Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Malik bin Harith narrates: Hazrat Rabee’ used to come to Hazrat Alqamah on Fridays. Hazrat Malik says: Once he came and there was no one present there, then a man came and said: Are you not amazed at the abundance of people making supplications and the fewness of their supplications being accepted? Upon this, Hazrat Rabee’ said: Do you know the reason for this? Listen! Surely Allah Almighty accepts only the supplication that is made with sincerity. Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Yazid narrates: When I came there, Hazrat Alqamah informed me about this statement of Hazrat Rabee’, so I said to Hazrat Rabee’: Have you not heard the saying of Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him)? He asked: What is his saying? Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Yazid said: Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By Him besides whom there is no deity, Allah Almighty does not listen to the call of a heedless person, nor the call of a show-off, nor the call of one who is playing, nor the call of one who merely calls, but He listens to the supplication of the one who supplicates from the depths of his heart.