Dua - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

In the terminology of Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

, Duʿāʾ (دعاء) Plural: Dow'āt (دعوات) literally meaning invocation

Invocation

An invocation may take the form of:*Supplication or prayer.*A form of possession.*Command or conjuration.*Self-identification with certain spirits....

, is an act of supplication

Supplication

Supplication is the most common form of prayer, wherein a person asks God to provide something, either for the person or who is doing the praying or for someone else on whose behalf a prayer. This because of a supplication is being made, also known as intercession.The concept of supplication is...

. The term is derived from an Arabic word meaning to 'call out' or to 'summon', and Muslims regard this as a profound act of worship. This is when Muslim people from all over connect with God and ask him for forgiveness and favors. The Islamic prophet Muhammad

Muhammad

Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...

is reported to have said "Dua is the very essence of worship," while one of Allah

Allah

Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...

's commands expressed through the Qur'an

Qur'an

The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...

is for them to call out to Him:

"And your Lord says: "Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)!"

There is a special emphasis on du'a in Muslim spirituality and early Muslims took great care to record the supplications of Muhammad and transmit them to subsequent generations. These traditions precipitated new genres of literature in which prophetic supplications were gathered together in single volumes that were memorised and taught. Collections such as Imam al-Nawawi's Kitab al-adhkar and Shams al-Din al-Jazari's al-Hisn al-Hasin exemplify this literary trend and gained significant currency among Muslim devotees keen to learn how Muhammad supplicated his lord.

Du'a literature however is not restricted to prophetic supplications; many later Muslim scholars and sages composed their own supplications, often in elaborate rhyming prose that would be recited by their disciples. Popular du'as would include Jazuli

Muhammad al-Jazuli

Sidi Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Jazuli al-Simlali , often known as "Imam al-Jazuli", was a Moroccan Sufi leader of the Berber tribe of the Jazulah. He is especially famous for compiling the Dala'il al-Khayrat, an extremely popular Muslim prayer book...

's Dala'il al-Khayrat

Dala'il al-Khayrat

Dala'il al-Khayrat or Dalaail u'l Khayraat Wa Shawaariq u'l Anwaar Fee Zikri's Salaat Alan Nabiyyi'l Mukhtaar is a famous collection of prayers for Islamic prophet Muhammad, which was written by the Moroccan Sunni Sufi and Islamic Scholar Muhammad al-Jazuli...

, which at its peak spread throughout the Muslim world, and Imam al-Shadhili

Abu-l-Hassan ash-Shadhili

-Biography:He was born in a royal family of a business man in Berber Ghomara, near Ceuta in the north of Morocco in 1196. He studied in Fes. He set out across North Africa and into the Levant in the hope of finding the great living saint of his time . He started his journey in search of wisdom via...

's Hizb al-Bahr which also had widespread appeal. Du'a literature reaches its most lyrical form in the Munajat, or 'whispered intimate prayers' such as those of Ibn 'Ata Allah al-Iskandari

Ibn 'Ata Allah

Ahmad ibn Muhammad Ibn 'Ata Allah al-Iskandari , the third sheikh of the Shadhili Sufi order was born and grew up in Alexandria, lived and died in Cairo. He was responsible for systematizing the order's doctrines and recording the biographies of its founder, Sidi Abu-l-Hassan ash-Shadhili, and his...

. Among the shia schools, the Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya records du'as attributed to Ali

Ali

' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...

and his grandson Zayn al-Abidin.

When the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon Him) saw a Muslim man who was sick and had grown feeble like a chicken. The Messenger of Allah said to him: “Did you pray for anything or ask for it?” He said: Yes, I used to say: O Allah, whatever punishment You would give me in the Hereafter, bring it forward in this world. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him) said: “Subhaan Allaah! You cannot bear it. Why didn’t you say, O Allah, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment of the Fire?” Then he prayed to Allaah for him, and He healed him. [Narrated by Muslim 2688]

“No one of you should wish for death because of some harm that has befallen him. If he must wish for it, then let him say: ‘O Allah, keep me alive so long as living is good for me, and cause me to die when death is good for me.’” [Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6531; Muslim,2680]

Types and categories

Dua is essentially an expression of submission of faith to God and one's neediness.

Type I: Du'a al-mas'alah, or the 'du'a of asking.' This type of du'a is when one asks for the fulfillment of a need, or that some harm be removed from him/her. An example would be when a person asks, "O God! Grant me good in this world, and good in the next life!"

Type II: Du'a al-'ibadah, or the 'du'a of worship.' This type of du'a represents a very broad concept. In Islam, every single act of worship includes this type of du'a. Examples would include when a Muslim prays salat

Salat

Salah is the practice of formal prayer in Islam. Its importance for Muslims is indicated by its status as one of the Five Pillars of Sunni Islam, of the Ten Practices of the Religion of Twelver Islam and of the 7 pillars of Musta'lī Ismailis...

or gives zakaat or fasts.

What is asked

Du'a can also be divided into two broad categories depending on what is being asked. These two categories include religion and the world. Examples of making du'a for religion would include things such as if a Muslim asked God to increase their faith or ask God to forgive them for their sins. Examples pertaining to the world would include things such as if a Muslim asks God for an increase in wealth, to be cured from a disease, or to be granted more children. In Islam, a Muslim is supposed to ask from both these categories.

"Holy Du'a"

The Holy Du'a is the obligatory prayer recited three times a day, as described in the Qur'an: "And establish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night: For those things, that are good remove those that are evil: Be that the word of remembrance to those who remember (their Lord):" The Holy Du'a is read in the Arabic language. Until recently it was read in the local language of the Jamaat

Jamaat

The term Jamaat can apply to the following:*Jamia - a gathering or congregatation; place of gathering.*Jamaat-e-Islami - a South Asian Islamic movement based in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India .*Jamaat-ul-Muslimeen - a Muslim organization in Indo-Pak.*Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind - an Islamic group in...

"some of the everyday dua "

1) a person who recites from
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ
in Surah Al-Imran till the end of the Surah on any night or part of the night, will receive the reward of performing his Salaat for the whole night.

2) a person recites Surah Yaseen early in the morning then his need for the day will be fullfilled.

3) Abdullah bin Masood (R.A.) narrates that Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.) has stated that the person who recites the last two ayats of Suratul Baqarah till the end, then these two ayats will be sufficient for him, i.e. Allah will protect him from all evil and ploys.

4) when retiring to sleep, make wudhu, dust off the bed three times, lie on the right side, place the right hand under the head or cheeks and recite the following dua three times.

5) a person who recites three times
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ السَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
in the morning the last three ayats of Suratul Hashr then Allah delegates 70,000 angles to send mercy onto him till the evening and if he dies that day, he will die as a martyr and if he recites these in the evening then Allah delegates 70,000 angels to send mercy onto him till the morning and if he dies that night, he dies as martyr.

6) a Muslim servant recites (the underlying) three times every morning, then it becomes the responsibility of Allah to satisfy him on the Day of Qiyamah.
رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبَّاً وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ ِينَاً وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيَّاً

7) a person who has recited (the underlying) in the morning, he has pleased (praised, glorified) Allah for His favours of the morning, and if he has done so in the night, he has thanked Allah for His favours of the night.
اللَّهُمَّ مَا أَصْبَحَ بِي مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ أَوْ بِأَحَدٍ مِنْ خَلْقِكَ فَمِنْكَ وَحْدَكَ لَا شَرِيكَ لَكَ فَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ وَلَكَ الشُّكْرُ

8) if a person recites three ayats of Surah Rum (Para 21) and if he misses his normal recitation of the day, he will still be rewarded for it. This applies to the night as well.
فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ * وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُونَ * يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَيُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَكَذَلِكَ تُخْرَجُونَ

9) if after reading it you die in the night, then it is as if you have died on 'Natural Deen' and if you awake in the morning alive then you will have good fortune".
اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ نَفْسِي إِلَيْكَ وَوَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَوَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ لَا مَلْجَأَ وَلَا مَنْجَا مِنْكَ إِلَّا إِلَيْكَ آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ وَنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ

10) if a person retires to bed on the side and recites Surah Fathiha and Surah Ikhlaas (Qul huwa- Allaho Ahad) he is immune from everything besides death.

