Etiquette of Life - DUAA'

Etiquette of Life - DUAA'

DUAA

ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) loves to be asked, and He encourages that in all things. He is angry with the one who does not ask of Him and He encourages His slave to ask of Him. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:

"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)"
[Ghaafir 40:60]

The Etiquette of Du'aa

1. Tawheed

The one who is making Du'aa should believe in Tawheed with regard to the divinity, Lordship, names and attributes of ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ). His heart should be filled with Tawheed. In order for ALLAH to respond to the Du'aa, it is essential that the person should be responding to his Lord by obeying Him and not disobeying Him. ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:

"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). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright."
[Al-Baqarah 2:186]

2. Sincerity towards ALLAH alone in making Du'aa.

ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:

"And they were commanded not, but that they should worship ALLAH, and worship none but Him alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)."
[Al-Bayyinah 98:5]

Du'aa is worship, as the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said, so sincerity (ikhlaas) is a condition of its being accepted.

3. We should ask ALLAH by His most beautiful names.

ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:

"And (all ) the Most Beautiful Names belong to ALLAH, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who be lie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names."
[Al-Araf 7:180]

4. We should praise ALLAH as He deserves before we call upon Him.

Narrated that Fadaalah ibn 'Ubayd (RadiAllahu Anhu ) said, Whilst the Messenger of ALLAH ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) was sitting, a man came in and prayed and said,
"O ALLAH Forgive me and have mercy on me." The Messenger of ALLAH ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said:

" You have been too hasty, O worshiper. When you have prayed and are sitting, praise ALLAH as He deserves to be praised, and send blessings upon me, then call upon Him.
[Al-Tirmidhi (3476)]

According to another version;

"When one of you prays, let him start with praise of ALLAH, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ), then let him ask whatever he likes after that. Then another man prayed after that, and he praised ALLAH and sent blessings upon the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ). The Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said, "O worshipper, ask and you will be answered."
[Al- Tirmidhi (3477)]

5. Sending blessings upon the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ).

The Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said: "Every Du'aa is kept back until you sent blessing upon the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ).

[Narrated by al-Tabaraani in al-Awsat, 1/220]

6. Facing towards the Qiblah

Narrated that Umar ibn al-Khattaab (RadiAllahu Anhu ) said,

"On the Day of Badr, the Messenger of ALLAH ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) looked at the mushrikeen, who were one thousand strong, and his companions numbered three hundred and nineteen. Then the Prophet of ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) turned to face the Qiblah, then he stretched forth his hands and started to cry out to his Lord:

"O ALLAH, grant me what You have promised me. O ALLAH, give me what You have promised me. O ALLAH, if this small band of Muslims perishes, You will not be worshipped on earth." He kept on crying out to his Lord, stretching forth his hands, facing towards the Qiblah, until his cloak fell from his shoulders.
[Muslim 1763]

al-Nawawi (RadiAllahu Anhu ) said in Sharh Muslim. This shows that it is Mustahab to face towards the Qiblah when making Du'aa, and to raise the hands.

7. Raising the hands

Abu Dawood (1488)

Narrated that Salmaan (RadiAllahu Anhu ) said, The Messenger of ALLAH ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam )said:

"Your Lord, may He be Blessed and Exalted, is Kind and Most Generous, and He is too Kind to let His slave, if he raises his hand to Him, bring them back empty."
The palm of the hand should be raised heavenwards, in the manner of a humble beggar who hopes to be given something.

Abu Dawood ( 1486
Narrated from Maalik ibn Yasaar ( RadiAllahu Anhu ) that the Messenger of ALLAH ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said:

"When you ask of ALLAH, ask of Him with the palms of your hands, not with the backs of them."
Hands should be kept together without a Gap between them.

Shaykh ibn 'Uthaymen(RadiAllahu Anhu ) stated in al-Sharh al-Mumti (4/25)
"As for separating them and holding them far apart from one another, there is no basis for that in the Sunnah or in the words of the scholars."

