How to Make Dua: 9 Etiquettes & Best Times for Acceptance

Learning how to make dua the prophetic way turns supplication into a conversation with Allah — who promised to answer it.

Why Dua Is So Powerful

The Prophet ﷺ said:

الدُّعَاءُ هُوَ الْعِبَادَةُ

“Ad-du'ā'u huwal-'ibādah.”

"Dua is worship." (Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 1479; also reported in Sunan al-Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah)

And Allah commands us to call upon Him — with a promise:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ

“Wa qāla rabbukum: ud'ūnī astajib lakum.”

"And your Lord says: Call upon Me; I will respond to you." (Surah Ghafir 40:60)

Every dua is answered — just not always in the way we expect. The Prophet ﷺ said:

مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَدْعُو بِدُعَاءٍ إِلَّا آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَا سَأَلَ أَوْ كَفَّ عَنْهُ مِنَ السُّوءِ مِثْلَهُ مَا لَمْ يَدْعُ بِإِثْمٍ أَوْ قَطِيعَةِ رَحِمٍ

“Mā min aḥadin yad'ū bi-du'ā'in illā ātāhu Allāhu mā sa'ala aw kaffa 'anhu mina as-sū'i mithlahu mā lam yad'u bi-ithmin aw qaṭī'ati raḥim.”

"There is none who utters a supplication except that Allah gives him what he asked, or wards off from him an evil equal to it — as long as he does not supplicate for sin or the severing of family ties." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3381, graded sahih)

How to Make Dua: 9 Proven Etiquettes

1. Begin with praise of Allah

The Prophet ﷺ taught: "When one of you performs Salat, then let him begin by expressing gratitude to Allah and praising Him. Then, let him send Salat upon the Prophet ﷺ, then let him supplicate after that, whatever he wishes." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3477, graded hasan sahih):

إِذَا صَلَّى أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَبْدَأْ بِتَحْمِيدِ اللَّهِ وَالثَّنَاءِ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ لَيُصَلِّ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، ثُمَّ لَيَدْعُ بَعْدُ بِمَا شَاءَ

“Idhā ṣallā aḥadukum fal-yabda' bi-taḥmīdi Allāhi wath-thanā'i 'alayh, thumma li-yuṣalli 'ala an-nabiyyi ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam, thumma liyad'u ba'du bimā shā'.”

2. Send salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ

Send blessings on the Prophet ﷺ before and after your requests — the door through which your dua ascends.

3. Raise your hands

The Prophet ﷺ said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ حَيِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ يَسْتَحْيِي إِذَا رَفَعَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَيْهِ يَدَيْهِ أَنْ يَرُدَّهُمَا صِفْرًا خَائِبَتَيْنِ

“Inna Allāha ḥayyiyyun karīmun yastaḥyī idhā rafa'a ar-rajulu ilayhi yadayhi an yaruddahumā ṣifran khā'ibatayn.”

"Indeed, Allah is Shy and Generous; He is too shy, when a man raises his hands to Him, to return them to him empty and rejected." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3556, graded hasan)

4. Face the qibla, in wudu if you can

You can make dua anywhere — but facing the qibla in wudu adds focus and humility.

5. Call upon Him humbly and in a low voice

Allah loves the quiet, heartfelt caller:

ادْعُوا رَبَّكُمْ تَضَرُّعًا وَخُفْيَةً

“Ud'ū rabbakum taḍarru'an wa khufyah.”

"Call upon your Lord in humility and privately." (Surah Al-A'raf 7:55)

6. Ask with certainty

Believe Allah hears you and will respond in the way that is best for you. Doubt weakens dua; certainty empowers it.

7. Ask for yourself first, then others

The Prophet ﷺ would begin his supplications with himself before including others (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3385). Say "O Allah, forgive me," then add your parents, family and the whole ummah.

8. Repeat your dua three times

The Prophet ﷺ would supplicate and ask three times when he earnestly wanted something (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1794).

9. End with salawat and "Ameen"

Close as you opened — with blessings on the Prophet ﷺ — and seal your supplication with Ameen (O Allah, accept).

5 Best Times to Make Dua

Some moments carry a special promise of acceptance:

1. The last third of the night. "Our Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains and says: Who is calling upon Me that I may answer him? Who is asking of Me that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness that I may forgive him?" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1145; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 758)

2. Between the adhan and the iqamah.

الدُّعَاءُ لَا يُرَدُّ بَيْنَ الْأَذَانِ وَالْإِقَامَةِ

“Ad-du'ā'u lā yuraddu bayna al-adhāni wal-iqāmah.”

"Supplication between the adhan and the iqamah is not rejected." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 212; also Sunan Abu Dawud 521)

3. The last hour of Friday. "There is a time on Friday when no Muslim stands and prays, asking Allah for something, except that He gives it to him" — seek it in the final hour before Maghrib. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 935; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 852)

4. While fasting. "Three whose dua is not rejected: the fasting person until he breaks his fast, the just ruler, and the dua of the oppressed." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2526)

5. In sujood during salah. The closest a servant is to his Lord is in prostration — pour your heart out there, even in your own language.

3 Mistakes That Delay Your Dua's Answer

1. Giving up too soon. The Prophet ﷺ warned:

يُسْتَجَابُ لِأَحَدِكُمْ مَا لَمْ يَعْجَلْ، يَقُولُ: دَعَوْتُ فَلَمْ يُسْتَجَبْ لِي

“Yustajābu li-aḥadikum mā lam ya'jal, yaqūl: da'awtu falam yustajab lī.”

"One of you will be responded to as long as he is not hasty, saying: 'I supplicated, and I was not responded to.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6340; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2735)

2. Not asking at all. Astonishingly:

مَنْ لَمْ يَسْأَلِ اللَّهَ يَغْضَبْ عَلَيْهِ

“Man lam yas'ali Allāha yaġḍab 'alayh.”

"Whoever does not ask Allah, Allah becomes angry with him." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3373)

3. Earning through haram. The Prophet ﷺ described a traveler, disheveled and dusty, raising his hands crying "O Lord! O Lord!" — "yet his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful… so how can he be answered?" (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1015)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make dua in my own language?

Yes. Allah understands every language — sincerity matters more than vocabulary, though the prophetic duas in Arabic carry special virtue.

How do I know my dua was accepted?

Every sincere dua is answered (Tirmidhi 3381): you receive what you asked, or an equal evil is warded off, or a greater reward is stored for the Hereafter. "No answer" usually means "a better answer."

How long should I keep making the same dua?

Keep going. Some of the Prophet's ﷺ requests were granted years after he first made them — patience is part of the etiquette.

Is there a special posture for dua?

No fixed posture is required. Raising your hands and facing the qibla are recommended etiquettes, but you can supplicate sitting, standing, walking, or lying down.

Can children make dua too?

Absolutely. Start with: praise Allah, send salawat, and ask with a sincere heart.

The door of dua is always open — it costs nothing and gains everything. Start tonight: praise Allah, send salawat, raise your hands, and ask with certainty.

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