reading time ~12 mins

1. Dua
2. Prerequisites for acceptance
   1. Obligatory 
   2. Recommended
3. Times
   1. Explicit in Quran / Sunnah
   2. Implicit in Quran / Sunnah
4. Types of People
5. Dua in Quran
6. Dua in Sunnah
7. Bounty of Allah
8. Topics of Ijtihad / Ikhtilaf
   1. Using the Lips / Mouth
   2. When not to do Dua / Dhikr
   3. Covering the Awrah
   4. Wiping the face 
   5. Making Dua in non-Arabic e.g. during sajda of Fardh
9. Summary
10. Additional Reading

Dua

Du‘ā (دعاء‎) is the act of requesting assistance from Allah. The term is derived from an Arabic word meaning to ‘call out’ or to ‘summon’

Dua is only to Allah

Dua or the act of requesting assistance cannot be made to

1. A living person who is absent (e.g. in another country and cannot hear you)
2. an animal 
3. an angel
4. a non-living entity  (e.g. a statue, a person in the grave) 

Someone who is alive and physically present in front may be asked for assistance but this is not considered Dua.

Prerequisites for acceptance

Things which are required or recommended to have dua accepted

Obligatory 

These are necessary to ensure dua is accepted

1. Must have Yaqeen (certainty). Make dua with ikhlas (sincerity). Dua of Ghafla (distracted/absent mindedness) is not accepted. (Tirmidhi 3479) (Musnad Ahmad 6655) – Hadith Hasan
2. Rizq (earnings/sustenance) must be Halal (Muslim 1015)

Recommended

The following acts are recommended to improve acceptance of dua

1. Start with praise of Allah (Fatiha, Ikhlas, Ayat ul kursi, etc) then Salawat on the Prophet ﷺ then make dua (Tirmidhi 3476)
2. Use the best names of Allah (Quran 7:180)
3. Raise the hands (al-Bukhari 4339). Raise higher until armpits are revealed (al-Bukhari 4323)
4. Be in wudhu (al-Bukhari 4323) (Muslim 2498)
5. Face qibla (al-Bukhari 6343) (Muslim 894)
6. Be concise and comprehensive (Al Adab al Mufrad 639) 
7. Don’t exaggerate or give too many details (Abi dawud 1480)
8. Repeat three times (Bukhari 240) (Muslim 1794a)
9. Ask ⅓ for Dunya ⅔ for Akhira (Quran 2:201-202)
10. Don’t say انشاءاللہ or if You wish, ask by saying if it good for me please give, if not please keep away. Never add the words انشاءاللہ at the end of dua (Bukhari 6339)

Times

Dua can be made anywhere and at any time. There are no evidences found (at least by me) which prohibit Dua at a certain location or position

There are some times which have more chances of Dua being accepted

Explicit in Quran / Sunnah

These times are directly mentioned in our sources

1. Last third of the night (Bukhari 1145) (Muslim 758)
2. At time of iftar for fasting person (Ibn Majah 1753)
3. Between adhan and Iqama (Tirmidhi 3595)
4. At time of rain (Abi Dawud 2540) (al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak 2534) (Saheeh al-Jaami‘ (3078))
5. When the rooster calls before fajr (Muslim 2729)
6. End of fard after salawat (Salutations on the Prophet ﷺ) and before salam. (Tirmidhi 3499) (Riyad as-Salihin 1500) (Mishkat al-Masabih 968) Hadith Hasan
7. In sajdah during Salah (any language fard or nafl) – (Muslim 482)
8. On Jummah especially before Maghreb of next day (Bukhari 935) (Muslim 852)
9. On day of Arafa during Hajj (Muslim 1348) (Tirmidhi 3585) classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb (1536))

Implicit in Quran / Sunnah

These times are based on scholars’ opinion, but there is no explicit mention of making dua at these times

10. Layl at ul Qadr. (Quran 44:1-6) (Quran 97:1-5) (al-Bukhari 2020) (Muslim 1169) (Riyad as-Salihin 1191)
11. At time of adversity (Quran 6:63) (Quran 10:12) (Quran 10:22-23) (Quran 16:53-54) (Quran 17:67) (Quran 30:33) (Quran 39:8)
12. While drinking zam zam (Ibn Majah 3062)
13. First 10 days of dhul Hijjah (Riyad as-Salihin 1249 by Bukhari ) (Ibn Majah 1727) (Abi Dawud 2438)

Types of People

People whose Dua has more chances of being accepted

1. Just ruler, fasting person and Oppressed. (Tirmidhi 3598) (Ibn Majah 1752) Grade Hasan (Mishkat al-Masabih 2249 Grade Daif)
2. Traveler, Father, Oppressed (Abi Dawud 1536) (Ibn Majah 3862)

Dua in Quran

Dua is mentioned several times in the Quran

1. Only ask Allah for Help (especially in Ghaib)  (Quran 1:5)
2. No one can hear and answer Dua except Allah (Quran 27:62)
3. Allah Says make Dua to Me, I will respond (Quran 40:60)
4. Call out in private like Prophet Zakariya (Quran 19:1-10) 
5. Call out in private with humility and fear (Quran 7:55) (Quran 7:205)
6. Call out with fear and hope (Quran 7:56) (Quran 32:16) (Quran 21:90)
7. Allah says, I am near, I respond to the one who makes Dua when he makes Dua. Let them obey Me and believe in Me (Quran 2:186)
8. Allah may respond to Dua even of the disbeliever (Quran 17:66-67)
9. Duas made by many Prophets are mentioned in Quran (see list here)

List of Duas in Quran

Dua in Sunnah

Some important Hadith about Dua

1. Dua is I‘badah (Abi Dawud 147) (at-Tirmidhi 3372) (Ibn Majah 3828)
2. Whoever wants Dua answered in time of need then increase Dua at time of ease (at-Tirmidhi 3382)
3. Dua has three responses 1) answered 2) calamity/museeba deflected 3) Reward/Ajr in Akhira (Musnad Aḥmad 11133)
4. Ask for smallest things like shoelace, salt or strap of sandal (al-Tirmidhi 3973) (Tirmidhi 3604)
5. Ask for greatest things like al Firdaus. Always aim high (al-Bukhari 7423) (Ibn Majah 4331) (Musnad Ahmad 22232)
6. Be mindful of Allah and ask for His help, the creation cannot harm or benefit if Allah has not written it (Tirmidhi 2516)
7. Allah feels Haya from returning hands empty (Abi Dawud 1488) (Mishkat al-Masabih 2244)
8. Pray for brother in his absence, Angel says ameen for you (Muslim 2732b)
9. Start with yourself than for others (Tirmidhi 3385) (Tirmidhi 1053) (Quran 59:10) (Quran 47:19) (Quran 7:151) (Quran 14:40-41) (Quran 71:28) (Scholarly Opinions)
10. If you find good in something, make effort for it, and ask Allah for help. If it doesn’t come then say it was qadr of Allah, whatever He wills He does. Do not think “if” I had done such or such, that is the door of Shaytan (Ibn Majah 79)

Bounty of Allah

Never give up making dua, always keep asking

1. Allah’s bounties are infinitely incomprehensible (Quran 3:74) (Quran 62:4)
2. Ask as much as you want. Allah is not like creation (Quran 42:11) Allah has always existed unlike creation (Bukhari 7418). He never gets tired of you asking 
3. Never stop asking or become impatient for response (Bukhari 6340) (Muslim 2735) (Musnad Aḥmad 12596) (Ibn Majah 3853)
4. Allah is Akthar (اللَّهُ أَكْثَرُ) (more). After the Sahaba were told of the three responses of Dua, they said we will ask for more. Prophet ﷺ replied Allah is even more (Musnad Aḥmad 11133)
5. If all creation ask and it is granted, it does not reduce from dominion of Allah (Muslim 2577a)

Topics of Ijtihad / Ikhtilaf

There are some topics which are not explicitly found in our sources (Quran and Sunnah) however there are opinions found from ijtihad (scholars opinion based on Quran and sunnah) and/or ikhitalaf (difference of opinion)

Using the Lips / Mouth

1. The best way to make dua is with the tongue and lips (with an attentive heart). However, it can also be done just in the heart (but using the mouth as well is better) (see opinion here)

When not to do Dua / Dhikr

1. It is considered makruh to do dhikr or dua while relieving yourself for the call of nature. In such situations, remembrance/invocation can be done in the heart. This is based on the opinion of scholars. I could not find explicit evidence in the Quran or Hadith on this topic (see opinion here)

Covering the Awrah

1. Awrah (Arabic: عورة‎) is a term used within Islam which denotes the intimate parts of the body, for both men and women, which must be covered with clothing (Definition of Awrah)
2. The awrah can only be exposed to spouses or be uncovered when needed (e.g. taking a shower, changing clothes, etc). When one is alone, one should still cover the awrah in awe of Allah (Tirmidhi Vol. 5, Book 41, Hadith 2794) (Ibn Majah 1920) (Abi Dawud 4017) 
3. Dhikr and Dua can be done when awrah is not covered at time of necessity (e.g. while taking a bath either verbally or just in the heart), but under normal circumstances dhikr and dua should be done with a covered awrah

Wiping the face 

1. Wiping the face has a difference of opinion (ikhtilaf). The predominant opinion from scholars is that it is better to avoid doing this, if it was a common practice it would have reached us through frequent or authentic Hadith narrations. E.g. Ibn Taymiyyah called wiping the face after dua as a bid’ah (innovation in worship)
2. Most Hadith found are weak. Allah knows best. Links to some weak hadith below 

1. Adab al mufrid 609
2. Tirmidhi 3386
3. Abi Dawud 1485, Abi Dawud 1492
4. Ibn Majah 1181

Making Dua in non-Arabic e.g. during sajda of Fardh

The beauty of Islam is that some of the best Dua’s have already been taught to us in Quran and Sunnah. For complete list of Dua’s in Quran see here

The first recommendation is to make dua in Arabic during fard prayer (e.g. in Sajda or when sitting after Salawat before saying salam) as the best duas have already been taught to us in Arabic

The matter of making dua in non Arabic during fardh salah is a matter of difference of opinion (ikhtilaf). I could not find any direct evidence in Quran or sunnah about this 

When there is ikhtilaf it’s a mercy from Allah. So we have options

The scholars say that if you know how to speak Arabic, it is better to make dua in Arabic during Fardh salah. However, if you dont speak Arabic, some scholars permit making dua in your own language as well (read more about it on islamqa)

Summary

1. Dua (requesting assistance in the unseen) is Ibadah (worship/submission) and can only be done to Allah
2. Dua must be made with yaqeen (certainty), concentration and one’s rizq (sustenance) must be halal for Dua to be accepted
3. Dua can change Qadr
4. Dua should be comprehensive and made for all kinds of things big or small
5. All creation can make Dua, and Allah has infinite bounty to provide, it does not reduce His dominion at all by granting the creation
6. Dua should not be made for haram (prohibited) things

Additional Reading

1. Dua and its Types (An excellent article summarizing how dua is the essence of worship and the two types of dua)
2. List of Duas in Quran
3. Making Dua in non-Arabic in Fard prayer – Islamqa