Du`a’ and Despair
By SuhaibWebb on Islam and Religion from www.suhaibwebb.com
QUESTION
I have a few questions concerning du`a’ (supplication). What are the best times to make du`a’? I’ve been making du`a’ in the last hour of the night, and I’m encouraged to keep making it until Allah grants me my wish or gives me whatever He thinks is best for me.
However, as humans we tend to get tired, lose hope, and feel as if our du`a’ is not being accepted. Particularly when you really want something, it can be very hard to accept that what you want may not be good for you. Sometimes, when you don’t see the results or feel that your du`a’ is not being accepted, it can even make you want to stop making du`a’.
This battle is extremely frustrating, and I find myself losing hope at times. I feel as though Shaytan (Satan) is whispering negative thoughts in my head, causing me to complain and say unnecessary things. When I think about this, I despair at the idea of my sins mounting, and I feel as though these sins decrease the chance of my du`a’ being accepted. I don’t want this to continue as I can see that I’m only hurting myself, but I just lose hope.
