Q 1: What is the reason behind the nonacceptance of Du`a' (supplication)?

A: Allah (Glorified be He) orders and urges His Servants to invoke Him. He promised to answer them, as Allah says, And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islâmic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!" And He (Exalted be He) also says, Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. And He says, Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم to the disbelievers): "My Lord pays attention to you only because of your invocation to Him. However, Allah may delay the response for a wisdom that only He knows, and for the benefit of His Slave. In addition, Allah may grant His slave more blessings than that which he requested. It is authentically reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, There is no slave who invokes Allah with words in which there is no sin or severing ties of kinship but Allah will give him one of three things: (Part No. 24; Page No. 196) Either He will answer his Du`a' in the worldly life, or He will store it up for him in the Hereafter, or He will remove harm from him that is equivalent to what he is asking for. They (the Companions) said, “Then we should make a great amount of Du`a'.” He said, “Allah is Greater.” Thus, the reason behind not responding to the Du`a' might be one of the reasons mentioned above, such as invoking with words of sin, or severing ties of kinship, or transgression included in this invocation, or earning Haram (prohibited). Thus, the invoker should be sincere to Allah in his Du`a', avoiding the reasons that might hinder the response. Moreover, we should strive to offer Du`a' at the times when Du`a' is most likely to be accepted. For example, during the last third of the night, and between Adhan and Iqamah, and on Fridays, as it is reported that on this day, there is an hour when a Muslim servant stands and asks Allah for something Allah will give it to him. In addition, we should offer Du`a' during prostration because of the Hadith that says, "Man is closest to Allah when he is prostrating, so supplicate to Allah a lot then." Similarly, a person praying for their brother during his absence, and the Du`a' of the fasting, the traveler, and the father's Du`a' for his son are all occasions for accepting Du`a'. Besides, the Muslim should appeal to Allah repeating his Du`a', so that Allah may accept it. Du`a' has great value. Indeed, if it only manifests the servants' submission, humbleness and need to Allah (Exalted be He), being powerless in front of Him, (Part No. 24; Page No. 197) praising Him, and ascribing generosity and bounty to Him, it would be much better compared to what has been requested. That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Du`a' (supplication) is itself the worship. Related by Imam Al-Tirmidhy who said: Hadith Hasan Sahih (a good authentic one) and it is related by Abu Dawud and Al-Nasa'y and Ibn Majah in their Sunan.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.