Etiquettes of making duʾāʼ and times when it is accepted as authentically reported from our beloved Prophet ﷺ

Etiquettes

When we pray to Allāh , certain etiquettes should be observed;

1. Glorify Allāh

   Prophet ﷺ advised a man and said:

   When you have prayed and are sitting, praise Allāh as He deserves to be praised, and send blessings upon me, then call upon Him – at-Tirmidhi  ¹

2. Send blessings on Prophet ﷺ

   Every Duʾāʼ is kept back until you send blessing upon Prophet ﷺ – at-Tabarāni  ²

3. Face towards Qiblah

   ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb said: On the day of Badr, the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ looked at the mushrikeen, who were one thousand strong, and his companions numbered three hundred and nineteen. Then the Prophet of Allāh ﷺ turned to face the qiblāh, then he stretched forth his hands and started to cry out to his Lord – Muslim ³

4. Raise your hands

   Prophet ﷺ said:

   Your Lord is munificent and generous, and is ashamed to turn away empty the hands of His servant when he raises them to Him. – Abu Dawood ⁴

5. Call upon Allāh’s best names

   Allāh said:

   And to Allāh belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. – Surah al-A’raaf ⁵

6. Use medium voice

   Allāh said:

   Say, “Call upon Allāh or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call – to Him belong the best names.” And do not recite [too] loudly in your prayer or [too] quietly but seek between that an [intermediate] way. – Surah al-Isra ⁶

7. Ensure your food, drink and clothing is halāl and you’re nourished with halāl

   Prophet ﷺ mentioned a man who travels for a long distance, and we know hadīth that du’ā’ of traveller is accepted, and is disheveled and dusty, and stretches forth his hands towards heaven saying, “Oh Lord, Oh Lord” but his food is harām, his drink is harām, his clothing is harām, he has been nourished with harām, so how can he be responded to?

8. Make duʾāʼ at times of ease and difficulty

   Allāh said:

   And when We show favour to man, he withdraws and turns away, but when evil touches him, then he has recourse to long supplications – Surah Fussilat ⁷

Times

1. Between Adhaan and Iqamaah

   Prophet ﷺ said:

   Supplication between Adhān and Iqamāh is not rejected – Zad Al-Ma’d ⁸

2. Pray for your offspring

   Prophet ﷺ said:

   Three supplications are answered, there being no doubt about them; that of a father, that of a traveller and that of one who has been wronged. – Abu Dawood ⁹ & at-Tirmidhi ¹⁰

3. While travelling ¹¹

4. If you are being wronged  ¹²

5. At time of breaking fast

   Prophet ﷺ said:

   There are three whose supplication is not rejected: The fasting person when he breaks his fast, the just leader, and the supplication of the oppressed person; Allāh raises it up above the clouds and opens the gates of heaven to it. And the Lord says: ‘By My might, I shall surely aid you, even if it should be after a while.’ – at-Tirmidhi ¹³

6. Just leader ¹⁴

7. If you are being oppressed ¹⁵

8. On Friday

   Prophet ﷺ said:

   The sun does not rise nor set, upon a day that is more virtuous than it. In it, there is an hour in which no believing worshipper makes a supplication to Allāh for good, except that Allāh answers it for him, and he does not seek Allāh’s aid for something, except that He aids him in it. – at-Tirmidhi ¹⁶

9. Last part of night

   It was said to Prophet ﷺ:

   O Messenger of Allāh, which supplication is most likely to be listened to?’ He said: ‘(During) the last part of the night, and at the end of the obligatory prayers.’ – at-Tirmidhi ¹⁷

10. At the end of obligatory prayers ¹⁸

Conclusion

May Allāh grant us tawfeeq to worship Him as it’s due. Continue making duʾāʼ and do not be despair from mercy of Allāh for He is Ar-Rahmaan, Ar-Raheem and Al-Ghafoor