Always Answered Unless for Sin or Impatience

📖Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2735
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The servant will continue to have his supplications answered as long as he does not ask for sin or cutting family ties, and he is not impatient. They said, “O Messenger of Allah, what is impatience?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He says: I have supplicated again and again, but I have not seen an answer. He becomes frustrated with that and gives up supplicating.”

Explanation

This hadith teaches that Allah always responds to the supplication of His servant, but there are conditions:

• The supplication must not involve sin or severing family ties.
• The person must not become impatient and abandon making dua.

Being answered does not always mean Allah will give you exactly what you asked for in this world. For example, if someone says: “O Allah, make me a doctor,” it may or may not happen as you want. But your dua is never wasted. It is always answered in one of three ways:

1. You get what you asked for in this life.
2. It is stored for you as a reward in the Hereafter.
3. It protects you from a harm or sin that could have led you to Hell.

This is confirmed by another narration:

📖Riyad as-Salihin 1501
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Whenever a Muslim supplicates Allah, He accepts his supplication or averts any similar kind of trouble from him until he prays for something sinful or something that may break the ties of kinship.” Upon this someone of the Companions said: “Then we shall supplicate plenty.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Allah is more plentiful (in responding)

Qur’an as Context

📖Surah Al-Baqarah (2:186)
And when My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.”

Allah promises that He is near and answers every dua, but the form of the answer is according to His wisdom.

📖Surah Al-Baqarah (2:216)
“But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. Allah knows, while you know not.”

Sometimes what we ask for may harm us, so Allah gives us something better or saves us from harm.

📖Surah Ghafir (40:60)
Call upon Me; I will respond to you.

But we must not lose patience; impatience is a sign of weak trust in Allah’s wisdom.