Guest Author - Serkan Tufan

Islam explains that all of our prayers are answered. However, as Bediuzzaman comments, answering is one thing, to accept is something quite different. Every supplication is answered, but its being accepted and exactly what was sought being given is dependent on Almighty God’s wisdom. For example, if a sick child calls the doctor, saying: “Doctor! Doctor!”, and he replies: “Here I am, what do you want?”, and the child says: “Give me that medicine!”, the doctor will either give him exactly what he asks for or something better and more beneficial for him. Or knowing that medicine is harmful for his illness, he will give him nothing (Risale-i Nur Collection). Thus, since Almighty God is all-present and all-seeing, He responds to the supplications of His servants. Through His presence and response, He transforms the desolation of loneliness and solitude into familiarity. But He does this, not in accordance with man’s capricious and importunate demands, but in accordance with the requirements of dominical wisdom; He gives either what is sought or what is better than it, or He gives nothing at all. Yet, in this last situation, God will give the best of everything to His servant in the hereafter.

As for worship and servitude to God, it should be purely and sincerely for God’s sake. Man should only proclaim his impotence and seek refuge with Him through supplication, he should not interfere in His dominicality. He should leave the taking of measures to Him and rely on His wisdom. He should not accuse His Mercy (Said Nursi)

The greatest mistake people make about prayers is to cease praying because of the concern that the prayer won't be answered. This is, in many ways, a flawed, and even ignorant, attitude. We must first make it clear that the answer of a prayer is not necessarily the "exact answer" one expects. As stated above, one may ask for something that is detrimental. This verse makes this point clear: "Man prays for evil just as he prays for good. Man is prone to be impetuous." (Surat al-Isra: 11)

The reason a person may not receive an answer straight after their prayers or may receive an answer in a different form, is a test from Allah. Allah may well give those blessings at the end of a certain period for a particular purpose, to put His servants' patience to test, for instance, or to make them attain a more perfected faith.

Other verses read, "... He Who responds to the oppressed when they call on Him..." (Surat an-Naml: 61). This verse reinforces the fact that Allah answers all sincere prayers.

Consequently, one must supplicate with a firm assurance of Allah's help. The contrary, that is, having doubts about whether Allah will answer one's call, is from the outset an attitude converse to the Qur'anic rationale. Our Prophet's (saas) hadith "one should beg one's Lord with a will and full devotion, for there is nothing in the eye of Allah which He cannot grant." (Muslim) also points to that fact.(Harun Yahya)