How Can I Increase My Faith When My Duas Are Never Answered?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I have a health condition that makes fasting extremely hard. I’ve been making dua for years for Allah to heal me so that I can be a better Muslim. I’ve made dua at all the special times and even during hajj and umrah. Yet no answer.
I know that Allah either grants your dua, gives you something better, or rewards you in Janna, but constantly hoping that my duas will be fulfilled when they are not has made me numb. I have even stopped fasting because it’s getting more difficult. I hate that it has gotten to this point, and I keep praying that Allah makes it easy. My other duas are never fulfilled, either. I’m slowly losing faith and giving up.
What am I doing wrong? I feel rejected by God.
Answer
Thank you for your question. I empathize with your frustration and understand that you are dealing with a lot of pain and suffering. May Allah grant you healing, peace of mind, and submission.
Supplication
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “‘Any Muslim who makes a supplication containing nothing which is sinful or which involves breaking ties of relationship will be given for it by God one of three things: He will give him a speedy answer, or store it up for him in the next world, or turn away from him an equivalent amount of evil.’ Those who heard it said they would then make many supplications, and he replied, ‘God is more ready to answer than they were to ask.’” [Ahmad]
You must have full faith and submission in what Allah chooses for you. Once you align your will with what Allah wills, you will find complete peace and satisfaction by the grace of Allah. Indeed, having a health condition is not easy, but it may be that without this health condition, you could have lost your character, your wealth, your honor, or even your faith.
Etiquette
The etiquette of a believer with their Lord is patience. The servant asks his Lord, and one must patiently wait even if it is difficult and trust that Allah’s timing is the best. Never claim that your dua was not answered, as you don’t know if it has been. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) told us, “The supplication of every one of you is granted if he does not grow impatient and say: ‘I supplicated, but it was not granted.’” [Muslim]
You said that you have been supplicating for years, but that is nothing in Allah’s view, and the wisdom will become apparent when Allah wills, in sha Allah. Keep supplicating, keep asking; Allah loves it, and keep living your life in a way Allah loves so that He has more reason to answer you.
Dua Not Answered
There can be certain obstacles to one’s supplication being answered immediately, and it would do you good to look at these and ensure that you are not doing something wrong. Make sure that your income is halal, that you are not cheating in any way, that you are not dealing with usury, and that you are following the obligations of Islam to the best of your ability. Increase your worship because that is a sure way to increase your faith; in sha Allah, you will never despair again.
Please see many more details here:
Reader on Unfulfilled Supplications
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
