Worship
How to Make Dua: Quran Verses and Hadith on Supplication
Allah says “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” What the Quran and Sahih al-Bukhari teach about dua, why it may seem unanswered, and how to ask.
Reviewed by the Nouf Quran Academy teaching team · Updated
Dua is a direct conversation with Allah, in any language, at any time. You do not need an intermediary, a special place or perfect Arabic.
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌۖ أُجِيبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِۖ فَلۡيَسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلۡيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡشُدُونَ
“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”
وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدۡعُونِيٓ أَسۡتَجِبۡ لَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدۡخُلُونَ 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”
Ask with humility — and with determination
ٱدۡعُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ تَضَرُّعٗا وَخُفۡيَةًۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَ
“Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors”
Narrated Anas:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When anyone of you appeal to Allah for something, he should ask with determination and should not say, 'O Allah, if You wish, give me.', for nobody can force Allah to do something against His Will
Don’t give up
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The invocation of anyone of you is granted (by Allah) if he does not show impatience (by saying, "I invoked Allah but my request has not been granted)
A dua may be answered with exactly what you asked, with something better, or by being protected from a harm you never saw. Impatience — deciding it “didn’t work” and stopping — is the one thing the hadith warns against.
Allah is as His servant thinks of Him
Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running
Practical tips
- Begin by praising Allah and sending blessings on the Prophet ﷺ.
- Ask for specific things, and ask for the good of this life and the next.
- Make dua in sujood, in the last third of the night, and between the adhan and iqamah.
- Learn the duas of the Quran in Arabic — our Arabic classes teach their meanings word by word.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my dua not answered?
The Prophet ﷺ said a person’s dua is granted as long as they are not impatient, saying “I invoked Allah but my request was not granted” (Sahih al-Bukhari 6340). Keep asking with certainty.
Can I make dua in English?
Yes. Dua can be made in any language. Learning the Quranic duas in Arabic is a beautiful addition, not a requirement.