Dua’ in the Qur’an and its importance

Man’s basic duty is iman (belief) and dua’ (supplication).

In this piece, we will quote the verses that show how important dua’ (supplication) is in the sight of Allah Subhanahu Wa Taʽala. We will also include the verses where our Lord teaches us the right way to pray.

The importance of dua’

قُلْ مَا يَعْبَأُ بِكُمْ رَبِّي لَوْلَا دُعَاؤُكُمْ

“Say, “What would my Lord care for you if not for your supplication?””¹

Every dua’ is responded

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

“And your Lord says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.”²

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.”³

Praying sincerely

فَادْعُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ

“So invoke Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, although the disbelievers dislike it.”⁴

ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ

“Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors.”⁵

Praying by the Divine Names

وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا

“And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them.”⁶

Not praying aloud

وَإِنْ تَجْهَرْ بِالْقَوْلِ فَإِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى

“And if you speak aloud – then indeed, He knows the secret and what is [even] more hidden.”⁷

Praying with humility

أَمَّنْ يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

“Is He [not best] Who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah? Little do you remember.”⁸

Praying at nights

تَتَجَافَىٰ جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفًا وَطَمَعًا وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنْفِقُونَ

“Their sides part [i.e., they arise] from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend.”⁹

The dua’ of the righteous is answered

وَيَسْتَجِيبُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ

“And He answers [the supplication of] those who have believed and done righteous deeds and increases [for] them from His bounty.”¹⁰

One must be careful what he wants in dua’

وَيَدْعُ الْإِنْسَانُ بِالشَّرِّ دُعَاءَهُ بِالْخَيْرِ ۖ وَكَانَ الْإِنْسَانُ عَجُولًا

“And man supplicates for evil [when angry] as he supplicates for good, and man is ever hasty.”¹¹

Praying at all times

وَإِذَا أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَى الْإِنْسَانِ أَعْرَضَ وَنَأَىٰ بِجَانِبِهِ وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ فَذُو دُعَاءٍ عَرِيضٍ

“And when We bestow favour upon man, he turns away and distances himself; but when evil touches him, then he is full of extensive supplication.”¹²

Prayers that will not be accepted

وَمَنْ يَدْعُ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ لَا بُرْهَانَ لَهُ بِهِ فَإِنَّمَا حِسَابُهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الْكَافِرُونَ

“And whoever invokes besides Allah another deity for which he has no proof – then his account is only with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will not succeed.”¹³

فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ

“And among the people is he who says, “Our Lord, give us in this world,” and he will have in the Hereafter no share.”¹⁴

References:

1- Furqan, 25:77

2- Ghafir, 40:60

3- Baqarah, 2:186

4- Ghafir, 40:14

5- Aʽraf, 7:55

6- Aʽraf, 7:180

7- TaHa, 20:7

8- Naml, 27:62

9- Sajdah, 32:16

10- Shura, 42:26

11- Isra, 17:11

12- Fussilat, 41:51

13- Mu’minun, 23:117

14- Baqarah, 2:200