Question (Q-96)
How can a Muslim know for sure that his Duʿā (supplication) has been accepted?
Answer:
A Muslim should have certainty that the Almighty will certainly accept the Duʿā (supplication) of a believer. However, it is necessary that the etiquettes of Duʿā (supplication) are taken into consideration and that the believer seeks the times and places of acceptance. Similarly, a believer should remove those things which are a hindrance towards acceptance of Duʿā (supplication).
Allah ﷻ states,
أجيب دعوة الداع إذا دعان
“I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he calls on Me.” (Sūrah Al-Baqarah 2:186)
Allah ﷻ states,
اُدْعُوْنِيْ اَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
“Pray to Me, I will accept.” (Sūrah Al-Mu’min 40:60)
Allah ﷻ states,
“Indeed those who stay conceited towards worshipping Me, will enter hell in disgrace.” (Sūrah Al-Mu’min 40:60)
It is narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-dhikr wa’l-duʿā, bāb faḍl al-dhikr wa’l-duʿā wa’l-taqarrub ila Allah Taʿālā wa ḥusn al-ẓann bih from Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him),
قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّ اللهَ يَقُوْلُ أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِيْ بِيْ وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا دَعَانِيْ
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stated, “Indeed Allah says, “I am with the thought of My servant with Me and I with him when he supplicates to Me.”
The leader of the classical Scholars, Muftī Naqī ʿAlī Khān (Allah shower mercy upon him) wrote fifty one etiquettes of supplication in his book, Aḥsan al-Wiʿā li adab al-duʿā. These etiquettes are being summarised below,
The First Etiquette:
He/she should free his/her heart from the thought of anyone else as far as possible.
The Second Etiquette:
He/she should keep his/her body pure and clean.
The Third Etiquette:
He/she should keep his/her clothes pure and clean.
The Fourth Etiquette:
He/she should keep the place pure and clean.
The Fifth Etiquette:
He/she should carry out a good deed prior to the supplication.
The Sixth Etiquette:
He/she should fulfil the rights of others which are due upon him or obtain forgiveness for them.
The Seventh Etiquette:
He/she should avoid Ḥarām (the forbidden) in food, drink, clothing and earnings.
The Eighth Etiquette:
He/she should repent from previous sins prior to supplicating.
The Ninth Etiquette:
He/she should perform two Rakʿahs (units) of Ṣalāh with a sincere heart if it is not a disliked time.
The Tenth Etiquette:
He/she should be in the state of Wuḍū.
The Eleventh Etiquette:
He/she should face the Qiblah at the time of Duʿā (supplication).
The Twelfth Etiquette:
At the time of Duʿā (supplication) he/she should sit on his/her knees (as is done when sitting in Ṣalāh) or he/she should stand whilst kneeling down.
The Thirteenth Etiquette:
He/she should keep his/her body parts humble i.e. he should express humility from the position of his body.
The Fourteenth Etiquette:
He/she should make his heart present.
The Fifteenth Etiquette:
He/she should keep his/her eyes lowered at the time of Duʿā (supplication).
The Sixteenth Etiquette:
He/she should praise Allah ﷻ at the beginning and end of the Duʿā (supplication).
The Seventeenth Etiquette:
He/she should send blessings (Ṣalawāt) upon the Prophet ﷺ, his Family and his Companions.
The Eighteenth Etiquette:
He/she should become drowned in the imagination of the Divine Greatness and Majesty.
The Nineteenth Etiquette:
He/she should become ashamed by remembering the great Mercies of Allah ﷻ that He ﷻ bestowed upon him/her in spite of his/her sins.
The Twentieth Etiquette:
He/she should look towards the Absolute Power of Allah ﷻ and his/her own incapability and dependence as this will cause him to be persistent in asking and to weep.
The Twenty First Etiquette:
At the beginning, he/she should call out to Allah ﷻ with His Beloved Names.
The Twenty Second Etiquette:
He/she should make the Names and Attributes of Allah ﷻ, His Books especially the Noble Qur’ān, the Angels, the Noble Prophets especially the Master of all creation (peace and blessings upon him and upon them all), the Friends of Allah ﷻ and the pious especially Sayyidunā Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qādir Al-Jīlānī (Allah be pleased with them) a Tawassul (means) and a way for the fulfilment of his/her needs.
