u]Du'a[/u]: This, in a simpler definition, is people's asking from their Creator and establishing relation with Him. This can be done through the tongue of our hearts or through our ordinary tongues.

Supplication is a believer's weapon, is the foundation of religion, is the heavenly light on the earth, it changes one's fate, it causes the disasters to be away and finally supplication is a relation between God and His servants.

Necessity of Supplication
"Say: My Lord would not care for you were it not for your prayer [Du'a]" {Quran 25: 77}

The special favor of Allah is cut off when one refuses to establish this relations [Du'a] between himself and his Lord. The holy Quran calls this state "Istikbar (pride)":

"And your Lord says: 'call upon Me, I will answer you; surely those who are proud for my service shall soon enter hell abased." {Quran 40:60}

Du'a is one of ways in which an Abd (servant) shows his humbleness (to) and dependency to his Lord.

Call for Du'a
"And return to your Lord time after time and submit to Him before there comes to you the punishment, then you shall not be helped" {Quran 39:54}

"And (He) guides to Himself him who turns (to Him) frequently" {Quran 42:13}

" And none minds (and remember) but he who turns to Him again and again" {Quran 40:13}

Secret of Du'a
Ordinarily whether we ask or not, there is Allah's abundant blessings all around for the usefulness of all creatures. However, asking unlock special favor.

"And there is not a thing but with Us are the treasures of it, and We do not send it down but in a known measure" {Quran 15:21}

Kinds of Supplication
1. Verbal Supplication: This refer to uttering a supplication in which the tongue is not in harmony with the heart.

If we use supplication only verbally, it does not convey the proper conception of the supplication.

2. Content Supplication: This is when one's tongue is in harmony with your heart when uttering a supplication. Here, the tongue is the interpreter of the heart.

This is a genuine sample of supplication and is very likely to be responded to. Of course this sort of supplication may not be answered superficially; but we should realize that this kind of supplication is a sort of worship, which will definitely be rewarded.

A suppliant should know the meaning of what he's asking. Sometimes there might be harmony between the tongue and the heart during supplication, but the problem might arise when the suppliant knowledge is limited as per what he's asking.

It is narrated that once Imam Ali (alaihim salam) heard a man saying, "O God, protect me against seditions [fitnah]," Imam Ali said:

"By using this supplication you are asking God to let you keep away from your spouse, children and your wealth because Allah, the Almighty has said: 'your wealth and your children are seditions.' You are to say: 'O God, I seek Your protection from the misleading seditions"{Nahjul Balagha}

Elsewhere, Imam Ali says: "There may be something that one tries his best to get but when he gets it, he wished he had not got it."{Nahjul Balagha}

Imam Jafar Sadiq says:
"Know the ways of your deliverance and perdition lest you ask Allah for something that makes you perish whereas you think it will deliver you. Allah has said: "And man prays for evil as he ought to pray for good, and man is ever hasty"{Quran 17:11}"

3. Malhun Supplication
Sometimes, an utterer of supplication, due to his ignorance to the wordings of the supplication or his lack of attention, might offer the form of supplication in wrong ways while his spiritual intention was something else. In traditions and religious books, this kind of supplication is called Malhun.

4. Supplication by the heart
In this kind of supplication, words are not used; rather, only the heart turns towards God. This innate and genuine relation always occurs between Allah and His servants. This is the truth behind supplication and it is assumed to be the best spiritual state in man's life.

Supplication should not be in words only.

To be continue in sha Allah

CONDITIONS FOR THE ACCEPTANCE OF DU'A

Quran says:

"And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way." {Quran 2:186}

1. Acting in accordance with divine covenants: Faith, good deeds, trustworthiness, righteousness etc

A person once, complaining to Imam Ali about his Du'a not being answered, despite the fact that Allah has said: "Call upon Me, I will answer you"

Imam Ali said: "Your heart (and thought) have been unfaithful with respect to eight things...:

I). You have acquired the cognizance of Allah but you do not fulfill what is due to Him

II). You have brought faith upon His messenger but (later) went to oppose his customs (Sunnah); where then is the yield of your faith?

III). You have read His book but have not acted upon it; you stated: 'We have heard and we obey,' but then rose up in opposition to it.

IV). You say: 'we fear Allah's punishment ', but constantly perform acts that lead you close to it.

V). You claim to be covetous of God's reward however you continue to perform acts that lead you away from it.

VI). You consume God's bounties but do not extend thanksgiving to Him.

VII). You have been ordered to be Shaitan's enemy; you claim to be his enemy but, in practice, you do not oppose him.

VIII). You place into great scrutiny the faults of others but conveniently disregard your own.

With such a state of affairs, how do you expect your prayers to be answered when you yourself have shut its door? Be pious, rectify your deeds and enjoin the good and forbid the evil so that your prayers are answered." {Nahjul Balagha}

2. Purification of the mind and soul
# Repentance over past sins
# Embark upon construction and development of "self (nafs)"

Imam Jafar sadiq says: "Let it not be that any of you seeks a thing from God except that he first praises and glorifies Him, send salawat (blessings) upon the holy prophet and his progeny, confesses to his sins and exhibits repentance over them; he should then seek his desire from Him."

3. ACCEPTANCE OF DU'A (also) DEPENDS ON SALAWAT

Allamah Al-Albani documents:

In a Hadeeth it is said that sending blessings on the Prophet (saw) before Dua, is the cause of the acceptance of Dua and Ali said:

"Every Dua will be accepted if you send blessings on Muhammad (saw) and household of Muhammad (saw)."

Narrated by Al-Tabarani in Al-Awsat, and it’s narrators are trustworthy - as it is recorded in Al-Majma.

Source: Sifatul Salat Al-Nabi. Vol. 3, Pg. # 997.

4. Having a pure livelihood
The holy prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) says:

"One who desires to have his supplications answered, should purify his food and earnings" {al-Kafi}

5. Conjoin your supplication with efforts, hard work and activity

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) says:

"A supplicant (who prays) without effort and endeavours is like an archer without a bowstring" {Nahjul Balagha}