PRAYER AND THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

There has been a popular understanding that every prayer (dua) will certainly be granted by Allah. If it is not granted, the explanation is usually directed toward a lack of khusyu' (sincerity/focus), a lack of faith, or that it will be replaced with rewards in the afterlife. This narrative is widely accepted in sermons and religious gatherings; however, if examined linguistically and textually based on the Qur'an, this understanding needs to be reassessed more proportionally. This writing aims to explain the meaning of prayer based on its root word in the Qur'an, while simultaneously affirming the position of God's sovereignty in responding to the prayers of His servants.

1. The Meaning of the Words Dua, Ijabah, and Qabul

a) The Meaning of Dua (دعا) The word dua comes from a root word which linguistically means to call out, to summon, or to invite. This meaning is clear in various verses of the Qur'an. In Surah An-Nur verse 63, the word du'a' is used in the context of the "messenger's call," not in the sense of a request. Consider:

لَّا تَجۡعَلُواْ دُعَآءَ ٱلرَّسُولِ بَيۡنَكُمۡ كَدُعَآءِ بَعۡضِكُم بَعۡضٗاۚ

"Do not make the calling (دُعَاءَ) of the Messenger among yourselves like the calling of one of you to another." (An-Nur: 63)

Similarly, in Surah Al-Anbiya verse 45, it is mentioned that the deaf do not hear the call (du'a').

قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أُنذِرُكُم بِٱلۡوَحۡيِۚ وَلَا يَسۡمَعُ ٱلصُّمُّ ٱلدُّعَآءَ إِذَا مَا يُنذَرُونَ

"Say, 'I only warn you by revelation.' But the deaf do not hear the call when they are warned." (Al-Anbiya': 45)

This means that lexically, prayer is a call or a summons. In Surah Ali Imran verse 38, it is narrated that Zechariah called out to his Lord, and then Allah used the word qala (said) to describe the wording of his request.

هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُۥۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبۡ لِي مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةٗ طَيِّبَةًۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ

"There Zakaria called/called (دعا) to his Lord then said (قال) My Lord, give me a good offspring, indeed you heard the call (دعاء)." (Ali Imran: 38)

This shows the difference between the act of calling (dua) and the wording of the petition (speech). Thus, prayer in the Qur'anic sense is broader than a mere request; it encompasses the act of calling out which can take the form of hope, worship, or concrete activity.

b) The Meaning of Ijabah (أجاب) In Surah Ghafir verse 60, Allah says:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ٱدۡعُونِيٓ أَسۡتَجِبۡ لَكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَكۡبِرُونَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدۡخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

"And your Lord says: 'Call upon Me; I will respond to/answer you...'" (Ghafir: 60)

The word used is astajib (from the root ja-wa-ba), which means to answer or respond, not to "grant" in the sense of realizing the entire content of the request. Likewise, in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 186, the word ujibu (I answer/respond) is used, not aqbalu (I grant/accept). This is conceptually important: Allah promises a response, not an automatic realization of every request.

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌۖ أُجِيبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِۖ فَلۡيَسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلۡيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡشُدُونَ

"And if My servants ask you about Me, then (answer), that I am near. I answer/respond to the request of those who call when they call to Me, then let them answer (all My commands) and let them believe in Me, so that they may always be in the truth."

c) The Meaning of Qabul (قبل) The word qabul means to accept, permit, or realize according to what was requested. However, textually, Allah does not use this word in the context of His promise regarding human prayer. Therefore, the statement "Pray, and it will surely be granted" does not have an explicit phrasing in the Qur'an.

2. Objective Prayer and Subjective Prayer

Based on this analysis, prayer can be understood in two dimensions:

A. Objective Prayer (Material)

Prayer in the sense of a real action that is subject to the laws of cause and effect (causality). In Surah Ghafir verse 60, after the command to pray, Allah warns against being arrogant in worship. This indicates that prayer is not just words, but a concrete action without arrogance. Objective prayer means:

• A request for health must be accompanied by a healthy lifestyle, because the premise is that praying and then drinking poison will lead to immediate death.
• A request for forgiveness must be accompanied by repentance and self-improvement, because the premise is that praying and then committing evil will surely be punished.
• A request for academic success must be accompanied by a systematic study system, because the premise is that praying and then being lazy will lead to failure.

