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For
One's Du`a To Be Accepted, Certain Conditions Must Apply
Like Directing the Du`a solely to Allah.
Allah said,
"Invoke Him only, making your religion sincere to
him" (Qur`an 7:29). In another verse he said,
"So invoke Allah making your worship pure for
him" (Qur`an 40:14). Also, the prophet, sallallahu
alayhe wa sallam, said in the hadith narrated by
Ibn-Abbas, radhiallahu anhu; "If you ask, ask Allah
and if you seek help, seek help from Allah."
[Ahmad, Tirmithi].
Performing
The Du`a In Conformity With The Shari`ah:
The prophet
sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said: "Whosoever
innovates in this matter of ours something which is not
part of it, it will be rejected." Hence, the Du`a
has to be performed according to the sunnah of the
prophet. If a person is sincere but is not following the
sunnah, his worship is rejected. Similarly, if a person
is following the sunnah but his work is not sincerely
done for the sake of Allah, his worship is still
rejected.
Trust In
Allah and Certainty of Reply:
One must be
certain that Allah does whatever he wishes, whenever he
wishes. Allah tells us in the Qur`an, "Verily, his
command, when he intends a thing, is only that he says
be-and it is" (Qur`an 36:82). One must believe with
certainty that Allah possesses all treasures. Allah
said, "And there is nothing, but with Us are the
stores thereof. And we do not send it down except with a
known measure" (Qur`an 15:21). Also, in the hadith
Qudsi narrated by abu-tharr, Allah revealed through the
prophet, "O my servants, were the first of you and
last of you, the human of you and jinn of you to rise up
in one place and make a request from me, and were I to
give everyone what they requested, that would not
decrease what I have anymore than a needle decreases the
sea if put into it" (Muslim).
Presence
of The Heart:
Always make
sure that your heart is mindful when you are
supplicating because Allah does not answer a Du`a from
an inattentive heart. Ibn Rajab says, "This is the
greatest condition for the acceptance of Du`a."
Abu-Hurairah narrated that Allah's messenger, sallallahu
alayhe wa sallam said, "Invoke Allah while you are
certain to be answered and know that Allah does not
answer a Du`a from a heart which is inattentive and
unmindful" (Tirmithi). Therefore, one must
supplicate with total concentration and avoid
distraction.
Determining
and Perseverance In Du`a:
It is a
requirement when supplicating, to appeal to Allah with
determination. We must not make any exceptions by saying
"O Allah forgive me if you wish". Abu-hurairah
narrated that Allah's messenger, sallallahu alayhe wa
sallam said, "None of you shiould say 'O Allah
forgive me if you wish', 'O Allah be merciful to me if
you wish'; but he must appeal to Allah with
determination, for nobody can force Allah to do
something against his will" (Tirmithi) Some people,
when supplicating for their brothers, have a habit of
saying "May Allah forgive you InshaAllah,",
"May Allah help you InshaAllah." The use of
these word InshaAllah must be avoided in Du`a.
Reasons
That May Cause Our Du`a To Be Rejected Include The
Following:
Haraam
Conditions:
Haraam
eating, drinking and clothing are all strictly
prohibited and are major reasons for the rejection of
Du`a. A hadith which supports this point is narrated by
AbuHurairah when the messenger of Allah, sallallahu
alayhe wa sallam said, "Allah the Almighty is good
and accepts only that which is good. Allah has commanded
the faithful to do that which he commanded the
messengers", he said, "O you messengers, eat
of the good things and do right;" "O you who
believe, eat of the good things which we have provided
you." He then mentioned the case of a man who,
having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty and who
spreads out his hands to the sky saying: "O lord, O
lord" while his food is unlawful and he is
nourished unlawfully, so how can he be answered?"
(Muslim).
