Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
A Muslim should think positively of Allah the Almighty and realize that He is close and merciful to his servants. Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him as saying that Allah thus stated:
I live in the thought of My servant as he thinks of Me and with him as he calls Me." {Related by Muslim}.
In fact, thinking positively of Allah is an act of devotion that draws a Muslim closer to Him, opens for him the doors of goodness, facilitation and mercy, because Allah treats us based on what we expect Him to be. Al-Baihaqhi reported Allah`s Messenger as saying {What means}: "By Allah, Allah has never granted a servant, after belief in Allah, anything better than thinking positively of Allah. By Allah, whatever a servant expects of Allah, He the Almighty grants him that."
When a Muslim thinks about the mercy and success that Allah has bestowed upon him, he draws closer to Him. It is Allah Who led him to the people whose prayers are answered, guided him to the way of goodness, facilitated religious and life affairs for him and set him apart from those who are misguided. Once a Muslim realizes these and ponders upon them, his faith in Allah deepens and escapes to Him with prayers and invocations. Allah the Almighty says: "When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way." {Al-Baqarah, 186}.
It is worth pointing out that when our Duaa` is answered, Allah may not give us exactly what we asked for. Rather, He may save the reward of the Duaa` for the Afterlife or save us from some affliction that would have befallen us.
The Prophet, Allah grant him blessings and peace, said, “Not a single Muslim prays for anything that is not a sin or a severance of family ties save that Allah gives him one of three things: He either gives him what he asked for immediately, or saves it for him for the Afterlife, or averts from him a calamity the likes thereof.” {Related by Ibn Abi Shaibah}.
Beware (Questioner) not to despair of Allah`s mercy by abandoning supplication. Rather, be persistent in making Duaa` for it is an act of worship which shows your need and humiliation before Him, and you shouldn`t be impatient in expecting the answer. Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as saying: "The supplication of the servant is granted in case he does not supplicate for sin or for severing the ties of blood, or he does not become impatient. It was said: Allah's Messenger, what does:" If he does not grow impatient" imply? He said: That he should say like this: I supplicated and I supplicated but I did not find it being responded. and then he becomes frustrated and abandons supplication." {Related by Muslim}.
In conclusion, answering one`s Duaa` is a blessing from Allah that He confers upon His pious servants and it has nothing to do with the multitude of good deeds. In addition, the suppliant isn`t necessarily granted exactly what he asks for. Thus, a Muslim should make Duaa` himself on continuous basis or ask someone else to make Duaa` on his behalf. An-Nu’man bin al-Bashir (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Verily supplication is worship.” {Related by Abu Dawoud and At-Tirmidhi}. And Allah the Almighty knows best.
