There are several articles online, that list all conditions/requirements to get our prayers answered. In this article, I will write what has perhaps not already been written about and points I include from my personal experience. In sha Allah it will benefit us all.
Make Dua for others
Yes, we all know that. But how can we optimize this? Make dua for others what you want for yourself. We can understand this better with an example. When I was pregnant, I used to pray regularly for normal and easy delivery. But even before I was pregnant I used to pray for my pregnant cousins, relatives and friends that they have easy and normal deliveries. I did this for several reasons.
1) I am extremely scared of surgeries and did not want anyone to undergo them.
2) As a muslim, I am supposed to feel the pain of other muslims and pray for them.
3) They had asked me to pray for them.
4) I can understand their pain as a fellow woman and I had to pray for them.
5) I knew sometime in future, I would be pregnant and Angels are saying “Same be with you.”
Umm Darda’ reported:
My husband reported that he heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who supplicates for his brother behind his back (in his absence), the Angel commissioned (for carrying supplication to his Lord) says: Amen, and it is for you also.(Sahih Muslim)
https://sunnah.com/muslim/48/120
So, how can you make dua for others?
Firstly Listen and remember:
1) People share problems with us. Sometimes, just as a passing comment, sometimes with a lot of pain. Listen to them and mentally make a note of all their worries and issues. Not all people will ask you to make dua for them. Make dua for them anyway.
2) Collect and make a dua list for all your friends, family, relatives, neighbors, colleagues and acquaintances.
3) You can stress on duas that have similar needs as yours.
4) Make both general and specific duas.
5) Make dua for people collectively and also individually taking their name.
Ask people to make dua for you.
1) Don’t be shy or too proud or arrogant to ask people to pray for you, especially those who are indebted to you.
2) Keep reminding them to pray for you. They may forget one time, but they wont forget when reminded constantly.
3) Be kind. Be so good to people that you won’t even have to ask them to make dua for you. Help them out, relieve them of some of their troubles, make them happy and solve some of their problems. In short, be of use to your parents, family, friends, relatives, colleagues, acquaintances, neighbors strangers, in fact everybody. Duas pour out directly from heart for helpful people.
- Make lot of duas and many times during the day.
Dua for every single thing.
Ubadah bin As-Samit (May Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Whenever a Muslim supplicates Allah, He accepts his supplication or averts any similar kind of trouble from him until he prays for something sinful or something that may break the ties of kinship.” Upon this someone of the Companions said: “Then we shall supplicate plenty.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Allah is more plentiful (in responding).”
[At- Tirmidhi].
https://sunnah.com/riyadussaliheen/17/37
Make dua for everything : Every little problem, every minute issue, every small annoyance, every tiny trouble. Allah(swt) did not place a limit on the number or type of duas. Show Allah your dependence on him by constant duas. He loves that.
Ask Allah first.
Suppose, a problem comes up. You know a particular person can solve it. You call him immediately. Stop. Call Allah first. Ask Allah first. Yes, that person can solve your problem but can he do that if Allah doesn’t will it? Are we placing more faith in a human rather than Allah(swt)? We must always believe that everything is from Allah, if Allah doesn’t order than no matter how easy it is for a human to solve a problem, it wont be solved if Allah doesn’t order it.
Always discuss your problems with Allah first. Talk to Him, pour your heart out, seek help and be confident of a positive response.
Do a good deed.
Fast, give charity, do sadqah, read Quran or any good deed and then make dua “Ya Allah! I have done this deed solely for your pleasure, please accept it and grant me this need!”
Have a stash of good deeds always ready to “offer”. To have a great deal of them always in stock, you can recite “Subhan Allahi wabihamdihi” or “la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lahu lahul mulku walahulhamdu wahuwa ala kulli shayyin khadeer” hundred times.
