The verses on fasting include an amazing gesture that addresses the depth of the soul, touches the heart, rids the fasting person from the hardship he experiences, and makes him look forward to the full compensation and urgent reward. The fasting person can find compensation and reward when he draws closer to Allah, the Almighty, enjoys invoking Him, and receives a promise of answering his supplications and invocations. Allah, the Almighty, ends the verses on the obligation of fasting with His saying: “And when My servants ask you [O Muhammad] concerning Me—indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.” (Quran 2: 186) This verse, in the fasting person’s soul, promotes a sense of contentment, closeness, confidence, and faith which he considers as a safe refuge and firm support.

This verse also clearly indicates that fasting is linked with supplication and reveals that most times in which supplications are more likely to be answered fall in the blessed month of Ramadan (the month of supplications). Islamic legal texts reveal the great importance and the merit of supplication, as it is an act of worship which Allah considers the most honorable deed. In addition, it is one of the greatest reasons for preventing trials and calamities as well as warding them off if they are already experienced. Supplication also leads to cheerfulness, relief from worry, and removal of distress; therefore, oppressed and weakened people resort to it. In fact, the most helpless people are those who cannot make supplication.

When I supplicate Allah in a state of distress,

I find relief soon,

You may find a person in adversity,

But his supplication leads to his relief.

There are some conditions and etiquette that should be taken into consideration in order for the supplication to be answered. They include the following:

At the forefront are supplicating and beseeching Allah only, as no one should be invoked but Allah.

Supplicating Allah attentively with a submissive heart, as the Messenger of Allah () said, “Supplicate Allah when you are assured of being answered, and know that Allah does not answer a supplication which comes from a careless and inattentive heart.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)

The supplicating person should ask Allah confidently without any hesitation and should not show impatience, as the Prophet () said, “You must not supplicate saying, ‘O Allah, pardon me if You will! O Allah, bestow mercy on me if You will. O Allah, grant me provision if You will.’ An invocation should be made in full confidence, for no one has the power to compel Allah.” The Prophet () also said, “The invocation of anyone of you is granted (by Allah) if he does not show impatience (by saying, ‘I invoked Allah but my request has not been granted.’)” (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

The Muslim should seek the times of special virtue, at which supplications are likely to be answered, such as Lailat Al-Qadr (the Night of Revelation), the last part of the night, immediately after the prescribed prayers, the last hour of the daytime of Friday, and while prostrating during prayer, fasting, traveling, etc.

The supplicating person should start his supplication by praising Allah, the Almighty, invoking Allah's Blessings and Peace upon the Prophet, and confessing his sins and evil deeds. Fadalah ibn Obaid said that while Allah’s Messenger was sitting, a man entered and prayed saying, “O Allah, forgive me and show mercy to me.” Allah’s Messenger said, “You who are praying in a hurry. When you pray and come to the point when you sit, you should worthily extol Allah’s praises, invoke blessing on me, and then make your supplication.” (Reported by Al-Tirmidhi)

The supplicating person should persist in invoking Allah, beseech Allah submissively, show how helpless and weak he is, and invoke Allah in all his conditions, including in adversity, prosperity, ease, and hardship. In addition, the supplicating person should repeat his supplication thrice, as the Prophet () said, “If one of you wishes for something, let him ask Allah for a great deal of it, because he is asking his Lord.” (Reported by At-Tabarani) The Messenger of Allah () also said, “If anyone finds pleasure in receiving an answer from Allah in times of difficulty, he should make many supplications when times are easy.” (Reported by Al-Tirmidhi)

It is preferable that the supplicating person performs ablution, faces the Qiblah, raises his hands, and then invokes Allah, as the Prophet () said, “Your Lord is Modest and Generous and would never return the hands of a slave without gain when he raises them to Him (in supplication).” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)

The supplicating person’s voice should neither be too high nor too low, as Allah, the Almighty, says: “Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors.” (Quran 7: 55)

The Messenger of Allah () said, “Lower your voices, for you are not calling a deaf or an absent one, but you are calling a Hearer Who is near and is with you.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari) The Messenger of Allah meant to advise the people to be lenient to themselves.

The supplicating person should say Jawami‘ Ad-Du‘a’ (concise yet comprehensive supplications) and reported supplications because they make his supplications likely to be answered. This is in accordance with the Messenger’s saying, “No Muslim will supplicate Allah for anything and fail to receive an answer when he uses Dhun Nun’s supplication when he was in the belly of the fish: ‘There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.’” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)

The supplicating person should avoid using artificial rhymed words and extravagantly formulated phrases, as what matters is the truthfulness of the heart while drawing close to Allah. The Prophet () preferred only concise and comprehensive supplications.

The supplicating person’s food and drink should be lawful in order for his supplications to be answered. In addition, he should supplicate Allah for good things only, avoid transgression while supplicating Allah, and abstain from supplicating Allah against himself, his properties, and his family. This is in accordance with the Prophet’s saying, “Do not invoke curses on yourself or on your children or on your possessions lest you should happen to do it at a moment when the supplications are accepted and your prayer might be granted.” (Reported by Muslim)

These are brief etiquettes and conditions required for supplication. O fasting Muslim brother, strive to make the best use of times during this blessed month, supplicate Allah frequently for yourself, your parents, children, and the believers. Benefit from the generous rewards bestowed by Allah so that you may save yourself from misery.