One day, people surrounded the Sufi saint Ibrahim ibn Adham while he was walking in a market in the city of Basra and asked him why their prayers were not being accepted. They said, “O saints, O pious ones, we pray to Allah a lot, but still our prayers are not accepted. What is the way to accept prayers?”
At that time, Ibrahim ibn Adham said to them, “O people of Basra, know that your hearts have become dead for ten reasons.”
- You know about Allah but do not follow His rules and prohibitions.
- You claim to love the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) but do not follow his Sunnah.
- You read the Quran but do not live according to it.
- You know that Satan is an enemy, but follow his path.
- You desire Paradise but do not strive for it.
- You fear Hell but constantly go there by committing sins.
- You know that death is inevitable, but you are not prepared for it.
- Find faults in others, but remain indifferent to your own faults.
- Enjoy the grace of Allah, but do not express gratitude for it.
- Do not learn from the dead body even after it is buried.
These 10 reasons cause the heart to die, and when you are aware of these things and develop the right attitude towards Allah, the chances of your supplication being accepted increase.
Allah says in the Holy Quran, “Call upon Me, I will answer your supplication” (Surah Mumin, verse 60). The word ‘supplication’ is used in Arabic for calling, praying, asking for something, etc.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Nothing can change the decision of Allah except supplication” (Tirmidhi, Hadith number 2139). Supplication is considered the root of all worship.
It is mentioned in the Hadith that one of the conditions for supplication to be accepted is to abstain from haram food, clothes, drinks, etc. The prayers of those who earn unlawful income are not accepted.
In addition, the prayers of those who become discouraged when they do not receive anything, who do not enjoin good deeds, do not refrain from evil deeds, and do not do anything against injustice are not accepted.
Lack of full concentration in prayer also creates an obstacle to its acceptance. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Pray with full confidence, for Allaah does not accept the supplication of a heedless and indifferent heart” (Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3479).
Finally, the prayers of those who sever ties of kinship are not accepted.
