Did I Leave Islam by Making a Dua Jokingly?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I was with my mother on Friday during the auspicious time that supplication is answered.
She struggles with mental health and she and I joke about it. I reminded her that supplication is answered at that time, then I said, “Ya Allah, please take away my mother’s OCD and mental health issues.“ I then kissed her on the cheek.
I said it jokingly and now I’m scared I left Islam. I can’t remember my intention, I don’t think I was intending to mock Allah, I can’t tell. I do genuinely want her to be cured, but I said it as a joke at the time I’m always worried.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Auspicious Time for Supplication
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), said, “The best day that the sun has risen upon is Friday. On it Adam was created, on it, he entered Paradise, and on it, he was sent down from it. And in it there is an hour in which the Muslim worshipper would not stand in Salat, asking Allah for anything except that He would give it to him.[…]'” [Tirmidhi]
This time is truly special and the most correct view is that it is the last hour of Friday, which is the last hour before sunset. See the details here:
The Rulings Related to Friday Prayer
Joking During Supplication
Although it may not be considered the best etiquette to be joking during supplication, there is no harm in being happy and spirited during your supplication. You were in a happy moment with your mother, a good deed in itself, and you have certainly not left Islam. In the future, when you supplicate to Allah, see yourself speaking directly to Him, and maintain the deserved respect, and fear Allah as much as you can.
Please see this link as well:
The Reality and Etiquettes of Supplication: A Reader
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
