Sometimes we keep on Praying for something but it happens that our Duas are being prevented from reaching Allah or from being answered. That is the time when we get depressed and this Question “Why our Duas are not answered??” comes in our mind. But one should remember that Allah loves those who ask Him in need.
It was narrated that the Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “There is nothing dearer to Allah than Dua”[Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2684]
In another Hadith, the Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “Whoever does not ask of Allah, He becomes angry with him.”[Narrated al-Tirmidhi, no. 2686]. There are some conditions that must be fulfilled while making Duas. Also there are things that prevent the Dua from being answered.
1. The most important condition without which no Dua will be accepted and no deeds will be taken up is to ask from some one other than Allah. One should call upon no one except Allah. The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “If you ask, then ask of Allah, and if you seek help, then seek the help of Allah.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2516]
2. Hasten to repent and seek forgiveness before making Dua. Our sins might be the major reason why our Dua’s are not answered. Allah Says: “Ask forgiveness from your Lord, verily, He is Oft-Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, And give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers.” [Nooh 71:10-12]
3. Be certain and have faith in Allah almighty that He will surely grant us what we need. That includes thinking positively of Allah. In a Hadith, The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “Allah, may He be exalted, says: ‘I am as My slave thinks I am.’” [Narrated by al-Bukhari, 7405; Muslim, 4675]
Abu Hurayrah (R.A) reported as Prophet (P.B.U.H) saying: “Make Dua to Allah when you are certain of a response.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi]
4. Asking Allah Humbly and Secretly, repeating it many times. Allah Says: “Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors” [al-A’raaf 7:55]
5. If we remember Allah at times of ease, He will surely remember us during Hardship. In a Hadith narrated by Ahmad, The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “Remember Allah during times of ease and He will remember you during times of hardship.” [Narrated by Ahmad]
6. Do not look for a speedy response. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (R.A) that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) said: “(The Dua) of any one of you will be answered so long as he is not hasty in seeking a response and does not say, ‘I prayed but I have not had a response.’” [Narrated by al-Bukhari, 5981; Muslim, 2735]
7. If we do not get quick response for our Duas; still we need to Pray because the Dua can have three meanings.
It was narrated from Abu Saeed (R.A) that the Prophet (P.B.U.H) said:“There is no Muslim who does not offer any Dua in which there is no sin or severing of family ties but Allah will give him one of three things in return: either He will answer his Dua sooner, or he will store it up for him in the Hereafter, or He will divert an equivalent evil away from him because of it.” They said: “We will say a lot of Dua.” The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “Allah is more generous.”[Narrated by Ahmad, 10749]
8. One should praise and glorify Allah in Duas and send Blessing upon the Prophet (P.B.U.H):
It was narrated by Faddaalah ibn Ubayd (R.A) that The Prophet (P.B.U.H) heard a man making Dua after his prayer, but he did not send blessings upon the Prophet (P.B.U.H). The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said: “This man is in a hurry.” Then he called him and said to him or to someone else: “When any one of you has finished praying (and makes Dua), let him start by praising Allah, then let him send blessings upon the Prophet (P.B.U.H), then after that let him ask for whatever he wants.” [Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2765]
9. Praying for Allah’s mercy instead of Punishment.
When the Messenger of Allaah (P.B.U.H) saw a Muslim man who was sick and had grown feeble like a chicken. The Messenger of Allah said to him: “Did you pray for anything or ask for it?” He said: Yes, I used to say: O Allah, whatever punishment You would give me in the Hereafter, bring it forward in this world. The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) said: “Subhaan Allaah! You cannot bear it. Why didn’t you say, O Allah, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment of the Fire?” Then he prayed to Allaah for him, and He healed him.[Narrated by Muslim 2688]
10. Ask Duas in a proper manner because when a person asks Dua which is inappropriate or prays for something sinful; His Duas will not be answered.
Abu Hurayrah (R.A) said that The Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) said: “A person’s Dua will continue to be answered so long as he does not pray for something sinful or for the breaking of family ties.”Narrated by Muslim
11. Don’t wish for death because of a calamity that has befallen a person. In the Hadeeth it says:“No one of you should wish for death because of some harm that has befallen him. If he must wish for it, then let him say: ‘O Allah, keep me alive so long as living is good for me, and cause me to die when death is good for me.’” [Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6531; Muslim,2680]
In the Hadeeth it is narrated that Khabbaab (R.A) said:“Were it not that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) forbade us to pray for death, I would have prayed for it” [Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6350; Muslim, 2681]
12. Never give up praying and always have faith in Allah. Some people, when they are afflicted with a chronic disease, think that they cannot be cured and they give up Dua and fail to turn to Allah, and perhaps the satan makes them think that there is no need for Dua. This is one of the most serious mistakes, and it is ignorance of Allah and His power and kindness, for Allah is Able to do all things, and when He wills a thing He says to it “Be!” and it is.
When Zakariya (peace be upon him) was an old man and his wife was barren, he prayed for offspring: “O my Lord! Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of invocation” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:38].
And Allah answered his prayer: “Then the angels called him, while he was standing in prayer in Al-Mihraab (a praying place or a private room), (saying): “Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:39]. So do not despair of the help of Allah or think that the Mercy of Allah is limited.
13.Be specific and use concise words instead of overstepping the mark in making Dua. Narrated from Abd-Allaah ibn Mughaffal (R.A) that he heard his son say: “O Allah, I ask You for the white palace on the right side of Paradise if I enter it.” He said: “O my son, ask Allah for Paradise and seek refuge with Allah from the Fire, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) say:‘Among this Ummah will be people who overstep the mark in purifying themselves and in making Dua” [Narrated by Abu Dawood, 690]
14. One of the major reason why Duas are not answered is consuming Haraam wealth. Abu Hurayrah (R.A) said that the Messenger of Allah (P.B.U.H) said: “O people, Allah is Good and only accepts that which is good. Allah commanded the pious to follow the same commandments as He gave to the Messengers. Then he mentioned a man who has travelled on a long journey and is dishevelled and covered with dust; he stretches forth his hands to the heaven, (saying) “O Lord, O Lord”, but his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, all his nourishment is haraam, so how can he du’a be accepted?” [Narrated by Muslim]
The man described by the Prophet (P.B.U.H) had some of the characteristics which help Duas to be answered. He was traveling and he was in need of Allah, but the fact that he consumed haraam wealth prevented his Dua from being answered
15. Making the Dua conditional, such as saying, “O Allah, forgive me if You will” or “O Allah, have mercy upon me if You will.” The person who makes Dua has to be resolute in his supplication, striving hard and earnestly repeating his Dua. The Prophet (P.B.U.H) said:“Let not any one of you say, ‘O Allah, forgive me if You will, O Allah, have mercy on me if You will.’ Let him be resolute in the matter, whilst knowing that no one can compel Allah to do anything.”[Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim]
It was said to Ibraaheem ibn Adham: Why is it that we supplicate and receive no response?
He said because you know Allah but you do not obey Him, and you know the Messenger but you do not follow his Sunnah, and you know the Qur’an but you do not act in accordance with it, and you eat from the blessings of Allah but you do not give thanks for them, and you know Paradise but you do not seek it, and you know Hell but you do not flee from it, and you know the Satan but you do not fight him rather you agree with him, and you know death but you do not prepare for it, and you have buried the dead but you do not learn a lesson from that, and you ignore your own faults and are preoccupied with other people’s faults.
Tafseer al-Qurtubi (2/312).
These are some of the mistakes that are made in Dua. May Allah guide us to the straight path and accept our Duas. Ameen