The apparent factors being:
[i]: Raising o nes’ hands towards the sky, meaning towards Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic - since Allaah is above the heavens, above His ’Arsh (Throne). Extending the hands out towards Allaah -the Mighty and Majestic - is amongst the causes of du’aa being responded to, as is shown in the narration from the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) that he said: ‘‘Indeed your Lord is Alive, Most generous. He feels shy that when his servant raises his bands towards Him, calling upon Him, that He should return him empty, having nothing.’’[3]
[ii]: This man called upon Allaah - the Most High - using the name Rabb (Lord). Seeking tawassul (the means of nearness to Allaah) with this name is also regarded as o ne of the causes for du’aa to be responded to, since the Rabb is the Creator, the Owner, the Governor of all affairs - and the reigns of the Heavens and the earth are in His Hands. Due to this, you will find that most of the supplications made in the Noble Qur‘aan are by this name:
‘‘Our Lord! We have heard the call of o ne calling us to faith: ‘Believe you in the Lord,’ and we have believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, and remit from us our evil deeds, and take to Yourself our souls in the company of the righteous. Our Lord! Grant us what You did promise unto us through Your Messengers, and do not disgrace us o n the Day of judgement, for You never break Your promise. And their Lord has accepted of them, and answered them: Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, whether male or female.’’ [Soorah Aal-'lmraan 3:193-195]
So tawassul (seeking the means of nearness to Allaah) by this name is o ne of the causes for the du’aa to be responded to.
[iii]: This man was a traveller, and journeying is often a cause for du’aa to be responded to, because a person feels more in need of Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic - when travelling, than when a person is resident with his family. He was dusty and dishevelled, seeming very insignificant in himself, as if the most important thing to him was to implore Allaah and to call upon Him - in any condition he may be - whether dusty and dishevelled, or in ease and oppulance. Being dusty and dishevelled is also instrumental, like in the hadeeth attributed to the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) in which he said: Indeed Allaah boasts to the people of the Heaven about the people standing at ’Arafah, saying: ‘‘Look at My servants who have come to Me dusty and dishevelled.’’ [4]
However, these factors did not bring about anything, because his food, his nourishment and his clothing were all haraam (unlawful). So the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) remarked: ‘‘So how can he be answered!’’ Therefore, if these conditions are not satisfied, then the question concerning the du’aa (supplication) being answered will seem distant. However, if the conditions are satisfied and the o ne supplicating is still not answered, then this is due to a wisdom which Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic - knows, and the o ne supplicating does not know what this wisdom is; and maybe that you like a thing and it is bad for you. So when these conditions are fulfilled and the o ne supplicating is not answered, then either he has been protected from an evil which is greater than what he has asked for, or Allaah stores it for him until the Day of Resurrection, and he then gets a greater reward. This is so, because the o ne who makes du’aa - calling upon Allaah alone, fulfilling the conditions and not being answered, but rather being saved from a greater evil - is in the position of having carried out the causes yet has been prevented from being answered, and therefore has a two-fold reward. o ne reward for making du’aa (supplication), and another reward for bearing the trial of not being answered. |
