(And your Lord said, “Call upon Me, and I will respond to you”)

Question:
The questioner: This person says: “I have supplicated much, but I have not been answered. What is the evidence for this, and should I repeat the supplication?” May Allah reward you.

Answer:
Answer: Yes, my brother, repeat the supplication and do not despair. Perhaps the delay in the response is in your interest. The non-response is either because the conditions for acceptance were not met in your supplication: the conditions of acceptance include eating what is lawful, nourishing oneself with what is lawful, and abandoning what is forbidden in food, drink, and clothing. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “A man travels a long distance, disheveled and dusty, stretching out his hands to the sky, saying, ‘O my Lord, O my Lord,’ while his food is forbidden, his drink is forbidden, his clothing is forbidden, and he is nourished with what is forbidden. How then will he be answered?” It is not answered for him. So among the obstacles to the acceptance of supplication is eating what is forbidden and nourishing oneself with it. Also, among the obstacles to the acceptance of supplication is that a person despairs and says, “I have supplicated and supplicated, but I have not been answered,” and then he abandons supplication. This is not permissible because it is despair of the mercy of Allah, and because it is hastening the response, which may not be in his interest. Allah knows best what is in His servants' interests. So he should persist in supplication and increase in supplication, and not despair or lose hope, and not consider the response delayed. His supplication is heard by Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and Allah is Wise and All-Knowing. He may delay the response for his benefit so that he will increase in supplication, which is worship, as in the hadith. Allah loves that His servants supplicate. He said (the Exalted): “And your Lord said, ‘Call upon Me, and I will respond to you. Indeed, those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell [in a state of] humiliation’” [Ghafir: 60]. Also, among the obstacles to the acceptance of supplication is that it contains shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah (Mighty and Majestic), such as seeking nearness to Allah through the righteous awliya (close friends of Allah) and the like, and including something of shirk in his worship. Also, among the obstacles to the acceptance of supplication is that he supplicates for a sin or for severing family ties. Also, among the obstacles to the acceptance of supplication is that he supplicates in a manner that is not prescribed, that he supplicates to Allah with what He has prescribed: “So call upon Allah, offering Him sincere religion” [Ghafir: 14], and he does not include in his supplication any shirk or supplication to other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and he does not place an intermediary between himself and Allah for the acceptance of his supplication and the fulfillment of his needs. Rather, he turns directly to Allah. Your Lord said: “And your Lord said, ‘Call upon Me, and I will respond to you’” [Ghafir: 60].