Authored by: Fadhilat al-Shaykh Hafiz Abdul Sattar Hammad (may Allah preserve him)
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 6340]
"The supplication of one of you is accepted so long as he is not hasty, saying: ‘I made duʿāʾ but it was not accepted.’"
❖ When this doesn’t happen, they grow impatient or express disappointment—both of which are discouraged behaviors.
❖ One must understand that there is a designated time for the acceptance of duʿāʾ, and believers are encouraged to persist in their prayers, never giving up.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"When a believing servant makes duʿāʾ that does not involve sin or severing family ties, Allah grants him one of three things:① He is given what he asked for immediately,
② His duʿāʾ is saved for the Hereafter, or
③ A calamity is diverted from him equivalent to the duʿāʾ."
Upon hearing this, the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) said:
"Then we will increase our supplications!"
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
"Allah has even more to give."
[Musnad Aḥmad: 18/3]
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ
✦ A Warning Against Impatience in Duʿāʾ ✦
يُسْتَجَابُ لِأَحَدِكُمْ مَا لَمْ يَعْجَلْ يَقُولُ: دَعَوْتُ فَلَمْ يُسْتَجَبْ لِي[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 6340]
"The supplication of one of you is accepted so long as he is not hasty, saying: ‘I made duʿāʾ but it was not accepted.’"
✦ Benefits ✦
❖ Many people misunderstand the meaning of duʿāʾ being accepted, assuming it means that whatever one asks for must be granted immediately.❖ When this doesn’t happen, they grow impatient or express disappointment—both of which are discouraged behaviors.
❖ One must understand that there is a designated time for the acceptance of duʿāʾ, and believers are encouraged to persist in their prayers, never giving up.
✦ Despair is Not the Way of the Believers ✦
Losing hope in Allah is a trait of disbelievers. True believers continue to ask, knowing that every duʿāʾ is heard and responded to in one of three ways, as explained in the ḥadīth:The Prophet ﷺ said:
"When a believing servant makes duʿāʾ that does not involve sin or severing family ties, Allah grants him one of three things:① He is given what he asked for immediately,
② His duʿāʾ is saved for the Hereafter, or
③ A calamity is diverted from him equivalent to the duʿāʾ."
Upon hearing this, the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) said:
"Then we will increase our supplications!"
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
"Allah has even more to give."
[Musnad Aḥmad: 18/3]
✦ Conclusion ✦
A believer’s duʿāʾ never goes to waste. Allah always answers—either directly, through reward in the Hereafter, or by preventing harm.وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ
