What should one ask when he prays to Allah? What are the things that are necessary to pay attention to while praying to Allah?

- How is du’a (praying to Allah) according to the Quran?
- What did the Prophet want when he prayed to Allah and what did he pay attention to?
- What is the effect of du’a? What are the issues and manners of du’a?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The word du’a is mentioned twenty-seven times in the Quran; the words da‘wa and da‘wah are also used in the same sense in some verses. In addition, verbs derived from the word du’a are used in many verses.   

In those verses, the word du’a and its derivatives are used in the following senses:

- To beg Allah,
- To present one’s requests and needs to Him, to ask His grace, to call, to address, to invoke, to worship, to ask for help, to describe a case,
- to know, to prove and to claim Allah’s oneness (see M. F. Abdulbaqi, Mujam, “d’aw” item)

The word du’a and its derivatives are used a lot in hadiths in the senses above. (see Wensinck, Mujam, “d’aw” item)

Ibn Manzur states that there are three ways of du’a and lists them as follows:

1. Expressing Allah’s oneness and mentioning him with praise.
2. Asking spiritual things from Allah like forgiveness and mercy.
3. Asking worldly bounties from Allah. (Lisanul-Arab, “d’aw” item)

The same writer points out that every statement that starts with the expressions of addressing and calling like “O Lord! O Allah!, etc.” or every statement that praises Allah – even if it does not include a request – is generally a du’a; he gives the following explanation of the Prophet (pbuh) mentioned in a hadith about the day of Arafa as an example: “My du’a and the du’a of previous people in Arafa is ‘La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah. Lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa huwa ala kulli shay'in qadir (There is no god but Allah, having no partner with Him, to Him belongs sovereignty and to Him is praise due, and He is potent over everything)’. He reminds us that religious phrases like tahlil (la ilaha illallah) and tahmid (alhamdulillah) are called du’a in the Islamic tradition.  

As a matter of fact, it is stated in the Quran (Yunus, 10/10) that the du’as of the believers in Paradise will start with the words of tazim and tanzih of Allah (subhanakallahumma) and will end with praising Allah (al-hamdu lillahi rabbil-alamin).

Raghib al-Isfahani states that the word du’a is lexically similar to the word nida (calling out) in terms of meaning but that the word du’a terminologically has the meaning of homage and asking something with homage; he shows the verse (an-Nur, 24/63) that orders the Muslims to use a respectful expression when they call (du’a) the Prophet (pbuh) as evidence for it. (see al-Mufradat, “d’aw” item)

In fact, that du’a is also regarded as dhikr and also the use of those two concepts together as “adhkar wa ad‘iya” in the Islamic literature is a result of the element of respect that du’a includes. Thus, it is seen that du’a expressions have two elements; one of them being dhikr and respect and the other request.

Ibn Manzur states that the words that express respect to Allah and praise him like “subhanallah, alhamdulillah, la ilaha illallah” are regarded as du’a since they imply a request of reward and thawab though it is not expressed clearly.

However, Islamic scholars generally regard the element of request in du’a as secondary and they emphasize respect to Allah, the superior power of Allah, the nothingness and poverty of the slave in the face of His infinite wealth and his needing Allah’s help just like in the other religious deeds.

Due to this content of du’a, the following hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) is emphasized in all relevant resources: “Du’a is the essence of worship.” (Tirmidhi, Daawat, 1)

According to the interpretation of tafsir scholars, salah, the most important worship of Islam, is expressed with the concept du’a in two verses (al-An‘am, 6/ 52; al-Kahf, 18/28) due to the same reason. 

In fact, the real meaning of salah used in the sense of “prayer” in the Islamic literature is du’a. Besides, it is seen that verbs derived from the word du’a are generally used in the sense of worshipping Allah in many verses.

Du’a is the main element of man’s activities related to worshipping Allah; the term du’a assumed a wide content in general in the Islamic terminology also expressing various forms of this element expressed with different concepts.

When the verb du’a is viewed in terms of the objects it is used together with, the religious content of this concept will be seen clearly.

Accordingly, du’a means as follows:

- A slave’s asking something from Allah,
- asking Allah,
- asking Allah for help and mentioning Him.

