Remembrance of Allah
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَثَلُ الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ رَبَّهُ وَالَّذِي لاَ يَذْكُرُ مَثَلُ الْحَىِّ وَالْمَيِّتِ “.
Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The similitude of one who remembers his Rabb and one who does not remember Him, is like that of the living and the dead.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6407)
Du’aa (Supplication)
قَالَ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " لَيْسَ شَىْءٌ أَكْرَمَ عَلَى اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ مِنَ الدُّعَاءِ " .
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Nothing is dearer to Allah than supplications.” (At Tirmidhi 3370, Authenticated by Al Albani as Hasan)
In Islamic terminology, du’aa is the act of supplication. It is calling out to Allah; it is a conversation with Allah, our Creator, our Lord, the All-Knowing, and the All-Powerful. In fact, the word is derived from the Arabic root meaning “to call out or to summon.”
Du’aa – A Direct Connection
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ
“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 supplications 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.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:186)
قَالَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " الدُّعَاءُ مُخُّ الْعِبَادَةِ "
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) called du’aa the essence of worship. (Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3371)
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِذَا دَعَا أَحَدُكُمْ فَلاَ يَقُلِ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ وَلَكِنْ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ وَلْيُعَظِّمِ الرَّغْبَةَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَتَعَاظَمُهُ شَىْءٌ أَعْطَاهُ " .
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: “When one of you supplicates, he should not say, ‘O Allah, forgive me if You will,’ but be firm in asking and make the desire great, for what Allah gives is nothing great for Him.” (Sahih Muslim 2679 a)
Conditions for the Acceptance of Du’aa
- Ikhlaas (sincerity)
- Do not transgress in your du’aa by asking for something unlawful (haram) or insensible
- Have yaqeen (firm faith and certainty) that Allah will respond to your du’aa
- Your income (rizq) should be from a halal source
Etiquettes of Making Du’aa
- A firm and unwavering faith in the Oneness of Allah and His ability alone to respond to the invocation. .
- Call upon Him with eagerness and persistence without feeling impatient or bored. .
أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " يُسْتَجَابُ لأَحَدِكُمْ مَا لَمْ يَعْجَلْ فَيَقُولُ قَدْ دَعَوْتُ فَلاَ أَوْ فَلَمْ يُسْتَجَبْ لِي " .
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The supplication of every one of you will be granted if he does not get impatient and say, `I supplicated my Lord but my prayer has not been granted.” (Sahih Muslim 2735 a).
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يُعْجِبُهُ أَنْ يَدْعُوَ ثَلاَثًا وَيَسْتَغْفِرَ ثَلاَثًا .
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) liked to say his du’aa three times and he also asked for forgiveness three times. (Sunan Abi Dawud 1524)
3. Start the dua by praising Allah in the Way He deserves to be praised.
4. Invoke Allah through His Names and Attributes.
قُلِ ادْعُوا اللَّهَ أَوِ ادْعُوا الرَّحْمَٰنَ ۖ أَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُوا فَلَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا
“Say, Call upon Allah, or call upon Ar-Rahman (The Most Beneficent): by whatever name you call upon Him, (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names.” (Al-‘Isra’, 17:110)
5. Send blessings on the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
6. Raise one’s hand when making dua. Prophet Muhammed (ﷺ) said:
" إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ حَيِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ يَسْتَحْيِي مِنْ عَبْدِ
to send them back empty.” (Sunan Abi Dawud 1488)
Raising one’s hands is an etiquette of du’aa. Sheikh Ibn Uthaimeen described it as joining both the palms and raising them to chest level. They can also be raised higher, this is called ابتهال. (However, hands should not be raised in all situations.)
Best Times to Make Du’aa
Some of the best times to make du’aa is when in sujud (prostration in the prayer), after the final tashahhud and before the salaam, during the last third of the night, between the adhaan and iqaamah, during traveling, when the rain descends, at the last hour of Friday, while fasting, and when a mother supplicates for her child.
Excellence of Supplicating in One’s Absence
فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ.
“And ask forgiveness for your sin, and also for (the sin of) believing men and believing women.” (Muhammad, 47:19)
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) encouraged the believers to make du’aa. He said,
"دعوة المرء المسلم لأخيه بظهر الغيب مستجابة، عند رأسه ملك موكل كلما دعا لأخيه بخير قال الملك الموكل به: آمين، ولك بمثل"
“The du’aa of a Muslim for his brother in his absence is readily accepted. An angel is appointed to his side. Whenever he makes a beneficial du’aa for his brother the appointed angel says, Ameen, and may you also be blessed with the same.’” (Saheeh Muslim Book 17, Hadith 31)
The Best Du’aas are Those Used by the Prophets Found in the Qur’an or in the Traditions of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)
The best du’aas are those used by the Prophets; however, it is permissible to say other words according to the specific needs of the supplicant. There are many wonderful collections of authentic du’aas and believers should take extra care to authenticate the du’aas they use to supplicate to Allah.