THE ETIQUETTE OF DU'A

• Praise Allah and then send greetings (Durud) upon our beloved Prophet (Sallallaahu'Alaihi Wasallam).
• Place complete trust in Allah; He alone is capable of answering our Du'a.
• Invoke with humility and sincerity.
• Have absolute certainty that the Du'a will be accepted.

This highlights a crucial factor that directly impacts the acceptance of our Du'a: the Halalnature of our food, clothing, and dwelling. The presence of a single Haraam element can nullify the acceptance of our Du'a. Hence, it is essential to meticulouslymonitor what we consume, wear, and where we reside.

To emphasize the importance of Halal in the acceptance ofDu'a, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu'Alaihi Wasallam) said in a Hadith reported by Abu Hurairah (Radiyallahuanhu) in Muslim and Tirmizi:

"O people! Surely Allah is pure, and He only accepts that which is pure. Allah has commanded the believers with the same instruction He gave to the Prophets." Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wasallam) then recited verse 51 of Surah 23:

"O you Rusul! Eat from the pure things and do good acts."

In addition to this, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wasallam) narrated the story of a man who had travelled a long distance. His dishevelled hair and dusty appearance indicated the length and hardship of his journey. He raised his hands towards the sky, calling out, "O my Rabb, O my Rabb!" Yet, his food was Haraam, his drink was Haraam, his clothing was Haraam, and he had been nourished withHaraam. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu'Alaihi Wasallam) then remarked, "How can he expect his Du'ato be accepted?"

"Say: 'Call Allah, or call Ar Rahmaan. By whichever name you call to Him, to Him belongs the most beautiful names." (17:110)

AI-ASMA-UL-HUSNA

"Allah has the most beautiful names,so call Him by them." (7:180)

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (Radiyallahuanhu) reported that Nabi-e-Karim (Sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wasallam) said:

"Allah Ta'ala has 99 names. Whoever memorizes them will enter Paradise."(Bukhari and Muslim)

These names have been mentioned by ImamTirmizi in his Jaami Tirmizi. At first glance, this Hadith may give the impression that Allah Ta'ala has only 99 names. However, in reality, He has many more. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'Alaihi Wasallam) intended to highlight the immense reward of memorizing these 99 names rather than limiting their actual number.

In a Hadith recorded by Baihaqi and reported by Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud (Radiyallahuanhu), Rasulullah (Sallallaahu'Alaihi Wasallam) taught his Ummah the following Du'a:

"O Allah, I invoke You by all the names that belong to You—those with which You have named Yourself, those You have revealed in Your Book, those You have taught to any of Your creation, and those You have kept hidden in the knowledge of the unseen withYou."

This Du'a clearly indicates that Allah Ta'ala has many other names beyond our knowledge.

Another important point to consider is that memorising these names does not merely mean reciting them by heart; rather, it means internalising their meanings and acting accordingly. For instance, truly believing in the names As-Samee' (The All-Hearing) and Al-Baseer (The All-Seeing) requires a person to be mindful of their words and actions. Someone who continuously commits sins despite knowing these attributes of Allah demonstrates a lack of conviction in thetrue meaning of As-Samee and Al-Baseer.

To conclude, achieving deep concentration and sincerity in Zikr (remembrance of Allah) is not something that happens overnight. It requires continuous effort and regular practice. This is why one should not refrain from invoking the name of Allah simply because they feel a lack of focus. Remaining consistent in Zikrullah will, with time and dedication, manifest its positive effects. More importantly, the remembrance of Allah serves as a means to revive a spiritually dead heart and cultivate virtues within a person.

[English version of "Al Asmaa-oul-Housna - Les plus beaux noms d’Allah" – Al Haadi – Vol. 3 No. 3]