In other words, a slave turns toward Allah for something due to the effect of the circumstances he is in or for Allah. In that case, the concept du’a forms the general framework of dhikr (mentioning), tasbih (glorifying), hamd (praising), thana (praising), thanking, repentance, asking for forgiveness, taking refuge, etc., which are close to one another, of the religious feelings and orientations in the semantic area formed again in the Islamic period.  

Man remembers Allah and asks help from Him by confessing His weakness and mistakes sincerely in order to be saved from the troubled and hard situations he is in and not to be exposed to bad situations (dhikr, istiadha, istiana).

The desire to be saved from bad situations causes man to regret due to the sins he has committed to clean his heart, to praise and exalt Allah and to ask for forgiveness (dhikr, tasbih, hamd, thana, tawbah, istighfar).

He sometimes expresses his gladness due to being saved from problems and attaining bounties and ease. (shukr, hamd, thana).

Du’a sometimes expresses the feelings of admiration that occurs in man who observes the system and the esthetics in nature deeply and perceives the absolute perfection, beauty and reality (dhikr, tasbih, takbir, tahlil).

In the narrow sense, the concepts like du’a, begging, repentance, asking for forgiveness and taking refuge can be placed under the heading of “request” and the concepts tasbih, tahlil, tanzih, hamd, thana and shukr under the heading of “dhikr”.

It is indicated in the psychological analyses that du’a is a general spiritual mechanism referred to in order to get divine help but it is generally stated that it expresses man’s natural attraction to and his request of approaching his Creator. 

From this point of view, du’a is the mind’s being attracted to the immaterial world, sometimes watching the unchanging and superior principle of everything in awe, the spirit’s elevation toward Allah, the expression of love and worship to the being that created life, an effort made in order to establish a relationship with the invisible being, which creates everything, which is the highest source of perfection, power, strength and beauty, which is the savior and protector of everybody, and answer given by the slave to the continuous and overflowing love and care of Allah.  

It is an issue dealt with in the Quran that nature is full of warning signs for those who research it that will cause a religious consciousness to emerge in them and that will cause those researchers to accept a sublime power consequently, to pray to Him and to take refuge in Him.

It is stated in a Quranic verse that those who perceive the existence of Allah in the best way and feels His power in the most effective way are scholars:

“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day,- there are indeed Signs for men of understanding,- Men who celebrate the praises of Allah, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (With the thought): "Our Lord! not for naught Hast Thou created (all) this! Glory to Thee! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire!” (Aal-i Imran, 3/190-191; see also Fatir, 35/28)

The Importance of Du’a

The belief that religious tendency in man is natural is attributed to some verses of the Quran. There is an orientation toward Allah in the nature of all beings according to the religious worldview based on belief in Allah.

It is stated in many verses that all beings, whether living or non-living, glorify Allah. The following is stated in one of those verses:

“The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory: there is not a thing but celebrates His praise; And yet ye understand not how they declare His glory...” (al-Isra, 17/44; for similar verses, see ar-Ra‘d, 13/13; al-Hadid, 57/1; al-Hashr, 59/1; as-Saff, 61/1; al-Jumu‘a, 62/1; at-Taghabun, 64/1)

It is stated in the chapter of adh-Dhariyat (51/56) that the real duty of man is to worship. It is possible to deduce from this verse that man was created with a search of being attracted to his Creator, taking refuge in Him, contacting and knowing Him.

The verses about the creation of man are interpreted as follows: Man was given the ability to know Allah as Lord before he was created. (al-A‘raf, 7/172, 173)

Those verses are used as evidence in the Islamic resources and especially in Sufism that the religious tendency in man is natural. In this interpretation, life is understood as man’s feeling the pains of having left his real home and the effort of seeking and reaching it. In Sufi texts, the state of such a person is likened to a dove that has lost its spouse, a reed whining due to being pulled off from its place, a hawk coming when it hears the whistle of its owner or a bird in the cage. 

The general psychological mechanism of man in the form of referring to du’a when he is hopeless and in difficulty is insistently dealt with in the Quran.

In some verses, the states in which religious orientation or du’a becomes evident or weak are explained; it is also shown that this orientation exists as a natural and universal motif in man’s nature.

