Manners of Making Duaa – Dr. Saleh as Saleh [Audio|Text]

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This summary outlines the fourteen key etiquettes of making Du’a (supplication) as detailed in the sermon. The etiquettes begin with praising Allah and sending blessings upon the Prophet before supplicating, followed by the importance of admitting one’s sins, as exemplified by the prayer of Prophet Yunus and the “Sayyid al-Istighfar.” The sermon emphasizes supplicating with humility, hope, and fear, and with firm determination, avoiding phrases like “if You wish.” Other crucial manners include being persistent in Du’a, making supplication in all states (both ease and hardship), and refraining from praying against oneself, family, or wealth. The physical aspects of Du’a are also covered, such as repeating the supplication three times, facing the Qibla, raising one’s hands, performing ablution (Wudu), and using a Siwak. Finally, the sermon highlights the significance of preceding one’s Du’a with a righteous deed and having a noble intention or objective behind the supplication.

بِسْمِ اللَّـهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.

We continue the discussion on the subject of du’a. And last time we spoke about the conditions of du’a. And in addition to the fact that du’a has conditions to it, then there also there are etiquettes that makes it perfected. And from the etiquettes, this is the subject of today’s topic is the أَدَبُ الدُّعَاءِ the etiquettes and manners of du’a.

1. Praising Allah and Sending Blessings on the Prophet

From the أَدَب the etiquette or manner in du’a is praising Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and making salah upon the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam before the du’a. Praising Allah and making salah upon his Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam before the du’a.

It is reported from Fadalah bin ‘Ubayd that while the Prophet alayhi salatu wassalam was sitting, a man came in and he prayed and said, اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي O Allah, forgive me وَارْحَمْنِي and have mercy upon me.

The messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, “You hasted. If you pray and you sit, then praise Allah by all that which He deserves, وَصَلِّ عَلَيَّ then make salah upon me, ثُمَّ ادْعُهُ then invoke Him.”

So he directed him to praise Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala first and then make salah upon him alayhi salatu wassalam.

Then another man came and prayed. And this other man praised Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and made salah upon the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam. The Prophet alayhi salatu wassalam told him,

أَيُّهَا الْمُصَلِّي ادْعُ تُجَبْ
“You the one who prayed, invoke Allah and you will be answered.”

This hadith is reported by at-Tirmidhi and by Abu Dawud and Sheikh al-Albani rahimahullah said that it is Sahih in Sahih al-Jami’.

And he sallallahu alaihi wasallam said in the other hadith reported by at-Tabarani and others, he said,

كُلُّ دُعَاءٍ مَحْجُوبٌ
“Every du’a is hindered,

meaning from being answered,

حَتَّى يُصَلَّى عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم
until salah upon the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam is made.”

This is reported by at-Tabarani or in at-Tabarani in al-Awsat from ‘Ali radiyallahu ta’ala anhu. And also in al-Firdaws by ad-Daylami from Anas. And it is also reported raised to ‘Umar radiyallahu ta’ala anhu. But this is in at-Tirmidhi and Sheikh al-Albani rahimahullah graded it as hasan, graded it as hasan, as good.

2. Admitting One’s Sins and Wrongdoings

So this is the first etiquette. The second etiquette is admitting one’s sin and confessing of one’s mistakes and wrongdoings. And that’s why the du’a of Yunus alayhi assalam is from the greatest invocations, if it is not the greatest. Why? Because it comprised his confession and attestation to the oneness of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and His uniqueness. In addition to his confessing his sin and wrongdoing and doing injustice to himself, as Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala said regarding this in Surah al-Anbiya, chapter 21 verse 87.

فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
But he cried through the darkness (saying): “La ilaha illa Anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah)], Glorified (and Exalted) are You [above all that (evil) they associate with You]. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers.” (21:87)

And remember Dhun-Nun, Yunus, Jonah, when he went off in anger and imagined that we shall not punish him, meaning the calamities which had befallen him, but he cried through the darkness saying,

لَّا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ
“La ilaha illa Anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah)], Glorified (and Exalted) are You [above all that (evil) they associate with You].

لَّا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers.”

Similarly, the situation holds regarding the great du’a known as سَيِّدُ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ Sayyid al-Istighfar, which is most superior of istighfar, asking Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala for forgiveness, which is considered the best in structure. And one of the causes for its merits is that it involves the confession concerning sin and wrongdoing.

