82 — If You Ask, Ask Allah

There is no doubt that every Muslim who supplicates Allah—Mighty and Majestic—does so hoping that He will answer his supplication, fulfill his hope, and grant his request. Supplication, however, has essential conditions and important etiquettes that a Muslim should diligently observe so that, by fulfilling them, his supplication may be answered and, by perfecting them, his hope and trust in Allah may be realized. Although all these conditions and etiquettes are immensely important, they vary in importance, some being more important than others. Some are conditions of validity without which a supplication will not be answered, while others are recommended practices, sunnahs, and complementary acts. The Muslim granted divine success observes and attends to all of them so that he may receive his full share of goodness.

We have already alluded to a considerable number of the conditions and etiquettes of supplication, particularly when discussing the hadith of Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him), recorded in Sahīh Muslim, in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Allah 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 perform righteous deeds. Indeed, I know well what you do’1; and He said: ‘O you who believe, eat of the good things We have provided for you’2. He then mentioned a man who undertakes a long journey, disheveled and dust-covered, stretching his hands toward heaven and crying, ‘My Lord! My 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