A Simple Guide On Making Duas In Islam
Making dua (supplication) often and consistently is something all Muslims should be doing.
Umar ibn Al Khattab رضي الله عنه rightly said that he did not concern himself with the answer of his dua. He was more concerned about having the ability to make dua. (1)
Not to mention that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ advised us to make dua for everything, even if it is for a ripped shoelace. (2)
This highlights how important it is to make dua about anything and everything, no matter what it is.
The reason for this is if you can make dua for something, it is because Allah (سبحانہ وتعالیٰ) wanted you to make dua for that particular thing.
Therefore, making dua often is a blessing from Allah. It is a direct conversation with Allah and reflects how He wants you to speak to Him about all your wishes and desires.
This also means that He wants to respond to you.
Related:
How To Be A Better Muslim (+ Centre Your Life Around Islam!)
How To Be Consistent As A Muslim
The Five Before Five Hadith: Prophetic Advice That Will Change Your Life
How To Deal With Overthinking in Islam
Does Allah listen to your duas?
If Allah can see you no matter where you are, if He is able to know when a single leaf fell from a random tree, He is of course listening to you too.
Surah Al-An’am (6:59)
How can you make dua to Allah?
There are duas in Islam that you can learn, but you can also just speak to Allah with sincerity.
Talk to Allah, cry to Him and tell Him your struggles. Speak to Him as you go to work, as you drive to your relatives house or as you do your daily chores.
Be in constant conversation and make dua for all the things He allows you to think of. Pray that He allows you to continue making dua to Him.
Remember than even if the whole world fails you, as long as you are pleasing Allah, and striving for His cause, you are succeeding.
Look at the patience of the Palestinians and how they trust Allah for all their affairs. Throughout their hardship, you may have noticed that they repeat the words حَسْبُنَا ٱللَّهُ وَنِعْمَ ٱلْوَكِيلُ, or ‘Hasbunallahu wa ni’mal-Wakil’ meaning Allah is enough for us, and He is the best disposer of our affairs. (3)
Prophet Ibrahim AS also said the same words when he was thrown into the fire by his people and saved by the will of Allah. (4)
Without Allah, you are doomed. With Allah, you are invincible.
How to make duas in Islam
When making duas in Islam, it is essential to pray to Allah SWT with the certainty that He WILL answer you (of course this doesn’t include duas for sinful things or for cutting ties unless a person is harming you and you’re asking for protection). (2)
In this video by Mufti Menk ‘Why are my prayers not answered?’ he says you can also make dua in the following way:
- Start by praising Allah
- Seek forgiveness
- Send blessing/salutations on Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his family/ household and companions
- Make your dua in whatever language you want and be vulnerable to Him. Cry to him, tell Him how desperate you are
- Finish off with sending blessings/ salutations upon Muhammad ﷺ and praising Allah
Doing a good deed before the dua also gives it a higher chance of being accepted.
Secondly, it is imperative to have patience and not be hasty whilst waiting for a response from Allah SWT. The absolute worst thing to do is to give up on Him and turn to something else for help.
It is worth mentioning that a response doesn’t necessarily mean a direct physical response to the things you made dua for.
Allah’s response comes in three forms.
How does Allah respond to your dua?
When a Muslim makes sincere duas in Islam, there are three possible responses by Allah: (1) (2)
- Allah SWT grants the dua in this world
- The answer to the dua is kept/ delayed for rewarding the person in the hereafter on the day of Judgement
- A disaster/ calamity is prevented from happening to the person
Feel slightly disappointed that there’s a chance your dua won’t be granted in this world?
Well, think again.
The reward on the day of Judgement is unlike any reward in this world. In fact, a person would wish that none of their duas were answered in this world when they see the answers in the Hereafter.
Why is this? It is because just like this world, everything that happened in it will end. Whereas, whatever Allah SWT answers in relation to the Hereafter or in the Hereafter will last forever.
Therefore, trust Allah SWT to answer your duas in the best way for you. Don’t be impatient and expect an answer to come physically/ literally to you. Believe that He SWT will make the best decision for you.
