It is important for us as Muslims to understand that Dua is worship, we should be persistent and patient when praying, knowing deep in our hearts that Allah can grant us what we wish for.
Al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Dua’ is worship.” Then he recited:
“And your Lord said: Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!” [Ghaafir 40:60].
Now let’s learn what to do for your prayers to be answered, what to avoid, the best time for Dua, and more, let’s get started.
God hears our prayers.
Before you start praying it is important to know that God hears your prayer, as Allah said in the holy Quran:
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدْعُونِىٓ أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ
“Your Lord has proclaimed, “Call upon Me, I will respond to you.” [Ghafir: 60]
The story of the Nabī Zakariyyā is a great story to remind us that Allah can do the impossible and to always have faith in Allah. Nabī Zakariyyā asked Allah to grant him a child even though he was old, he knew that God can do the impossible, so he prayed to Allah with certainty that God will listen and answer his prayer.
Nabī Allah Zakariyyā recited the following as part of his prayer:
وَلَمْ أَكُنْ بِدُعَائِكَ رَبِّ شَقِيًّا
Walam akun bi-du‘ā’ika Rabbi shaqiyya
“My Lord, I have never been disappointed in my prayers to You”
(Surah Maryam: 4)
Nabī Zakariyyā trusted Allah and had a strong faith that God will answer his prayers.
Conditions for answered prayer.
God answers prayers and hears them but for your prayers to be answered there are some conditions to be aware of, and they include the following:
1. The supplication should be directed to Allah alone.
When you have a wish that you want to come true you should ask God to make it happen, turn to no one but him with faith and certainty that he will answer your prayers. Our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“If you ask, then ask of Allah, and if you seek help, then seek the help of Allah.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2516; classed as saheeh by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Jaami’.]
Additionally, Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“And the mosques are for Allah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allah”
[al-Jinn 72:18]
God answers prayers when they are directed to him alone, don’t associate anyone or anything else with Allah, knowing that he is the one and only God. Some people tend to pray for the dead thinking that they are the internal link between their dua and God, thinking that the dead can intercede for them and bring them closer to Allah. So, they pray for the dead or for the things they associate with Allah thinking that their prayers will be answered this way. Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor)” [al-Baqarah 2:186]
2. Don’t ask for something haram.
God answers prayers, but if the prayer is for something haram or sinful then your prayer will not be answered as we can see in the following hadith:
“A man’s (duas) may be answered so long as he does not involve sin or severing the ties of kinship …”
Unanswered prayers are the prayers that include a sin, or if the prayer is not directed to Allah alone.
3. Raise your hands when praying.
When supplicating dua you should raise your hands and pray and God will answer your prayer. That’s what we learn from our beloved prophet regarding the etiquettes of prayers. The prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
” Indeed, Allah Ta’ala is the Shyest, the Most Majestic. He was ashamed of his servant if the servant raised his hands to Him, then both hands returned empty. ” (Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi)
Remember, Allah said in the holy Quran:
أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ ﴿62﴾
“Or, Who listens to the (soul) distressed when it calls on Him, and Who relieves its suffering?”
Allah will answer your prayers just have faith in him.
4. The supplication should include Allah’s name.
For your prayers to be answered your prayer should include Allah’s name. God said in the holy Quran:
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَٱدْعُوهُ بِهَا ۖ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِىٓ أَسْمَـٰٓئِهِۦ ۚ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ١٨٠
“Allah has the Most Beautiful Names. So, call upon Him by them, and keep away from those who abuse His Names. They will be punished for what they used to do.” [Al-A’raf: 180]
If you are asking, How does God answer prayers? Your answer is to praise Allah and mention his name in your prayer. Allah said in the holy Quran:
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ ۖ هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٢٢
He is Allah—there is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him: Knower of the seen and unseen. He is the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْقُدُّوسُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُ ٱلْمُهَيْمِنُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْجَبَّارُ ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ٢٣
He is Allah—there is no god except Him: the King, the Most Holy, the All-Perfect, the Source of Serenity, the Watcher of all, the Almighty, the Supreme in Might,1 the Majestic. Glorified is Allah far above what they associate with Him ˹in worship˺!