11) recite Ayatul Qursi as Allah has stipulated that the reciter will be protected throughout the night by the angels and the Satan will not come near

12) when a person enters his bed (to sleep), an angel and a Shaitaan surround him. The Shaitaan whispers 'your awakening will end in evil' and the angel says' end in good". One sleeps after engaging in dhikr, the angels will protect him throughout the night. In order to gain the protection of the angels, it is wise to engage in Dhikr and then sleep.

13) a man saw the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) many a time in his dreams. Every time he requested the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) to advise him What to do so that he might leave this world with his faith intact. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) in reply advised him to recite the following Dua’a every day.
BISMILLA HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHIM
YA ALLAHO YA ALLAHO YA ALLAHO AL-AMANO AL-AMANO AL-AMANO MIN ZAVALIL-IMANE. YA DAA EMAL-MA ROOFE. YA QADEEMAL-EHSANE. WA YA HADIYAL-MOZALLEENA IYYAKA NABODO WA IYYAKA NASTA-EEN. WA SAL-LAL-LAHO ALA KHAIRE KHALQEHI MOHAMMADIN WA ALEHI AJMAEEN

14) the following Dua’a in its context with its meaning seems to be very effective and advantageous. Many a learned persons recite this in the Qunoot and many recite it after finishing the prayer:
BISMILAL HIR RAHMA NIR RAHEEM
ELAHI BE-AKHAS-SE SIFAA-TEKA WA BE-IZZE JALALEKA WA BE-A'ZAME ASMAAEKA, WA BEASMATE AMBIYAA EKA WA BENOORE AVLIAAEKA WA BE-DAME SHOHADAA;EKA, WA BE-MEDADAE OLAMA'AEKA WA BE-DOAA'E SOLAHAA'EKA WA BEMONAJATE FOQARAA'EKA, NAS-ALOKA ZIADATAN FIL ILME. WA SEH-HATAN FIL JISME, WA TOOLAN FEE OOMRE FEE TA'ATEKA VASE-ATAN FIR-RIZKE, WA TAVBATAN QABLAL MAVTE, WA RAAHATAN INDAL-MAVTE, WA MAGHFERATAN BA-DAL MAVTE, WA NOORAN FIL QABRE, WA NAJATAN MINAN-NNARE, WA DOKHOOLAN FIL JANNATE, WA AAFEYATAN MIN KOOLLE BALAA-IDOONYA, WA AZAABIL AKHERATE, BE-HAQQE MOHAMMADIN WA AHLE BAITEHIT TAYYABINAT TAHEREENAL-MA-SOOMEEN

Zayn al-Abidin's Dua

conveyed his understanding of the relationship between human and God by the prayers and supplications that he offered God during his extensive nighttime vigils in the mosque of Muhammad in Medina. These prayers and supplications were written down and then disseminated by his sons and the subsequent generations. Among them is the Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya

Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya

Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya is said to be the oldest prayer manual in Islamic sources and one of the most seminal works of Islamic spirituality of the early period...

, which is known as the Psalms

Psalms

The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...

The Pre-Conditions

In Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

there are nine pre-conditions that need to be present in order for a du'a to be accepted.

Only Allah responds

This first pre-condition can be supported by the following verse in the Quran. In Sura

Sura

A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...

h Al-Naml Verse 62:

Or, Who listens to the [soul] distressed when it calls on Him, and Who relieves its suffering, and makes you inheritors of the earth? So is there any god besides Allah? Little it is that ye heed!