Also, the
story of Abu Bakr, the first khalifah, is a great lesson
for us. His daughter 'Aishah narrated that Abubakr's
slave brought him his meal as usual. It was not Abu
bakr's habit to ask him where he got it from, as he was
certain that it is from his own halal earnings. One day,
as usual, he got him something to eat and Abubakr ate it
without asking about its source. The slave asked,
"Do you know what this is?" He replied
"What?" The slave answered, "In my days
of ignorance, I once did some acts of magic for a
person, although I had no idea how to do it, but I
managed to cheat him. Only now did he reward me for it,
and I bought you something to eat from it." Abu
Bakr immediately put his hand in his mouth and vomited
everything that he had eaten until his stomach was
empty. (Bukhari) In another narration collected by
Ahmad, it was said to Abu Bakr, "May Allah's mercy
be upon you, you did all this although you have only
eaten one bite." He replied, "If it will not
come out except with m soul, I will get it out for I
have heard the messenger of Allah saying 'Everybody
which is nourished with that which is unlawful, will be
first in the fire' so I was afraid that my body was
nourished with this bite." Therefore, one must make
sure that all his food, drink, and clothing are halaal.
Hastiness
and Abandonment of Du`a
One must be
patient for his Du1a to be accepted, as hastiness is one
of the causes for its rejection or disapproval. Abu
Hurairah narrated that the prophet sallallahu alayhe wa
sallam said, "The invocation of any one of you is
granted [by Allah] as long as he does not show
impatience by saying "I have invoked Allah but my
request has not been answered" (Bukhari and
Muslim). In another narration by abu-hurairah, the
prophet sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "A
servant is granted his request as long as he does not
haste." It was asked, "O messenger of Allah,
how does one haste?" He replied, "he says I
have invoked but my invocation has not been answered, so
he gives up and abandons Du`a" (Muslim) Hence, one
must not haste since they reply might be delayed due to:
not fulfilling conditions or the delay might actually be
in one's favor. So, whenever you make Du`a, either you
are given the good of what you asked for or an
equivalent evil is turned away from you.
Committing
Sins:
Allah said,
"Verily, Allah will not change the condition of a
people until they change what is in themselves" (Qur`an
13:11). That is to say, if a people's condition is good,
Allah will maintain it as long as they are grateful and
do not disobey him. Similarly, if the condition of a
people is bad, Allah will maintain if for them as long
as they remain ungrateful and insist on disobeying him.
So, one should always avoid committing sins, major or
minor, and if he happened to become a victim of
shaitan's evil whisper, he must immediately repent and
seek forgiveness from Allah.
Abandonment
of Obligatory Deeds:
Just as
doing good deeds is a reason for the acceptance of Du`a,
similarly, abandoning good deeds is a reason for the
rejection of Du`a. Hudhaifah, radhiallahu anhu, narrated
that the prophet , sallallhu alayhe wa sallam, said,
"by him, in whose hand is my soul, you should
enjoin good and forbid evil or else it is likely that
Allah will send a punishment upon you and then you will
invoke him and you will not be answered" (Tirmithi).
So, for example, how could those who have constantly
neglected and abandoned Fajr prayers in the masjd except
that their Du`a will be answered? And how could so many
of those who do not pay Zakah expect their Du`a to be
accepted?
Asking
For a Sin, or To Break the Bondage of Kinship:
The prophet,
sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "Any muslim who
supplicates to Allah in a Du`a which contains no sin
breaking of kinship, Allah will give him one of three
things: either his Du`a will be immediately answered or,
it will be saved for him in the hereafter, or it will
turn away an equivalent amount of evil (from him)"
The companions said".so we will ask for more"
he replied, "Allah is more [generous]." (Ahmad
and Tirmithi).
Correct
Manners In Invoking Allah Begin
with
thanking Allah and sending
Blessings
upon the prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam.
Abdullah-bin-Mas`ood narrated, "I was praying while
the prophet, Abu Bakr and Omar were together. After I
sat [in the last tashahhud], I began with praising Allah
then I said blessings upon the prophet, said, "Ask,
[and] you will be given." (Tirmithi) Ibn-Al_Qayyim
said, "There are three stages where a person is
recommended to say blessings upon the prophet,
sallallahu alayhe wa sallam. In the first stage, one may
say blessings upon the prophet, sallallau alayhe wa
sallam, before beginning Du`a and after thanking Allah.
In the second stage, one may say blessings upon the
prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam , before, during
and after Du`a. In the third stage, one may say
blessings upon the prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam,
in the beginning and in the end of his Du`a and request
his need in the middle of it.
Du`a At
Times of Trouble And of Pleasure:
One must not
make it a habit to remember Allah only at the times of
trouble but he must constantly remember Allah in all
circumstances. Abu-Hurairah narrated that the prophet,
sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "[Anyone who is
pleased] that Allah responds to him at the time of
trouble and distress, [should] increase Du`a at the time
of calmness" (Tirmithi). It is the characteristic
of a believer that he turns to Allah prior to the time
of distress. Allah said, regarding Yunus when he invoked
Allah and Allah answered and saved him: "Had he not
been of those who glorify Allah, he would have indeed
remained inside its belly [i.e., the fish belly] tell
the day of resurrection" (Qur`an 37:143-144).
Avoid
Du`a Against Your Family, Your Wealth, And Your
Children:
Jabir
narrated this hadith about a man who cursed his animal.
The prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said "Who
is this cursed his animal?" The man replied,
"It is me O messenger of Allah." The prophet,
sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "Get down from
it for a cursed one must not escort us. Do not pray
against yourselves, do not pray against your children
and do not pray against your wealth. It might coincide
with a time when Allah answered what you asked
for." (Muslim)
Lower
Your Voice In Du`a:
Invoke Allah
in a tone as it is mentioned in the following evidences
and it is also closer to sincerity. Allah said,
"Invoke your lord with humility and in secret. He
does not like the aggressors" (Qur`an 37:55). And
he also tells us: "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&quoV; (Qur`an
37:205). Abu-Moosa Al-Ash`ari narrated: "We were
with the prophet in a journey so the people started
raising their voice while making takbeer. The prophet,
sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, 'O people, calm down, you
are not calling one who is All-Hearing, Near and he is
with you" (bukhari and muslim) This means that
Allah knows and sees all that you do.
Make
Du`a With Perseverance:
We must
attend to our Du`a with perseverance, repetition and
persistence. Ibn-Rajab discusses this aspect, in his
book Jami`Al`Uloom wal Hikam. He suggests that we invoke
Allah with his names and attributes as this is among the
greatest means of having our Du`a accepted. A hadith
that provides evidence for the necessity of perseverance
and persistence in Du`a reported by muslim where the
prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said, "The
man, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty,
spreads out his hands in the sky [saying] O lord, O
Lord"
Repetiton:
It is
preferable to repeat your du`a three times as it is more
likely to be answered. An evidence of this is mentioned
in the following authentic hadith narrated by Abdullah
bin Masood. "Once the prophet was offering salat
[prayers] at the ka`ba. Abu-Jahl was sitting with one of
his companions. One of them said to the others,
"Who among you will bring the abdominal contents of
a camel and put it on the back of Muhammed, when he
prostrates?" The most unfortunate of them got up
and brought it. He waited till the prophet prostrated
and then placed it on his back between his shoulders. I
was watching but could not do anything. I wished I had
some people with me to hold out against them. They
started laughing and falling on one another. Allah's
messenger was in prostration and did not lift his head
up till Fatima (the prophet's daughter) came and threw
[the camels's abdominal contents] off his back. He
raised his head and said three times, O Allah punish
Quraish. So it was hard for abu-jahl and his companions
when the prophet invoked Allah against them as they had
the conviction that the prayers and invocations were
accepted in this city (Makkah). The prophet said,
"O Allah punish Abu-jahl, Utba-bin-Rabia,
Shaiba-bin-Rabia, Al-Waleed-bin Utba, Umayya-bin Khalaf
and Uqba-bin-AbiMuait. And he counted the seventh whose
name I cannot recall. By Allah in whose hands my soul
is, I saw the dead bodies of those persons who were
counted by Allah's messenger in the Qalib (one of the
wells) of Badr." (Bukhari and Muslim)
Confess
Your Sins With Regret And Gratefully Admit Allah's Mercy
Bestowed Upon You:
When making
Du`a, confess your sins with sincere regret for your
mistakes although Allah is aware of all your actions.
