Dailydu'as

Du'a is the servant's turning toward the Creator to voice needs, wishes and thanks. In Islam du'a is regarded as the essence of worship; the Prophet (peace be upon him) said "Du'a is the essence of worship" (Tirmidhi). Whether accepted immediately or not, making du'a is itself an act of worship and is rewarded.

Du'a may be made to Allah in any language. Alongside the Arabic du'as transmitted in the sunnah, expressing what is in your heart in your own language is fully legitimate. What matters is presence of heart, understanding and sincerity.

Classical Islamic tradition lists several factors that can hinder acceptance: unlawful food (haram earnings), heedlessness, impatience (giving up after a short while) and unsettled rights between people. In a hadith in Bukhari the Prophet pointed to unlawful food as a barrier to du'a. A delay in response does not mean rejection; the answer may be reserved for the Hereafter.

By the common sunnah, hands are held open at chest level with the palms facing upward, with a small gap between them like the width of a fist. After finishing the du'a one wipes the hands over the face. These are recommended manners, not obligations; what matters is the state of the heart.

Salawat is asking Allah to grant mercy and peace upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The most common form is "Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā āli Muḥammad…". It is especially recommended on Fridays, when the Prophet's name is mentioned, after prayer and at times of need.

Istighfar is asking Allah for forgiveness. Its shortest form is saying "Astaghfirullāh." The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have asked forgiveness 70 to 100 times a day. Saying it before sleeping, after prayers and after moments of heedlessness is a common practice.

Morning and evening adhkar (adhkār al-ṣabāḥ wa-l-masāʾ) are bundles of short du'as and verses recommended at the two ends of the day. They include Ayat al-Kursi, surah al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and al-Nas, and various prophetic du'as; they are widely recited for spiritual protection and the blessing of the day.

In the Hatırla İslam app, daily du'as are organized by category: morning, evening, meals, travel, salawat, istighfar, and so on. Each du'a has its Arabic script, transliteration, meaning and source. Combined with the digital tasbih you can repeat a specific du'a by a set count and add favorites for quick access.

The hadith literature lists times when du'a is especially accepted: the last third of the night (the time of tahajjud), between the adhan and iqama, while in sujood, the time between ʿasr and maghrib on Friday, the day of ʿArafah, when breaking the fast, on Laylat al-Qadr, during rain, and while traveling. Sincere, focused du'a in these times is particularly recommended.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said "On Friday there is an hour during which, if a Muslim servant is in prayer and asks Allah for something, He grants it to him" (Bukhari, Muslim). The exact moment is not specified; most scholars hold it to be between ʿasr and maghrib. Some narrations place it during the imam's khutbah. The post-ʿasr period on Friday is an especially valuable time for du'a.

Du'a is any request, thanks or supplication directed to Allah. Munajat (or niyaz) is a more specific word; it emphasizes whispered, humble pleading. In Sufi tradition munajat is the intimate conversation with Allah. In practice both share the same goal: speaking to Allah in worship.

Du'as found in the Qur'an and hadith are called "prescribed" (mashruʿ) or "sunnah" du'as; they are read as the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught them and have particular virtues. But expressing what is in your heart in your own language is fully legitimate and accepted. The ideal: recite the sunnah du'a first, then express your specific needs in your own words. Allah understands every language.

When rain is needed, there is a special prayer and du'a called istisqāʾ. The community gathers (preferably in an open area), prays a two-rakʿah prayer for rain, and then the imam delivers a simple khutbah and makes the du'a for rain. Diyanet (Türkiye's Presidency of Religious Affairs) sometimes calls this in periods of drought. Individually one may also say "Allāhumma asqinā ghaythan mughīthā" (O Allah, send us beneficial rain).

There is a well-known du'a the Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have taught Ali: "Allāhumma-kfinī bi-ḥalālika ʿan ḥarāmika, wa-aghninī bi-faḍlika ʿamman siwāk" (O Allah, suffice me with what You have made lawful in place of what You have forbidden, and enrich me by Your bounty so that I need none other than You — Tirmidhi). The names Yā Razzāq, Yā Wahhāb, Yā Ghanī are also recommended for remembrance. Getting out of debt requires real effort and lawful earnings alongside du'a.

Classical du'as concerning children include: Al-i ʿImran 38 ("Rabbi hab lī min ladunka dhurriyyatan ṭayyibah") around birth, Yunus 81-82, and surahs al-Falaq and al-Nas for protection (Bukhari). The Prophet is reported to have read "Aʿūdhu bi-kalimāt-illāh-it-tāmmāti min kulli shayṭānin wa hāmmah" each night for protection of children and self (Bukhari). The parents' du'a for the child's righteousness and knowledge is particularly accepted.

Waswasa is the doubt or unwanted thought Satan casts into the heart. The Prophet (peace be upon him) advised one who feels waswasa to say "Aʿūdhu billāhi min al-shayṭān al-rajīm" (I seek refuge in Allah from the rejected Satan) and to stop dwelling on it (Bukhari). Reciting al-Falaq and al-Nas, maintaining prayer and being in a state of wudu are the main remedies. A person experiencing waswasa is not held responsible for it — an unwilled thought is not a sin.

Shukr du'a is gratitude for blessings from Allah. The shortest expression is "Alḥamdulillāh." After meals one says "Alḥamdulillāhilladhī aṭʿamanā," and on receiving good news "Alḥamdulillāhilladhī bi-niʿmatihi tatimmu-ṣ-ṣāliḥāt" (Praise be to Allah by whose blessing good deeds are completed). The Qur'an cites David (peace be upon him) as an example of gratitude. "If you give thanks, I will give you more" (Ibrahim 14:7).

Some hadith sources (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi) report that the Prophet (peace be upon him) wiped his hands over his face after du'a. This is considered a sunnah but is not obligatory. Symbolically, it signifies the blessing of the du'a being passed onto the face and body. There is mild scholarly debate about the strength of the relevant hadiths, but the practice is widely accepted in Türkiye and across the Muslim world.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said "A parent's du'a for their child is like a prophet's du'a for his community" (Bayhaqi). Another narration in Tirmidhi lists the parent's du'a for the child among "three du'as that are not rejected." For this reason both a parent's du'a for the child and the child's du'a for the parents — living or deceased — carry particular weight. This is why the verse "Rabbi-rḥamhumā" (al-Isra' 24) is widely recited.