Is it permissible for a man to pray for marriage to a particular woman, or for a woman to pray for marriage to a particular man?

Question: 219260

Please what are the differences between the evils of my soul and the evils that are from Iblis.Please there is a particular lady that I am praying that Allah should make her to be my wife.So sometimes,if I am praying mentioning her name my heart will be hot,sometimes my heart will tell me I should not pray to Allah to make her to be my wife,and if I make my prayer about my wife general not making it particular,meaning not mentioning her name,my heart will tell me pray to Allah to make her to be your wife,sometimes,If I sit down thinking about Allah,her issue will come to my mind that she is my wife.Please advise me on what to do regarding praying to Allah whether I should make my prayer general about wife or specifying her name in my prayer to Allah.

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

There is nothing wrong with a man asking Allah to make it easy for him to
marry a particular woman, and there is nothing wrong with a woman asking
Allah to make it easy for her to marry a particular man. If a Muslim man or
woman offers supplication in general terms without specifying anything, and
delegates the matter of choosing the best to his Lord, such as a man saying
“O Allah, make it easy for me to marry a righteous wife”, or a woman saying
“O Allah, make it easy for me to marry a righteous husband”– if he or she
does that, that is preferable, because it is complete reliance upon Allah
and delegating one’s affairs to Him. Moreover there is a report which
indicates that it is preferable to offer supplication in general,
comprehensive and concise terms. Abu Dawood (1482) narrated that ‘Aa’ishah
(may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) liked comprehensive and concise supplication and
he refrained from anything other than that. Classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani
(may Allah have mercy on him) in Saheeh Sunan Abi Dawood.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Riyadh
as-Saaliheen (6/16): That is, if a person offers supplication, he should
choose the most comprehensive and concise of supplications and refrain from
details, because offering supplication in general terms is more
comprehensive than limiting it to specific requests.

End quote.

Moreover, being specific and persisting in offering du‘aa’ for that makes
one more attached to the matter, and he does not know whether he will attain
it or not. Perhaps if he does not attain it, after all that, he may become
more upset and feel the loss more keenly. So it is more appropriate to
delegate his affairs to his Lord, and be content with what He chooses for
him.

But if a person must be specific, then he should ask for that specific thing
provided it is good for him. So he could say, for example: If there is
something good for me in So and so, then make it easy for me to marry her,
and so on.

Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Sayd al-Khaatir
(p. 352): Beware of asking for something without connecting the asking to
what is good, for perhaps attaining what one is seeking of worldly matters
may be a cause that leads to one’s doom. End quote.

However that is the matter of what is preferable. But if the individual is
certain of what he wants and asks for it without any conditions or
exceptions, then there is nothing wrong with that, in sha Allah, and Allah
decrees whatever He wills.

With regard to differentiating between the whispers of one’s own self (nafs)
and the whispers (waswaas) of the Shaytaan, please see the answer to
question no.
39684.

We
ask Allah to make it easy for you to find a righteous wife who will be a
delight to you, for He is Most Generous, Most Kind.

And Allah knows best.

Source:

Islam Q&A

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