Have you ever prayed with doubt? "O Allah, if You're willing, grant me this... but if not, that's okay." Or perhaps you pray while thinking, "There's no way my prayer will be answered, I've done too many bad things." Without realizing it, we sometimes pray filled with doubt, as if we're uncertain Allah will answer.
Stop Praying with Doubt!
Words of the Prophetﷺ
There is nothing more beloved to Allah than du'a (pray).
Volume4Ch.1No.3370
At-Tirmidzi. (2008). Sunan Al-Tirmithi. Translated by Haytham Kreidly.
Pray with Conviction, Not Hesitation Rasulullah (ﷺ) said: “None of you should say: 'O Allah, forgive me if You will; have mercy on me if You will; grant me provision if You will.' Rather, let him be firm in his request, for Allah does whatever He wills, and no one can force Him.”
Words like "if You will" or "if You want to" reveal uncertainty and make our prayers "hesitant" (not confident). When we pray, it's far better to ask boldly and with full belief that Allah can grant what we're asking for. Praying confidently doesn't mean we're forcing Allah, it shows we fully trust that Allah has the power to respond to every single prayer.
Imagine a kid asking their parent for something: Child A (unsure): "Dad, can I get some money... but if you don't want to, no worries... I'm okay either way..." Child B (confident): "Dad, I need some money!" Which child shows more trust? Clearly, Child B. Child B is sure his dad can and will help. Child A sounds uncertain, like he doubts his dad's ability to provide. Same thing with Allah. When we pray with hesitation, it's like we don't truly believe He can answer. But Allah is the most merciful and the most compassionate; absolutely nothing is beyond His capability.
When we're in really desperate situations (like being seriously sick, almost bankrupt, etc.), our prayers suddenly become so firm and confident. "O Allah, HELP ME! HEAL ME!" Why does that happen? Because when we're desperate, we're 100% dependent on Allah, he's literally all we have. So why don't we bring that same energy to our daily prayers? Don't wait until you hit rock bottom to pray with conviction. Pray confidently and with certainty every single day, whether it's something big or small.
In Surah Ghafir: 60, Allah says: "Call upon Me, I will respond to you."