As the verses put it, man turns toward Allah sincerely when he faces a danger or is in a difficult position; he prays to Allah insistently while lying down, sitting and standing, asking for favors and success. (Yunus, 10/12; al-Isra, 17/11; ar-Rum, 30/31; Luqman, 31/32; Fussilat, 41/49)

It is emphasized in the verses above and in some other verses that man prays to Allah less, turns away from Allah, exaggerates his power, becomes selfish and ungrateful and acts cruelly when his needs are met, his problems are solved, he feels secure and he is successful. (al-Isra, 17/67; Luqman, 31/32; az-Zumar, 39/8; Fussilat, 41/51)

In order to prevent this negative development, divine religions made some remedies (some du’as and deeds of worship) a duty for man so that religious faith and feelings will be alive and effective in the consciousness of man as much as possible. Man is asked to pray to Allah in order to be saved from problems and hardships that hit him (al-Mu’min, 40/60); in addition, divine religions render it as an aim for man to remember Allah when he is in welfare and comfort and hence not to be deceived by his selfish desires thanks to being under the control of this faith.

That salah (prayer), which means du’a and dhikr, is a duty to be fulfilled at certain times of the day for believers (an-Nisa, 4/103) renders it as an aim for man to make belief in Allah continuous in his consciousness.

According to the studies of psychology of religion, if ethical and holy orientations of man’s nature are neglected, he becomes a spiritually blind being; this prevents him from being a constructive element of the society. Places for du’a that will provide the necessary spiritual and bodily conditions for inner ease are necessary today. In the tranquility of those sheltering places, people will be able to elevate their thoughts to Allah, relax their muscles and organs, eliminate the tension of their minds, clarify their ideas and gain the power of endurance for the hard life conditions rendered into a burden by the civilization. 

Du’a and worship seem to be man’s turning toward Allah due to his nature but according to religious texts, it is necessary to see du’a and worship as a live relationship and communication between Allah and the slave in which Allah’s mercy and compassion are known by the slave. (Qushayri, p. 380)

According to an interpretation, there is no intermediary between Allah and the slave in du’a and hence du’a is the most important one among the ranks of worshipping. (Fakhruddin ar-Razi, X, 374, 375)

The following is stated in a verse: “Say (to the Rejecters): "My Lord is not uneasy because of you if ye call not on Him.” (al-Furqan, 25/77) Thus, it is stated that man becomes valuable only when he turns toward Allah.

It is stated in some hadiths that a person who mentions Allah with His beautiful names will be forgiven even if his sins are as many as the foams of the sea. (Bukhari, Daawat, 65; Abu Dawud, Salah, 359)

Allah wants His slave to apply to him on any occasion so that He will answer him.   The occasion may be an admiration caused by observing beings, a feeling of gladness due to being in bounties, needs and fears that affect man and regret felt after committing a bad deed. (al-Baqara, 2/152, 186; Hud, 11/90; an-Nur, 24/31; az-Zumar, 39/53)

The feeling of guilt becomes important in that man understands his mistake and weakness in the presence of Allah and enables him to become a good slave. (Muslim, Tawba, 11)

In that case, sin or evil deed produces a pang of conscience that enables man to repent and to return to the legitimate borders. (Muslim, Birr, 14)

The sins that man cannot escape due to his nature are regarded as a means of turning toward Allah with deep feelings of regret. Therefore, when a slave turns toward Allah repeatedly after committing a sin repeatedly, he will be forgiven in all occasions according to a hadith. (Muslim, Tawba, 29)

It is regarded important in the understanding of Islamic life for a slave to turn toward Allah and to refer to Allah in a way to attract His care and mercy. In a hadith, the joy of Allah when somebody repents is likened to a person who loses his camel in the desert first and then finds it. (Muslim, Tawba, 2)

However, the first step must be taken by the slave for this divine mercy to take place.

The Quran gave the following answer to a question that the Prophet (pbuh) was asked:

“I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me.” (al-Baqara, 2/186)

It is stated in a sacred hadith that a slave will find more than the interest and love he shows to his Lord as a reward. (Muslim, Tawba, 1; Tirmidhi, Daawat, 132)

It is expected that worship and du’a will make a slave attain sensitivity and altruism that are necessary for an ethical life by making the consciousness of Allah livelier and more continuous in the slave and enable him to attain peace of mind, moral power, common sense and sagacity in order to solve problems rationally and make life happier. In that case, du’a is transformed into real tawakkul (reliance on Allah); that is, all of the ways to solve a problem or to prevent it are searched through the tranquility and power provided by reliance on Allah; and a good result is expected from Allah.  

When man has the feeling that the mind and the power of knowledge are not enough to understand and arrange the complicated events of life though he takes necessary measures, he generally expects from Allah through du’a and leaves the result to Allah. However, the hasty and easy nature of man frequently causes man to read, repeat or carry some prayer stereotypes on him or to wait for his requests to take place by using du’a as a kind of magic technique.

It is emphasized in the Quran that du’a should be attributed to Allah only.

It is definitely forbidden in the Quran to pray to and worship anyone except Allah, idols and some other creatures to whom some absolute qualities are attributed. (For example, see ash-Shuara, 26/213; al-Qasas, 28/88)

According to the description of the Quran, those who pray to anyone except Allah are like those who stretch forth their hands for water to reach their mouths but who get no water. (ar-Ra‘d, 13/14)

In fact, those whom people pray to other than Allah are Allah’s slaves and creatures.   (al-A‘raf, 7/194, 195; an-Nahl, 16/20)

Therefore, to pray to anyone except Allah “is straying far indeed” (al-Hajj, 22/12, 13) and “the prayer of those without Faith is nothing but (futile wandering) in (mazes of) error.” (al-Mu’min, 40/50).

The Effect of Du’a

There are a lot of evidences showing that remembering Allah and taking refuge in Him will enable the slave to attain the consent of Allah and to help him attain many benefits and rewards thanks to being close to Him.

According to the Quran, Allah answers the prayer of a person who calls on Him (al-Mu’min, 40/60) and Allah remembers a person who remembers Him. (al-Baqara, 2/152)

That most of the du’as included in the Quran and hadiths aim to protect life and personality necessitates believing that du’a is beneficial.

However, according to an explanation of the Prophet (pbuh), a few alternatives are in question in the acceptance of du’a. The person who prays to Allah is either given what he wants or it is kept for the hereafter or as much evil as the goodness he wants is eliminated from him. (Musnad, III, 18)

To apply to Allah due to needs and mistakes, and to remember Him due to His blessings bring about psychological ease, peace and comfort in a person  (ar-Ra‘d, 13/28; al-A‘la, 87/15; Ibn Majah, Adab, 53; Tirmidhi, Daawat, 7); in addition, they lead to ethical purification and elevation as well as having a constructive function to prevent obstruction and deviation in the phases of development and to complete personality.

According to a sacred hadith, the closeness caused by du’a and worship leads to love of Allah; and this love brings about a sensitive conscience and common sense in the slave. (Bukhari, “Riqaq”, 38)

“O Allah! Clean my mistakes with snow water and hail water; purify my heart from sins as you purify white clothes from dirt.” In the hadith above, the Prophet (pbuh) expresses the effect of du’a that eliminates the traces of the mistakes and sins in his conscience and that becomes a means of spiritual purification.

In addition, the otherworldly results of the good deeds, du’a and worship are dealt with more in religion. What matters is the reward, thawab and happiness in the eternal life.

However, it should be regarded as normal that when a Muslim aims otherworldly results with his deeds, he will also expect their positive results in the world. In fact, according to a du’a we are taught in the Quran, it is necessary to ask for goodness in the world and in the hereafter from our Lord. (al-Baqara, 2/201; an-Nahl, 16/122)

The importance of the religious consciousness experienced while saying prayers is indicated related to the acceptance of prayers. In that case, Allah becomes the unique subject of human consciousness; the other interests and desires are removed; emotional tension cleans man’s conscience and makes it ready for Allah.  

This state is described as “giving Allah sincere devotion” in the Quran (for instance, see al-Mu’min, 40/14, 65).

