The Etiquettes of Making Du'a To Allah

These etiquettes are narrated in Ahadith. For reasons of brevity, only the following meaning summary and reference of each Hadith is mentioned instead of the entire Hadith. May Allah SWT make it easy for us to understand, practice and spread the knowledge below (Ameen):

1. To abstain from Haraam food, clothing and earnings. (Muslim, Tirmidhi)

2. To make Du'a with sincerity. In other words, one should firmly believe that nobody but Allah Ta'ala will fulfill his/her objectives. (Hakim)

3. One should perform a good deed prior to making the Du'a & he/she should mention this during the course of the Du'a. For e.g. he/she should say, "O Allah! I had performed so & so deed solely for Your pleasure. O Allah! accept my Du'a due to the Baraqah of that deed. (Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)

4. To make Du'a whilst one is physically and ritually clean. (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, Nasa'i, Ibn Hibban, Mustadrak)

5. To make Wudhu before making Du'a. (Sihah Sittah)

6. To face the Qiblat when making Du'a. (Sihah Sittah)

7. To sit as in the Tashahhud-Iftirash position during Du'a - that is the position between two sujuds in Solat. (Abu Awanah)

8. To praise Allah SWT at the beginning as well as at the end of Du'a. (Sihah Sittah)

9. To convey Salawat and Salam upon Rasulullah SAW at the beginning as well as at the end of the Du'a. (Abu Dawud, Ahmad)

10. To spread out both the hands when making Du'a. (Tirmidhi, Mustadrak)

11. To raise both the hands up to the shoulders when making Du'a. (Abu Dawud, Ahmad)

12. To sit with humility, adab and respect during Du'a. (Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)

13. To mention one's helplessness and dependence on Allah SWT within the Du'a. (Tirmidhi)

14. To abstain from raising the eyes towards the sky whilst making Du'a. (Muslim)

15. To mention the Asma-ul-Husna (the names of Allah SWT) and the sublime grandeur qualities of Allah SWT. (Ibn Hibban and Mustadrak)

16. To abstain from ceremonies rhyming of the Du'a phrases. (Bukhari)

17. To abstain from saying the Du'a in a "sing-song" tone if the Du'a is in a poetic form. (Hisn)

18. One may make Du'a through the medium of the Ambiyaa AS and other pious servants. However, this must be carefully done. For example, the person making the supplication could say, "O Allah! Accepts my Du'as through the good offices of these saintly people". (Bukhari, Bazzaar, Hakim)

19. To make the Du'a in a soft voice. (Sihah Sittah)

20. To utter the exact Du'a phrases transcribed from Rasulullah SAW. (Abu Dawud, Nasa'i)

21. To make Du'a that encompasses most of the needs of Deen and the worldly life. With this regards, goodness in this worldly refers to what may be taken as provision for the Afterlife. (Abu Dawud)

22. To make Du'a in favour of oneself first, thereafter one's parents and to include the other Muslims in the Du'a as well. (Muslims)

23. If an Imam is making Du'a, he should not make Du'a for himself only but he should include the whole congregation in the Du'a that he makes. (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)

Imam Abu Dawud RA narrates that Rasulullah SAW said that the Imam who makes Du'a for himself only, has betrayed the people. In other words, the Imam should not make Du'a that is restricted to himself alone. For example, in congregation he should not be saying, "O Allah! cure my son" or "O Allah! Return my lost item" etc. Instead, he should make Du'a that includes the whole congregation, for example he may say, "O Allah! Forgive us and have mercy upon us".

24. To make Du'a with firm conviction. He should not say for example, "O Allah! If you wish to fulfil so and so task of mine, then do so, otherwise nevermind." (Sihah Sittah)

25. To make Du'a with enthusiasm & yearning. (Ibn Hibban & Abu Awanah)

26. As far as possible, all Muslims should endeavour to bring about a "presence of heart and mind" and cherish a high hope of the Du'a being accepted. (Hakim)

27. To make Du'a repeatedly. (Bukhari, Muslim)

28. Repetitions within a supplication should be made at least thrice. (Abu Dawud)

One may repeat the Du'a thrice in one sitting or he may repeat it on three different occasions. The "repetition of the Du'a" here can be interpreted in both ways.

29. To make Du'a earnestly and insistently. (Nasa'i, Hakim, Abu Awanah)

30. To abstain from making Du'a of severing family ties or other sins. (Muslim, Tirmidhi)

31. To avoid making Du'as of pre-determined and fixed things. For example, a woman should not make Du'a so that she be transformed into a man; and a tall person should not make Du'a so that Allah makes him short. (Nasa'i)

32. We should not make Du'a for impossible things. Examples include - to return back to time, etc. (Bukhari)

33. One must not make Du'a in which he/she asks Allah Ta'ala to confine His Mercy to himself/herself only. (Bukhari, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah)

34. Ask only Allah Ta'ala alone for all your needs. Do not depend upon His creation. (Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban)

35. The one making Du'a as well as the person listening to it, both should say "Ameen" at the end of the supplication. (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i)

36. Both hands should be rubbed over the face at the end of making Du'a. (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Majah, Hakim)

37. We must never be impatient over the acceptance of Du'as. In other words, we must never say, "I've made Du'a repeatedly but to no avail." (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah)