The Art of Asking God: The Reality of Supplication

This is the first in a series of articles on how make dua or supplication from the seminar The Art of Asking from God by shaykh Faraz Rabbani, shaykh Abdullah Misra and shaykh Ahmed El-Azhary.

Allah promises us in the Quran regarding supplication (dua): 

 ٱدۡعُونِیۤ أَسۡتَجِبۡ لَكُمۡۚ 

“‘Call on Me and I will answer you” [Quran, 40:60; tr. Keller, Quran Beheld]

The promise to answer is in the present continual tense.  What is implicit is: “I will answer you because it is my nature to answer you.” The nature of a conditional statement is that if the condition is fulfilled, what is conditioned upon it is fulfilled.

Allah does not have to answer us but He has given us this promise and this promise is amazing because he has not made the promise conditional on anything else. He has not said, “Call upon me and if you fulfill 101 conditions then I may answer you.” This call to make supplication should fill any believer with irrepressible hope. There are no conditions placed. When we talk about the conditions for the acceptance of supplication, those are things that either facilitate the answer or prevent the delay of the answer. 

Guarantee of Delivery

Supplication has a divine guarantee of delivery. The conditions for answering are not because Allah would not answer, but you have to be ready for the answer. Also, if we look at the verse, it is not limited that, “Ask me for matters of the next life,” or “Ask me for big things.” If you know who Allah is then what would you ask Him for, if there is a guaranteed answer from the Creator of the heavens and the earth? Everything.

On the level of creation, would you ever say to your children, “Ask me whatever you want, I will give it to you?” You would not make that kind of promise because you would go broke very quickly. If you are married, would you make that promise? No, because it is going to cost you. That is why it is really important to pause when we recite the Quran. Allah says:

أَفَلَا یَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ أَمۡ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقۡفَالُهَاۤ

“Or do they not ponder the full portent on the Quran? Or are there upon lost, unspeakably rank hard hearts their own terrible clasp-locks?” [Quran, 47:24; tr. Keller, Quran Beheld]

Allah also gives us another amazing promise 

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِی عَنِّی فَإِنِّی قَرِیبٌۖ أُجِیبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِۖ فَلۡیَسۡتَجِیبُوا۟ لِی وَلۡیُؤۡمِنُوا۟ بِی لَعَلَّهُمۡ یَرۡشُدُونَ

“And when My servants ask you of Me, truly I am near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me: So let them truly answer Me and believe in Me, that haply they may go right.” [Quran, 2:186; tr. Keller, Quran Beheld]

The Companions of our beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to discuss matters of religion together, out of their care and concern, and that was a praiseworthy discussion (whereas very often, we argue about sectarian things). They asked this question, “Is our Lord distanced so we have to reach out in our calling to Him or is He close so we can privately entreat Him?” Allah responds in these verses that tell us about Allah’s relationship with us.

The Caring Sustainer

There is a beautiful rhetorical device where “then say” is not mentioned, as if to say, “I am so near that you do not have to even say.” Allah is the One who not only created us but He is the One who is sustaining us at every single moment. You exist because it is Allah who sustains you, that is the nearness of Allah. You are alive, not because you breathe and your heart beats and all these different processes, those are just means, you exist because Allah sustains you. What is the nature in His being our Sustainer? “Truly I am near; I answer”

Allah’s answering us is from His nature. When we begin reciting the Fatiha, we say the Basmala, “I am reciting by the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Particularly Merciful.” Our prayer reminds us of this divine reality of mercy. Mercy is concern for the good of another and to do good to another. That is Allah. 

Many people may think that Allah is out to get them but He is the All-Merciful and the Particularly Merciful. He is the Caring Sustainer of all that exists. He has chosen to act on the basis of mercy. Allah says:

 كَتَبَ عَلَىٰ نَفۡسِهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَةَۚ 

“He has inscribed mercy bounden on Himself” [Quran, 6:12; tr. Keller, Quran Beheld]

وَرَحْمَتِى وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۢ ۚ

“While My mercy encompasses everything” [Quran, 7:156; tr. Keller, Quran Beheld]

When we ask, that is how we ask. It is not, “How do I convince Allah to give me,” for this is having a bad opinion of Allah. 

Your Duty

You have a duty as well:

فَلۡیَسۡتَجِیبُوا۟ لِی

“So let them truly answer Me” [Quran, 2:186; tr. Keller, Quran Beheld]

Allah’s call is that you turn to Him as best you can. 

وَلۡیُؤۡمِنُوا۟ بِی لَعَلَّهُمۡ یَرۡشُدُونَ

“And believe in Me, that haply they may go right.” [Quran, 2:186; tr. Keller, Quran Beheld]

Your answering Allah’s call does not benefit Him, it benefits you. Your worship does not benefit Allah. He is the Absolutely Perfect, the One free of all need, worthy of all praise. You need it. It is His mercy that He has made it obligatory. If you think about what you owe Allah of gratitude, should we be praying just out of pure gratitude to Allah? He deserves even more, but He’s made it obligatory so that we do it so that we benefit with Allah. 

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) tells us all right about supplication. He said (Allah bless him and give him peace), “Call upon Allah with complete certitude in His answer.”

When you supplicate to Allah, there are four considerations. Firstly, who is the One asked? Secondly, who is the one asking? Thirdly, what does it mean to ask? And fourthly, how does one ask? 

Each of these is important. Some people in their supplication may have a strange attitude behind it, as if they are saying, “O Allah, I know you are the Lord of the worlds but do not forget I have an exam tomorrow and do not forget that I need to have kids and do not forget that I need a job.” That is an extreme. The other extreme are those who think, “If Allah is already merciful then why do we ask Him?”