Quora Answer: What are the Times When Du’a is Accepted?

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “What are the times when du’a is Accepted?” 

There are many ahadits, narrations, that give the best times to supplicate, but there are none that say that supplications will not be accepted at certain times, as long as we live, and death has not overtaken us. 

This is what the Qur’an Says: 

سُوۡرَةُ المؤمن / غَافر

وَقَالَ رَبُّڪُمُ ٱدۡعُونِىٓ أَسۡتَجِبۡ لَكُمۡۚ … (٦٠) 

And your Lord Says, “Call on Me; I will Answer your (prayer) …” (Surah Ghafir:60) 

There is no such thing as a supplication that is not answered.  To understand this, we must understand tawhid, monotheism.  Allah (s.w.t.) is Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omnibenevolent.  He is not moved by Creation, but He Moves it.  He is ar-Razzaq, the Provider.  He is al-Karim, the Generous.  Allah (s.w.t.) Knew your need before you were Created, and Sent to this world.  His Provision for all Creation was Decreed.  He is not in need of our asking to Know our needs, and not in need of our supplication to Grant it. 

So why do we supplicate?  Supplication is a Blessing so that we are cognisant of Divine Blessings and Providence.  Without it, we are likely to forget that we are in a state of need, and be heedless of Allah (s.w.t.).  The Answer to every prayer Belongs to His Sovereignty, and it is made apparent to us in its own time.  But every prayer is already Answered.  It is only whether we see it here now, later or in the Hereafter.  Allah (s.w.t.) Gives us exactly what we need, and so Answers the quiet voice at the depths of the heart, not the cacophony that screams our desires.