There are three kinds of prayer or supplication (du'a). The first is the natural prayer of all organisms through their biological functions. The second is the prayers uttered by organisms in times of vital need. The third kind is specific to humans, and includes active prayers through complying with Allah's laws, as well as verbal prayers, which Allah answers in different ways depending on his wisdom.

1. KINDS OF DU'A

2. PRAYER OR SUPPLICATION
(DU'A) IS THE ESSENCE OF
WORSHIP OR SERVANTHOOD
TO ALLAH. WHAT RISES TO
ALLAH FROM THE WHOLE
CREATIONS IS PRAYER. IT HAS
KINDS AND DEGREES:

3. THE FIRST KIND IS THE PRAYER OF ALL ORGANISMS, PLANT,
ANIMAL AND HUMAN, THROUGH THE NATURAL DISPOSITION
OF THEIR BODIES AND THEIR FUNCTIONING IN LINE WITH THEIR
DUTIES IN CREATION. THIS KIND OF PRAYER IS ALWAYS
ACCEPTED.

4. THE SECOND KIND IS THAT WHICH IS
UTTERED BY ALL ORGANISMS, PLANT,
ANIMAL, AND HUMAN, IN THE
TONGUE OF VITAL NEEDS. ALLAH
MEETS THESE NEEDS JUST ON TIME,
WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT PLANTS,
AND THE ANIMALS RELATIVELY
WEAKER AND LESS INTELLIGENT (AS
COMPARED TO OTHERS, SUCH AS
WOLVES AND FOXES), ARE
NOURISHED MORE EASILY THAN THE
OTHERS. THE MORE POWERFUL AND
INTELLIGENT AND MORE SELF-
SUBSISTING A CREATURE IS, THE
GREATER HARDSHIP IT SUFFERS TO
GET NOURISHMENT.

5. THE THIRD KIND OF PRAYER IS THAT WHICH IS
DONE BY HUMAN BEINGS. THIS FALLS INTO
TWO CATEGORIES:

6. THE FIRST CATEGORY IS THE ACTIVE PRAYER. IT MEANS COMPLYING WITH
THE LAWS THAT ALLAH HAS SET FOR LIFE. FOR EXAMPLE, A FARMER'S
PLOUGHING THE SOIL IS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF DIVINE
PROVIDENCE. A PATIENT'S GOING TO THE DOCTOR IS APPEALING TO
ALLAH FOR CURE. THIS KIND OF PRAYER IS USUALLY ACCEPTED.

7. THE SECOND CATEGORY IS THE VERBAL PRAYER THAT WE DO. THIS KIND
OF PRAYER IS ALSO ANSWERED. BUT ANSWERING IS DIFFERENT FROM
ACCEPTING. ALLAH ANSWERS ALL THE PRAYERS DONE SINCERELY.
HOWEVER, HE ANSWERS SOMETIMES BY GIVING WHATEVER IS ASKED FOR,
SOMETIMES BY GIVING WHAT IS BETTER, SOMETIMES BY POSTPONING
GIVING TO THE AFTERLIFE, AND SOMETIMES BY NOT GIVING AT ALL, SINCE
IT WILL NOT TURN OUT IN FAVOR OF THE ONE WHO PRAYS. THE WAY
THAT ALLAH ANSWERS PRAYER DEPENDS ON HIS WISDOM.

8. JAZAK ALLAH KHAIR