As came in the hadith of Shaddad bin Aws radiyallahu anhu from the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam that he said,

سَيِّدُ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ
Sayyid al-Istighfar, the most superior of istighfar, is for the slave to say,

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
“O Allah, You are my Rabb, there is no true God worthy of worship but You. You created me and I am Your slave, and I am keeping to Your covenant and promise as much as possible or able to. I seek refuge in You from the evil I have done. I testify or confess of Your favor upon me, and I admit and acknowledge, and I confess to my sin, so forgive me, and no one forgives sins except You.” (Volume 8, hadith 318 in Sahih al-Bukhari)

The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, “If somebody recites it during the day,

مَنْ قَالَهَا مِنَ النَّهَارِ مُوقِنًا بِهَا فَمَاتَ مِنْ يَوْمِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُمْسِيَ فَهُوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ
if somebody recites it during the day with firm faith in it and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be from the people of Paradise.

وَمَنْ قَالَهَا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُوَ مُوقِنٌ بِهَا فَمَاتَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُصْبِحَ فَهُوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ
And if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it and dies before the morning, he will be from the people of Paradise.”

نَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى مِنْ فَضْلِهِ We ask Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala from His bounty. So this is the second, the second etiquette or manner.

3. Humbleness, Calmness, with Hope and Fear

The third one is being in a state of humbleness and calmness with hope and fear, with hope and fear.

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala described His prophets alayhimussalam as in Surah al-Anbiya 21:90.

إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَيَدْعُونَنَا رَغَبًا وَرَهَبًا وَكَانُوا لَنَا خَاشِعِينَ
Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us. (21:90)

So we answered his call and we bestowed upon him Yahya, where he said, “Verily they used to hasten on to do good deeds and they used to call on us with hope and fear. And they used to call on us with hope and fear and used to humble themselves before us.” This is the point of evidence. Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on us with hope and fear and used to humble themselves before us. This is the third etiquette.

4. Firmness and Determination

The fourth etiquette, having firmness and determination when making the du’a or concerning the issue. As in the hadith reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim, and in Bukhari volume 8, hadith 351. Abu Hurairah radiyallahu ta’ala anhu said that Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wasallam said,

لَا يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي إِنْ شِئْتَ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي إِنْ شِئْتَ لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ فَإِنَّهُ لَا مُكْرِهَ لَهُ
“None of you should say, ‘O Allah, forgive me if You wish.’ ‘O Allah, be merciful to me if You wish.’ But he should always appeal to Allah with determination, for nobody can force Allah to do something against His will. Nobody can force Allah to do something against His will.”

This is the fourth etiquette, having firmness and determination when making the du’a or concerning the issue.

5. Insistence in Du’a

And the fifth one, the fifth etiquette is insistence in du’a. This is from the beautiful etiquettes which indicates the true hope for that which is with Allah azza wa jall. In addition to the fact that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala loves those insisting in du’a as came in the hadith of ‘Aisha radiyallahu ta’ala anha. And this hadith is reported in at-Tabarani and others. And in it, the wording is

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُلِحِّينَ فِي الدُّعَاءِ
“Allah loves those who insist in du’a.”

I have to mention that with respect to the narration by ‘Aisha which we mentioned earlier, we didn’t mention concerning the degree of the hadith. This hadith,

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُلِحِّينَ
“Allah loves those who insist in du’a,”

as I said, is supported in at-Tabarani

فِي الدُّعَاءِ
in ad-Du’a

and al-‘Uqayli فِي الضُّعَفَاءِ الْكَبِيرِ in ad-Du’afa’ al-Kabir وابن عدي في الكامل wa Ibn ‘Adi fi al-Kamil and others from the way of Baqiyyah ibn al-Walid and who said that Yusuf ibn as-Safar عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ from az-Zuhri, from ‘Urwah, from ‘Aisha, then he reported it.

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said in his book al-Fath that at-Tabarani reported it in the du’a with good chain with trustworthy chain of narrators except that there is the point of known in hadith as ‘an’anah Baqiyyah ibn al-Walid from ‘Aisha. And there is criticism also by others to the narration and some have declared it weak and others considered it inauthentic and some of the scholars even considered it to be fabricated. This is with respect to the status of this narration.

6. Making Du’a in All Circumstances

We continue then. The sixth manner or etiquette,

الدُّعَاءُ فِي كُلِّ الْأَحْوَالِ
making du’a under all circumstances,

under all circumstances, meaning at times of ease, at times of difficulty, under hardship. Because of the hadith reported by Abu Hurairah radiyallahu ta’ala anhu, he said that the Messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam said,

مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَسْتَجِيبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ عِنْدَ الشَّدَائِدِ وَالْكُرَبِ فَلْيُكْثِرِ الدُّعَاءَ فِي الرَّخَاءِ
“Whoever is pleased that Allah or wants is that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala responds to his du’a at times of hardship and distress, then let him make abundant du’a at the times of ease.”

