*Conditions of Making Du'a. Often we miss this. Lets learn before its too late!
There are many conditions of du’a, including the following:
1 – You should call upon no one except Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If you ask, then ask of Allaah, and if you seek help, then seek the help of Allaah.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2516; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’.
This is what is meant by the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “And the mosques are for Allaah (Alone), so invoke not anyone along with Allaah” ( Surah al-Jinn, Verse 18)
This is the most important condition of du’a, without which no du’a will
be accepted and no good deed taken up. There are some people who make
du’a to the dead and regard them as intermediaries between them and
Allaah. They claim that these righteous people will bring them closer to
Allaah and intercede for them with Him, and they claim that their sins
are so great that they have no status before Allaah, and that is why
they set up these intermediaries and pray to them instead of Allaah. But
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“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)” (Surah al-Baqarah, Verse 186)
2 – You should seek to draw close to Allaah in one of the ways that are prescribed in sharee’ah.
3 – You should avoid seeking a quick response, for this is one of the problems that may prevent the du’aa’ from being accepted.
In the hadeeth it says: “One of you may be answered so long as he is not hasty and says, ‘I said du’aa’ but I got no response.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6340; Muslim, 2735.
4 – The du’aa’ should not involve sin or severing of the ties of kinship.
5 – You should think positively of Allaah.
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhe wassallam) said: “Allaah, may He be exalted, says: ‘I am as My slave thinks I am.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7405; Muslim, 4675.
According to the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah: “Make du’a to Allaah when you are certain of a response.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 245.
Whoever thinks well of his Lord, Allaah will bestow His bounty upon him and give him in abundance.
6 – You should be focused, aware of the greatness of the One upon Whom you are calling.
7 – Ensuring that one’s food comes from good (halaal) sources.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, Allaah accepts only from those who are Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)”. (Suran al-Maa’idah, Verse 27)
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhe wassallam) stated that a
response was unlikely for one who eats, drinks and wears haraam things.
In the hadeeth it says: [The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah 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.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: Thus eating haraam things saps the strength of the du’aa’ and weakens it.
8 – You should avoid aggression in du’a, for Allaah does not like aggression in du’a. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors” (Surah al-A’raaf, Verse 55)
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– You should not let du’a distract you from an obligatory duty such as
an obligatory prayer that is now due, and you should not neglect
parents’ rights on the basis of du’a.
This
is indicated by the story of Jurayj, when he did not answer his
mother’s call and turned instead to his prayer. She prayed against him
and Allaah tested him sorely.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The
scholars said: This indicates that what he should have done is to
answer her, because he was offering a supererogatory (naafil prayer),
continuation of which was voluntary, not obligatory, whereas answering
his mother and honoring her was obligatory and disobeying her was
haraam. Saheeh Muslim bi Sharh al-Nawawi, 16/82.
Duaoon ka talabgaar!