Therefore, Allah's response (ijabah) in this context works through the objective laws He has established. This principle is universal and applies to everyone. Allah also commands that prayer be performed through the Asmaul Husna (Al-A'raf: 180)

وَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ فَٱدۡعُوهُ بِهَاۖ وَذَرُواْ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلۡحِدُونَ فِيٓ أَسۡمَٰٓئِهِۦۚ سَيُجۡزَوۡنَ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ

"Only Allah belongs to asmaa-ul husna, so call to Him by saying asmaa-ul husna and leave those who deviate from the truth in (mentioning) His names. Later they will be rewarded for what they have done."

Indicating that actions must align with divine attributes such as wisdom, justice, and order. Thus, objective prayer is not a metaphysical fantasy, but an integration of human effort and God's legal system.

B. Subjective Prayer (Spiritual-Existential)

In Surah Al-A'raf verse 55, it is stated:

ٱدۡعُواْ رَبَّكُمۡ تَضَرُّعٗا وَخُفۡيَةًۚ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُعۡتَدِينَ

"Call upon your Lord in humility and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors." (Al-A'raf: 55)

This verse refers to the spiritual dimension of prayer, to seek peace, safety in this world and the hereafter, protection, and inner hopes or psychological aspects. Subjective prayer functions to build a consciousness of human dependence on God. It is not entirely subject to material laws but to the realm of the existential relationship between the servant and their Lord. Yet, there is still no explicit promise that all requests in this realm will be realized literally.

3. Criticism of the Premise "All Prayers Must Be Granted"

The popular premise states that Allah grants prayers in three ways:

1. Granted immediately; (if not)
2. Replaced with something better; (if not)
3. Stored as a reward in the afterlife.

This narrative attempts to maintain the premise that all prayers are definitely granted. However, logically, the third point is not coherent with the structure of human requests, which are functional and contextual. Furthermore, the Qur'an itself shows that not all requests of the Prophets were granted:

• Abraham's request for his father to be forgiven was rejected (Asy-Syu'ara: 86 and At-Taubah: 114).
• Noah's request for his son to be saved was rejected (Hud: 45-48).
• Muhammad's request regarding the total destruction of the enemy was not granted (Al-Anfal: 33).
• Muhammad's request for his Ummah (community) to be united when praying at the Ijabah Mosque not granted (HR. Muslim).
• The Prophet's sons always died.
• The Prophet never had a single child after Khadijah died.

This fact affirms God's sovereignty. Allah is not bound by anyone's request, not even those of the Prophets.

4. Prayer and the Sovereignty of God

If every request were realized, then God would no longer be sovereign; instead, He would merely be an executor of human will. In the theology of Tawhid (monotheism), Allah has absolute authority to:

• Grant, delay,
• Change,
• Or not realize a request.

God's sovereignty means the final decision remains with Him, not with the logic of human expectations.

5. Conclusion

1. The Qur'an never uses the word qabul in the context of a promise regarding human prayer.
2. Allah promises ijabah (response), not a guarantee of the literal realization of every request.
3. Objective prayer demands real (physiological) action according to the laws of causality.
4. Subjective prayer builds a spiritual (psychological) relationship with God.
5. Not all requests are granted, even for the Prophets, as proof that Allah is sovereign.

With this understanding, prayer is no longer understood as an automatic promise of wish fulfillment, but as an integration of calling, action, awareness, and surrender within the framework of divine sovereignty. This more rational and textual understanding actually strengthens Tawhid, affirms human responsibility, and prevents the community from false hopes that have no redactorial basis in the Qur'an.

@Abu Musa2026