7. Avoiding Du’a Against Oneself, Family, or Wealth

The seventh is avoiding du’a against one’s family, one’s wealth, and one’s self. Why? Because the objective of the du’a is to seek what is beneficial and to ward off harm. And making du’a against one’s family, wealth and self, there is no benefit in that. Rather this is pure harm upon the person. What he is going to gain from the corruption, for example, of his family, or destruction of his wealth, or of himself, etc. And that’s why in the hadith reported by Muslim, or collected by Muslim, the Prophet alayhi salatu wassalam said,

لَا تَدْعُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ
“Do not invoke Allah against yourselves,

وَلَا تَدْعُوا عَلَى أَوْلَادِكُمْ
and don’t invoke Allah against your children,

وَلَا تَدْعُوا عَلَى أَمْوَالِكُمْ
and don’t invoke Allah against your wealth,

lest you may meet an hour where you ask Allah and He will respond to you. So this is the seventh etiquette.

8. Repeating the Du’a Three Times

The eighth etiquette is to repeat the du’a three times. To repeat the du’a three times, to repeat the invocation three times. As reported in Sahih Muslim from the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, the lengthy hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, and that’s when the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam finished his salah, he raised his voice, then he invoked Allah against Quraysh. And that when he used to make du’a, he used to make it in thrice.

ثُمَّ قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ عَلَيْكَ بِقُرَيْشٍ
Then he said, “O Allah, deal with Quraysh.”

اللَّهُمَّ عَلَيْكَ بِقُرَيْشٍ، اللَّهُمَّ عَلَيْكَ بِقُرَيْشٍ
“O Allah, deal with Quraysh. O Allah, deal with Quraysh.”

9. Facing the Qiblah

The ninth etiquette is to face the Qiblah. Face the Qiblah. And in the hadith reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim, and it is in al-Bukhari volume 8, hadith 354. From Abdullah bin Zayd radiyallahu anhu qaal,

خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى هَذَا الْمُصَلَّى يَسْتَسْقِي فَدَعَا وَاسْتَسْقَى ثُمَّ اسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ وَقَلَبَ رِدَاءَهُ
“The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam came to the Musalla and then he made du’a and sought Allah for rain, then he directed himself towards the Qiblah and turned his rida’, the upper garment, inside out.”

Allah’s messenger went out to this Musalla praying place to offer the prayer of Istisqa seeking Allah for rain. He invoked Allah for rain and then faced the Qiblah and turned his rida’, his upper garment inside out.

10. Raising the Hands

The tenth etiquette is raising the hands with du’a. Abu Musa al-Ash’ari radiyallahu ta’ala anhu said, and this hadith is in Bukhari and Muslim,

دَعَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم
“The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam made du’a,”

then he raised his hands,

وَرَأَيْتُ بَيَاضَ إِبْطَيْهِ
“and I saw the whiteness of his armpits.”

And in the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar reported by al-Bukhari and also an-Nasa’i, the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, said that

رَفَعَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدَيْهِ
“The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam raised his hands,”

وَقَالَ
and he said,

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَبْرَأُ إِلَيْكَ مِمَّا صَنَعَ خَالِدٌ
“O Allah, I declare myself free of what Khalid had done.”

And also from the hadith of Salman al-Farisi radiyallahu anhu reported by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Sheikh al-Albani considered it as Sahih or hasan rather good in Sahih al-Jami’, the hadith of Salman that the messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam said,

إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى حَيِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ
“Your Rabb, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, most blessed and most high, is hayyun karim, one who He is bashful and generous.

يَسْتَحْيِي مِنْ عَبْدِهِ إِذَا رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ إِلَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّهُمَا صِفْرًا
He is shy if His slave for His slave to raise his hands to him and then turns them empty.”

This raising of the hands applies to the general du’a, and to all cases where there is proof to raise the du’a, to raise the hands in du’a, like for example raising the hands in du’a while on the Safa and Marwa and in istisqa seeking Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala for rain. Yawm al-Jumu’ah, the day of Jumu’ah, istisqa while making the khutbah. Why we say this? Because there are invocations where hands are not raised, like the du’a upon entrance to the to the house or leaving one’s house, going out, or upon entrance to the toilet or leaving it, upon leaving it. There is no proof for raising the du’a under such situations, raising the hands rather under such situations. So therefore the guiding or the guidance in this is raising the hands is applicable to in cases of general du’a or when there is a proof indicating as such.