Abu hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “He who utters a hundred times in a day these words: ‘La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa ‘ala kulli sha’in Qadir (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him; His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent),’ he will have a reward equivalent to that for emancipating ten slaves, a hundred good deeds will be recorded to his credit, hundred of his sins will be blotted out from his scroll, and he will be safeguarded against the devil on that day till the evening; and no one will exceed him in doing more excellent good deeds except someone who has recited these words more often than him. And he who utters: ‘Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection and His is the praise)’ one hundred times a day, his sins will be obliterated even if they are equal to the extent of the foam of the ocean.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
https://sunnah.com/riyadussaliheen/16/3
Give up a sin.
Use Ayat e karima. “La ilaha illa anta subhanaka inni ku tum min-az-zaalimeen.”
Ibrahim bin Muhammad bin Sa`d narrated from his father, from Sa`d that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“The supplication of Dhun-Nun (Prophet Yunus) when he supplicated, while in the belly of the whale was: ‘There is none worthy of worship except You, Glory to You, Indeed, I have been of the transgressors. (Lā ilāha illā anta subḥānaka innī kuntu minaẓ-ẓālimīn)’ So indeed, no Muslim man supplicates with it for anything, ever, except Allah responds to him.” (Tirmidhi)
https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/48/136
While reciting this ayat, think of at least one of your sins that you have committed, are truly regretful about and are willing to give up for the sake of Allah. It could be a regular habit of yours or a one-off incident of disobedience to Allah. Feel true and deep regret, cry over it and make dua.
Give thanks.
Allah(swt) says in Holy Quran: “If you give thanks, I will give you more.” (14:7)
http://legacy.quran.com/14/7
If you want more wealth, give thanks for every dollar. Be thankful for what you already have, no matter how meager it is, in order to receive more. Don’t complain or be ungrateful. Watch your tongue, does it express words of appreciation and contentment or utters ungrateful statements?
If you want increase in rizq, recite authentic duas before and after every meal. Say Alhumdulillah often, after every morsel if possible.
Be proactive.
Along with prayers, make some effort as well. Do something about it. Do everything you can to make it possible. Show Allah you are working really hard. Consistent efforts combined with dua really does wonders.
Imagine and expect positive results.
Ask and you shall receive. Once you have made dua, be positive of a response. Have firm faith that it will be answered and your wish will definitely be granted. Don’t doubt it. You have asked the King. Nothing is impossible for Him. No matter, how big your need is, or how difficult you think your problem is, or how messy your situation is, it is nothing in front of Allah and is very, very easy for him. Kun fayakun. He says “Be” and it is. It is that easy for Allah(swt), the Lord of the worlds. http://legacy.quran.com/36/82
Prophet Muhammad(saw) said : “A supplication should be made in full confidence and one should persistently express his desire (before Allah) in his supplication, for no bounty is too great for Allah to bestow (upon his slaves).” (Muslim)
https://sunnah.com/riyadussaliheen/18/233
It’s a win-win situation.
If your dua is answered : say Alhumdulillah. If your dua is not answered say “Alhumdulillah ala kulli haal”. Accept the response and situation gracefully. Be thankful. Always remember that Allah can reverse the condition in a second. So, never be ungrateful.
When your dua is answered, say Alhumdulillah from heart, make sujood, increase in your ibadah and decrease your disobedience. Show gratefulness through both your actions and words.
When your dua is not answered, do the same and more. Because duas that have not been answered are the ones that will benefit you in the long term, i.e., in the hereafter and that truly is the ultimate achievement. The unanswered duas are also “working” to prevent accidents and to dodge troubles from you. They could be the reason you enter Jannah.
Jabir narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “There is none who utters a supplication, except that Allah gives him what he asked, or prevents evil from him that is equal to it – as long as he does not supplicate for something evil, or the cutting of ties of the womb.” (Tirmidhi)
https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/48/12
So, remember; Always, always make dua. Dua is ibadah.
Written by Rayeesa Tabassum, a 27 year old Muslimah from Jeddah. She is a mother and “struggling” homemaker. She blogs at reshuwrites.wordpress.com about Islam to gather sadqah-e-jariyah for herself. She loves to read, write and cares deeply about children’s issues. One day, She hopes to bring an end to child abuse, in sha Allah.
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