Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy on him, was asked:

Q: Is it permissible to add additional words to this Du’aa, which the Prophet (
) taught al-Hasan Ibn ‘Alee ( )?

A: There is no problem should a person wish to increase this Du’aa of Qunoot during the Witr prayer with additional words. If he were alone (in prayer), then he may also make Du’aa with whatever he likes. However, it is preferable for a person to choose comprehensive and general supplications as the Prophet (
) used to supplicate with comprehensive, general supplications and other times would supplicate with ones that are more specific. It is also incumbent upon the Imaam not to prolong it upon the people so not as to put a burden or hardship upon them.16

Q: The Shaykh, may Allaah have mercy on him, was also asked about a person who makes Du’aa yet is not immediately answered. He may say, “I make Du’aa but it is not answered.” A: All praise and thanks are due to Allaah, and I send peace and prayers upon our Prophet, Muhammad, upon his family, and upon his companions. I ask Allaah () to bestow upon my brothers and myself success in following that, which is correct in ‘Aqeedah (principles of faith), statement, and action.

Allaah () says:

“And your Lord said, ‘Call upon Me; I will answer you.’ Indeed, those who reject My worship will enter Hell humiliated, disgraced.” [Soorah Ghaafir, 40:60] The questioner says he makes Du’aa to Allaah () yet Allaah does not respond to him. So this reality presents a problem and confusion for him when contrasted with this noble verse in which Allaah () promises to answer the one who makes Du’aa to Him, and Allaah never breaks a promise. The answer to this is that there are conditions for one’s Du’aa being answered that need fulfillment.

The First Condition: Sincerity to Allaah () in that one sincerely calls upon Allaah alone, turning to Him with an attentive and truthful heart. He must be earnest while asking Him, knowing with certainty that Allaah () is completely capable of responding to his call, and hoping and expecting Him to answer.

The Second Condition: The person must feel that while making Du’aa, he is in dire need of Allaah (), and that Allaah alone is the only One Who hears and answers the Du’aa of the one compelled to call upon Him.

As for someone calling upon Allaah while feeling himself self-sufficient without Allaah and not in dire need of Him, yet he merely makes Du’aa out of habit or to test the effect, then such a person is not worthy of a response.

The Third Condition: The person must take all precautions to avoid eating anything forbidden because eating that which is impermissible prevents one’s supplications from being answered as has been established in an authentic Hadeeth that the Prophet (
) said:

Indeed, Allaah is good and only accepts that which is good. And Allaah commands the believers with the likes of which He commands the messengers; He () said, “O you who believe, eat of the good things We have provided you and be grateful to Allaah if it is Him that you worship.” [Soorah al-Baqarah, 2:172] And He () said:

“O Messengers, eat from the good foods and work righteousness. Indeed, I know what you do.” [Soorah al-Muminoon, 23:51] Then the Prophet (
) mentioned a man who - having traveled far - is disheveled and dusty. He stretches his hands to the sky saying, “O Lord, O Lord”, yet his food if Haraam and his clothes are Haraam. He is taking nourishment from that which is Haraam,17 so how could he be answered?18

The Prophet (
) excluded such a man from being answered even though he actually fulfilled some of the physical means by which Du’aa is answered, and they are:

1. The man raised his hands towards the sky, meaning to Allaah (), because He is above the heavens, above the throne. Stretching out the hands to Allaah is from the means of having one’s supplication answered as has come in the Hadeeth:

“Indeed, Allaah is shy and generous. He is shy, when a man raises his hands to Him, to return them empty and rejected.”19

2. This man supplicated to Allaah () using the name “Lord” by saying, “O Lord, O Lord”. Seeking nearness to Allaah by this name is also from the means of a servant having his Du’aa answered. The Lord is the creator, the owner, and the arranger of all affairs. In His hand is the control of the heavens and earth. For this reason, you find most of the supplications in the noble Qur’aan contain this name:

“Our Lord, indeed, we have heard a caller (Prophet Muhammad) calling to Faith, saying, ‘Believe in your Lord,’ so we have believed. Our Lord, forgive us of our sins and remove from us our misdeeds and cause us to die with the righteous people. Our Lord, grant us what You promised us through Your Messengers and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You do not fail in Your Promise.” “So their Lord responded to them, ‘Never will I allow to be lost the work of any worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another.

So those who immigrated, driven out from their homes, harmed in My Cause, fought, or were killed – I will surely remove from them their misdeeds, and I will surely admit them into gardens beneath which rivers flow as a reward from Allaah. And Allaah has with Him the best reward.’” [Soorah Aali-‘Imraan, 3:193-195] So seeking nearness to Allaah by using this name is from the means of one’s Du’aa being responded to.

3. This man (in the Hadeeth on pg. 23) was traveling and most of the time, traveling on a journey is a time in which supplications are answered. This is because when one is journeying, he usually feels a sense need and reliance upon Allaah more than when he is at home, secure with his family. This was even more so, especially traveling during those past times.

The Prophet (
) mentioned in the Hadeeth that this man was, “disheveled and dusty” meaning that he was not in the normal state he usually is. It was as if the most important thing to him at that time was turning to Allaah and supplicating to Him no matter what state he was in, whether untidy and dusty or comfortable in luxury. And this state of being disheveled and dusty may have some affect on one’s Du’aa being responded to due to the Hadeeth in which the Prophet (
) said that Allaah descends to the lowest heaven on the day of ‘Arafah, boasting to the angels of those who stand and supplicate to Him, saying:

“Look at My servants. They have come to Me disheveled and dusty.”20

Even while fulfilling all of these means of having his Du’aa answered, they did not benefit him at all because his food was Haraam, his clothing Haraam, and he was completely nourished by Haraam means. So the Prophet (
) said, “So how could he be answered?” So these are some conditions that, when not fulfilled, may make ones’ supplication seem unanswered. However, if they are fulfilled and still Allaah () does not immediately respond to the caller, then that is due to a certain reason and Allaah’s wisdom that He ()

knows yet the caller is unaware of. And it is possible that we love and want something but it is really bad for us. So if one tries his best to fulfill the conditions of Du’aa, yet he feels he is not immediately responded to, then it may be that Allaah will instead prevent an evil greater than that from befalling him, or He may save the reward and response until the Day of Resurrection on which He will repay with increased rewards. So if he fulfills the conditions (yet is not answered due to Allaah’s wisdom nor is an evil prevented from afflicting him greater than that for which he made Du’aa about) then he will be given a reward twice – once for his act of worship of supplicating to Allaah alone, and once for his trouble and grief of not having his Du’aa immediately answered. So Allaah will save for him that which is greater and more complete.

Also, one must not consider the response to his supplication to be slow for this is actually one of the ways of preventing Du’aa from being accepted and answered. This is based on a Hadeeth in which the Prophet (
) said:

“Each of you will be answered as long as he is not hasty, saying, ‘I made Du’aa but it was not answered for me.’”21

So a person should not try to rush the response or despair and leave making Du’aa.

Rather, he should persist in calling upon Allaah for each time you supplicate to Him, that is a form of worship by which you draw nearer to Him and are rewarded.

So, my brother, you must stay constant upon making Du’aa sincerely to Allaah () alone in all of your affairs, the general and specific, the minor and critical matters. And even if there was nothing other than the fact that making Du’aa to only Allaah () is worship, then it would definitely be worthwhile for a person to constantly remain steadfast on this action. And with Allaah lies all success.