Also it is worthwhile to acknowledge all of Allah's
mercy bestowed upon you. In the hadith narrated by
Shaddbin-Aws, the prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam
taught us Sayyid-ul_Istighfar: "aboo-u laka bini`
matika `alyya wa aboo-u bidhambi fagh-firli, fa-innahu
la yaghfir-u-thunuba illa anta" (meaning: I
acknowledge your favor upon favor me and I acknowledge
my sin, so forgive me for verily, none can forgive sin
except you ) (bukhari).
Face the
Qiblah:
One of the
good manners when making Du`a is to face the qiblah
however, this is not compulsory. Abdullah bin Zaid
narrated that rasullullah came to this place of worship
to pray istisqaa for rain so he invoked Allah and prayed
for rain. Then he faced the qiblah and overturned his
gown (bukhari).
Raise
your Hands In Du`a:
It is a
recommended practice to raise one's hands in making Du`a
it was done by the prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam,
at different occasions. AbuMoosa AlAshari narrated,
"The prophet invoked and raised his hands and I saw
the whiteness of his armpits." (Bukhari ) In
another hadith, Salman narrated that the messenger of
Allah said, "Your lord Tabaraka-wa Ta`ala is living
and generous. He is ashamed of his servant if he raises
his hands to him to return them unanswered" (Abu
Dawood, Tirmidhi).
Make
Wudhu Before Du`a:
Although it
is not compulsory, one is recommended to supplicate
Allah while he is in a state of wudhu (ablution). And
evidence of this is in the narration of abumoosa when
his uncle ubaid abi amir, prior to his death, sent him
to the prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallaam, after the
battle of Hunain and instructed him to ask the prophet,
sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, to invoke Allah and seek
forgiveness for him so the messenger of Allah requested
some water, performed wudhu, raised his hands and said,
"O Allah forgive Abi-Amir" (Bukhair and
Muslim).
Cry In
Du`a With The Fear Of Allah:
Abdullah-bin-`Umar
narrated that the prophet recited the verse in which
Ibrahim alayhesalaam is invoking Allah: "O my Lord
they [the idols] have indeed led astray many among
mankind. But whoever follows me, he verily is of me. And
whoever disobeys me, still you are indeed Most
Forgiving, Most Merciful" (Ibrahim 36). In another
verse, Isa alayhessalaam is invoking Allah: "If you
punish them, they are your slaves, and if you forgive
them, verily you-only you are the Almighty, the
All-wise" (Al-Maa`idah, 118). And he then raised
his hands and said, "Allahumma Ummati, Ummati (O
Allah, my nation, my nation)" and then he cried. So
Allah said, O Jibreel, go to Muhammed, although Allah is
aware, and ask him 'What makes you cry?' So Jibreel
approached the prophet and asked him. So Allah's
messenger informed him of what he said, although Allah
is aware. So Allah said to him, O Jibreel, go to
Muhammed and tell him: "We will make you content
with regard to your nations and will not mistreat
you." (Muslim) Therefore, the prophet sallallahu
alayhe wa sallam gave us an example to sincerely cry
when beseeching Allah during supplication.
Make
Du`a For Yourself Before Making Du`a For Others:
It is Sunnah
in Du`a to start with yourself prior to mentioning
others as was collected by Tirmidhi in the narration of
Ubay bin Ka'ab that if someone was mentioned to the
prophet, he would invoke Allah for him but would begin
with himself. However, it was also narrated of Allah's
Messenger that, on certain occasions, he would not begin
with himself, (for example, when he supplicated for
Ibn-Abbas, Anas and Um-Isma'eel, as was mentioned by
Imam Muslim in his collection of authentic hadith).
