Many people find themselves wondering why their prayers go unanswered, despite their sincere devotion and constant supplications. Prayers hold a deep, sacred place in our lives, acting as a bridge between us and the Divine, guiding us through challenges and bringing solace to our hearts. However, there are times when it feels as though our prayers are met with silence, leading to questions and doubts.
Reflecting on possible reasons can provide valuable insights and help us align our intentions more closely with faith, patience, and humility. Understanding these factors can renew our perspective, offering hope and strength in our journey of prayer and devotion. Frustrating isn’t it? You pray and you pray. You make long prayers and just pour your heart out. So, You beg and you plead to Allah to give you something or remove some harm from you.
But no matter how hard you supplicate, your duas just don’t seem to get answered. And you have no idea why.
Let me first put your mind at ease by letting you know that Allah hears everything you say, and He knows everything you desire. But look at the last part of that verse. So, Allah commands us to respond to Him and Believe in Him.
Are you doing that? Have you responded to Allah and His messenger (peace be upon him)? Is your belief (imaan) complete?
Perhaps you’re lacking in a few areas. Or perhaps it’s something even deeper than that. Let’s look at a few reasons that might be holding your prayers up.
1. You Aren’t Doing Your Part.
This might be the most obvious problem. You want Allah to give you this and give you that, but you aren’t giving Him anything in return.
- You’re not praying regularly.
- You’re not fasting during Ramadan.
- You’re not paying your Zakah (obligatory charity).
I’m sure you understand that Allah punishes us for the wrong we do. So, That punishment is not just in the hereafter; it can also happen in this life. Neglecting the 5 pillars of Islam is sinful and will earn Allah’s punishment.
2. You Are Impatient.
You just couldn’t wait could you? You asked Allah for something over and over again, and when you didn’t get it when you wanted it, you got impatient.
And so you gave up. You stopped asking and started believing that Allah wasn’t going to answer your dua. And then you went and told someone that Allah didn’t answer your prayers.
Your knowledge is limited. But Allah’s knowledge is unlimited. You might think you want something right now, but Allah knows better when it is right to give it to you. But since you became impatient, and said the wrong thing and stopped making prayers, you lost out on everything.
3. You Ask For Something Evil.
Why would anyone ask Allah for something bad? Is that what you did? Did you ask Allah for something that would bring you sin?
- Did you ask Him to give you a girlfriend or boyfriend?
- Did you ask Him to to give you a Riba-based loan so you could buy a house or car?
- Did you ask Him to bring you income from a job that sells pork or alcohol?
Well if you did, now you know why He didn’t answer your supplication.
4. You Don’t Think You’re Gonna Get It.
Impossible and possible is all in your mind. Just because you don’t think it can happen, doesn’t mean it won’t. And it certainly doesn’t mean Allah can’t make it happen.
Don’t make half-hearted duas. Make your prayers with confidence that Allah will grant them. Especially if you’re asking for something good and beneficial.
Abu Huraira reported:
“None of you should say, ‘O Allah, forgive me if You wish, (or) O Allah, have mercy on me if you wish.’ Rather you should be firm in your request, for (Allah does whatever He wishes) and no one can force Him to do otherwise.”
5. You Are Involved In Too Much Evil.
“O people, Allah is Good and He, therefore, accepts only that which is good. And Allah commanded the believers as He commanded the Messengers by saying, ‘O Messengers, eat of the good things, and do good deeds; verily I am aware of what you do,’ (23.51) and He said: ‘O those who believe, eat of the good things that We gave you’.” (2.172)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) then made mention of a person who travels widely, his hair dishevelled, and covered with dust.
“He lifts his hands and makes supplication, ‘O Lord, O Lord,’ but his diet is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, and his clothes are unlawful, and his nourishment is unlawful. How then can his supplication be accepted?.”
Narrated in Muslim.
In Hadith:
There's a Hadith in which it is mentioned, to the nearest meaning, that no prayer of a Muslim goes unanswered. one of three things happens:
1) The person gets what they want.
2) A calamity is removed from that person's life instead.
3) The du'a is saved as a treasure in the hereafter. [Your insurance :)]
Not a single prayer of a Muslim goes unanswered. Either Allah will give us what we want, or He'll remove a calamity from our path instead, or He'll save it for us in Jannah [our insurance]. Whatever the outcome, we're not at a loss, because He knows what's best for us.
Allah says:
“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not.” (Surah Baqarah, 2:216)
One final point - Often times, our prayers are not answered because we are engaged in sin and forbidden acts. So, If we are engaged in forbidden actions, we cannot expect Allah to answer our prayers.
In Sha Allah, I hope this serves as a reminder for both you and me on what it takes to come closer to Allah and have our prayers answered. Ameen