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُ ٱلْبَارِئُ ٱلْمُصَوِّرُ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٢٤
He is Allah: the Creator, the Inventor, the Shaper. He ˹alone˺ has the Most Beautiful Names. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth ˹constantly˺ glorifies Him. And He is the Almighty, All-Wise.” [surah Al-Hashr,22:24]
Our beloved prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Do you know what he is praying to Allah Ta’ala? He has prayed to Allah Ta’ala by mentioning his most magnificent name, which, if prayed with it, would be granted and if asked with it would have been given.”(Narrated by Tirmidhi, Ibnu Majah, and Ahmad)
5. The prayer should be Free from shirk (associating partners with Allah) and kufr (disbelief).
God answers prayers that are directed to him alone, prayers that are free from Shirk and Kufr. You can’t pray for Allah to help you commit shirk and then wonder why your prayers are not answered.
هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَٱدْعُوهُ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ ٱلدِّينَ ۗ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ٦٥
He is the Ever-Living. There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him. So call upon Him with sincere devotion, ˹saying,˺ “All praise is for Allah—Lord of all worlds.” [surah Ghafir, 65]
6. Prayers should be made at times when supplications are answered.
God answers prayers at any time but there are specific times where prayers are more likely to be answered. The best times for dua are Midnight, a one-third night when breaking the fast, the last hour before maghrib on Friday, Between Adhan and Iqamah, At The End Of The Obligatory Salat, The Night Of ‘Qadr’, During The Rain, when hearing the Adhan, and when traveling. Here are some hadiths about the best times for prayers to be answered:
Anas (RA) narrated that Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said: ‘A supplication made between the Adhan and Iqama is not rejected.’ [Ahmad, Abu Dawud #521, at-Tirmidhi #212, Sahih al-Jami #3408, an-Nasai and Ibn Hibban graded it sahih (sound)]
The Prophet (SAW) said: ‘There is at night an hour, no Muslim happens to be asking Allah any matter of this world or the Hereafter, except that he will be given it, and this (occurs) every night.’
[Muslim #757]
Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said: ‘A supplication made between the Adhan and Iqama is not rejected.’ [Ahmad, Abu Dawud #521, at-Tirmidhi #212, Sahih al-Jami #3408, an-Nasai and Ibn Hibban graded it sahih (sound)]
Allah’s Messenger (SAW) talked about Friday and said: ‘There is an hour on Friday and if a Muslim gets it while offering Salat (prayer) and asks something from Allah (SWT), then Allah (SWT) will definitely meet his demand.’ And he (the Prophet (SAW) pointed out the shortness of that particular time with his hands.[Sahih al-Bukhari]
Narrated Abu Omamah (RA): Allah’s Messenger (SAW) was asked, O Messenger of Allah, which supplication is heard (by Allah (SWT), he said the end of the night and at the end of the obligatory Salat (prayer) [at-Tirmidhi]. This time is after saying ‘At-tahyat’, and before making Tasleem (finishing prayer)
The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said; Three supplications will not be rejected (by Allah (SWT)), the supplication of the parent for his child, the supplication of the one who is fasting, and the supplication of the traveler. [al-Bayhaqi, at-Tirmidhi – Sahih]
7. Made with persistence and sincerity.
God answers prayers that are made with persistence and sincerity. You should stay persistent in your supplication, and ask Allah for the same thing over and over again with faith in your heart that your prayers will be answered. Have faith in Allah that he will answer your dua, because if you have the slightest doubt then you don’t have faith in Allah.
God loves to hear our prayers, it is how we communicate with him, so be persistent and know that God will answer your prayers.
8. Prayers should be made with a good opinion of Allah.
You should have strong faith that God will answer your prayers, and he will.
حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَنَا عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِي بِي، وَأَنَا مَعَهُ إِذَا ذَكَرَنِي، فَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي نَفْسِهِ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي نَفْسِي، وَإِنْ ذَكَرَنِي فِي مَلأٍ ذَكَرْتُهُ فِي مَلأٍ خَيْرٍ مِنْهُمْ، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ بِشِبْرٍ تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ذِرَاعًا، وَإِنْ تَقَرَّبَ إِلَىَّ ذِرَاعًا تَقَرَّبْتُ إِلَيْهِ بَاعًا، وَإِنْ أَتَانِي يَمْشِي أَتَيْتُهُ هَرْوَلَةً ”.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah says: ‘I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.’ ” [Sahih al-Bukhari 7405]
If you think positively in Allah with strong faith that he will answer your prayers he will answer them.
Whoever thinks well of his Lord, Allah will bestow His bounty upon him and give him in abundance.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Know that Allah does not answer a dua from a distracted heart.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3479; classed as hasan by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 245.]
The prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said:
“Pray to Allah and you are sure to be answered. Verily, Allah does not accept the prayer of a neglected heart, and delays (with prayer).”(Narrated by Tirmidhi)
9. Stay away from committing sins.
Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“Verily, Allah accepts only from those who are Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)”[al-Maa’idah 5:27]
Unanswered prayers are the ones made by a person who commits sins and do what is haram.
“The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned the man who undertakes a lengthy journey and is disheveled and covered with dust, and he stretches his hands towards heaven saying, ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ when his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, his clothes are haraam. He is nourished with haraam, so how can he be granted a response?” [Narrated by Muslim, 1015.]
10. The supplication should be made with sincerity to Allah.
God answers prayers made with sincerity; he commanded us to be sincere when making dua, as he says in the holy Quran:
“So, call you (O Muhammad and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allah making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allah’s sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship)” [Ghaafir 40:14].
Sincerity in dua and prayers is a sign of strong faith in Allah. It shows that you strongly believe in Allah knowing that he is the only one who can help you and can make your wish come true.
Additionally, you should keep in mind that dua is worship It was narrated from al-Nu’maan ibn Basheer (may Allaah be pleased with him) that our beloved prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) said: “Du’aa’ is worship.” Then he recited (interpretation of the meaning):
“And your Lord said: Invoke Me [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything] I will respond to your (invocation). Verily, those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!” [Ghaafir 40:60].
Al-Albaani said: “ And it was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is nothing dearer to Allah than dua’.” [Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 2684.]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said: “Whoever does not ask of Allah, He becomes angry with him.” [Classed as hasan by al-Albaani. See Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, no. 2686.]
From these hadiths, we understand that we should be persistent with our duas and have faith in Allah.
11. The supplication should be made with gratitude to Allah.
Allah answers Duas that are made gratitude, you should thank Allah for everything you have and all the blessings he gave you. Be sure to thank Allah at the end of your prayers, As the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“The most beloved words of Allah is four, just as you begin from (Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Laa ilaaha ill-Allah, Allahu Akbar).” (Muslim)
12. Be humble in your prayers.
When making dua you should be humble, as Allah said in the holy Quran:
“Call upon Him in humility and in secret” (al-An’aam 6:63)
Allah also said in the Holy Quran:
“Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors” [al-A’raaf 7:55]
13. The supplication should be made with patience in the face of misfortunes that befall a Muslim.
God answers the prayers of the one who is patient and persistent in his dua. No matter what you are going through and the hardships that you are facing keep praying with strong belief that Allah will answer your prayers and help you overcome your hardships.
14. The supplication should be made with repentance to Allah.
For God to answer your prayers you should repent for your mistakes. One of the reasons for unanswered prayers is committing sins, therefore you should hasten to repent and seek forgiveness and he will forgive you.
Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“I said (to them): Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.” [Nooh 71:10-12]
Why God’s unanswered prayer?
Why prayer is not answered? What did I do wrong? Does that mean that Allah doesn’t love me? Those are some of the many questions that are going on in your head and we are here to answer them.
For the prayers to be answered there are conditions to apply that we discussed above. Among them are having strong faith in Allah, being patient and sincere, praying to Allah alone, and calling him by his most beloved names.
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Duas and taawwudhaat [prayers seeking refuge with Allah] are like a weapon, and a weapon is only as good as the person who is using it; it is not merely a matter of how sharp it is. If the weapon is perfect and free of faults, and the arm of the person using it is strong, and there is nothing stopping him, then he can lay waste to the enemy. But if any of these three features is lacking, then the effect will be lacking accordingly.” (al-Daa wal-Dawaa, p. 35).
