Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The supplication of any of you is answered as long as he does not get impatient and say, 'I made supplication and was not answered.'"
The Virtue of Patience in Supplication
This noble hadith from the Book "Supplication" in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad (reference: Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 654) teaches us the essential condition for the acceptance of du'a: patience and steadfastness. The believer must never despair of Allah's mercy nor hasten the response, for divine wisdom dictates the timing of answers.
Scholarly Commentary on Impatience
Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains that impatience manifests when one abandons supplication due to delayed response. This indicates weakness in certainty (yaqin) that Allah hears and answers in the manner and time most beneficial.
Al-Qurtubi notes that the phrase "I made supplication and was not answered" represents the ultimate expression of despair in divine mercy. Such speech stems from ignorance of Allah's perfect wisdom in delaying responses for the servant's ultimate good.
Conditions for Answered Supplication
The scholars mention that while Allah guarantees response, it may take one of three forms: immediate granting of what was asked, storage of greater reward in the hereafter, or diversion of a greater harm from the supplicant.
Proper etiquette (adab) requires the believer to persist in supplication with humility, certainty, and patience—never doubting Allah's promise to respond in the manner He knows best for His servant.