazī in As-Sunnah, no.
59; Al-Hākim in al-Mustadrak, 1/218; Al-Ājurrī in ash-Sharee’ah, no. 23;
Al-Lālikā’ī in Sharh Usool al-I’tiqād, no. 147; Ibn Battah in al-Ibānah, no.
196; and many others. It has support from the hadīth of Anas reported by
Tabarānī in Al-Awsat, no.7840; and in As-Saghīr, no. 724; It has been
authenticated by a large body of scholars from the past and present,
alhamdulillāh.]
[6] (Ibn Majah, Abu Daud, al-Tirmidhi and
al-Nisa'i)
[7] Sunan Ibn Maajah, no. 3982.
[8] Holy
Qur'an chapter 6:159
[9] Holy Qur'an chapter 30:32
[10] Holy Qur'an chapter 42:14
[11] Holy Quran Chapter al-Maa’idah 5:3
[12] Source: Islam Q&A 36902
[13] The
Noble Qur’an, 40:60
[14] (al-Daa wal-Dawaa, p. 35).
[15] Holy Quran Chapter al-Baqarah 2:186
[16] Holy Quran Chapter al-Bayyinah 98:5
[17] Holy
Quran Chapter Ghaafir 40:14
[18] Holy Quran Chapter al-A’raf 7:180
[19] [Holy Quran Chapter Nooh 71:10-12]
[20] [Holy Quran Chapter al-Araaf 7:180].
[21] Classed
as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi, 2765, 2767
[22] Classed as sahih by Shaykh al-Albani in
Sahih Abi Dawud, 1320.
[23] Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3479; classed as
hasan by Shaykh al-Albani in Sahih al-Tirmidhi, 2766.
[24] Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6340; Muslim, 2735.
[25] [Holy Quran Chapter al-Araaf 7:55]
[26] Holy Quran Chapter al-Anbiya’ 21:90
[27] Holy Quran Chapter al-A'raf 7:205
[28] Holy
Quran Chapter al-Muminun 23:51
[29] Holy Quran Chapter al-Baqarah 2:172
[30] Holy
Quran Chapter al-A'raf 7:55
[31] Holy
Quran Chapter Maryam 19:3
[32] Holy Quran Chapter 7: 205
[33] Holy Quran Chapter 35:10
[34] Holy
Quran Chapter 21.87-88
[35] Holy Qur’an Chapter 14:7
[36] Source: Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid,
Islam Q&A 5113
[37] Holy Quran Chapter al-Muminoon 23:51
[38] Holy
Quran Chapter al-Baqarah 2:172
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