From the above statement, we can understand that for prayers to be answered there are rulings to fulfill. Some of which having faith in Allah that he will answer your dua, repenting for any mistakes and sins, and not wishing for anything haram. Additionally, there are some things to avoid doing which we will discuss in this section.
1. The prayer is not sincere.
Unanswered prayer may result from a lack of sincerity. Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor)” [al-Baqarah 2:186]
Remember, Allah said in the holy Quran:
أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ ﴿62﴾
“Or, who listens to the (soul) distressed when it calls on Him, and Who relieves its suffering?”
Sincerity in making duas and praying is the key for them to be answered. Allah has commanded us to be sincere when making dua, as He says:
“So, call you (O Muhammad and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allah making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allah’s sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship” [Ghaafir 40:14].
When making a dua or when praying you should have strong faith in your heart that God will answer your prayers even if they seem impossible to you, they are not to Allah. if your faith in Allah is weak then your prayer will not be answered.
2. Asking for something Haram.
One of the reasons for unanswered prayer is asking Allah for something haram, to help you do sin, or harm someone else. Also asking for something that is not permitted is one of the reasons why your prayers are not answered. For instance, someone may pray to live forever which is something that cannot be granted. Also wishing for your own death is not accepted.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: A person’s duas 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.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: O people, Allah is Good and only accepts that which is good. Allah 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 Allah 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-Muminoon 23:51]
“O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with” [al-Baqarah 2:172]
Then he mentioned a man who has traveled on a long journey and is disheveled 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 dua be accepted?” [Narrated by Muslim.]
3. The prayer is not in line with God’s will.
One of the unanswered prayers is praying for something that doesn’t in line with what Allah holds for you. Allah knows what is best for you, perhaps what wish for is bad for you that is why Allah didn’t answer it. Life is a test, we don’t know what it carries for us, all we should do is to have faith in Allah that he will save us.
It was narrated that some of the Salaf said: “If the kings and sons of kings knew what joy we experience, they would fight us for it with their swords.”
Knowing and understanding that Allah carries the best for us and having faith in him is the key to living a happy life with no worries. No matter the hardships we go through and how painful life gets we know that it is just a test and Allah will not put us through something more than we can take.
Allah says in His Holy Book:
“Whoever works righteousness — whether male or female — while he (or she) is a true believer (of Islamic Monotheism) verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment, and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter)” [al-Nahl 16:97]
4. The prayer is not prayed with faith and certainty.
God answers prayers that are prayed with a strong faith in him and certainty that he will make them come true.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah says: ‘I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.’ ” [Sahih al-Bukhari 7405]
5. The prayer is not prayed with patience.
Allah loves to hear our prayers and duas, therefore we should be patient and persistent with our duas only then God will answer our prayers. The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“One of you may be answered so long as he is not hasty and says, ‘I said dua but I got no response.’” [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6340; Muslim, 2735.]
In Saheeh Muslim (2736) it says: “A man’s (duas) may be answered so long as it does not involve sin or severing the ties of kinship or hastening.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, what does hastening mean?” He said: “When he says, ‘I made dua and I made dua but I did not see any response,’ so he gets discouraged and stops making dua.”
Therefore, you should be patient and keep praying for the same thing over and over again, don’t lose your faith in Allah.
6. What you pray to God is bad for you!
Unanswered prayer may be because you are wishing for something that is bad for you. we don’t know what Allah holds for us but know that he is holding what is best for you even if fail to see it have faith in Allah.
How God answers prayers?
God answers prayers that are sincere, the prayers of someone who have faith in him, someone who is patient, who repents when doing what is wrong, and who know deep down that Allah carries the best for him.
Things that can increase the chances of a supplication being answered:
Here are certain things that must be done for your prayers to be answered. God answers our prayers when we are sincere, and have faith in him as he promised in the Holy Quran:
“Call upon Me, I will answer you.” (Quran 40:60)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said about this verse: “Whenever Allah would raise a Prophet, He would tell him, if something grieves you then call upon Me, I will answer you. And He has given this [similar privilege] to my Ummah when He says, Calls upon Me, I will answer you” (MH, H. 5574).
Imam al-Sādiq (a) says: “When you supplicate then assume that what you asked for is at the door” (MH, H. 5655)
God answer prayers when they are made by someone who has strong faith in him knowing that Allah is the only one who can help him. Dua is a worship that brings us closer to Allah, it helps us get rid of anxiety and depression, all the fears will go away, and our lives will be happier. What is important here is to have faith in Allah and know that he carries the best for us.
Here are some of the things and conditions for your prayers to be answered:
1. A Muslim should frequently seek forgiveness and repent.
Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“I said (to them): Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, and give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.” [Nooh 71:10-12]
God answers the prayers of the person who repents. Whenever you make a mistake or commit a sin be sure to ask Allah to forgive you. Remind yourself of the following hadith:
On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْت رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم يَقُولُ: قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: “يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ! إِنَّكَ مَا دَعَوْتنِي وَرَجَوْتنِي غَفَرْتُ لَك عَلَى مَا كَانَ مِنْك وَلَا أُبَالِي، يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ! لَوْ بَلَغَتْ ذُنُوبُك عَنَانَ السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ اسْتَغْفَرْتنِي غَفَرْتُ لَك، يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ! إنَّك لَوْ أتَيْتنِي بِقُرَابِ الْأَرْضِ خَطَايَا ثُمَّ لَقِيتنِي لَا تُشْرِكُ بِي شَيْئًا لَأَتَيْتُك بِقُرَابِهَا مَغْفِرَةً” .
I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, “Allah the Almighty has said: ‘O Son of Adam, as long as you invoke Me and ask of Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done, and I shall not mind. O Son of Adam, were your sins to reach the clouds of the sky and you then asked forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you. O Son of Adam, were you to come to Me with sins nearly as great as the Earth, and were you then to face Me, ascribing no partner to Me, I would bring you forgiveness nearly as great as it [too].” (Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, who said it was a ḥasan-ṣaḥeeḥ ḥadīth)
2. A Muslim should frequently give charity and do good.
If you want Allah to help you and answer your prayer then you should do your best to help the ones in need. Do charity work, give money or food to the people who really need it. charity comes in many forms, sharing the knowledge you have is considered charity, and it is a good deed that you will be rewarded for. So do any kind of charity work for the sake of Allah not to show off.
3. A Muslim should frequently remember Allah.
Another thing to be aware of is for God to answer your prayer you should remember him whenever you can. Dhikr is worship that should be done daily, not just when we want something from Allah. remember God and he will remember you.
“So glory be to Allah when ye enter the night and when ye enter the morning” (Quran 30:17)
4. A Muslim should frequently pray Salat al-Nabi (prayers upon the Prophet).
One of the key elements for God to answer prayers is sending prayers and blessings upon our beloved prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
It was narrated that Faddaalah ibn ‘Ubayd said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard a man making dua’ after his prayer, but he did not send blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah 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 and blessings of Allah be upon him), then after that let him ask for whatever, he wants.” [Al-Albaani said: it is a saheeh hadeeth. (See: Saheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 2765.]
5. The supplication should be made at times when supplications are answered.
Supplications should be made at any time but there are certain times that are better than others. Such as during the last third of the night, at the time of daybreak, when it rains, on Fridays, and on the Day of Arafat.
The Prophet (SAW) said: ‘There is at night an hour, no Muslim happens to be asking Allah any matter of this world or the Hereafter, except that he will be given it, and this (occurs) every night.’ [Muslim #757]
Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said: ‘A supplication made between the Adhan and Iqama is not rejected.’ [Ahmad, Abu Dawud #521, at-Tirmidhi #212, Sahih al-Jami #3408, an-Nasai and Ibn Hibban graded it sahih]
Allah’s Messenger (SAW) talked about Friday and said: “There is an hour on Friday and if a Muslim gets it while offering Salat (prayer) and asks something from Allah (SWT), then Allah (SWT) will definitely meet his demand.’ And he (the Prophet (SAW) pointed out the shortness of that particular time with his hands.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]
What is the importance of prayer?
Prayers are how we communicate with God, they bring us closer to him and let us know that Allah is always there for us. When we pray we tell Allah about what troubles us, and the hardships we are going through and ask him to help us overcome them, knowing deep inside that he hears our prayers and will answer them.
As Muslims we know that no one can help us but Allah, he is the only one who is there for us, whenever we need him, we just call out to him and he will be there to listen and guide us in our lives.
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