When we reflect on the examples of the prophets, peace be upon them, the most honored of creation by Allah, we find that if anyone could claim a right over Allah due to their honor, it would have been them. Yet, they are the most complete of creation in their manners with Allah and in their acknowledgment of the truth that the servant has no control over matters. All matters belong entirely and truly to Allah.

• Prophet Nuh, peace be upon him, asked Allah to fulfill His promise to save him and his family: “He said, ‘My Lord, indeed my son is of my family; and indeed, Your promise is true; and You are the most just of judges.’” The divine response was: “He said, ‘O Noah, indeed he is not of your family; indeed, he is [one whose] work was other than righteous. so ask Me not for that about which you have no knowledge.’” To this, the prophetic response was complete submission: “He said, ‘My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy upon me, I will be among the losers.’” (Hud: 45-47)
• Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, promised his father that he would seek forgiveness for him. Yet when it became clear that his father was an enemy of Allah, he disassociated himself from him, as Allah mentions: “But when it became apparent to Abraham that his father was an enemy to Allah, he disassociated himself from him.” (At-Tawbah: 114)
• Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, the most complete of creation and the most perfect of the prophets, invited his uncle Abu Talib to Islam while he lay on his deathbed, saying, “O uncle, say La ilaha illallah(there is none worthy of worship except Allah), a word with which I will defend you before Allah.” ⁽¹⁾
  Reflect on the precision of this statement; without Allah’s permission and His granting of sanctuary, a supplicant does not have the right to ask for what Allah has not permitted. Despite the Prophet’s immense love for his uncle, who sheltered and protected him, Abu Talib passed away as a disbeliever. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said: “I will keep on asking for Allah's forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden to do so.”
  Then Allah revealed, “It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire.” (At-Tawbah: 113)
  Subsequently, the ayah was revealed: “Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.” (Al-Qasas: 56)

Was Allah not capable of guiding the disbeliever and permitting forgiveness to honor the feelings of His prophets?

Indeed, He was—without a doubt.

Then why?

Because Allah’s will has decreed otherwise. He alone possesses ultimate authority and wisdom. The test lies not in Allah’s ability but in the servant’s submission to Allah’s will, trusting in His wisdom whether it becomes apparent or not and whether it aligns with one’s desires or not.

Allah did not create this existence to conform to human whims and desires but as a test of their servitude and submission to His will. The true benefit lies in what Allah decrees and wills. Whatever Allah grants or withholds is His, and everything is according to measure. The entire matter belongs to Him, and none have any claim over it.

Anyone who does not approach Allah with the posture of servitude does not truly approach Him, for the station of divinity cannot be accessed except through servitude and submission.

Consider this analogy: If a man seeks to win the favor of a woman by presenting her with a bouquet of flowers, and she is pleased and agrees to be engaged to him, is it the bouquet itself that secured her favor, or is it the individual presenting it? It is the latter, and the means he used to gain her favor were just tools. Similarly, the one seeking her favor does not stop at a single bouquet but persists with various means until he wins her heart.

And to Allah belongs the highest example. When your wish is fulfilled, it is not because you asked for it. The fulfillment of your wish is entirely due to Allah’s will. Thus, the true essence of supplication is not merely the act of asking but the act of servitude inherent in the asking.

A servant’s wishes, desires, and needs become means to push them toward seeking Allah’s favor, drawing near to His station of divinity. The sincerity, persistence, and humility with which one supplicates and demonstrates neediness before Allah determine their elevation in servitude and Allah’s love for them.

In this sense, supplication is the essence of worship—its core and spirit. It is not because it serves as a magical lamp fulfilling earthly desires, but because it becomes a means for the servant to acknowledge their utter dependence on Allah. What Allah has decreed for you will come, and what He has not decreed will not. As a servant, you do not know the unseen or what has been allotted to you. Your wishes and desires become a gateway to manifesting your neediness before Allah.

Therefore, the real matter lies in the depth of your neediness and your certainty that Allah hears and sees. Certainty in Allah’s response does not stem from dictating the form of the answer or feeling entitled to it, but from knowing that Allah is the Answerer, the most generous of those who are asked, and the most bountiful in giving. His wisdom is absolute and eternal.

However, in this age, people refuse to remain within the limits of servitude. They insist on elevating themselves to the level of divinity, claiming they have the right to question and demand answers from Allah. They feel entitled to explanations for His actions and wish to scrutinize the divine decree, as though it were an account subject to their judgment—exalted is Allah above such claims.

Why, when we question why we were not granted something we believe we deserve, do we not similarly question why we were given so many blessings? We feel entitled to the blessings we receive and entitled to the blessings we do not. Meanwhile, we deem ourselves undeserving of any form of trial. This mindset, unfortunately prevalent among many, is rooted in a sense of entitlement toward Allah.

Yet Islam commands us to approach Allah with the humility of a servant, firmly convinced that we have no claim to anything and that all matters belong to Allah alone. Who among creation is worthy of standing as an equal to Allah, questioning His will?

Allah is the Answerer, and He responds to every supplication made in accordance with permissible means. This matter is resolved entirely from the Lord’s perspective. The real concern lies in the state of the servant, the servant’s role, and their fulfillment of servitude.

The ultimate question one must ask is: “Have I truly called upon Allah? Have I supplicated in the manner befitting a servant calling upon their Master?” If you truly recognize Allah’s greatness, you would constantly question yourself and doubt whether your supplication was made in the proper manner or whether your worship reached the standard of true servitude.

Therefore, instead of approaching Allah with a sense of entitlement or with doubt and despair, let us approach Him as servants who place their hopes in Him. Let us ask from the Master of all, confident that He intends nothing but good for us, trusting that all He decrees is for the best. All that comes from Him is beautiful, whether it is giving or withholding.

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[1] Sahih al-Bukhari: Merits of the Helpers in Madinah, Chapter on the Story of Abu Talib (3884).

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