Raising Hands in Du’a

Salman al-Farsi (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) reported:

The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said,

“Verily, Allah is conscientious and generous. He would be shy, when a man raises his hands to Him, to turn them away empty and disappointed.”

[Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 3556, Grade: Sahih (authentic), according to al-Albani (rahimahullah)]

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah):

**And of the diseases that afflict du’a and prevent its response is that a person is hasty in expecting a response (for his du’a), and the response is delayed, so he gives up hope, and leaves du’a.

His example is like that of a person who planted a seed, or a seedling, then guarded it, and took care of it, and watered it, but when it delayed in (giving its fruit) and reaching perfection, he left it and did not take care of it anymore!**

[al-Jawab al-Kafi, pg. 10, Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah)]

Du'ā' is Worship

Du'ā' is worship; as such, it is not befitting for the slave to become bored of worship. Du'ā', as the scholars have mentioned, requires patience. The Muslim must constantly supplicate and not become bored, because du'ā' is not merely asking for something; rather, du'ā' is worship. You worship Allāh with your du'ā', so how can you become bored of worshipping Allāh?! It is worship which contains a request, and the response to the request has been promised so long as the person does not become hasty. Allāh has perfect widsom. Perhaps Allāh desires to elevate your status and increase your good deeds by way of your du'ā', so He delays the response. Therefore, by increasing your supplication, you combine two virtues: increasing your reward and (receiving) the answer to your du'ā'. So do not become hasty.

[Book: Explanation of the Concise Advices of Shaykh-ul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (Rahimahullah) by Shaykh Sulaymān ar-Ruḥaylī (Hafidhahullah), pg. 214, Authentic Statements Publishing]

Two Places within Salah Where You Can Offer Du’a

1. During Sujood when in Salah

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“With regard to sujood, offer lots of du’aa’ then, for it is more likely that you will receive a response.”

(Narrated by Muslim, 479).

1. After Tashahhud and Before Giving Final Salaam (between these two)

Another occasion (to make du’a in salah) is after saying the final tashahhud and before saying the salaam.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Then (after tashahhud and before starting to give salaam) let him say whatever du’aa’ he wants.”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim).

Whoever frequently knocks on a door is on the verge of it being opened for him; and whoever supplicates (makes du’a) often, is on the verge of it being accepted.
[Abu ad-Darda’ (raḍiyAllāhu ‘anh), Shu’b al-Imaan, no. 1102, al-Bayhaqi (rahimahullah)]

Dua’ (supplication) is one of the most beneficial remedies.

[Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah), The Disease and The Cure, pg. 15]

Allah commands the believers in surah al-Nisa':

[وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۚ لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبُوا ۖ وَلِلنِّسَاءِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبْنَ ۚ وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا]

And wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you to excel others. For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned. And ask Allah of His bounty. Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything. [32]

In his tafsir of this ayah, sheikh Faysal Aal Mubarak wrote:

[قال ابن عباس : ولا يتمنى الرجل فيقول : " ليت لو أن لي مال فلان وأهله! " فنهى الله عن ذلك ، ولكن يسأل الله من فضله . وقال ابن سيرين : نهيتم عن الأماني ودللتم على ما هو خير من ذلك {وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِن فَضْلِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا} ]

Ibn 'Abbaas said: No man should wish by saying, "Woe is me, if only I had the wealth and family of so-and-so!" Allah forbade doing that. Instead, a person should ask Allah for His bounty.

Ibn Sireen said: You have been forbidden from idle wishing and instead directed to something better than that - "And ask Allah of His bounty. Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knower of everything."

[Tawfiq al-Rahman 1/261]

Don’t wish! Just ASK what you want.

In the last part of surah Aal-e-'Imran, Allah describes the people of understanding by saying:

﴿الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ﴾

"Those who

remember Allah (dhikr)

while standing,
sitting, and
on their sides,

and who reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth,

saying (in du’a):

“O our Lord, You did not create all this for nothing! Exalted are You! So protect us from the punishment of the fire!" [3:191]

In his tafsir, Imam al-Baghawi (rahimahullah) wrote:

[قال ابن عون : الفكرة تذهب الغفلة وتحدث للقلب الخشية كما يحدث الماء للزرع النبات]

Ibn 'Awn (rahimahullah) said:

Reflection drives heedlessness away and brings about reverential fear to one's heart in the same way that water brings about growth to a plant.

[Tafsir al-Baghawi (rahimahullah), 2/152]

The best category of sending blessings upon the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is at the beginning of the du’aa’, in the middle and at the end. It is like wings for the du’aa’ with which it soars up to the clouds of the sky.

The second category is sending blessings upon him at the beginning and end of the du’aa’.

The third category is sending blessings upon him at the beginning.

[Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd (Rahimahullah) said in his book Tasheeh al-Du’aa’, pg. 23 | These categories were also mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) in his book Jala’ al-Afhaam, pg. 531-535]

Ibn al-Jawzi (rahimahullah) addressed a common doubt in one of his works by writing:

When iblis (satan) comes and says, "How many times have you made du'a to Him without seeing a response?!"

then say (in reply), "When I make du'a I am in fact engaged in an act of worship!"

[Sayd al-Khatir, pg. 222]