Supplications During Prayer
Etiquettes of Supplication:
That one should ask his Lord by the Beautiful Names of Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty the Exalted says:
وَلِلَّهِ الأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
(And to Allah Almighty belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them, and leave those who deviate concerning His Names; they will be recompensed for what they used to do).
Praising and glorifying Allah Almighty before making supplication, as He deserves. It is narrated from Fadhalah ibn ‘Ubayd (may Allah Almighty be pleased with him): “While the Prophet (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) was sitting, a man entered and prayed, then said:
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِی وَارْحَمْنِی
(O Allah Almighty, forgive me and have mercy on me). The Messenger of Allah Almighty (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) said: ‘You have hastened, O worshipper! When you pray and sit down, praise Allah Almighty as He deserves to be praised, and send blessings upon me, then make your supplication.’ And in another narration he said: ‘When one of you has prayed, let him begin by praising Allah Almighty and glorifying Him, then send blessings upon the Prophet (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace), and then ask for whatever he wishes.’ The narrator said: Then another man prayed and praised Allah Almighty and sent blessings upon the Messenger of Allah Almighty (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace). Then the Prophet (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) said: ‘O worshipper, supplicate, and you will be answered.’”
Sending blessings upon the Prophet (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace), as he said: “Every supplication is veiled until blessings are sent upon the Prophet (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace).”
Facing the Qiblah while making supplication. It is narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah Almighty be pleased with him) that he said: “On the Day of Badr, the Messenger of Allah Almighty (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) looked at the polytheists, who were one thousand in number, while his companions were three hundred and nineteen. The Messenger of Allah Almighty (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) then turned his face toward the Qiblah, raised his hands, and began supplicating to his Lord: ‘O Allah Almighty, fulfill what You have promised me. O Allah Almighty, grant me what You have promised me. O Allah Almighty, if this group of Muslims is destroyed, You will not be worshipped on the earth.’ He continued to call upon his Lord with outstretched hands facing the Qiblah until his cloak fell from his shoulders.”
Al-Nawawi (may Allah Almighty have mercy on him) said in his commentary on Sahih Muslim: “This hadith indicates the recommendation of facing the Qiblah while supplicating and raising the hands in this state.”
Raising the hands. It is narrated from Salman (may Allah Almighty be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah Almighty (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) said: “Indeed, your Lord, Blessed and Exalted, is Most Modest and Generous. He feels shy that His servant would raise his hands to Him and He would return them empty.”
It is narrated from Malik ibn Yasar (may Allah Almighty be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah Almighty (may Allah Almighty bless him and give him peace) said: “When you ask Allah Almighty, do so with the palms of your hands, and not with their backs.”
Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah Almighty have mercy on him) stated that the hands should be kept together. He said: “As for separating the hands and distancing them from each other, I see no basis for that in the Sunnah or the statements of the scholars.”