Muhammad said:

“If you ask, then ask of Allah, and if you seek help, then seek the help of Allah.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2516]

Abu Hurayrah reported Muhammad as saying:

“Make Dua to Allah when you are certain of a response.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi]

Sincerity

This is basically summed up in one sentence: in Islam a Muslim prays to God alone. This can be supported by several verses in the Quran.

In Sura

Sura

h Al-Jinn Verse 18 it says:
"And the places of worship are for God [alone]: So invoke not any one along with God;'

In Sura
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...

h Al-An'am Verse 40 it says:
Say: "Think ye to yourselves, if there come upon you the wrath of God, or the Hour [that ye dread], would ye then call upon other than God?- [reply] if ye are truthful!

In Sura
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...

h Al-A'raf Verse 194 it says:
Verily those whom ye call upon besides God are servants like unto you: Call upon them, and let them listen to your prayer, if ye are [indeed] truthful!

In Sura
Sura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...

h Al-A'raf Verse 197 it says:
"But those ye call upon besides Him, are unable to help you, and indeed to help themselves."

Tawassul

The term Tawassul

Tawassul

Tawassul is the Islamic understanding of intercession. It is a religious practice in which a Muslim seeks nearness to Allah. A rough translation would be: "To draw near to what one seeks after and to approach that which one desires." The exact definition and method of tawassul is a matter of...

means the seeking of God's help and response through something beloved to Him.

There are many ways of performing Tawassul, as mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah

Sunnah

The word literally means a clear, well trodden, busy and plain surfaced road. In the discussion of the sources of religion, Sunnah denotes the practice of Prophet Muhammad that he taught and practically instituted as a teacher of the sharī‘ah and the best exemplar...

, one may make mention of the names and attributes of God (See 99 Names of Allah) or a good deed one has done, a blessed time such as Ramadhan. One could also ask someone alive to make du'a to God on one's behalf.

Patience

In Islam, to be hasty in du'a is said to be a cause of rejection of du'a. The concept of hastiness is described in the following hadith.

It was asked, "O Messenger of God?...What does it mean to be hasty?" Prophet Muhammad responded "A worshipper says, 'I have prayed and prayed , and I don't yet see that it will be accepted; so he gives up hope of being answered, and leaves du'a'.

Basically this means that a person makes du'a and it does not get answered right away so a person gives up and stops asking for it. The type of hastiness that is forbidden in Islam is that a person leaves du'a, thinking that God will not respond to it. In Islam, Muslims are instructed to not give up du'a because they do not see a response immediately. This can be supported by verses in the Quran and Hadiths. In Sura

Sura

h Al-Anbiya Verse 19 it says:

Unto Him belongeth whosoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those who dwell in His presence are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they weary;

Muhammad is reported to have said: "You will be responded to as long as you are not hasty (meaning that you give up du'a)"

The word hasty is used because it means that a person is hasty in expecting a response.

Purity

In Islam, in order for a person's du'a to be accepted by God, it must be for something pure and good.

Good Intentions

In Islam it is imperative that a person making du'a have the best of intention for whatever he or she is asking. An example would be if someone asks for an increase in wealth, they should intend with that increase in wealth to spend more on the poor and on their relatives.

Attentive Heart

Muhammad is reported to have said, "Make du'a to God in a state that you are certain that your du'a will be responded to, and know that God does not respond to a du'a that originates from a negligent, inattentive heart"

According to this hadith, a Muslim is instructed to make du'a with a mindful heart. A Muslim should be aware of what he is saying and should believe in his or her heart that their du'a will be responded to by God.

