Title: Etiquette of Du`a - Supplication Question: Is it true that the best way to make du`a is to give praise to Allah and make selawat at the beginning and end of du`a . Is it supported by sound nus ? What about if you just need to make one quick du`a in situation that it is inconvenient to make the proper etika. Will it be less likely to be granted? M. Noor Malaysia Answer: Starting and ending our supplications with God's praises and then blessings for all the prophets of God, in general, and Muhammad (pbuh), in particular, is a part of the etiquette taught and recommended by the Prophet (pbuh) relating to supplications. After God's praises and blessings for the prophets of God, we may follow with all and any supplications that our hearts may desire. We should generally try to be very careful about these etiquettes as they symbolize some extremely important aspects of the Islamic beliefs and the spirit of the Islamic teachings. However, this etiquette should not be construed as an essential element of our supplications. Even if, at times, we cannot start or end our supplications in the manner recommended by the Prophet (pbuh), it would not render our supplications useless. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad June 24, 2002