Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
There is this belief in the place I live that everything we talk about is considered to be dua, such that if I mention the things I want, the angels write them down and mention them to Allah, Most High. Is this view valid in any way?
Answer
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question. My understanding is no, the words we utter every day are not supplication; this is what I have concluded from what I have been taught.
Supplication
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Supplication is worship itself. “[Abu Dawud & Tirmidhi] It is an act of worship that one performs when directing their speech directly to Allah, often raising one’s hands and asking of Him. Muslims supplicate at auspicious places and times and follow the etiquettes of supplication. Please see many details about that here:
Why is Supplication (dua) Considered Worship in Islam?
The Reality and Etiquettes of Supplication: A Reader
Everyday Speech
As for everyday speech, the angels certainly do write it down, as not a single word that we uttered will be missed on the Day of Judgment. Allah Most High says, “We have bound every human’s destiny to their neck. And on the Day of Judgment, We will bring forth to each ˹person˺ a record which they will find laid open. ˹And it will be said,˺ “Read your record. You ˹alone˺ are sufficient this Day to take account of yourself.” [Quran, 17:13-14]
One’s words from daily speech will be a part of one’s final record, and I don’t see this as a supplication to Allah Most High. Regardless, be wary always of what you say, think before you speak, and do supplicate wholeheartedly when supplications are accepted, and give thanks daily for your blessings. Allah will certainly increase you.
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.