As salamu Alaikoumn,
One of our new users asked when was the best time to make
duaa, here is the answer.
One of the things that helps to bring a response to du’aa’
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 Jumu’ah
(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 du’aa’ 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 du’aa’ for his
brother in his absence.
Things which may prevent du’aa’ from being answered
include:
-
When the du’aa’ 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
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A
person’s du’aa’s 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. -
When the person who is making du’aa’ 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 du’aa’ or making du’aa’ 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. -
The reason why his du’aa’ 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 bid’ah (innovation) in religion,
or his heart has been overtaken by negligence. -
Consuming haraam wealth. This is one of the major
reasons why du’aa’s are not answered. Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 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):
‘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’ [al-Mu’minoon 23:51]
‘O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah — Islamic
Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have
provided you with’ [al-Baqarah 2:172]
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 du’aa’ be
accepted?” Narrated by Muslim.
The man described by the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) had some of the characteristics which
help du’aa’s 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
du’aa’ from being answered. We ask Allaah to keep us safe
and sound.
-
Trying to hasten the response. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah
be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The du’aa’ of
any one of you will be answered so long as he is not
impatient and says, ‘I made du’aa’ but it was not
answered.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. -
Making the du’aa’ 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 du’aa’ has to
be resolute in his supplication, striving hard and
earnestly repeating his du’aa’. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) 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 du’aa’s to be answered, it is not essential
to adhere to all of these points and be free of all that
could prevent one’s du’aa’s 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 du’aa’ may take different forms: either Allaah will
respond and fulfil the desire of the person who made the
du’aa’, or He will ward off some evil from him because of
the du’aa’, 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.