Investigating the Impact of the State of Spiritual Distress (Iḍṭirār) on the Acceptance of Supplications, Centered on Verse 62 of Sūrat al-Naml and the Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya

Document Type : Review

Authors

1 Level Four Student in Educational Exegesis, Narjes (pbuh) Seminary School, Mashhad, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Jurisprudence and Legal Foundations, Razavi University of Islamic Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

Supplication (Duʿāʾ), as an innate form of worship arising from the depths of human existence, holds a central position in Islamic texts, particularly the Holy Qur’an and the Ṣaḥīfa al-Sajjādiyya. This study focuses on verse 62 of Sūrat al-Naml – “Is He not [best] who responds to the distressed one (al-muḍṭarr) when he calls upon Him...?” – to examine the mechanisms through which the state of distress (ḥālat al-iḍṭirār) influences the acceptance of supplications and to elucidate its concomitant spiritual and psychological fruits. Employing a descriptive-analytical method and library research, the findings reveal that distress is not merely an external condition for response; rather, it catalyzes a profound inner transformation that paves the way for divine response. The novel contribution of this research is the formulation of a “Five-Stage Model of Transition from Distress to Acceptance,” derived from a meticulous analysis of the sacred texts. This model comprises the following stages: 1) The realization of helplessness and humility; 2) The expression of helplessness through earnest imploration; 3) Despair from all other-than-God and the heart’s detachment from created means; 4) Attainment of sincerity (ikhlāṣ) and purity of intention; 5) Divine proximity (qurb) and the acceptance of the supplication.

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Main Subjects

References

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Quranic Doctrines
Volume 22, Issue 42 - Serial Number 42
December 2025
Pages 351-379

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History

  • Receive Date: 27 October 2024
  • Revise Date: 21 September 2025
  • Accept Date: 27 October 2025
  • Publish Date: 22 December 2025

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