Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
No, the Hadith does not say Dua is accepted on Wednesdays. That is not the wording. However, there is a sound Hadith mentioning that one of the Prophets ﷺ prayers was accepted on a Wednesday, and the blessed Sahabi Sayidina Jabir bin Abdillah used to supplicate at that time on a Wednesday.
حَدَّثَنِي جَابِرٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبْدِ اللهِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَعَا فِي مَسْجِدِ الْفَتْحِ ثَلَاثًا: يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ، وَيَوْمَ الثُّلَاثَاءِ، وَيَوْمَ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ، فَاسْتُجِيبَ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ بَيْنَ الصَّلَاتَيْنِ، فَعُرِفَ الْبِشْرُ فِي وَجْهِهِ قَالَ جَابِرٌ: ” فَلَمْ يَنْزِلْ بِي أَمْرٌ مُهِمٌّ غَلِيظٌ، إِلَّا تَوَخَّيْتُ تِلْكَ السَّاعَةَ، فَأَدْعُو فِيهَا فَأَعْرِفُ الْإِجَابَةَ
(Sayidina) Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) said, ‘The Prophet ﷺ supplicated in the Mosque of Victory (Fath) thrice. On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The supplication was answered for him ﷺ between the two prayers on Wednesday. Delight was apparent on his ﷺ (blessed) face.’ (Sayidina) Jabir said, ‘Whenever anything important or formidable occurred I sought out that time and supplicated in it, and I was answered.’ (Musnad Ahmad, 14563).
The Hadith above does not say, Dua is accepted on Wednesdays. Rather it presents a situation in which the Dua of the blessed Prophet ﷺ was accepted on a Wednesday. It is also important to note that neither this narration nor the one in al-Adab al-Mufrad specify the two prayers. Some people are misquoting these narrations and naming the prayers. The Hadith above has sound narrators according to Imam al-Haythami:
رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ، وَالْبَزَّارُ، وَرِجَالُ أَحْمَدَ ثِقَاتٌ. (مجمع الزوائد)
It was narrated by (Imam) Ahmad and al-Bazzar. The narration of Ahmad has sound narrators. (Imam Noorud-deen al-Haythami 807H, Majma’ al-Zawaid).
Many people in our community narrate the Hadith under discussion from Imam al-Bukhari in his book, al-Adab al-Mufrad. However, even that does not say Dua is accepted on Wednesdays. Nor does it specify which two prayers are being referred to. Therefore, the people spreading this Hadith must clarify their error and narrate the Hadith correctly.
عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ: دَعَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي هَذَا الْمَسْجِدِ، مَسْجِدِ الْفَتْحِ، يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ وَيَوْمَ الثُّلَاثَاءِ وَيَوْمَ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ، فَاسْتُجِيبَ لَهُ بَيْنَ الصَّلَاتَيْنِ مِنْ يَوْمِ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ قَالَ جَابِرٌ: وَلَمْ يَنْزِلْ بِي أَمْرٌ مُهِمٌّ غائِظٌ إِلَّا تَوَخَّيْتُ تِلْكَ السَّاعَةَ، فَدَعَوْتُ اللَّهَ فِيهِ بَيْنَ الصَّلَاتَيْنِ يَوْمَ الْأَرْبِعَاءِ فِي تِلْكَ السَّاعَةِ، إِلَّا عَرَفْتُ الْإِجَابَةَ
(Sayidina) Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) said, ‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ supplicated in this mosque, the Mosque of Victory (Fath), on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The supplication was answered for him ﷺ between the two prayers on Wednesday.’ (Sayidina) Jabir said, ‘Whenever anything important or calamitous occurred, I sought out that time and made supplication to Allah (Most High) between the two prayers on Wednesday, and I was answered.’ (al-Adab al-Mufrad, 704).
Although the Hadith does not state that Dua is accepted on a Wednesday, we do have an example of this occurring. We also have one of the great Sahabah seeking out a particular time on Wednesday to supplicate. Therefore, it is a good idea for a person to supplicate more abundantly on a Wednesday between two prayers. However, we must be careful when narrating Hadith. We must narrate them as they are.
And Allah Most High Knows Best.
-Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (06.03.2023)
See also:
Referencing Hadith Correctly
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