🌕 Ramaḍhān Benefits (6)
5 March 2025 • 3.5K views
PROBLEM: My Du’a is not being answered
SOLUTION: Follow the following etiquettes to increase your chances:
1. Avoid illicit income and be content with lawful provisions, even if they are minimal.
2. Fulfil obligations and supplement them with voluntary good deeds.
3. Avoid Prohibitions and disliked matters
* If you fall short in fulfilling obligations or avoiding sins, return to Allāh straight away and do not delay repentance.
4. While du’a is always beneficial, it is more likely to be accepted at special times, such as:
- In sujood
- During the final tashahhud
- The last third of the night
- The final hour on Friday
- Laylat Al-Qadr
- Between Adhān and Iqāmah
- While fasting or travelling
- When oppressed, etc.
5. Perform Wuḍhū
6. Call Upon Allāh alone with sincerity without associating partners.
7. Face the qiblah
8. Raise Your Hands
9. Have presence of heart
10. Praise Allāh with His Beautiful Names and Lofty Attributes
11. Send Blessings and salutations upon the Prophet ﷺ
12. Have certainty that Allāh is capable of fulfilling your request.
13. Supplicate with humility and desperation. Show your neediness and dependence on Him.
14. Ask with Hope and Fear.
15. Speak in a low, humble tone rather than shouting.
16. Use authentic supplications from the Qur'ān and Sunnah – These are the most effective, but you may also ask for personal needs without transgressing the boundaries.
17. Ask with determination and do not say, “forgive me if You wish”
18. Persist in making Du’a without hastening the response.
PROBLEM: I have followed these steps, but my Du’a is still unanswered
ADVICE: If you have truly adhered to the etiquettes above, your du’a is likely being answered in ways you may not recognise. Here are two important points to consider:
POINT 1: At times, we ask for things we believe are good for us, but Allāh withholds them because they may be harmful.
Allāh says:
﴿وَعَسَىٰۤ أَن تُحِبُّوا۟ شَیۡـࣰٔا وَهُوَ شَرࣱّ لَّكُمۡۚ وَٱللهُ یَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ﴾
"Perhaps you dislike something which is good for you and like something which is bad for you. Allāh knows and you do not know." [Sūrah Al-Baqarah: 216]
Similarly, He states:
﴿وَلَوۡ بَسَطَ ٱللهُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِعِبَادِهِۦ لَبَغَوۡا۟ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَـٰكِن یُنَزِّلُ بِقَدَرࣲ مَّا یَشَاۤءُۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِعِبَادِهِۦ خَبِیرُۢ بَصِیرࣱ﴾
"Had Allāh given abundant provisions to His servants, they would have certainly transgressed throughout the land. But He sends down whatever He wills in perfect measure. He is truly All-Aware, All-Seeing of His servants." [Surah Ash-Shūrā: 27]
Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله explains that Allāh provides what is best for each person, as wealth or poverty may impact one’s faith differently. A ḥadīth further reinforces this: "Among My servants, there are those for whom wealth is beneficial; if I made them poor, it would ruin their faith. And among My servants, there are those for whom poverty is beneficial; if I made them rich, it would ruin their faith."
POINT 2: Allāh’s response to du’a is not limited to granting what we ask for. The Prophet ﷺ said:
((ما من مسلمٍ يدعو بدعوةٍ ليس فيها إثمٌ ، ولا قطيعةُ رَحِمٍ؛ إلا أعطاه بها إحدى ثلاثَ: إما أن يُعجِّلَ له دعوتَه، وإما أن يدَّخِرَها له في الآخرةِ، وإما أن يَصرِف عنه من السُّوءِ مثلَها))
"There is no Muslim who makes a du’a without sin or severing family ties except that Allāh grants him one of three things:
(1) He will hasten the response,
(2) He will store it for him in the Hereafter, or
(3) He will divert from him an equivalent harm."
Upon hearing this, the Companions said: "Then we shall increase in supplication." The Prophet ﷺ replied: "Allāh is even more bountiful." [Reported by Aḥmad, Bukhāri in 'Adab Al-Mufrad'; authenticated by Albāni 'Sahih At-Targheeb' (1633)]]