Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamo alaikum

Thank you very much for this wonderful service. u really are doing a a great job. May allah always keep u happy and give u rewards for ur acts.

my question is that when i read namaz when i do my dua after it i always ask allah for a guy that a want to marry. this man does not know me, but i have faith in god and i am determined that he will listen to my duas. however in the event that i dont marry that man, as allah knows best, will allah still bestow upon me a righteous husband? the reason for asking this question is because if allahs servant wants something they have to ask for it, but when i do a dua i always just ask for that particular person and not just for a good husband. i hope u understand my very confusing question.

Thank you very much

Kind regards

ur well wisher.

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Answer:

What to ask for in dua?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

Every supplication, whether specific or general, that a believer makes to his Merciful Lord, is heard and answered by his Lord; for Allah is indeed All Hearing, All Knowing.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 186: And if My servants ask you, O Prophet, concerning Me, tell them that I am quite near to them. I hear and answer the prayer of the suppliant, when he calls on Me. So let them respond to My call and believe in Me. (Convey this to them), perhaps they may be guided aright!

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2257 Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri

The Prophet (saws) 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 Allah one of three things: He will give him swift 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 (saws) replied that Allah was more ready to answer than they were to ask.

Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet (saws) said, "Nothing is more dear to Allah than one's supplication to Him.''

Narrated by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

Salman reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Your Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted One, is Modest and Generous, and He loathes to turn away His servant empty-handed when he raises his hands to Him in supplication."

Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban.

Your Question: the reason for asking this question is because if allahs servant wants something they have to ask for it, but when i do a dua i always just ask for that particular person and not just for a good husband.

As long as one does not ask for something evil, a believer is permitted and encouraged to ask anything he wills from His Bounteous and Gracious Lord. Allah Subhanah loves those believers who admit their helplessness and humbly and constantly implore Him for all their needs and wants, and He does not love those who think they are self-sufficient and do not ask of Him. That is precisely why the Messenger of Allah (saws) declared in an authentic narration that supplication is indeed in itself worship!

Nu'man b. Bashir reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Verily supplication is worship."

Narrated by Ahmad and Sunan.

Thus the question now is not whether we may ask our Lord for something specific that we think is good for us or ask a general supplication, for indeed both are permissible; but the real question that needs to be determined is which supplication is better: To ask for something specific we think is good for us, or ask Allah Subhanah to provide us with what He Knows is best for us?

The determination here is not between the permissible and the forbidden, but rather between what is good and what is best!

In light of the guidance of the Quran and the teachings of the Messenger of Allah (saws), the absolute best way is to ask Allah Subhanah to provide us with whatever our hearts desire on the condition that He only bestow our desire if in His Knowledge and Wisdom what we have asked is good for our religion, our life in this world, and our life in the Hereafter; and if what we have asked is, in His Perfect Knowledge and Absolute Wisdom, not good for our religion, our life in this world, and our life in the Hereafter, we implore Him to keep it away from us and from it, and provide us with what He Knows is best for us in this world and the Hereafter.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 216: But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth and ye know not.

Whenever the Messenger of Allah (saws) had to make an important decision, or had to choose between several good options; he (saws) would perform the prayer and supplication of ‘Istakhara’ and implore the Majestic Lord to guide him to the best decision; and he encouraged the believers to do the same.

The following is the translation of beautiful du'a or supplication of ‘Istakhara’ made by the Messenger of Allah (saws):
O Allah! I seek Your guidance (in making a choice) by virtue of Your
knowledge, and I seek ability by virtue of Your power, and I ask You of Your
Great Bounty. You have Power, I have none. And You Know, I know not. You are
the Knower of all hidden things.
O Allah! If in Your knowledge, (this matter) is good for my religion, my
livelihood and my affairs; immediate and in the distant, then ordain for me,
make it easy for me and bless it for me. And if in Your knowledge, (this
matter) is bad for my religion, my livelihood and my affairs; immediate and
in the distant, then turn it away from me, and turn me away from it. And
ordain for me the good wherever it be, and make me pleased with it.

Thus in your situation, you may implore the Merciful Lord that if the man you desire in marriage is good for your life in this world and the Hereafter, He facilitate your marriage with him. And if the man you desire is, in His Knowledge, not the best for you, then keep the man away from you, and you from him; and from His Grace and Mercy provide for you a person who is best for you.

If Allah Subhanah facilitates and provides you the man you desire in marriage, then trust Allah and know for sure that this man is indeed the best for you; and if the marriage with the man you desire does not materialize and Allah facilitates your marriage with another person; then trust your Lord’s Decision and know for sure that the man your Lord has facilitated in marriage to you is indeed the absolute best for you, in the life of this world and in the Hereafter; for Allah Subhanah Knows what is good for us and we know not.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan