691 - شُروطُ استِجابَةِ الدُّعاءِ

691. The Conditions for the Answering OF SUPPLICATION

1 - المعرفةُ

1. Inner Knowledge:

2111.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام - و قَد سَألَهُ قومٌ : نَدعو فلا يُستَجابُ لَنا ؟! - : لأ نَّكُم تَدعونَ مَن لا تَعرِفونَهُ .¹

2111.group of people asked Imam al-Sadiq (AS), 'We supplicate but are not answered?' the Imam said, 'Because you call upon One whom you do not know.' ²

2112.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام - في قَولِهِ : (فَلْيَستَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي)³ - : يَعلَمُونَ أ نِّي أقدِرُ عَلَى‏ أنْ اُعطِيَهُم ما يَسألُونِّي .⁴

2112. Regarding the saying of Allah, "so let them respond to Me, and let them have faith in Me" ⁵Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'It means that: "they should know that I [Allah] am capable of giving them what they ask Me for".' ⁶

2 - العملُ بما تقتضيهِ المعرفةُ

2. Acting According to What Inner Knowledge Necessitates:

2113.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام - لَمّا سُئلَ‏عن قولِ‏اللَّهِ تَعالى‏: (أُدْعُونِي أسْتَجِبْ لَكُم)⁷ فما بالُنا نَدعو فلا نُجابُ ؟ - : لأنَّ قُلوبَكُم خانَتْ بِثَماني خصالٍ : أوّلُها أ نَّكُم عَرَفتُمُ اللَّهَ فلَم تُؤَدُّوا حَقَّهُ كما أوجَبَ علَيكُم، فما أغنَتْ عنكُم مَعرِفَتُكُم شَيئاً ... فأيُّ دُعاءٍ يُستَجابُ لَكُم مَع هذا وقد سَدَدْتُم أبوابَهُ وطُرُقَهُ؟!⁸

2113. Imam Ali (AS) when he was asked regarding Allah's verse: "Call Me and I will hear you[r supplications]"⁹ - 'So why does it happen that we supplicate and are not answered?' - replied, 'Because your hearts have been treacherous in eight areas, the first of them being that you know Allah but you do not fulfil your right towards Him as is obligatory upon you, so your inner knowledge of Him has not benefited you at all... so then which supplication will be answered for you with this [state of affairs] after you have blocked its doors and paths?!' ¹⁰

3 - طِيبُ المَكسَبِ‏

3. Lawful Earning:

2114.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : إنَّ العبدَ لَيَرفَعُ يَدَهُ إلى‏ اللَّهِ ومَطعَمُهُ حَرامٌ، فكيفَ يُستَجابُ لَهُ وهذا حالُهُ ؟!¹¹

2114.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Verily a servant raises his hands to Allah [in supplication] while his food is unlawful! So how can his supplications be answered while he is in this state?!' ¹²

2115.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : أطِبْ كَسبَكَ تُستَجَبْ دَعوَتُكَ ، فإنَّ الرّجلَ يَرفَعُ اللُّقْمَةَ إلى‏ فِيهِ (حَراماً)¹³ فما تُستَجابُ له دَعوَةٌ أربَعينَ يوماً .¹⁴

2115.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Make your earnings lawful and your supplication will be answered, for verily when a man raises an unlawful morsel of food to his mouth, his supplication is not answered for forty days.' ¹⁵

2116.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : إذا أرَادَ أحدُكُم أن يُستَجابَ لَهُ فَليُطَيِّبْ كَسبَهُ ولْيَخرُجْ مِن مَظالِمِ الناسِ ، و إنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُرفَعُ إلَيهِ دُعاءُ عبدٍ وفي بَطنِهِ حرامٌ أو عندَهُ مَظلِمَةٌ لِأحَدٍ مِن خَلقِهِ .¹⁶

2116.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'If any of you wants his supplication to be answered then he should make a lawful earning and repay people their rights, for verily the supplication of a servant who has unlawful food in his stomach or has wronged anyone from Allah's creation will not be raised to Allah.' ¹⁷

4 - حضورُ القلبِ ورقّتُهُ عِندَ الدُّعاءِ

4. Presence of the Heart and its Tenderness During Supplication:

2117.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : اِعلَموا أنّ اللَّهَ لا يَستجيبُ دُعاءً مِن قلبٍ غافِلٍ لاهٍ .¹⁸

2117.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Know that Allah does not answer supplication from a heedless and distracted heart.' ¹⁹

2118.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : اغتَنِموا الدُّعاءَ عند الرِّقَّةِ فإنَّها رحمةٌ .²⁰

2118.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Seize the opportunity to supplicate during tenderness [of your heart] for verily it is a mercy.' ²¹

2119.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : إنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَستَجِيبُ دُعاءً بظَهرِ قلبٍ قاسٍ .²²

2119.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Verily Allah does not answer the supplication that comes from a hard heart.' ²³

2120.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : إذا رَقَّ أحدُكُم فَليَدعُ ، فإنَّ القلبَ لا يَرِقُّ حَتّى يَخلُصَ ²⁴.²⁵

2120.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'When any of you feels softness and compassion, then he should supplicate, for no sooner does the heart soften than it becomes pure and sincere.' ²⁶

690 - الدُّعاءُ مِفتاحُ الإجابَةِ

690. SUPPLICATION IS THE KEY TO GRANTING [OF A REQUEST]

(وَإذا سَألَكَ عِبادِي عَنِّي فَإنِّي قَرِيبٌ اُجيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إذا دَعانِ فَلْيَستَجيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤمِنوا بِي لَعَلَّهُم يَرْشُدُونَ) .¹

"When My servants ask you about Me, [tell them that] I am indeed nearmost. I answer the supplicant's call when he calls Me. So let them respond to Me, and let them have faith in Me, so that they may fare rightly." ²

2108.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : إذا أرادَ اللَّهُ أن يَستَجِيبَ لعبدٍ أذِنَ لَهُ في الدُّعاءِ .³

2108.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'When Allah wants to answer or respond to His servant, He allows him [through divine succour] to supplicate.' ⁴

2109.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : مَن قَرَعَ بابَ اللَّهِ سبحانَهُ فُتِحَ لَهُ .⁵

2109.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'He who knocks on Allah's door, it is opened for him.' ⁶

2110.الإمامُ الحسنُ عليه السلام : ما فَتَحَ اللَّهُ عزّوجلّ على‏ أحدٍ بابَ مسألةٍ فَخَزنَ عَنهُ بابَ الإجابةِ .⁷

2110.Imam al-Hasan (AS) said, 'Allah has never opened the door of request for anyone only to hold back the door of response.' ⁸