And to be honest, isn’t that such a relief? Sometimes there are things in life that are so confusing that you might not know what the right course of action is.
Relying, depending and trusting that Allah is the best of planners and knows all means you don’t need to stress about the outcome. He سبحانہ وتعالیٰ will sort it out for you.
Will Allah always accept your dua?
Allah will always give you an answer as long as you don’t become impatient and give up on Him. By giving up on Him, you ruin the dua and the trust you had in Him.
Don’t let Shaitaan make you believe that Allah SWT is delaying a response to your dua because He doesn’t love you and want the best for you.
To reiterate, make dua to Allah with the absolute belief that He will answer you.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that your Lord is too shy for you to raise your hands to Him to make dua and for those hands to be left completely empty.
Related:
How To Repent A Sin (As a Muslim)
How To Repent Our Sins (Including a Step-by-Step Guide)
How To Learn The 99 Names Of Allah
Why you MUST stop procrastinating: The Repentance Story of Ka’ab ibn Malik
Dunya and Deen – How to Balance Both (Part 2)
Actions to take when making duas in Islam
Make a list of all the things you want to make dua for
List every possible thing you can think of – from your parents’ good health to achieving good grades in your test to praying Allah will allow you to have a good, peaceful day.
As you write down your dua list, you’ll naturally think of more and more things that you probably hadn’t considered before.
Ask for forgiveness
Cut your sins as much as you can. One way you can do this is by identifying the most common sins you intentionally do. This could be backbiting, listening to music etc.
First, try to actively work on removing these sins from your life. Then, think about all the sins you ‘accidentally’ do and work on those – this could be not doing wudhu properly, delaying your prayers or talking back to your parents in a rude way.
Ask for forgiveness often and work on improving your character and actions. This will strengthen your relationship with Allah SWT and open opportunities to earn more rewards.
Remember that Allah loves those who are patient, who’s dua is delayed but is patiently waiting for Him to respond. Use this ‘time of delay’ to increase your ibadah and therefore, increase your good deeds and status in the hereafter.
Check out this post on improving your relationship with Allah SWT for more simple tips you can implement into daily life!
Read the Qu’ran
The Qu’ran is the direct word of Allah SWT.
Read it often, both in Arabic and in whichever language you understand. Search for answers in it, and actively engage with it on a daily basis.
Pray Istikharah
If you are finding it hard to make a decision about something, pray Istikharah. It was a common practice for Muhammad ﷺ and was something he encouraged the sahaba to do too.
Pray Tahajjud
It was said from the Prophet ﷺ that Allah SWT comes down to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night and asks “Who will call upon Me so that I may answer him? Who will ask Me so that I may give to him? Who will seek My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?’” (Narrated by Muslim, no. 758)
This is the perfect time for you to make dua and ask for forgiveness.
KEY TAKEAWAYS – A Simple Guide On Making Duas In Islam
- Umar ibn Al Khattab رضي الله عنه rightly said that he did not concern himself with the answer of his dua. He was more concerned about having the ability to make dua. (1)
- Not to mention that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ advised us to make dua for everything, even if it is for a ripped shoelace. (2)
- When making duas in Islam, it is essential to pray to Allah SWT with the certainty that He WILL answer you
- it is imperative to have patience and not be hasty whilst waiting for a response from Allah SWT. The absolute worst thing to do is to give up on Him and turn to something else for help.
- When a Muslim makes sincere duas in Islam, there are three possible responses by Allah: (1) (2)
- Allah SWT grants the dua in this world
- The answer to the dua is kept/ delayed for rewarding the person in the hereafter on the day of Judgement
- A disaster/ calamity is prevented from happening to the person
SOURCES:
(1) Allah Will Answer Your Dua, As Long As You Don’t Say… | Live Reminder
(2) SPEAK TO ALLAH LIKE THIS & HE WILL ANSWER YOU !
(3) WHEN DO I SAY ‘HASBUNALLAHU WA NI’MAL WAKEEL’ – MUFTI MENK
(4) Episode 1: When Abraham was Catapulted Into a Fire | A Voice in the Desert