In Dhayl al-muddaʿā li aḥsan il wiʿā, Al-Imām Aḥmad Riḍā Khān قدس سره writes in commentary upon this etiquette:
قال الله تعالى وابتغوا إليه الوسيلة
Allah ﷻ states,
“And seek the means towards Him.”
In a Ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) Ḥadīth, the Prophet ﷺ taught that this supplication be made,
اللهم إني أسألك وأتوجه إليك بنبيك نبي الرحمة يا محمد إني توجهت بك إلى ربي في حاجتي هذه لتقضى لي
“O Allah! Indeed I ask you and turn to you through Your Prophet, the Prophet of Mercy. O Muḥammad! Indeed I have turned through you to my Lord in relation to this need of mine so that it is fulfilled for me.”
It is narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī that the Leader of Believers, Sayyidunā ʿUmar (Allah be pleased with him) supplicated,
إنا نتوسل إليك بعم نبينا ﷺ فاسقنا
“Indeed we do Tawassul (establish means) through the uncle of our Prophet ﷺ. Therefore grant us rain.” (Dhayl al-muddaʿā li aḥsan il wiʿā, page 71-72)
There are a lot of doubts and misconceptions in this regard during the current times. Therefore further narrations and explanations continue below;
It is narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī, Kitāb Al-Istisqā’, Bāb Su’āl al-nās al-imām al-istisqā’ idhā qaḥaṭū,
عن أنس بن مالك أن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه كان إذا قحطوا استسقى بالعباس بن عبد المطلب فقال اللهم إنا كنا نتوسل إليك بنبينا فتسقينا و إنا نتوسل إليك بعم نبينا ﷺ فاسقنا قال فيسقون
“It is narrated from Sayyidunā Anas Ibn Mālik that when they suffered from draught, Sayyidunā ʿUmar Ibn Al-Khaṭṭāb (Allah be pleased with him) would seek rain through Al-ʿAbbās Ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib and would say, “O Allah! Indeed we used to do Tawassul (establish means) through our Prophet and you would grant us rain. Indeed we do Tawassul (establish means) through the uncle of our Prophet ﷺ. Therefore grant us rain.” Thus they were granted rain.
It is stated in two commentaries upon Al-Bukhārī, Fatḥ al-Bārī and ʿUmdah al-Qārī,
ويستفاد من قصة العباس استحباب الاستشفاع بأهل الخير والصلاح وأهل بيت النبوة وفيه فضل العباس وفضل عمر لتواضعه للعباس ومعرفته بحقه
“The desirability of seeking intercession through the people of goodness and piety and family members of the prophetic household is understood from the event of Sayyidunā Al-ʿAbbās. In this is the virtue of Sayyidunā Al-ʿAbbās and the virtue of Sayyidunā ʿUmar due to his humility for Al-ʿAbbās and his recognition of his right.”
Furthermore, it is stated in Fatḥ al-Bārī, Kitāb Al-Istisqā’, Bāb Su’āl al-nās al-imām al-istisqā’ idhā qaḥaṭū,
وروى ابن أبي شيبة باسناد صحيح من رواية أبي صالح السمان عن مالك الدار وكان خازن عمر قال أصاب الناس قحط في زمن عمر فجاء رجل إلى قبر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال يا رسول الله استسق لأمتك فإنهم قد هلكوا فأتى الرجل فى المنام فقيل له ائت عمر الحديث وقد روى سيف فى الفتوح أن الذي رأى المنام المذكور هو بلال بن الحارث المزني أحد الصحابة
It is narrated by Ibn Abī Shaybah with a Ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) chain from the narration of Abū Ṣāliḥ Al-Samān who narrated from Mālik Al-Dār, who was the treasurer of Sayyidunā ʿUmar, who said, “A drought reached the people during the era of Sayyidunā ʿUmar. A man came to the blessed grave of the Prophet ﷺ. He said, “O Messenger of Allah! Seek rain for your Ummah (nation) for indeed they have been destroyed. A man came in the dream and it was said to him, “Go to ʿUmar… (the Ḥadīth continues). ” Sayf narrated in Al-Futūḥ that the person who saw the aforementioned dream was the Companion, Bilāl Ibn Al- Ḥārith.
