You’re in the darkest moment of your life. Problems suffocating you. Doors closed everywhere. Hope running thin. You wonder: “Does Allah ﷻ even hear me?”
He does. And He made you a promise.
Allah’s Promise That Never Fails
[Surah Ghafir, Ayah 60]
“And your Lord says: ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you.’ Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.”
Read that again. “Call upon Me; I WILL respond to you.”
Not “I might respond.” Not “I’ll consider it.” Not “if you’re perfect enough.” I WILL respond.
That’s Allah’s promise. Written in the Quran. Preserved for 1400+ years. For you. Right now. In your hardship.
The scholars explain: Allah ﷻ doesn’t promise things He won’t deliver. When He says “I will respond,” it’s guaranteed. The only question is: Are you calling Him?
The Du’a That Saved a Prophet in Darkness
[Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayah 87-88]
“And [mention] the man of the fish (Yunus), when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses: ‘There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.’ So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers.”
Prophet Yunus عليه السلام. In the belly of a whale. Three layers of darkness: the darkness of night, the darkness of the ocean depths, and the darkness inside the whale.
No light. No way out. No human help possible. Completely alone.
Except he wasn’t. Because Allah ﷻ was there.
So he made du’a:
“La ilaha illa Anta, Subhanaka, inni kuntu minaz-zalimin”
(There is no god but You, Glory be to You, I was indeed among the wrongdoers)
And Allah ﷻ says: “So We responded to him and saved him from the distress.”
Then—and this is the part that should make your heart leap—Allah ﷻ adds:
“And thus do We save the believers.”
Not just Yunus عليه السلام. The believers. All believers. Including you.
The Prophet ﷺ Guarantees It Works for You
Sa’d ibn Malik رضي الله عنه reported in Jami’ at-Tirmidhi (3505): The Prophet ﷺ said:
“The supplication of Dhun-Nun (Prophet Yunus عليه السلام) when he supplicated while in the belly of the whale was: ‘La ilaha illa Anta, Subhanaka, inni kuntu minaz-zalimin.’ So indeed, no Muslim man supplicates with it for anything, ever, except Allah ﷻ responds to him.”
NO MUSLIM. That means you.
FOR ANYTHING. That means your problem.
EVER. That means always.
EXCEPT ALLAH ﷻ RESPONDS. Guaranteed.
You’re not Prophet Yunus عليه السلام. You’re not in a whale’s belly. But you’re in your own darkness. Your own impossible situation. Your own moment of desperation.
Say this du’a. With sincerity. With belief. With hope in Allah’s promise.
And watch Him respond.
The Du’a of the Distressed
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رضي الله عنه reported: The Prophet ﷺ taught his daughter Fatimah رضي الله عنها this du’a for times of distress:
“Allahumma rahmataka arjoo, fala takilni ila nafsi tarfata ‘aynin, wa aslih li sha’ni kullahu, la ilaha illa Anta”
(O Allah ﷻ, it is Your mercy that I hope for, so do not leave me in charge of my affairs even for a blink of an eye. Rectify for me all of my affairs. None has the right to be worshipped except You.)
You’re asking Allah ﷻ: Don’t leave me to myself. Don’t let me rely on my weak judgment. Don’t make me depend on my limited strength. You handle my affairs.
Because when you handle things—you mess up. You misjudge. You follow desires. You lack wisdom.
But when He handles things? Everything falls into place in ways you couldn’t have imagined.
When You’re Absolutely Desperate
[Surah An-Naml, Ayah 62]
“Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allah ﷻ? Little do you remember.”
The desperate one. The one at the end of their rope. The one with nowhere else to turn. The one everyone abandoned. The one with no options left.
Allah ﷻ responds to that person.
Why? Because that’s when your du’a is most sincere. That’s when you’re not asking casually. That’s when you truly need Him and know only He can help.
Your desperation isn’t weakness. It’s the key that unlocks Allah’s response.
Why Your Du’a Seems “Unanswered”
“But I’ve made du’a for months. Years. Why hasn’t Allah ﷻ answered me?”
The Prophet ﷺ explained in Sahih Muslim (2735): “The du’a of any worshipper continues to be answered so long as he does not ask for something sinful or for severing family ties, and so long as he is not hasty.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah ﷻ, what does being hasty mean?” He ﷺ said: “When he says: ‘I made du’a and I made du’a, and I have not seen any response,’ so he gives up and stops making du’a.”
You think Allah ﷻ didn’t respond because you don’t see results yet. But He responds in three ways:
- He gives you what you asked for – when the timing is right
- He removes an equivalent harm from you – you never see what disaster He prevented
- He saves it as reward for you on Judgment Day – when you’ll need it more
Every single du’a is answered. Every single one. Just not always how you expect or when you expect.
The Secret: Never Stop Asking
The Prophet ﷺ said in Sunan Ibn Majah (3865):
“Ask Allah ﷻ for everything, even a shoelace. For if Allah ﷻ does not provide it, it will never be provided.”
Everything. Big or small. Important or trivial. Ask Allah ﷻ.
Need money? Ask Him.
Need healing? Ask Him.
Need guidance? Ask Him.
Need a spouse? Ask Him.
Need your broken heart fixed? Ask Him.
Need to pass that exam? Ask Him.
Need your parents’ forgiveness? Ask Him.
Need strength to quit that sin? Ask Him.
Don’t ask people first and Allah ﷻ second. Ask Allah ﷻ first. Always. For everything.
The Times Your Du’a is Guaranteed
The Prophet ﷺ taught us specific times when du’a is especially answered:
The last third of the night. He ﷺ said: “Our Lord ﷻ descends every night to the lowest heaven when one-third of the night remains and says: ‘Who will call upon Me, that I may answer him? Who will ask of Me, that I may give him? Who will seek My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?'” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1145)
While prostrating in prayer. He ﷺ said: “The closest that a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so increase du’a therein.” (Sahih Muslim 482)
Between the adhan and iqamah. He ﷺ said: “Du’a made between the adhan and iqamah is not rejected.” (Sunan Abu Dawud 521)
While fasting, before breaking fast. He ﷺ said: “Three supplications are not rejected: the supplication of a fasting person, the supplication of a just ruler, and the supplication of the oppressed.” (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2526)
On Friday, the last hour before Maghrib. He ﷺ said: “There is an hour on Friday when, if a Muslim happens to be praying and asks Allah ﷻ for something, Allah ﷻ will give it to him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 935)
Use these times. Wake up for Tahajjud. Prostrate longer. Make du’a after adhan. Increase supplication while fasting. Catch that Friday hour.
What to Do Right Now
Stop reading. Put your hands up. And say:
“La ilaha illa Anta, Subhanaka, inni kuntu minaz-zalimin”
(There is no god but You, Glory be to You, I was indeed among the wrongdoers)
Say it again. And again. And again.
Then make your specific du’a. Ask Allah ﷻ for exactly what you need. Use your own words if you want. Cry if you need to. Pour your heart out.
He’s listening. He’s already preparing His response. He made you a promise, and Allah ﷻ never breaks His promises.
Your job is to call. His job is to respond. And He will respond.
Because He said: “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.”
And when Allah ﷻ says “I will”—it’s done.
Disclaimer: This article presents authentic Quranic verses and hadith about du’a and Allah’s promise to respond. Readers are advised to consult qualified Islamic scholars for detailed guidance. The content reflects classical and contemporary Islamic scholarship and should not replace personal consultation with knowledgeable religious authorities.