Du'a (Personal Supplication)
Personal address and supplication to Allah for help and guidance.
Du'a (Arabic: دعاء) is personal supplication or address to Allah, where the believer asks for help, guidance, forgiveness or other wishes. Unlike salah, which has fixed forms and times, du'a can be made at any time, in any place and in any language.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Du'a is the essence of worship" and "Nothing is more honored by Allah than du'a." There are specific times when du'a is particularly favored: the last third of the night, between adhan and iqamah, during sajdah in the prayer, and on Friday.
The etiquette of du'a includes beginning with praise of Allah and blessings on the Prophet, praying with sincerity and humility, raising the hands, and having trust that Allah will answer the supplication. Allah answers all supplications — either with what was requested, with something better, or by averting something harmful.
Related terms
Raf' al-Yadayn (Raising the Hands)
The practice of raising the hands to the shoulders or ears at specific points in the prayer.
Qabd (Folding the Arms in Prayer)
The practice of folding the arms over the chest or below the navel during the standing position in prayer.
Salat al-Jama'ah (Congregational Prayer)
The congregational prayer, where Muslims pray together in rows behind an imam.
Qasr (Shortened Prayer)
The permission to shorten the four-rak'ah prayers to two rak'ah during travel.
Ijtihad (Independent Legal Reasoning)
The independent interpretive effort to derive legal rules from the Islamic sources.
Sawm (Fasting)
Islamic fasting from dawn to sunset, closely connected with prayer.