“He” (هو) is truly the Unknowable, the Inaccessible—beyond names and attributes, none of which can describe Him. Yet His permission to turn to Him through His names is a special grace He bestows upon His creatures.
Without doubt, whoever calls upon God is answered. The first response is the attention and care of the Almighty Lord toward His servant. His permission to call upon Him is itself an answer. As for the granting of one’s need, it may come at once, be delayed, or be replaced with something else. The fulfilment of one’s needs, however, is bound by the terms and covenant established between Creator and creature: ( و أوفوا بعهدی أوف بعهدکم و إیای فارهبون )
Now, all the principles of supplication rest upon calling upon God in the knowledge of His oneness and unity.
قال الصادق ع احفظ أدب الدعاء و انظر من تدعو کیف تدعو و لما ذا تدعو و حقق عظمه الله و کبریاءه و عاین بقلبک علمه بما فی ضمیرک و اطلاعه على سرک و ما تکون فیه من الحق و الباطل و اعرف طرق نجاتک و هلاکک کیلا تدعو الله تعالى بشیء عسى فیه هلاکک و أنت تظن أن فیه نجاتک قال الله تعالى و یدع الإنسان بالشر دعاءه بالخیر و کان الإنسان عجولا و تفکر ما ذا تسأل و کم تسأل و لما ذا تسأل و الدعاء استجابه الکل منک للحق و تذویب المهجه فی مشاهده الرب و ترک الاختیار جمیعا و تسلیم الأمور کلها ظاهرا و باطنا إلى الله تعالى فإن لم تأت بشرط الدعاء فلا تنتظر الإجابه فإنه یعلم السر و أخفى فلعلک تدعوه بشیء قد علم من سرک خلاف ذلک قال بعض الصحابه لبعضهم أنتم تنتظرون المطر بالدعاء و أنا أنتظر الحجر و اعلم أنه لو لم یکن الله أمرنا بالدعاء لکان إذا أخلصنا الدعاء تفضل علینا بالإجابه فکیف و قد ضمن ذلک لمن أتى بشرائط الدعاء و سئل رسول الله ص عن اسم الله الأعظم فقال ص کل اسم من أسماء الله أعظم ففرغ قلبک عن کل ما سواه و ادعه تعالى بأی اسم شئت فلیس لله فی الحقیقه اسم دون اسم بل هو الله الواحد القهار و قال النبی ص إن الله لا یستجیب الدعاء من قلب لاه قال الصادق ع إذا أراد أحدکم أن لا یسأل ربه
إلا أعطاه فلییأس من الناس کلهم و لا یکن رجاؤه إلا من عند الله عز و جل فإذا علم الله تعالى ذلک من قلبه لم یسأله شیئا إلا أعطاه فإذا أتیت بما ذکرت لک من شرائط الدعاء و أخلصت سرک لوجهه فأبشر بإحدى ثلاث إما أن یعجل لک ما سألت و إما أن یدخر لک ما هو أفضل منه و إما أن یصرف عنک من البلاء ما لو أرسله إلیک لهلکت قال النبی ص قال الله تعالى من شغله ذکری عن مسألتی أعطیته أفضل ما أعطی للسائلین قال الصادق ع لقد دعوت الله مره فاستجاب لی و نسیت الحاجه لأن استجابته بإقباله على عبده عند دعوته أعظم و أجل مما یرید منه العبد و لو کانت الجنه و نعیمها الأبدی و لیس یعقل ذلک إلا العاملون المحبون العارفون صفوه الله و خواصه
Miṣbāḥ al-Sharīʿa, p. 132
Chapter Nineteen: On Supplication
Imam al-Ṣādiq (AS) said: “Observe and preserve the proper etiquette and conditions of supplication. Be mindful of whom you are calling upon, how you are calling upon Him, and why you are calling upon Him.
“Keep the majesty, might and grandeur of the Almighty Lord ever before you. With your heart and inner sight, behold that He knows what lies within you, and is aware of your inner self and of the truth and falsehood within you.
“You must understand the paths to your deliverance and your ruin, and the ways to your felicity and your distress. When you supplicate, do not ask for something that may bring about your ruin, while, in your ignorance, you imagine it to be good for you. The Almighty God says: ‘Man calls for evil as he calls for good; man is ever hasty.’ Reflect carefully on what you ask, how much you ask for, and why you ask.
“The essence of supplication is that your whole being should join you in turning to the Truth and asking Him for what you need; that your heart should be absorbed in the presence of the Lord; that you should surrender all choice before His majesty and sovereignty; and that you should entrust all your affairs, outwardly and inwardly, to the Almighty God. These are the conditions of supplication. If you do not observe them, do not expect your supplication to be answered and accepted. For the Almighty God knows your outward and inward state, and you may ask for something contrary to what you secretly desire. One of the Companions said to another: ‘You are waiting for rain to fall because of your supplications; I am waiting for stones to rain down.’
“Know that had the Almighty God not commanded us to supplicate, He would still have graciously answered us when we prayed with sincere intent. How, then, could He fail to answer after commanding us to supplicate, when the Almighty God has pledged to answer the prayers of His servants when they fulfil the conditions? The Messenger of God (PBUH) was asked, ‘Which is the Greatest Name of the Almighty Lord?’ He replied: ‘Every one of God’s names is great. So empty your heart of all besides Him, then call upon Him by whichever of His names you wish. In truth, God has no name that is distinct from another; rather, He is God, the One, the All-Compelling.’ The Messenger of God (PBUH) also said: ‘God does not answer a supplication that comes from a heedless heart.’” Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: “When one of you wishes his prayers to be answered, he must lose hope in all people and turn away from them, placing his hope and trust in none but the Almighty Lord. When God sees that His servant’s heart is in such a state, whatever he asks and prays for will be granted, and his need will be fulfilled.
“Once you have observed these conditions in prayer and purified your heart and inward being for God alone, rejoice in one of three outcomes: either your request and need will be fulfilled soon; or something better than what you asked for will be stored up for you; or, in return for your prayer, a devastating affliction and severe hardship will be averted from you. The Messenger of God (SA) relates that the Almighty said: ‘Whoever is so absorbed in remembering Me that he is kept from praying and asking for his needs, I will grant him the best and highest of what I give to those who pray.’
“Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said: ‘Once I called upon the Almighty Lord, and when He answered me, I forgot my own need. Indeed, the Lord’s answer and His turning toward His servant when called upon are greater and more exalted than the granting of whatever is asked for—even if that request is for Paradise and its everlasting blessings. Only those who are devoted to action, love and knowledge, and who are among the Lord’s chosen and most intimate servants, understand this.’”