This narration is mentioned in Al-Muṣannaf Ibn Abī Shaybah with the following words,
عن أبي صالح عن مالك الدار وكان خازن عمر على الطعام قال أصاب الناس قحط في زمن عمر فجاء رجل إلى قبر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال يا رسول الله استسق لأمتك فإنهم قد هلكوا فأتى الرجل فى المنام فقيل له ائت عمر فأقرئه السلام وأخبره أنكم مسقيون وقل له عليك الكيس عليك الكيس فأتى عمر فأخبره فبكى عمر ثم قال يا رب لا آلو إلا ما عجزت عنه
It is narrated from Abū Ṣāliḥ who narrates from Mālik Al-Dār, who was the treasurer of Sayyidunā ʿUmar upon food who stated, ” A drought reached the people during the era of Sayyidunā ʿUmar. A man came to the blessed grave of the Prophet ﷺ. He said, “O Messenger of Allah! Seek rain for your Ummah (nation) for indeed they have been destroyed. A man came in the dream and it was said to him, “Go to ʿUmar, convey Salām to him and inform him that you will be granted rain.” Say to him, “It is necessary for you to hold onto intelligence, it is necessary for you to hold onto intelligence.” Thereafter, he informed him. Sayyidunā ʿUmar cried. Then he said, “O Lord! I only leave what I am incapable of.”
It is stated in relation to this narration in Niʿmah al-Bārī, commentary upon Al-Bukhārī, Volume 3, Page 138-139,
“Al-Imām Al-Bukhārī (d.256 AH) referred to this Ḥadīth in Al-Tārīkh Al-Kabīr, Ḥadīth No: 1294, Volume 7, Page 182. Al- Imām Ibn ʿAsākir (d.571 AH) mentioned this Ḥadīth in Kitāb al-Jarḥ wa’l-Taʿdīl, Ḥadīth No. 944, Volume 60, Page 3 (Dār Iḥyā’ al-Turāth, Beirut). Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr (d.774 AH) also mentioned this Ḥadīth in Al-Bidāyah wa’l-Nihāyah, Volume 5, Page 167 ( Dār al-Fikr, Beirut, 1419 AH). Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr also mentioned this Ḥadīth in detail from the narration of Al-Imām Al-Bayhaqī.”
The Twenty Third Etiquette:
He/she should make such action of his/her life that is purely for the sake of Allah ﷻ a Tawassul (means).
The Twenty Fourth Etiquette:
With complete reverence, he should raise his hands towards the sky and place them equivalent to his chest, shoulders or face. Or he should completely raise the hands to the extent that the whiteness of his underarms are visible.
The Twenty Fifth Etiquette:
He/she should spread out his/her palms.
The Twenty Sixth Etiquette:
He should keep his hands exposed. They should not be covered with any cloth etc.
The Twenty Seventh Etiquette:
He should supplicate in a soft and low voice.
The Twenty Eighth Etiquette:
When supplicating, he/she should keep the need of the hereafter at the forefront as it is important to place the important matters at the forefront.
The Twenty Ninth Etiquette:
He should be extremely humble and persistent (i.e. by crying and weeping) when supplicating.
The Thirtieth Etiquette:
Duʿā (supplication) should be repeated.
The Thirty First Etiquette:
Duʿā (supplication) should be repeated an odd number of times.
The Thirty Second Etiquette:
He/she should supplicate whilst understanding the meanings of the Duʿā (supplication).
The Thirty Third Etiquette:
He/she should try for tears to flow even if it is just one drop as this is a sign of acceptance.
The Thirty Fourth Etiquette:
He/she should Duʿā (supplication) with firm intention and certainty.
The Thirty Fifth Etiquette:
Duʿā (supplication) should be comprehensive with little words and a lot of meaning. He/she should avoid unnecessary elongation.
The Thirty Sixth Etiquette:
He/she should refrain from poetic prose in Duʿā (supplication) and he/she should avoid simulation. This is because this disturbs the heart and removes the softness of the heart.
The Thirty Seventh Etiquette:
He/she should avoid supplicating in a tune as this goes against reverence.
The Thirty Eighth Etiquette:
He/she should ask Allah ﷻ for all his/her needs.
The Thirty Ninth Etiquette:
It is better for him to stick to those supplications which are narrated in the Ḥadīth and which are comprehensive of the desires of the world and hereafter.
The Fortieth Etiquette:
When he/she supplicates for himself/herself, he/she should include all the people of Islām.
The Forty First Etiquette:
He/she should also certainly supplicate for his/her parents and Shuyūkh (spiritual guides).
The Forty Second Etiquette:
The Sunnah is for him/her to supplicate for himself/herself and then for his/her parents and other Muslims.
The Forty Third Etiquette:
He/she should take into consideration the times and places of acceptance as far as he/she can.
The Forty Fourth Etiquette:
He/she should conclude Duʿā (supplication) with Āmīn.
The Forty Fifth Etiquette:
After completing Duʿā (supplication), he/she should wipe both hands over the face so that the goodness and blessings that are attained through the Duʿā (supplication) meet the face which is the most noble of body parts. 1
The Forty Sixth Etiquette:
He/she should have complete certainty that his/her Duʿā (supplication) will be accepted based on the vastness of Allah’s Mercy and looking to the true promise of Allah ﷻ;
اُدْعُوْنِيْ اَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ
“Pray to Me, I will accept.” (Sūrah Al-Mu’min 40:60) 2
The Forty Seventh Etiquette:
He/she should not tire himself whilst supplicating but rather he/she should supplicate with passion in the heart.
The Forty Eighth Etiquette:
He/she should not rush for the acceptance of his/her Duʿā (supplication).
The Forty Ninth Etiquette:
He/she should not forsake Duʿā (supplication) upon considering his/her sins.
The Fiftieth Etiquette:
He/she should abundantly supplicate whilst in the state of good health, happiness and vastness of wealth so that Duʿā (supplication) is accepted at times of difficulty and anguish.
The Fifty First Etiquette:
Where the outcome of a matter is not absolutely clear in terms of whether it will be positive for the servant or not, he/she should not ask for it without the condition of it being better and more suitable for him/her.
(The fifty one etiquettes have been summarised from Aḥsan al-Wiʿā li adab al-duʿā)
And Allah knows best and His Knowledge is Complete and Sublime.
Written by: Shaykh Omar Khan (Allah preserve him)
Verified by: Mufti Shamsulhuda Khan Misbahi (May Allah preserve him)
-
عن السائب بن يزيد عن أبيه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان إذا دعا فرفع يديه مسح وجهه بيديه
It is narrated from Al-Sā’ib Ibn Yazīd who narrates from his father that the Prophet ﷺ wiped his blessed face with his hands when he supplicated and raised his hands. (Sunan Abī Dāwūd Ḥadīth No: 1492)
عن سالم بن عبد الله عن أبيه عن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه قال كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا رفع يديه في الدعاء لم يحطهما حتى يمسح بهما وجهه
It is narrated from Sālim Ibn ʿAbdIllah who narrated from his father who narrated from Sayyidunā ʿUmar Ibn Al-Khaṭṭāb (Allah be pleased with him) who stated, “When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ raised his blessed hands in Duʿā (supplication), he ﷺ would not lower them until he wiped his blessed face with them.” (Sunan Al-Tirmidhī Ḥadīth No: 3386)
In Bulūgh al-Marām, Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajar Al-ʿAsqalānī stated in relation to the status of this Ḥadīth,
“أخرجه الترمذي، له شواهد منها حديث ابن عباس عند أبي داود, وغيره, ومجموعها يقضي بأنه حديث حسن”
“Al-Tirmidhī extracted this narration. It has other narrations that testify to it. From them is the Ḥadīth of Abū Dāwūd and others. The narrations in their entirety deem it to be a Ḥadīth that is classified as Ḥasan.”
“Al-Tirmidhī extracted this narration. It has other narrations that testify to it. From them is the Ḥadīth of Abū Dāwūd and others. The narrations in their entirety deem it to be a Ḥadīth that is classified as Ḥasan.”
-
عن أبي سعيد الخدري، رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: ” من دعا بدعوة ليس فيها إثم ولا قطيعة رحم أعطاه الله عز وجل بها إحدى ثلاث: إما أن يغفر له بها ذنبا قد سلف، وإما أن يعجلها له في الدنيا، وإما أن يدخرها له في الآخرة “
It is narrated from Abū Saʿīd Al-Khudrī (Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Whoever supplicated with such a supplication that is not inclusive of any sin nor of any severence of relations, Allah ﷻ will grant him one of three things: Either his/her past sins will be forgiven, or he will be granted it quickly in the world or it will be preserved for him in the hereafter.” (Kitāb al-Duʿā of Al-Tabarānī)