Du'a الدعاء

Overview

Du'a (دُعَاء) is the believer's personal supplication to Allah — calling upon Him directly with praise, need, and request. Distinct from the formal ritual prayer Salah, Du'a may be uttered in any language, in any state, at any time, and is described by the Prophet ﷺ as the essence of worship.

Etymology

The root د-ع-و means to call, invite, or summon. Scholars distinguish two uses in the Qur'an: du'a al-mas'alah (calling upon Allah for need) and du'a al-ibadah (calling upon Him through worship). Both are reserved exclusively for Allah — directing them to other than Him is shirk.

Quranic references

The divine invitation: Surah Ghafir 40:60 — 'And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you."'

Closeness in supplication: Surah Al-Baqarah 2:186 — 'And when My servants ask you concerning Me — indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.'

Manner of asking: Surah Al-A'raf 7:55 — 'Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors.'

And the exclusive direction of supplication: Surah Al-Jinn 72:18 — 'And [He revealed] that the masjids are for Allah, so do not invoke with Allah anyone.'

Hadith and tradition

Anas ibn Malik reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Du'a is worship." — Graded Sahih by al-Albani — Jami al-Tirmidhi 2969

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Nothing repels the decree except du'a, and nothing increases the lifespan except righteousness." — Graded Hasan by al-Albani — Jami al-Tirmidhi 2139

Times of acceptance noted in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim include the last third of the night, between adhan and iqamah, during prostration in Salah, the last hour of Friday, and while fasting in Ramadan. The Sahaba learned to invoke Allah by His Names — see Asma al-Husna.

Significance

Du'a is the lifeblood of Iman and a daily expression of Tawhid: the servant turns away from creation and confides in the Creator. Refusing to ask of Allah is a sign of arrogance, while persistent supplication is beloved to Him. The supplications of the prophets — Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Yusuf, and Isa — are preserved in the Qur'an as a manual for the believer.

See also

Salah · Shahada · Ramadan · Asma al-Husna

References

1. Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim, on Surah Ghafir 40:60 and Surah Al-Baqarah 2:186.
2. Ibn al-Qayyim, Al-Da' wa al-Dawa' (The Disease and the Cure), on the conditions and etiquettes of du'a.
3. Al-Nawawi, Al-Adhkar, prophetic supplications for every occasion.
4. Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmu al-Fatawa, on du'a as the essence of worship.