Mistakes that prevent du’aa’ from being accepted

The mistakes that may be made in du’aa’ are very many; most
of them come under the heading of transgression in du’aa’, such as: 

1 – When the du’aa’ includes shirk or association of others
with Allaah, such as calling upon someone or something other than Allaah
along with Him, whether it is a person, a tree or a grave, because du’aa’ is
an act of worship and directing it towards anyone other than Allaah is
shirk, and shirk is the worst of sins by which Allaah is disobeyed. In the
hadeeth it says: Which sin is worst before Allaah? He said: “To appoint a
rival to Allaah, when He has created you.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari and
Muslim. 

2 –When the du’aa’ includes some innovated means of tawassul
(seeking to draw closer to Allaah), such as tawassul by means of the person
of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or by his
status. Islam is based on following, not on innovating. 

3 – Wishing for death because of a calamity that has befallen
one. In the hadeeth it is narrated that Khabbaab (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: “Were it not that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade us to pray for death, I would have
prayed for it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6350) and Muslim (2681). 

In the hadeeth it says: “No one of you should wish for death
because of some harm that has befallen him. If he must wish for it, then let
him say: ‘O Allaah, keep me alive so long as living is good for me, and
cause me to die when death is good for me.’” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (6531)
and Muslim (2680). 

4 – Praying for the punishment to be hastened. It is better
to ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound in this world and in the Hereafter.
When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) saw a Muslim man who was sick and had grown feeble like a chicken. The
Messenger of Allaah (S) said to him: “Did you pray for anything or ask for
it?” He said: Yes, I used to say: O Allaah, whatever punishment You would
give me in the Hereafter, bring it forward in this world. The Messenger of
Allaah (S) said: “Subhaan Allaah! You cannot bear it. Why didn’t you say, O
Allaah, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter and save us
from the torment of the Fire?” Then he prayed to Allaah for him, and He
healed him. Narrated by Muslim (2688). 

5 – Du’aa’ against one’s family and wealth. In the hadeeth it
says: “Do not pray against yourselves, do not pray against your children,
and do not pray against your wealth, lest that coincide with an hour when
Allaah is asked and He answers your prayers.” Narrated by Muslim (3009). 

6 – Praying for the severing of family ties, such as praying
against someone and asking that there be a rift between him and his wife or
some of his relatives. 

7 – Praying for a limitation of mercy, such as saying: O
Allaah, send rain upon our land only, and so on. 

8 – Failing to observe proper etiquette in making du’aa’ to
Allaah, such as saying du’aa’ in a manner that is not appropriate.
Al-Khattaabi said: It is not proper to say, O Lord of the dogs, or O Lord of
the pigs and monkeys, even though all creatures are created by Him and He
has complete power over all of them. Sha’n al-Du’aa’ (153). 

What is appropriate when calling upon one’s Lord is to
observe proper etiquette as much as possible and to avoid anything that is
not befitting. The attitude should be one of humility and submission. 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to praise his Lord a great deal in his du’aa’, to such an extent that
it seemed that he could not praise Him enough. He said: “I seek refuge in
You from You; I cannot praise You enough.” 

9 – Relying on someone else in du’aa’. You see some people
who do not call upon Allaah themselves on the basis that they are sinners,
so they always ask others to make du’aa’ for them. Although this is
permissible in general, there are some reservations concerning it. Hence one
should make a great deal of du’aa’ and think positively, and think of the
greatness of Allaah’s bounty and generosity, no matter how great one’s sin,
for the mercy of Allaah will encompass him. If Allaah answers the prayers of
the mushrikeen when they are in dire straits, then He is more likely to
answer the prayers of the believers, despite their shortcomings. 

A man came to Maalik ibn Dinar and said: I ask you by Allaah
to pray for me, for I am in dire straits. He said: “Then ask of Him
(yourself), for He answers the one who is in dire straits.” al-Jaami’ li
Ahkaam il-Qur’aan (13/223). 

10 – Despair and lack of certain faith of an answer to the
du’aa’. Some people, when they are afflicted with a chronic disease, think
that they cannot be cured and they give up du’aa’ and fail to turn to
Allaah, and perhaps the shaytaan makes them think that there is no need for
du’aa’. 

This is one of the most serious mistakes, and it is ignorance
of Allaah and His power and kindness, for Allaah is Able to do all things,
and when He wills a thing He says to it “Be!” and it is. 

When Zakariya (peace be upon him) was an old man and his wife
was barren, he prayed for offspring: “O my Lord!
Grant me from You, a good offspring. You are indeed the All-Hearer of
invocation” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:38]. And Allaah
answered his prayer: “Then the angels called him,
while he was standing in prayer in Al-Mihraab (a praying place or a private
room), (saying): “Allaah gives you glad tidings of Yahya (John)…” –Aal
‘Imraan 3:39]. So do not despair of the help of
Allaah or think that the Mercy of Allaah is limited. 

11 – Going to extremes in raising the voice, especially in
the presence of loudspeakers. The voices of those who are making du’aa’ may
be heard from afar, and this is a mistake and transgression, and it is a
form of showing-off. It is better to raise the voice only so much as is
needed for the worshippers to hear if they are saying Ameen behind you. 

12 – Saying, “O Allaah, I am not asking You to change the
decree, rather I am asking You to help me in dealing with it.” This is wrong
because Allaah has prescribed for us to ask Him to change the decree,
because every calamity that befalls a person is divinely decreed. 

In a well known du’aa’ it says: “Protect me from the evil of
that which You have decreed, for You decree and no decree is passed over
You.” al-Bukhaari said: “Chapter on one who seeks refuge with Allaah from
calamity and a bad fate, and the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning): “Say: I seek refuge with (Allaah), the Lord of the
daybreak” [al-Falaq 113:1].  Then he mentioned the words of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Seek refuge with Allaah
from hardship, calamity and a bad fate.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7/215). 

13 – Making du’aa’ al-Qunoot lengthy. Praying in a manner
that does not befit what is sought, especially at times of calamity, because
Qunoot at times of calamity is only prescribed to pray for some people or
against others. 

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The one who
is praying Qunoot should say at such times the du’aa’ that is suited to that
calamity. Al-Fataawa 22/217. 

And he said: The Sunnah is to pray Qunoot at the time of
calamity and to ask for what is appropriate for those people who are at war
against the Muslims. Al-Fataawa, 21/155.  

These are some of the mistakes that are made in du’aa’. We
ask Allaah to guide us aright and to help us to do and say the right thing.