Does a lack of certainty regarding the answer to supplication prevent it from being fulfilled?

The servant who supplicates to his Lord must be certain of the answer, because lack of certainty is a barrier to the answer. Therefore, the supplicant must have presence of heart and hope for an answer from Allah the Almighty, for Allah does not accept a supplication from a heedless, distracted heart. One should not say, "If You will," but rather be resolute in the request and not be hasty for the answer, thereby abandoning supplication.

The answer to a supplication is not limited to a specific form; it may be in averting evil from the servant, or in storing up reward for him on the Day of Resurrection. The required certainty is achieved by adhering to the characteristics that lead to an answer, such as doing good and avoiding evil, observing the etiquette of supplication, and the supplicant's conviction that the answer will occur, because Allah the Almighty is All-Knowing, Generous, and All-Powerful, with no barrier to His answering. The supplicant will not be deprived of an answer to his supplication; he will either be given what he asked for, or an equivalent amount of evil will be averted from him, or he will be given a reward on the Day of Resurrection, because supplication is an act of worship for which one is rewarded.