11. Using the Siwak

From the etiquettes is using the siwak, using the siwak to brush one’s teeth. And this is directed in the following manner. The du’a is worship by the tongue. And cleaning the mouth when making the du’a is a good etiquette. And that’s why the sunnah is replete regarding the legality of using the siwak for salah. And the reason is to clean the place where the dhikr is going to be established in the salah, where the remembrance of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala is to be established.

12. Preceding Du’a with a Righteous Deed

From the etiquettes of du’a is to introduce before the du’a a righteous deed, like giving in charity or doing good to a poor person or offering two raka’ah or fasting, so that these righteous deeds be means for the du’a to be answered. The evidence for this is in the hadith of the three who went into a cave and a rock fell and closed the entrance to the cave, and so they were trapped there. And we discussed this hadith in the classes before. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam told us that each one of them sought means of nearness to Allah by a righteous deed which he did sincerely for Allah’s sake, and Allah then accepted the du’a of each person and made the rock move away finally and they came out safe. So this is a manner or etiquette to introduce a righteous deed before one’s du’a.

13. Performing Ablution (Wudu)

The thirteenth etiquette is al-wudu, al-wudu, making wudu, the ritual purification. As in the hadith of Abu Musa al-Ash’ari which is in al-Bukhari and in Muslim. May Allah be pleased with him. After the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam finished from the expedition of Hunayn, the battle of Hunayn, and in the hadith,

فَدَعَا بِمَاءٍ فَتَوَضَّأَ
“he called for water to be brought, so he made wudu,

then he raised his hands and said,

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِعُبَيْدٍ أَبِي عَامِرٍ
‘O Allah, forgive ‘Ubayd Abi ‘Amir,’

وَرَأَيْتُ بَيَاضَ إِبْطَيْهِ
and I saw the whiteness of his armpits.”

14. Having a Good Intention

The fourteenth etiquette, one’s aim should be good. One’s objective should be good. Like if one puts an objective as a means of nearness to Allah if his du’a is answered, that a righteous deed may be manifested. Like for example, saying, “Allahumma irzuqni malan, O Allah, give me wealth so I can spend it in ways of truth and to help by it Your deen, Islam.” Or, “O Allah, bestow upon me knowledge so that I can teach it, teach Your deen to the people and spread goodness.” “O Allah, bestow upon me a good husband or a good wife so that I suffice myself and protect myself from falling into haram,” and so forth.

This is indicated as in the du’a of Musa alayhi assalam in Surah Taha. Chapter 20, verses 25 to 35.

قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي وَاجْعَل لِّي وَزِيرًا مِّنْ أَهْلِي هَارُونَ أَخِي اشْدُدْ بِهِ أَزْرِي وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِي أَمْرِي كَيْ نُسَبِّحَكَ كَثِيرًا وَنَذْكُرَكَ كَثِيرًا إِنَّكَ كُنتَ بِنَا بَصِيرًا
[Musa (Moses)] said: “O my Lord! Open for me my chest (grant me self-confidence, contentment, and boldness). And ease my task for me; And make loose the knot (the defect) from my tongue, (i.e. remove the incorrectness from my speech) That they understand my speech, And appoint for me a helper from my family, Harun (Aaron), my brother; Increase my strength with him, And let him share my task (of conveying Allah’s Message and Prophethood), That we may glorify You much, And remember You much, Verily! You are of us Ever a Well-Seer.” (20:25-35)

What was the outcome? Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala answered his request and bestowed favor upon him.

And this is also indicated by the hadith of Ibn ‘Amr radiyallahu anhuma which is reported in Abu Dawud and Sheikh al-Albani rahimahullah considered it as hasan, good. He said that the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said, “If anyone of you comes to visit an ill person, then let him say, invoke Allah saying,

اللَّهُمَّ اشْفِ عَبْدَكَ يَنْكَأُ لَكَ عَدُوًّا أَوْ يَمْشِي لَكَ إِلَى صَلَاةٍ
‘O Allah, bestow your healing upon such and such person, so that he can stand to defeat an enemy of you, or that he walks to offer salah for You.'”

These are 14 manners in du’a and there is more but insha’Allah Ta’ala sufficient for today. I ask Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to make this a benefit for myself and for all of you.

وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
And praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.

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