Al-Tirmidhī and others narrated from Abū Hurayra—may Allah be pleased with him—that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “Nothing is more honorable to Allah than supplication.”1

These hadiths demonstrate the merit of supplication, the great honor it enjoys with Allah, its lofty standing among acts of worship, and that it is the spirit, essence, and finest form of worship. The scholars have mentioned numerous reasons for this:

One is that supplication entails humbling oneself before Allah and acknowledging one’s weakness and need for Him, Glorified is He.

Another is that the more humble the heart and the more attentive the mind are during worship, the better and more complete that worship becomes. Supplication is among the acts of worship most conducive to achieving this aim, for a servant’s need impels him to humility and attentiveness of heart.

Another is that supplication is inseparably linked to reliance upon Allah and seeking His aid. Reliance means depending upon Allah with one’s heart and trusting Him to bring about what is desired and ward off what is disliked. Supplication strengthens this reliance; indeed, it expresses and openly declares it. One who supplicates recognizes his utter need for Allah and knows that all his affairs are in His hands. He therefore seeks them from his Lord, placing his hope and trust in Him. This is the spirit of worship.2 These and other considerations demonstrate the immense worth and lofty status of supplication. It should, however, be noted that this does not