Etiquette of Making Dua
1) Direct Dua only towards Allah (towards anything or anyone else, living or dead, is shirk). (Surah al-Baqarah 2:186, Surah Gafir 40:14)
2) Face towards the Qiblah. (Sahih Muslim 1763)
3) Raise Your Hands. (Sahih al-Bukhari 6341, Sunan Abu Dawud 1488)
4) Call on Allah using His 99 Beautiful Names & Attributes. (Surah al-A’raaf 7:180)
Example of some names of Allah:
Ar-Rahman – The Most Compassionate
Al Raheem – The Most Merciful
Al Hakeem – The Perfectly Wise
Al Kabeer The Greatest
Al Jaleel The Mighty
Al Kareem The Generous
Al-Hayy – The Ever Living One
Al-Qayyum – The Self-Existing One
Al-Ghaffar – The Forgiving
Al-Ghafur – The Forgiver and Hider of Faults
Al-Hakam – The Judge
As-Sameeaa’ – The Hearer of All
Al Baseer The Seer of All
Ash- Shaheed The Witness
Al-Mujeeb The Responder to Prayer
As-Samad – The Satisfier of All Needs
Malik-al-Mulk – The Owner of All
Dhu-al-Jalal wa-al-Ikram – The Lord of Majesty and Bounty
Ar-Razzaq – The Provider
Narrated Abu Huraira (ra):
Allah has ninety-nine Names, i.e., one hundred minus one, and whoever believes in their meanings and acts accordingly, will enter Paradise; and Allah is witr (one) and loves ‘the witr’ (i.e. odd numbers).
Sahih al-Bukhari 6410
5) Send Peace & Blessing upon Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) (best way is Durood Ibrahim). (Jami`at-Tirmidhi 486)
Allahumma Salli Ala Muhammadin Wa Ala Aali Muhammadin Kamaa Sallaita Ala Ibrahima Wa Ala Aali Ibrahima Innaka Hamidum Majid. Allahumma Baarik Ala Muhammadin Wa Ala Aali Muhammadin Kamaa Baarakta Ala Ibrahima Wa Ala Aali Ibrahima Innaka Hamidum Majid.
O Allah! Send Your Prayers on Muhammad and on the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your Prayers on Abraham and on the family of Abraham, for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious. O Allah! Send Your Blessings on Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent your Blessings on Abraham and on the family of Abraham, for You are the Most Praise-worthy, the Most Glorious.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ، اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ، وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ، كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَعَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ
6) Make Dua 3 times. (Sahih al-Bukhari 240)
7) Make Dua routinely and with patience. (Sahih Muslim 2735 a)
8) Be sincere in your Dua. (Surah Gafir 40:14, Surah al-Bayyinah 98:5)
9) Be Humble while asking Allah. (Surah al-Araaf 7:55)
10) Be certain that Dua will be accepted [Tawakkal (reliance) upon Allah].
(Sahih al-Bukhari 6339)
11) Ensure Earnings are Halal.
For example, income should not come from riba or unlawful means (keep food, dress and house under halal income). (Sahih Muslim 1015)
12) Every Dua is suspended until one sends blessings upon the Prophet (ﷺ)
Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra) narrated:
“Indeed the supplication stops between the heavens and the earth. Nothing of it is raised up until you send Salat upon your Prophet.”
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 486 (Classified as Hasan by al-Albani)