The following is stated in a hadith: Call upon Allah while being certain of being answered, and know that Allah does not respond to a supplication from the heart of one heedless and occupied by play. (Tirmidhi, Daawat, 66)

The common characteristic of those whose prayers are said to be accepted is that their consciousness is covered by a religious color.

According to what is stated in hadiths, a person who is hopeless in the face of a danger or oppression, parents whose hearts are full of sincere love, a person who wants the goodness of others, a just ruler who works for the society and a fasting person who curbs his bodily desires for Allah are among those whose prayers are not rejected.  (Bukhari, Jihad, 180; Ibn Majah, Du’a, 11)

In addition, the following are included among the conditions of du’a: du’a must not be related to committing a sin or breaking off relationships with one’s relatives and one must not be impatient about its acceptance. (Tirmidhi, Daawat, 9, 12)

Ghazzali states that certain incidents are dependent on certain causes; for instance, a shield is a cause of protection from arrows and water is a cause for the plants to grow; similarly, du’a is a cause to get rid of problems and misfortunes and to attract Allah’s mercy.

However, a change to occur as a result of du’a will occur within cause and effect relationship according to the explanation of Ghazzali. Allah states the following: “Take your precautions.” (an-Nisa, 4/71) If man does not take precautions in war and if he sows the seeds but does not water the field by thinking, ‘If Allah has predestined, crops will grow’, his deed does not comply with the principle of Allah’s predestination. (Ihya, I, 328, 329)

In that case, to want something to happen only is not enough for Allah to create that result. According to a hadith, it is necessary to tie the camel first and to rely on Allah after that. (Tirmidhi, Qiyamah, 60)

If a person does everything he can and turns toward Allah sincerely when he is desperate, he is sometimes given a miraculous cure, salvation and brightness. As a matter of fact, it is known that du’a has produced a curative effect on so many desperate patients. 

In a verse, we are advised to seek Allah´s help with patient perseverance and prayer in cases of misfortunes. (al-Baqara, 2/45, 153)

For, dhikr and du’a make hearts find satisfaction as it is stated in a verse. (ar-Ra‘d, 13/28)

As it is described in a hadith, angels surround those who remember and mention Allah; they are covered with mercy and tranquility. (Ibn Majah, Adab, 53)

The issue of the acceptance of du’a does not make it difficult to explain in terms of its results in the hereafter. Thawabs, forgiveness of sins, various boons of Paradise, salvation from penalty, etc. will be given in return for deeds like du’a, dhikr and tasbih. (Tirmidhi, Daawat, 60; Ghazzali, I, 297-302)

The Topics of Du’a

Most of the du’as, which form quite long lists in du’a books and which are based on verses of the Quran and mostly on hadiths, are about the basic wants and needs of man.

Prayers about the following are listed in a more detailed way: 

- Bodily and spiritual health,
- happiness in the world and the hereafter,
- individual and social security, taking refuge in Allah from unwanted and feared incidents.

Almost all anxieties and fears of man are mentioned in the list:

- Illness,
- Natural disasters,
- Poverty,
- Wealth that causes deviation,
- Soul and Satan,
- Distress and sadness,
- Oppression and enemy,
- Debt, hardship,
- Weakness,
- Abasement,
- Hell and penalty in the grave.

They form the main bad deeds and misfortunes that people take refuge from.

In addition, important incidents of life like birth, death and journey, simple activities like worship, eating, drinking, going to bed, sleeping, reaming, waking up, going to the market and shopping have been a topic of du’a.

Practical du’a books including du’as related to preservation of life and happiness in the hereafter in general have been popular in almost all eras.

Along with du’as related to physiological and individual benefits, it is seen that the following form the topics du’as in verses and hadiths: taking refuge from the simple requests and caprices of the soul that leads man to make mistakes and commit sins, from grudge and jealousy, an insensitive heart, evil caused by useless knowledge or ignorance; social, ethical and ideal targets that express to attain love that will unite hearts, mercy and high ethics.

According to Hz. Aisha, the du’as of the Messenger of Allah were concise and comprehensive (Abu Dawud, Salah, 358); they were generally about social and ethical aims.