Sustenance

It states in the Quran in Sura

Sura

h Al-Baqarah Verse 200:

So when ye have accomplished your holy rites, celebrate the praises of God, as ye used to celebrate the praises of your fathers,- yea, with far more Heart and soul. There are men who say: "Our Lord! Give us (Thy bounties) in this world!" but they will have no portion in the Hereafter.

Again and moreover Muhammad is reported to have said, "O People! God is al-Tayyib (pure), and He only accepts that which is pure! God has commanded the Messengers, for He said, 'O Messengers! Eat from the pure foods, and do right.' Furthermore he said, 'O you who believe! Eat from the pure and good foods we have given you.' Then Prophet Hazrat Muhammad mentioned a traveller on a long journey, who is dishevelled and dusty, and he stretches forth his hands to the sky, saying, 'O my Lord! O my Lord!', While his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully; how can he be answered?"

The Hadith above describes a man who earned his money by cheating other people. His money was impure so therefore everything he purchased with his money became impure. His clothes, drink, and food were all purchased with that money which was considered impure, so his clothes, drink and food were all considered impure. According to the above hadith, in Islam a person's du'a will not be accepted by God if he earns unlawful money.

The hadith also stresses that according to Islam, anyone who eats impure foods, such as pork, will have his or her du'a rejected by God.

Non-interference

In Islam there is no specific time of day to which making du'a is restricted. In Islam, if something more important comes up than du'a, then that takes precedence. What is more important than du'a is defined by the Quran and Sunnah

Sunnah

. Some examples include the call to prayer. If the adhan

Adhan

The adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day. The root of the word is meaning "to permit"; another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear"....

is called, in Islam one must respond to it. Another example is if a person is making du'a, and his or her parents call him or her for assistance, then responding to his or her parents takes precedence over du'a. This means a person must stop making du'a when he or she hears the adhan

Adhan

The adhān is the Islamic call to prayer, recited by the muezzin at prescribed times of the day. The root of the word is meaning "to permit"; another derivative of this word is , meaning "ear"....

or the parents calling him or her, to respond. In Islam, the rights of the parents are great and are emphasized greatly in the Quran and Hadiths.

Why Duas are not answered

There are various reasons due to which Du'as, supplications and invocations are not accepted.

Impatience

Allah rejects supplications if the worshipper is hasty or does not have patience.

It was asked, "O Messenger of God?...What does it mean to be hasty?" Prophet Muhammad responded "A worshipper says, 'I have prayed and prayed , and I don't yet see that it will be accepted; so he gives up hope of being answered, and leaves du'a'.

(Hadith narrated by Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, as mentioned in sahih al-Jami #7705)

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (Radiallhu Anhu) that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon Him) said: “(The Dua) of any one of you will be answered so long as he is not hasty in seeking a response and does not say, ‘I prayed but I have not had a response.’” [Narrated by al-Bukhari, 5981; Muslim, 2735]

“A person’s Dua 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.

Change oneself first

Allah said: “…Verily, Allah will not change the (good) conditions of a people as long as they do not change their state (of goodness) themselves (by committing sins and by being ungrateful and disobedient to Allah)” (Al-Qur'an, Sura 13 Ra'd, part of Verse 11)

Praising God

One reported Hadith relates as follows,

Once a man said, "O God, forgive me and have mercy and have mercy on me!" This was after the man had finished two raka'ats. Prophet Muhammad said, "You have been hasty, O worshipper! When you finish your prayer, then sit down and praise God with the praise that he is worthy of, and pray upon me, then state your du'a..."

If worshipper thinks Dua will not be answered

Muhammad is reported to have said, "Make du'a to God in a state that you are certain that your du'a will be responded to, and know that God does not respond to a du'a that originates from a negligent, inattentive heart"( Hadith narrated by al-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim from Abu-Hurayrah and authenticated by al-Albani in sahih al-Jami )

Not thinking positively of Allah may have invocations unanswered. Muhammad said: “Allah, may He be exalted, says: ‘I am as My slave thinks I am.’” [Narrated by al-Bukhari, 7405; Muslim, 4675]

Sinful or Haram Income and food

Muhammad made mention of a person who travels widely, his hair dishevelled, and covered with dust. “He lifts his hands and makes supplication, ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ but his diet is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, and his clothes are unlawful, and his nourishment is unlawful. How then can his supplication be accepted?” (Similar version in Hadith reported by Ahmad, Muslim, and al-Tirmidhi from Abu Hurayrah, as mentioned in sahih al-Jami #2744)
“A person’s Dua 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.

Asking for something sinful

Abu Hurayrah (R.A) said that The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him) said: “A person’s Dua 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 http://www.alquranclasses.com/?p=754

A dua for something that is haram cannot be made and will not be fulfilled. We cannot ask for that which is forbidden in Islam. Such duas would definitely not be answered. Hence for starters we should know that what we are asking for should be halal according to the Islamic Shariah. No one should pray for death. http://islam.thetruecall.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=272

Cutting of the ties of kinship

“A person’s Dua 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.

Muhammad said: “The supplication of a slave continues to be granted as long as he does not supplicate for a sinful thing or for something that would cut off the ties of kinship and he does not grow impatient.”

Making Dua conditional

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) said: “Let not any one of you say, ‘O Allah, forgive me if You will, O Allah, have mercy on me if You will.’ Let him be resolute in the matter, whilst knowing that no one can compel Allah to do anything.” [Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim] http://www.alquranclasses.com/?p=754

Unconfirmed sources

These are the information or stories which the editors of Wikipedia have not used any authentic or trustful source yet.

Neither enjoins good nor forbids evil

Muhammad said, “By Him in Whose Hand my life is, you either enjoin good and forbid evil, or Allah will certainly soon send His punishment to you. Then you will make supplication and it will not be accepted.” (At-Tirmidhi)

God test human by not accepting Duas

Allah tests His creation in many ways. Many a times our prayers are not answered as swiftly as we desire because Allah wants to test our patience. God might pause a certain Dua to see if the worshipper still continues to pray and have faith in God.

Over-stepping instead of being specific

Be specific and use concise words instead of overstepping the mark in making Dua. Narrated from Abd-Allaah ibn Mughaffal (R.A) that he heard his son say: “O Allah, I ask You for the white palace on the right side of Paradise if I enter it.” He said: “O my son, ask Allah for Paradise and seek refuge with Allah from the Fire, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him) say: ‘Among this Ummah will be people who overstep the mark in purifying themselves and in making Dua” [Narrated by Abu Dawood, 690] http://www.alquranclasses.com/?p=754

Durood

It was narrated by Faddaalah ibn Ubayd (R.A) that The Prophet (peace be upon Him) heard a man making Dua after his prayer, but he did not send blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon Him). The Prophet (peace be upon Him) said: “This man is in a hurry.” Then he called him and said to him or to someone else: “When any one of you has finished praying (and makes Dua), let him start by praising Allah, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon Him), then after that let him ask for whatever he wants.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2765]

Rewards in exchage for Doas

If we do not get quick response for our Duas; still we need to Pray because the Dua can have these meanings.

It was narrated from Abu Saeed (R.A) that the Prophet (peace be upon Him) said: “There is no Muslim who does not offer any Dua in which there is no sin or severing of family ties but Allah will give him one of three things in return: either He will answer his Dua sooner, or he will store it up for him in the Hereafter, or He will divert an equivalent evil away from him because of it.” They said: “We will say a lot of Dua.” The Prophet (peace be upon Him) said: “Allah is more generous.” [Narrated by Ahmad, 10749]

Other optional Etiquette

There are various other optional techniques and etiquettes in the Quran and Sunnah

Sunnah

for Du'a. Those who wish to do can do and those who wish to avoid can skip. Listed here are a limited few and just a fraction of ettiquettes of du'a that scholars have found in reference to in the Quran and Sunnah

Sunnah

Raising one's hands

Raising one's hands is an encouraged option. There are many hadith that describe how Muhammad raised his hands during du'a. Some hadith describe him having raised his hands way up high in emergency situations. Many scholars agree that if it is not an extreme situation that Muhammad did not raise his hands above his head. The exact manner that many scholars in Islam describe how high the hands should be raised during a regular Du'a is up to the shoulders with palms placed together.
Scholars however agree that there are two authentic ways of raising one's hands: when not in drastic conditions the palms of one's hands should be turned up facing the skies, whilst the back of one's hands are facing the ground, then the du'a can be "recited". One must also make sure to face the Qiblah (direction of prayer), whilst making du'a.
The second way agreed upon by scholars is to have the palms facing one's face; once again one must face the Qiblah, but this time the back of one's hands should also face the Qiblah.

Evidence for facing the Qiblah during du'a can be found in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim-

Abdullah ibn Zayd narrated:
'The Prophet left (Madinah) to this prayer, seeking rain. So he made a du'a, and asked for rain, then he faced the qiblah and turned his cloak inside-out'
Sahih al-Bukhari #6343, Muslim #894 and others

Facing the Qiblah

The Qiblah is the direction that Muslims face while performing salah. Facing the Qiblah is an encouraged option. It has been reported in hadith

Hadith

The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....

that Muhammad faced the Qiblah while making du'a as narrated in several hadith.

There are also well-known Sahih hadith which narrate that it is forbidden to lift one's eyes towards the sky in prayer.

Abu Huraira(ra) reported: People should avoid lifting their eyes towards the sky while supplicating in prayer, otherwise their eyes can be snatched away.

Wiping the Face

Once the du'a has been completed, it is most common for the supplicant to wipe their face with their hands, and this act signals the end of the du’a. However, this practice is objected to by others, based upon a number of reasons. These reasons include: the wiping of the face is an innovation because there are no authentic hadiths which state that Muhammad ever did it or ordered his followers to do it. Also, in du’a al-Qunut

Qunut

Al Qunut literally means "being obedient" or "the act of standing" in Arabic. The word is usually used in reference to special supplications made in certain prayers while in the standing posture. For example, it is sunnah to supplicate with qunut in the witr prayer during the entire year...

, Muhammad was never reported to have wiped his face after completing the du’a, or to have ordered his followers to do so. Finally, there are many authentic hadiths regarding du’a and none of them mention wiping the face at all.

Summary of the etiquettes

There are numerous etiquettes of du'a mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah

Sunnah

. There are too many of them to all be listed here in detail. However, here is a rough list of a few other etiquettes of du'a:

Performing wudu
To Expect the best from God
To Pray with Humility and fear
To Complain Only to God
To Pray Quietly
Acknowledge one's sins
To Implore God Earnestly
To Be Determined in one's Request
To Repeat the Du'a Three Times
To Use Du'as of the Quran and Sunnah
To Praise Allah and then send Durood on Mohammed (Durood Ibraheema)

then make your DUA

External links

Dua
Duas

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Types and categories

What is asked

"Holy Du'a"

"some of the everyday dua "

Zayn al-Abidin's Dua

The Pre-Conditions

Only Allah responds

Sincerity

Tawassul

Patience

Purity

Good Intentions

Attentive Heart

Sustenance

Non-interference

Why Duas are not answered

Impatience

Change oneself first

Praising God

If worshipper thinks Dua will not be answered

Sinful or Haram Income and food

Asking for something sinful

Cutting of the ties of kinship

Making Dua conditional

Unconfirmed sources

Neither enjoins good nor forbids evil

God test human by not accepting Duas

Over-stepping instead of being specific

Durood

Rewards in exchage for Doas

Other optional Etiquette

Raising one's hands

Facing the Qiblah

Wiping the Face

Summary of the etiquettes

Other topics

See also

Istikharah (seeking Allah's Counsel)

External links