Back to search

What is the meaning of the saying, "Supplications are not accepted from a heedless heart," and does it refer to the state of the heart during supplication or something else?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Supplicate to Allah with certainty that your supplication will be answered, and know that Allah does not answer a supplication from a heedless, inattentive heart." So, a supplication from a heedless, inattentive heart is not answered. Scholars use this hadith to deduce the condition of a present heart during supplication. Ibn al-Qayyim said: "The effect of a supplication may be lacking due to the weakness of the heart and its lack of turning to Allah and its full attention to Him at the time of supplication." Al-Qari said: "Be in a state when supplicating that makes you worthy of a response, by doing good, avoiding evil, and observing the conditions of supplication, such as the presence of the heart." Al-Munawi said: "Vigilance and seriousness in supplication are among its greatest manners, and the Ummah has unanimously agreed that a verbal supplication devoid of inner desire is of little benefit and has no effect."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy