(55, 56) “Call upon your Lord humbly and privately. Indeed, He does not love the transgressors. * Do not spread corruption on earth after it has been set right, and call upon Him in fear and hope. Indeed, Allah’s mercy is near to those who do good.”
Supplication encompasses both supplication by request and supplication through worship. He therefore commanded that He be called upon “humbly”; that is, persistently in making requests and diligently in worship, “and privately”; that is, not aloud or openly, lest it involve ostentation, but privately and with sincerity to Allah Most High.
“Indeed, He does not love the transgressors”; that is, those who exceed the limits in any matter. Transgression includes a servant asking Allah for things ⦗292⦘ that are not suitable for him, going to excess in his requests, or raising his voice excessively in supplication. All of this falls under the transgression that has been forbidden.
“Do not spread corruption on earth” by committing sins “after it has been set right” through acts of obedience. Sins corrupt character, deeds, and provision, as Allah Most High says: “Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what people’s hands have earned.” Conversely, acts of obedience set right character, deeds, provision, and the conditions of this world and the Hereafter.
“And call upon Him in fear and hope”; that is, fearing His punishment and hoping for His reward, hoping that the supplication will be accepted and fearing that it will be rejected. It should not be the supplication of a servant who presumes upon his Lord, admires himself, and assigns himself a station above his true one, nor that of someone who is heedless and distracted.
In sum, the etiquettes of supplication mentioned by Allah are that it be sincerely devoted to Allah alone—as calling upon Him privately entails—be kept hidden and secret, and proceed from a heart filled with fear and hope, rather than one that is heedless, complacent, or unconcerned about receiving an answer. This is part of performing supplication with excellence, for excellence in every act of worship consists in exerting one’s utmost effort and performing it completely, without any deficiency whatsoever. Hence He said: “Indeed, Allah’s mercy is near to those who do good”—those who worship Allah with excellence and do good to Allah’s servants. The greater the excellence with which a servant acts, the nearer he is to his Lord’s mercy, and the nearer his Lord is to him through His mercy. This plainly encourages excellence in doing good.