The Times and Conditions in which there is Hope for Acceptance

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ اطْلُبُوا الدُّعَاءَ فِي‌ أَرْبَعِ سَاعَاتٍ عِنْدَ هُبُوبِ الرِّيَاحِ وَ زَوَالِ الْأَفْيَاءِ[1] وَ نُزُولِ الْقَطْرِ وَ أَوَّلِ قَطْرَةٍ مِنْ دَمِ الْقَتِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَإِنَّ أَبْوَابَ السَّمَاءِ تُفَتَّحُ عِنْدَ هَذِهِ الْأَشْيَاءِ.

"Seek supplication at four times: during the blowing of the winds, the fading of the shadows, the descent of rain, and when the first drop of blood from a martyred believer has spilled, for indeed the gates of heaven open at these times."

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ يُسْتَجَابُ الدُّعَاءُ فِي أَرْبَعَةِ مَوَاطِنَ فِي الْوَتْرِ وَ بَعْدَ الْفَجْرِ وَ بَعْدَ الظُّهْرِ وَ بَعْدَ الْمَغْرِبِ.

"Supplications are answered at four periods: during Salat al-Witr, after Salat al-Fajr, after Salat al-Dhuhr, and after Salat al-Maghrib."

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع‌ اغْتَنِمُوا الدُّعَاءَ عِنْدَ أَرْبَعٍ عِنْدَ قِرَاءَةِ الْقُرْآنِ وَ عِنْدَ الْأَذَانِ وَ عِنْدَ نُزُولِ الْغَيْثِ وَ عِنْدَ الْتِقَاءِ الصَّفَّيْنِ لِلشَّهَادَةِ.

"Take advantage of supplication at four times: during the recitation of the Quran, at the call to prayer (Adhan), when rain falls, and at the meeting of the two armies for battle."

كَانَ أَبِي إِذَا كَانَتْ لَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ حَاجَةٌ طَلَبَهَا فِي هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ يَعْنِي زَوَالَ الشَّمْسِ.

"When my father had a need before Allah (swt), he would ask Him during this hour." - meaning declining of the sun from its peak position (i.e., dhuhr time).

إِذَا رَقَّ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَدْعُ فَإِنَّ الْقَلْبَ لَا يَرِقُّ حَتَّى يَخْلُصَ.

"When one of you feels tenderness in your heart, let him supplicate, for the heart does not become tender until it is sincere."

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ خَيْرُ وَقْتٍ دَعَوْتُمُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِيهِ الْأَسْحَارُ وَ تَلَا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ فِي قَوْلِ يَعْقُوبَ ع- سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّي‌[2] وَ قَالَ أَخَّرَهُمْ إِلَى السَّحَرِ.

"The best time to supplicate to Allah (azwj) is during the pre-dawn hours (Al-Asḥār)." Then he recited this verse from the words of Ya'qub (as): «I will ask forgiveness for you from my Lord» (12:98) and he (the Prophet) said, "He delayed them until pre-dawn hours (to pray for them)."

كَانَ أَبِي إِذَا طَلَبَ الْحَاجَةَ طَلَبَهَا عِنْدَ زَوَالِ الشَّمْسِ- فَإِذَا أَرَادَ ذَلِكَ قَدَّمَ شَيْئاً فَتَصَدَّقَ بِهِ وَ شَمَّ شَيْئاً مِنْ طِيبٍ وَ رَاحَ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ وَ دَعَا فِي حَاجَتِهِ بِمَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ.

Whenever my father had a need to be fulfilled, he would seek it to be fulfilled during the decline of the sun from its peak position (i.e. dhuhr time). When he intended to do this, he would first give something in charity, wear some perfume, go to the mosque, and then supplicate for his need as Allah willed."

إِذَا اقْشَعَرَّ جِلْدُكَ وَ دَمَعَتْ عَيْنَاكَ فَدُونَكَ دُونَكَ فَقَدْ قُصِدَ قَصْدُكَ‌[1]. قَالَ وَ رَوَاهُ‌- مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْمَاعِيلَ السَّرَّاجِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ مِثْلَهُ.

“Whenever your skin feels a tingling sensation and your eyes tear up, then you must go (to supplicate to Allah), for it (your prayer) is coming your way." He (Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Khalid) said: A similar hadith was also narrated by Muhammad ibn Isma'il from Isma'il al-Sarraj from Muhammad ibn Hamza from Sa'eed.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يُحِبُّ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كُلَّ عَبْدٍ دَعَّاءٍ فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالدُّعَاءِ فِي السَّحَرِ إِلَى طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ فَإِنَّهَا سَاعَةٌ تُفَتَّحُ فِيهَا أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاءِ وَ تُقَسَّمُ فِيهَا الْأَرْزَاقُ وَ تُقْضَى فِيهَا الْحَوَائِجُ الْعِظَامُ.

"Indeed, Allah (azwj) loves from His believing servants every servant who is persistent in supplication. Therefore, you should engage in supplication during the pre-dawn hours until sunrise, for it is a time when the gates of heaven are opened, provisions are distributed, and great needs are fulfilled."

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِنَّ فِي اللَّيْلِ لَسَاعَةً مَا يُوَافِقُهَا عَبْدٌ مُسْلِمٌ ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي وَ يَدْعُو اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِيهَا إِلَّا اسْتَجَابَ لَهُ فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ قُلْتُ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ وَ أَيُّ سَاعَةِ هِيَ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ إِذَا مَضَى نِصْفُ اللَّيْلِ وَ هِيَ السُّدُسُ الْأَوَّلُ مِنْ أَوَّلِ النِّصْفِ‌[4].

"Indeed, there is an hour in the night during which if a Muslim servant coincides with it in prayer and supplication to Allah (azwj), his supplication will be answered. This happens every night." I asked, "May Allah improve your condition, which hour of the night is it?". He said, "When half of the night has passed, it

الرَّغْبَةُ أَنْ تَسْتَقْبِلَ بِبَطْنِ كَفَّيْكَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَ الرَّهْبَةُ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ ظَهْرَ كَفَّيْكَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ وَ قَوْلُهُ‌ وَ تَبَتَّلْ‌ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًا[3] قَالَ الدُّعَاءُ بِإِصْبَعٍ وَاحِدَةٍ تُشِيرُ بِهَا وَ التَّضَرُّعُ تُشِيرُ بِإِصْبَعَيْكَ وَ تُحَرِّكُهُمَا وَ الِابْتِهَالُ رَفْعُ الْيَدَيْنِ وَ تَمُدُّهُمَا وَ ذَلِكَ عِنْدَ الدَّمْعَةِ ثُمَّ ادْعُ.

“ Al-Raghbah means keeping the palms of your hands toward the sky. Al-Rahbah means keeping the back of your hands toward the sky. The words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘glorify the name of your Lord, with due sincerity (al- Tabattul), ’ (73:8) ‘refers to hand gestures made in prayer with one finger. Al-