Do Not
Transgress In Du`a:
When
appealing to Allah in Du`a we should not get into much
detail by asking for the different rewards of Jannah. If
a person is granted Jannah, he will be granted Jannah
and all that is present in it. It was reported of Abi
Nu`amah that Abdullah-bin-Mughaffal heard his son palace
on the right of the paradise if I were to enter
it". So he said, "Dear son, ask Allah for
Paradise and seek Messenger of Allah saying, "There
will come in this nation people who will transgress (or
exceed) in ablution and Du`a" (Abu Dawood).
Make
Du`a For Your Parents:
It is good
to mention one's Muslims parents (dead or alive) in
invocation for the great favor they owe us, a favor
which can never be compensated. Allah said, "And
lower unto them the using of submission and humility
through mercy and say, 'My Rab, bestow on them your
mercy as they did raise me when I was young" (Qur`an
17:24). In Surah Nuh, He said, "My Lord, forgive me
and my parents and whoever enters my home as a believer,
and all the believing men and women. And increase not
upon the oppressors but destruction" (Qur`an
71:28).
Make
Du`a For The Believers:
Also, one is
recommended to remember the Muslims and the Mu`mins
around the globe in his invocation. Allah said "Ask
forgiveness for your sin and also for the believing men
and women" (Qur`an 47:19).
Ask
Allah Alone:
Instead of
complaining t people when stuck by calamity, one must
make it a habit to ask Allah alone for refuge. However,
there is no harm to mention your problem to people and
share their opinion. In the hadith narrated by Ibn-Abbas,
the prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, said to him
while Ibn-Abbas was riding behind him on the same mount
"young man, I shall teach you some words [of
advice]: Be mindful of Allah and you will find him in
front of you. If you ask, ask only Allah and if you seek
help, seek help only from Allah. And know that if all
the nations were to gather together to benefit you, they
would benefit you only with something that Allah had
already prescribed for you, and if they gather together
to harm you, they would harm you only with something
that Allah had already prescribed for you. The pens have
been lifted and the pages are dry." (Tirmithi)
There
Are Special Times When Du`a Is
More
Likely To Be Accepted And It:
Is
recommended to invoke Allah at these times. Some
examples are, Ramadhan, And Expecially Lailatul Qadr:
One of the greatest times to invoke Allah is in the holy
month of Ramadhan, particularly that last then nights
and especially on lailatul Qadr. The preferred du`a on
lailatul Qadr is: "O Allah ! You are pardoning and
you love to pardon, so pardon me." (al-Tirmithi and
Ibn Majah)
After
The Obligatory Prayers:
Abi-Umamah
Al-Bahili narrated that, it was said to the prophet,
"O messenger of Allah, which du`a is most likely to
be heard?" He said, "(In the depth of the last
part of the night and after the obligatory prayers"
(Tirmidhi)
In The
Last Part Of The Night:
Abu-Hurairah
narrated that Allah's messenger said, "Our Lord
Tabaraka-wa-Ta`ala descends every night to the sky of
the world, when the last third of the night remains and
he says, 'Is there anyone to invoke me so that I may
respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask me for
something so that I may grant him his request? Is there
anyone to ask for forgiveness so that furthermore, Allah
praised those who spend the last third of the night
praying and in invocation, seeking forgiveness. He said,
