62 — Four Causes for Supplication to Be Answered

Among the great hadiths that comprehensively set forth the proper manners of supplication, the conditions for its acceptance, and the impediments thereto is the hadith authentically reported in Sahih Muslim from Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—who said: The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Allah Most High is pure and accepts only what is pure. Allah Most High has commanded the believers to do what He commanded the messengers, saying: ‘O messengers, eat of the good things and do righteous deeds. Indeed, I know well what you do.’ 1 He also says: ‘O you who believe, eat of the good things We have provided for you, and give thanks to Allah, if it is truly Him that you worship.’ 2 He then mentioned a man who has travelled a long way, dishevelled and dust-covered, stretching his hands toward heaven and crying, ‘O Lord! O Lord!’ Yet his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, and he has been nourished with what is unlawful—so how can his supplication be answered?”3

This hadith is among the concise and comprehensive sayings of the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. In it, he brought together an excellent collection of the proper manners of supplication, the conditions for its acceptance, and the matters that prevent its acceptance. He began—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—by drawing attention to the grave danger of consuming what is unlawful and explaining that it is one of the impediments to the acceptance of supplication. Conversely, this indicates that ensuring one’s food is lawful is one of the causes for supplication to be accepted. Wahb ibn Munabbih—may Allah have mercy on him—said, “Whoever wishes Allah to answer his supplication should ensure that his food is lawful.” When Sa'd ibn Abī Waqqās—may Allah be pleased with him—was asked, “Why, from among the