ETIQUETTES OF DUA

1. Allah Loves to Be Asked

He encourages that in all things. He is angry with the one who does not ask of Him and He encourages His slaves to ask of Him. Allah 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)" [Noble Quran 40:60]

"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" [Noble Quran 2:186]


2. Sincerity Towards Allah Alone in Making Du'a

Allah says:

"And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)" [Noble Quran 98:5]


3. Ask Allah by His Most Beautiful Names

Allah says:

"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names" [Noble Quran 7:180]


4. Praising Allah as He Deserves Before Calling Upon Him

Fadalah ibn 'Ubayd said: Whilst the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was sitting, a man came in and prayed and said, "O Allah, forgive me and have mercy on me." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "You have been too hasty, O worshipper. When you have prayed and are sitting, praise Allah as He deserves to be praised, and send blessings upon me, then call upon Him." [At-Tirmidhi]


5. Sending Blessings Upon The Prophet (peace be upon him)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

"Every Du'a is kept back until you send blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him)." [At-Tabarani]


6. Facing Towards The Qiblah

'Umar ibn al-Khattab said: On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) looked at the Mushrikun, who were one thousand strong, and his companions numbered three hundred and nineteen. Then the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) 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]

An-Nawawi said: This shows that it is Mustahabb (preferred) to face towards the Qiblah when making Du'a, and to raise the hands.


7. Raising The Hands

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 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 hands to Him, bring them back empty." [Abu Dawud].

The palm of the hand should be raised heavenwards, in the manner of a humble beggar who hopes to be given something.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

"When you ask of Allah, ask of Him with the palms of your hands, not with the backs of them." [Abu Dawud].

Should the hands be held together when raising them or should there be a gap between them?

Sheikh Ibn 'Uthaymeen stated that they should be held together. What he said is: "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." End quote.


8. Having Certain Faith That Allah Will Respond

Focusing with proper presence of mind, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

"Call upon Allah when you are certain of a response, and remember that Allah will not answer a Du'a that comes from a negligent and heedless heart." [At-Tirmidhi]


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'a, and not seek a hasty response, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

"The slave will receive a response so long as his Du'a 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'a and I made Du'a, and I have not seen any response,' and he gets frustrated and stops making Du'a." [Bukhari]


10. Being Firm in Du'a

Because the Prophet (peace be upon him) 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." [Bukhari and Muslim]


11. Beseeching, Humility, Hope & Fear

Allah says:

"Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret" [Noble Quran 7:55]

"Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us" [Noble Quran 21:60]

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


12. Saying Du'as Three Times

'Abd-Allah ibn Mas'ud said: "Whilst the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was praying at the Ka'bah, Abu Jahl and his companions were sitting nearby. They had slaughtered a camel the previous day, and Abu Jahl said: "Which of you will go and get the abdominal contents of the camel of Banu So and so and put it on the back of Muhammad when he prostrates?" The worst of the people went and got it, and when the Prophet (peace be upon him) prostrated, he placed it between his shoulders. They started laughing, leaning against one another. I was standing there watching, and if I had had any power, I would have lifted it from the back of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) remained in prostration, not lifting his head, until someone went and told Fatimah. She came with Juwayriyah, and lifted it from him, then she turned to them and rebuked them. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) had finished his prayer, he raised his voice and prayed against them. and when he made Du'a or asked of Allah he would repeat it three times. and he said: "O Allah, punish Quraysh" three times. When they heard his voice, they stopped laughing and were afraid because of his Du'a. Then he said, "O Allah, punish Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, 'Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, Shaybah ibn Rabi'ah, al-Walid ibn 'Uqbah, Umayyah ibn Khalaf and 'Uqbah ibn Abu Mu'ayt," and he mentioned the seventh but I cannot remember who it was. By the One Who sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) with the truth, I saw those whom he had named slain on the day of Badr, then they were dragged and thrown into the well, the well of Badr." [Bukhari and Muslim]


13. Ensuring That One's Food and Clothing Are Lawful (i.e., Halal)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) 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:

'O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibat [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' [Noble Quran 23:51]

'O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allah. Islamic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with' [Noble Quran 2:172]

Then he mentioned a man who travels for a long distance and is disheveled and dusty, and he stretches forth his hands towards heaven saying, 'O Lord, O Lord,' but his food is Haram, his drink is Haram, his clothing is Haram, he has been nourished with Haram, so how can he be responded to?" [Muslim]

Ibn Rajab said: Ensuring that one's food, drink and clothing are Halal, and that one is nourished with Halal, is a means of having one's Du'a answered. End quote.


14. Saying Du'a Silently & Not Out Loud

Allah says:

"Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret" [Noble Quran 7:55]

And Allah praised His slave Zakariyyah (peace be upon him) by saying:

"When he called to his Lord (Allah) a call in secret" [Noble Quran 19:3]