61 — The Answering of Supplication Is Contingent upon Conditions Being Met and Impediments Being Absent

We previously cited the words of Allah, Mighty and Majestic: “Your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me, and I will answer you. Those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell in utter humiliation.’” 1 We also explained how this indicates that Allah answers those who call upon Him. We likewise discussed how some scholars found this difficult to reconcile with the fact that a person may supplicate and ask Allah for certain things, yet see none of them fulfilled—or only some and not others. The scholars offered several responses to this difficulty, three of which have already been mentioned. The best explanation, however, is that supplication is a cause that leads to attaining what is sought, while its attainment is subject to conditions and impediments. If its conditions are fulfilled and its impediments absent, what is sought will be attained; otherwise, it will not. The same applies to all righteous deeds and beneficial acts of remembrance: they are accepted only when the Muslim fulfills their conditions and avoids the impediments to their acceptance. If an impediment is present or a condition is absent, the deed will not be accepted.

The same is true of supplication. Supplication is itself beneficial and fruitful, and it is a key to every good in this world and the Hereafter. It nevertheless requires the supplicant to possess strong determination, firm resolve, sincere intent, and distance himself from anything that prevents acceptance.

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Indeed, it—that is, supplication—is among the most powerful causes for warding off what is disliked and attaining what is sought. Its effect may nevertheless fail to materialize, either because of a weakness—