Dissension and anarchy that can be seen in social structure, bad characteristics like misery, cowardice and laziness that degrade man’s honor, ethical corruption to be caused by poverty, wealth or old age are the states from which the Prophet took refuge most. (Muslim, Dhikr, 73; Nasai, Istiadha, 5, 6, 12)

It is remarkable that the following famous du’a of the Prophet (pbuh) shows the importance he gives to the preservation of ethics and mental health:  

“O Allah! I take refuge in You from a heart that does not humble itself, a soul that is never satisfied, knowledge that does not benefit and a supplication that is not accepted.” (Tirmidhi, Daawat, 69; Nasai, Istiadha, 13)

Du’as that express the loftiness of Allah like hamd, tasbih and tahlil sometimes consist of presenting him love and respect that aim closeness to Allah, contact with Him and His consent. People sometimes refer to those du’as as an introduction that will make it easy for their otherworldly or worldly requests to be accepted. 

Manners of Du’a

In Islamic resources, some formal and ethical conditions are laid for du’a just like other deeds of worship. 

Accordingly, the person who prays to Allah should have good manners in accordance with his position. As a matter of fact, it is described how a slave should act in salah (prayer), which is a kind of du’a. Those deeds enable man’s respect and refuge to have certain discipline in terms of outward appearance; they express presenting his weakness, accepting his deficiency, and presenting his praise, thanks and request for help in terms of its essence.    

The essence of manners in all deeds of salah and du’a consists of a slave’s being purified from ethical faults like conceit, show off, rudeness and heedlessness.

According to a verse, those who are in the presence of Allah do not act conceitedly; on the contrary, they prostrate by remembering His greatness. A person who remembers Allah should act with humility and in reverence and without loudness in words; doing the opposite is heedlessness. (al-A‘raf, 7/205, 206)

In another verse that wants du’a to be said heartily and secretly, something contrary is described as a deed that Allah does not like and overstepping the limits. When a slave prays to Allah, he should fear Allah and show respect to Him but he should also be willing and hopeful. (al-A‘raf, 7/55, 56)

According to a narration, the Prophet prevented some Muslims who started to utter takbir loudly and said, “You are not praying to a deaf being; you are praying to Allah, who hears and sees everything.” (Bukhari, Daawat, 50; Tirmidhi, Daawat, 58)

It is stated in a verse regarding the issue that Allah is close to people and that He listens to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Him. (al-Baqara, 2/186)

The Prophet (pbuh) also advises us to pray with a sensitive heart, to state the request with a definite and plain language, to show patience, to repeat prayer insistently and to repeat the request three times when necessary. (Bukhari, Daawat”, 20-22; Tirmidhi, Daawat, 12, 66)

Some principles are included in the relevant books about how a slave should pray to Allah in good manners or under what conditions his prayer will be accepted in the form of items. The topic, time and place of du’a, the way of starting and ending du’a and the position of the body in du’a are dealt with in detail.

Ghazzali gives a list of “good manners” with ten items about du’a including that du’a should be made heartily, secretly and with o low voice.

According to, du’a should be said;

- at blessed times,
- holy places,
- by turning toward the qiblah,
- by starting with the name of Allah,
- by regretting sins,
- by showing patience,
- by believing that it will be accepted,
- insistently. (Ihyâ, I, 304-309)

It can be said that the natural position of the body in du’a is kneeling, raising the hands, turning inward and saying prayers by praising Allah

Those who saw the Prophet (pbuh) saying prayers describe it as follows:

- He sometimes raised his hands so high as to reveal his armpits and wiped his hands over his face after prayer. (Bukhari, Daawat, 23; Tirmidhi, Daawat, 11);
- He sometimes repeated the words that expressed hamd, takbir and tasbih certain times and used his knuckles to count. (Tirmidhi, Daawat, 72)

However, the Messenger of Allah did not prefer counting so much and he said that it would be enough to repeat three times by using comprehensive phrases like “as many as the number of creatures” and “as heavy as the throne of Allah” (Muslim, “Dhikr”, 79; Abu Dawud, Salah, 359; Tirmidhi, Daawat, 89, 114, 121) ; he also said that it would be appropriate to praise Allah and to greet the Prophet before asking anything from Allah. (Abu Dawud, Salah, 358)

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