8. Having certain faith that ALLAH will respond.

Having certain faith that ALLAH will respond, and focusing with proper presence of mind, because the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said:

"Call upon ALLAH when you are certain of a response and remember that ALLAH will not answer a Du'aa that comes from a negligent and heedless heart."

[Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 3479]

9. Asking Frequently

A person should ask his Lord for whatever he wants of the good things in this world and the Hereafter, and he should beseech ALLAH in Du'aa; and not seek a hasty response, because the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said:

"The slave will receive a response so long as his Du'aa does not involve sin or severing of family ties, and so long as he is not hasty."
It was said, "What does being hasty mean?" He said, "When he says, "I made Du'aa and I made Du'aa, and I have not seen any response. ' and he gets frustrated and stops making Du'aa."

[Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6340; Muslim, 2735]

10. He should be firm in his Du'aa.
Because the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said:

"No one of you should say, 'O ALLAH Forgive me if You wish, O ALLAH, have mercy on me if You wish; he should be firm in his asking for ALLAH cannot be compelled. "

[Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6339; Muslim, 2679]

11. Beseeching, humility, hope and fear.

ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:

"Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret."
[al-Araf 7:55]

"And remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and with fear and without loudness in words in the mornings and in the afternoons."
[Al-Araf 7 : 20]

12. Saying Du'aa three times

Narrated that 'Abd-Alaah ibn Mas' ood ( RadiAllahu Anhu ) said: and "..when he made Du'aa or asked of ALLAH he would repeat it three times."

[Al-Bukhari (240) and Muslim (1794)]

13. Ensuring that one's food and clothing are good (i.e., halal).

Muslim (1015)
Narrated that Abu Hurayrah (RadiAllahu Anhu ) said, the Messenger of ALLAH ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said :

"O people, ALLAH is good and does not accept anything but that which is good. ALLAH enjoins upon the believers the same as He enjoined upon the Messengers. He says (interpretation of the meaning ) :

"O ( you) Messenger! Eat of the Tayyibaat [all kinds of Halal (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- Mu'minoon 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]

Ibn Rajab (RadiAllahu Anhu )said: Ensuring that one's food, drink and clothing are halaal, and that one is nourished with halal, is a means of having one's Du'aa answered. End quote.

14. Saying Du'aa silently and not out loud.

ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) says:

"Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret."
[al-Araf 7 : 55]

15. Doing good deeds and asking ALLAH by one's good deeds.

Qasim bin 'Abd said: I said to Anas bin Malik, O Abu Hamzah pray to ALLAH for us. He said: Du'aa is elevated by good deeds. Bukhari and Muslim relate the Hadith of the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) of the story of three men, who each supplicated to ALLAH by (mentioning) a good deed they had done earlier in their lives.

"Three persons of a people before you were on a journey when they were overtaken by a storm; therefore, they took shelter in a cave. A rock slipped down from the mountain and blocked the exit of the cave. One of them said, "The only way for deliverance is to beseech ALLAH and (to mention) some virtuous deed (he did purely for His sake)."
One of the men mentioned of a good deed which they had done for ALLAH and supplicated, "O Lord, if I did this thing seeking only Thy pleasure then do Thou relieve us of the distress wrought upon us by this rock. "
The rock moved but not enough to free the men. So, other two made similar supplications while mentioning their good deeds until the rock moved enough to free them.

16. Making Du'aa for others

The Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said :

" Whenever you make a supplication for another believer and he is not present, an angel will say 'and same to you'. Abdallah
ibn Amr ibn al-As reported that the Prophet( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said: The supplication that gets the quickness answer is the one made by one Muslim for another in his absence.
[Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi]

17. Memorizing the Authentic Supplications and Du'aas of the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ).

We should do our best to memories the different Du'aas made by the Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) in the different situations throughout our day, to keep our tongues wet with the remembrance of ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ), and by extension purify our hearts.

18. Asking ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) in times of ease.

The Prophet ( SalAllahu Alayhi WaSalam ) said : "Whoever is pleased that ALLAH answers his prayers during hardship and difficulties let him make much supplication during times of ease."
[Al-Tirmidhi]

May ALLAH ( Subhana Wa Ta'la ) accept all our Du'aas.

Ameen!