1. To abstain from haraam
(forbidden) food, clothing and earnings. (Muslim,
Tirmidhi)
2. To make Dua with
sincerity. In other words, one should firmly believe that nobody but
Allah Ta’ala will fulfil
his objectives. (Hakim)
3. One should perform a
good deed prior to making the Dua & he should mention this during
the course of the Dua. For
e.g he should say; “O Allah! I had performed so & so deed solely
for Your pleasure. O Allah! Accept
my Dua due to the barkah (blessings) of that deed.”
(Muslim,
Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud).
4. To make Dua whilst one
is Paak & clean. (Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn
Majah, Nasai, Ibn
Hibbaan,
Mustadrak).
5. To make Wudhu before the
Dua (All six major hadith collections)
6. To face the Qiblah (All
six major hadith collections)
7. To sit as in the
Tashahhud position (Abu Awanah)
8. To praise Allah Ta’ala
at the beginning as well as at the end of Dua (All six major
hadith
collections)
9. To convey Durood upon
Rasulallah at the beginning as well as the end. (Abu
Dawud,
Musnad-Ahmad)
10. To spread out both the
hands. (Tirmidhi, Mustadrak)
11. To raise both the hands
up to the shoulders (Abu Dawud, Musnad-Ahmad)
Note:
The hands should be raised to the shoulders in front forming a
bowl shape with a slight
gap between the palms/hands
12. To sit with humility
and respect. (Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud)
13. To mention ones
helplessness and dependence. (Tirmidhi)
14. To abstain from raising
the eyes towards the sky whilst making Dua (Muslim)
15. To mention the
Asmaal-Husnaa (the names of Allah Ta’ala) and the sublime qualities Of
Allah Ta’ala. (Ibn
Hibbaan and Mustadrak)
69
16. To abstain from
ceremonies rhyming of the Dua phrases (Bukhari)
17. To abstain from saying
the Dua in a "sing-song" tone if
the Dua is in a poetic form
(Hisnul
Hasin)
18. To make the Dua in a
soft voice (All six major hadith collections on the authority
if
Abu
Musa)
19. To utter the Dua
phrases transcribed from Rasulallah because Rasulallah didn’t
leave out a single need of
the Deen nor of the dunya whilst teaching us how to make Dua
(Abu
Dawud, Nasai)
20. To make a Dua that
encompasses most of the needs of Deen and the dunya. (Abu
Dawud)
21. To make Dua in favour
of oneself first, thereafter ones parents and to include the other
Muslims in the Dua as well (Muslim)
22. If the Imam is making
Dua, he should not make Dua for himself only but he should
include all the congregants
in the Dua (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah)
23. Abu Dawud narrates that
Rasulallah Said: “the Imam, who makes Dua for
himself only, has betrayed the
people." In other words, the Imam should not make a Dua that
is restricted to him alone.
For e.g He should not say, "O Allah! Cure my son." or "O Allah!
Return my lost item." etc. but
he should make a Dua that includes the entire congregation for
e.g. He may say "O
Allah! Forgive us and have mercy upon us."
24. To make Dua with firm
conviction (for e.g. he should not say: "O Allah! If you wish fulfil so
and so task of mine." (All
six major hadith collections)
25. To make Dua with
enthusiasm & yearning. (Ibn Hibban & Abu Awanah).
26. As far as possible
endeavour to bring about a "presence of heart and mind" and
cherish
a high hope of the Dua
being accepted. (Hakim)
27. To make Dua repeatedly.
(Bukhari, Muslim)
28. This repetition
should be at least thrice (Abu Dawud)
Note:
One may repeat the Dua thrice in none sitting or he may repeat
it on three different
occasions. The "repetition
of the Dua" can be interpreted in both ways.
29. To make Dua earnestly
and insistently. (Nasai, Hakim, Abu Awanah)
30. To abstain from making
Dua of severing family ties or other sins. (Muslim,
Tirmidhi)
31. Avoid making Dua’s of
pre-determined and fixed things (for e.g. woman should not make
a dua of being transformed
into a man or a tall person shouldn't make Dua saying "O
Allah!
Make me short." etc) (Nasai).
Note:
The dua should be made only for permissible things.
70
32. Don't Make Dua for
impossible things. (Bukhari)
33. Don't make a Dua in
which you ask Allah Ta’ala to confine His mercy to yourself Only
(Bukhari,
Abu Dawud, Nasai, and Ibn Majah)
34. Ask only Allah Ta’ala
alone for all your needs. Do not depend upon His creations.
(Tirmidhi/Ibn
Hibbaan)
35. The one making the Dua
as well as the person listening to it, both should say Ameen at
the end. (Bukhari,
Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasai)
36. Rub both hands over the
face at the termination of the Dua (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn
Hibbaan,
Majah, and Hakim)
37. Don't be impatient over
the acceptance of Dua’s. In other words, don't say: "I've
made
Dua repeatedly but to no
avail." (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Nasai, Ibn Majah)
38. Try to cry whilst making
dua to Allah as he attends to his servants quicker when they are
crying with meekness and
humility just as a mother tends to her baby quickly when it cries
out for its mother. If one
cannot cry then one must at least try and simulate the act of crying.
Note:
The dua should be concluded with Durood and Ameen.
49. When dua’s are answered
Rasulallah has taught us to be thankful and appreciative
by saying:-
Alhamdulillaahilladhee be
‘izzathihee wa jalaa lihee tha thimmuswaaleehaath
“Praise be to Allah that good works
have been accomplished by his Power and Glory.”
(Hakim)