By Shaykh Abdul Qayum
22 August 2025

﷽ 

Brothers and sisters, how many times have we stood in prayer, raised our hands, pleading with Allah to ease our pain, remove our hardship, or grant us something we long for? And yet, after days, months, even years, it feels as though our prayers went unanswered. We begin to wonder, “Is Allah even listening to me? Am I so sinful that my du‘a is rejected?”

A brother called me this week, and he was clearly in deep pain. He’s been waiting and praying for something for a long time, but it still hasn’t happened. He sees others getting what he’s been hoping for so easily, and it pains him that his prayer has not yet been answered. He asked me, “Is there something wrong with me? Is my du‘a even accepted?”

Many of us might find ourselves feeling the same in our own situations. But we must remind ourselves of a crucial truth: tests are a part of life. Allah did not promise us a life without hardship. In fact, He told us clearly in the Qur’an:

So yes, trials are inevitable. But they are not a sign of Allah’s rejection of us. Sometimes, they’re a sign of His love.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

When Allah loves a people, He tests them.
Whoever is pleased will have Allah's pleasure.
And whoever is displeased will earn Allah's displeasure.

It’s a powerful reminder that even in pain, there is wisdom. If we respond with patience and trust, our trials become a path to become close to Allah.

And let’s not forget that every sincere du‘a is accepted, just not always in the way we expect. The Prophet ﷺ said:

No Muslim supplicates to Allah with a du‘a that contains nothing sinful or that does not cut off family ties, but Allah will grant him one of three: 

He will either quickly answer it,
or store it for him in the Hereafter,
or divert an evil from him equal to it.

SubhanAllah! Sometimes we think our du‘a is going unanswered, but in reality, Allah is protecting us from something we can’t even see. Or He is saving that du‘a as a mountain of reward for us in the Hereafter.

Look at the story of Prophet Ayyub عليه السلام. He was tested with illness, poverty, and abandonment for 18 years. But he never gave up. His du‘a was simple:

And Allah responded:

Another example is Prophet Ya‘qub عليه السلام, who lost his beloved son Yusuf عليه السلام for many years. He cried until he lost his sight. Yet, he remained hopeful and never stopped making du‘a. Eventually, Allah reunited them.

And who can forget Yunus عليه السلام? Trapped in the belly of the whale, in complete darkness, what did he say?

And Allah says:

These are not just stories. They are messages of hope. They remind us that no matter how long the wait, how deep the pain, Allah never abandons His servants.

Sometimes we are so focused on whether our du‘a is being answered that we forget the real value lies in the act of du‘a itself. One of the scholars said:

“I am not concerned about whether my du‘a is answered. I am only concerned with making du‘a, because that is my duty.”

And another wise scholar said:

“If the veil were lifted on the Day of Judgement, you would see that delaying the answer of your du‘a was better for you than hastening it in the dunya.”

So my dear brothers and sisters, never stop making du‘a. Even if it takes years. Even if you cry and cry with no answer in sight. Keep going. Each du‘a is a step closer to Allah. Each prayer is a light in your heart. Each tear is seen by the One who never forgets.

May Allah make us from those who never lose hope in His mercy. May He accept our du‘as, respond to our needs in the best way, and grant us patience, trust, and a heart full of faith.

Ameen.

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