"They used to sleep but little by night and in the
hours before dawn they were found asking for
forgiveness" (Az-Zariyat, 17-18)
Between
Adhaan And Iqamah:
One must try
to make it a habit whenever he hears the adhaan (call
for prayer) that he who immediately departs for the
mosque is among the most fortunate who invoke Allah
between Adhaan and Iqamah for their invocation is
accepted. Anas-bin Malik narrated that Allah's messenger
said, "The invocation is not rejected [when made]
between adhaan and iqamah, so do invoke" (Tirmithi,
Abu Dawood, and Ahmed). Sahl-bin-Sa`ad narrated that
Allah's messenger said, "Two [invocations] are not
rejected or rarely rejected; Du`a at the time of adhaan
(call for prayer) and at the time of distress and when
[two armies] encounter each other." In another
narration , "at the time of rain" (Abu Dawood)
An Hour
In The Day Of Jumu`ah:
Abu Hurairah
narrated that Allah's messenger mentioned the day of
Jumu`ah and said, "There is an hour which if met by
a muslim servant who standing in prayer and he requests
anything from Allah, He will grant it to him" (Bukhari
and Muslim). In another hadith, Abu-Moosa Al-Ash`ari
said, Abdullah bini `Umar said, "Did you hear your
father relating from rasulullah about the hour of
Jumu`ah?" I said 'yes', I heard him saying, he
heard Allah's messenger saying 'It is between the time
when the Imam sits [for Khutbah] till the prayer is
over" (Muslim). Ibn-Al-Qayyim, in his book Zad Al-Ma`ad,
in agreement with other scholars, have favored the
opinion that 'The hour on the day of Jumu`ah is after
Asr.' However, a Muslim must try his best to spend the
whole day of Jumu`ah in the remembrance of Allah,
seeking his forgiveness and invoking him.
In Salah
After At-Tashahhud:
Invocation
after finishing At-Tashahhud, prior to Salaam, is
recommended as was the practice of the prophet. Abdullah
bin Mas`ood narrated: "I was praying while the
prophet, Abu Bakr and Omar were together. After I sat
[in the last Tashahhud], I began [saying Du`a' by
praising Allah then I sent prayers on the prophet and
then I prayed for myself. The prophet said, "Ask
and you will be given, ask you will be given" (Tirmithi).
When In
Sujuud:
Abu
Hurarairah narrated that Allah's messenger said,
"The closest a person gets to his Rab is during
Sujuud [prostration]. Therefore, increase Du`a."
One must try to invoke Allah during Sujuud, be it in
Fajr (obligatory) or Nafil (supererogatory) prayer.
آداب
الدعاء
وفضائله
من
العلاج
بالرقىمن
الكتاب
والسنة
سعيد بن
علي بن
وهف
القحطاني
1-
الإخلاص
لله .
2-
أن يبدأ
بحمد
الله
والثناء
عليه ثم
بالصلاة
على
النبي -
صلى الله
عليه
وسلم -
ويختم
بذلك .
3-
الجزم في
الدعاء
واليقين
بالإجابة
.
4-
الإلحاح
في
الدعاء
وعدم
الاستعجال
.
5-
حضور
القلب في
الدعاء .
6-
الدعاء
في
الرخاء
والشدة .
7-
لا يسأل
إلا الله
وحده .
8-
عدم
الدعاء
على
الأهل ،
والمال ،
والولد ،
والنفس .
9-
خفض
الصوت
بالدعاء
بين
المخافتة
والجهر .
11-
عدم تكلف
السجع في
الدعاء .
12-
التضرع
والخشوع
والرغبة
والرهبة .
13-
رد
المظالم
مع
التوبة .
14-
الدعاء
ثلاثا .
15-
استقبال
القبلة .
16-
رفع
الأيدي
في
الدعاء .
17-
الوضوء
قبل
الدعاء
إن تيسر .
18-
أن لا
يعتدي في
الدعاء .
19-
أن يبدأ
الداعي
بنفسه
إذا دعا
لغيره []
20-
أن يتوسل
إلى الله
بأسمائه
الحسنى
وصفاته
العلى ،
أو بعمل
صالح قام
به
الداعي
نفسه ، أو
بدعاء
رجل صالح
حي حاضر
له .
21-
أن يكون
المطعم
والمشرب
والملبس
من حلال .
22-
لا يدعو
بإثم أو
قطيعة
رحم .
23-
أن يأمر
بالمعروف
وينهى عن
المنكر .
24-
الابتعاد
عن جميع
المعاصي
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