Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

 

Assalamalaikum, first I wanted to thank you for the wonderful work you have been doing. May allah bless you here and in the hereafter, inshallah. I have been receiving your emails regarding queries and in one such email I did read about people whose prayers are not accepted, one was who is impatient, and there were few others and unfortunately I deleted that one email and would like to know it again. Kindly please let me know. My next question was regarding the meaning of the names ayan and Amna(not amina). Kindly let me know. thank you very much.

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Whose supplication is not accepted

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth.  If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause.  We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire.  Ameen.

 

Your Question: I have been receiving your emails regarding queries and in one such email I did read about people whose prayers are not accepted, one was who is impatient, and there were few others and unfortunately I deleted that one email and would like to know it again.

Every supplication that a believer makes to his Lord, is heard and answered by The Lord Most Gracious; for He is indeed The All Hearing, All Knowing.   

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 186:

And if  My servants ask you,  O Prophet, concerning Me,  tell them that I am quite near to them.   I hear and answer the prayer of the suppliant,  when he calls on Me.  So let them respond to My call and believe in Me.  (Convey this to them),  perhaps they may be guided aright!

 

The All Knowing, All Wise Allah knows what is good and what is bad for us;  therefore, if one asks for something good,  Allah will give him/her one of three things:

1.      Allah will give the believer what he/she has supplicated for.

2.      If what the believer is asking is not good or harmful for the believer in this world, Allah will store it for him for the world of the Hereafter.

3.      If what the believer is asking is not good or harmful for the believer in this world,   Allah will turn away from the believer an equivalent amount of evil.

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2257        Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri

The Prophet (saws) said, "Any Muslim who makes a supplication containing nothing which is sinful, or which involves breaking ties of relationship,  will be given for it by Allah one of three things: He will give him swift answer, or store it up for him in the next world, or turn away from him an equivalent amount of evil."  Those who heard it said they would then make many supplications and he (saws) replied that Allah was more ready to answer than they were to ask.

 

Nu'man b. Bashir reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Verily supplication is worship."

Narrated by Ahmad and Sunan.

 

Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet (saws) said, "Nothing is more dear to Allah than one's supplication to Him.'' 

Narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

 

Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "If any servant of Allah afflicted with distress or grief makes this supplication, his supplication will be accepted:  'O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of your maidservant.   My forehead is in Your hand.   Your command conceming me prevails, and Your decision concerning me is just.  I call upon You by every one of the beautiful names by which You have described Yourself, or which You have revealed in Your book, or have taught anyone of Your creatures, or which You have chosen to keep in the knowledge of the unseen with You, to make the Qur'an the delight of my heart, the light of my breast, and remover of my griefs, sorrows, and afflictions'." A supplication in these words will be answered.  Allah will remove one's affliction and replace it with joy and happiness.

 

Salman reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Your Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted One, is Modest and Generous, and He loathes to turn away His servant empty-handed when he raises his hands to Him in supplication."

Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban.

 

Abdallah b. 'Umar reported that the Prophet (saws) said, "Hearts are like vessels, some more attentive and capacious than others. When you supplicate Allah you should be certain of being answered, and know that Allah does not answer a supplication that comes from a careless and inattentive heart."

Narrated by Ahmad

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2248        Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "There are three whose supplication is not rejected:  one who has just ended a fast,  a just imam,  and one who has been wronged,  whose supplication is raised by Allah above the clouds and for which the gates of Heaven are opened.   The Lord says, 'I swear by My might that I shall certainly help you, though it be after some time.'"

 

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (saws) said, "Your supplication will be answered if you are not impatient, and if you do not say, 'I supplicated but my supplication was not heard'."

Narrated by Malik.

 

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 3.101a

Allah does not accept sadaqah if it is from what is unlawful: The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "O people! Allah is good and accepts only good’, and He has instructed the believers through the Messengers.  Allah, the Mighty and the Majestic, says: 'O Messengers! Consume what is good and work righteously. I am well-acquainted with what you do' [al-Mu'minum 51]." He also calls upon [you]: 'O you who believe! Consume of the good that We have provided for you' [al-Baqarah 172]. Then [the Messenger (saws)] mentioned a man who had traveled for a long time. Unkempt and covered in dust, he raised his hands to the heavens (and cried): 'O my Lord! O my Lord!'  His food was unlawful, his drink was unlawful, his clothing was unlawful, and what he had provided to sustain himself with was also unlawful. How could his invocation be accepted?"

Related by Muslim.

 

In light of the above aayah and the various narrations from the Messenger of Allah (saws),  it is evident that no good supplication to Allah of a believer is ever left unanswered.  The supplications which Allah does not accept are:

1.      A supplication which asks for something which is sinful and unlawful.

2.      A supplication which involves breaking the ties of blood relationships.

3.      A supplication which comes from a careless and inattentive heart.

4.      A supplication of one who is constantly impatient and declares: ‘I supplicated by my supplication was not heard!’

5.      A supplication made by one who is constant in disobeying even the basic guidance and commands of Allah Subhanah (his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothing is unlawful, his sustenance is unlawful, etc.)

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan