Saying du’aa’ during prayer asking to marry a certain man
Question

                Is it permissible for me to say du’aa’ whilst praying asking to marry a certain man?.
Praise be to Allah.
    Firstly: 

    The majority of Maaliki and Shaafa’i fuqaha’, and some 
    Hanbalis, are of the view that it is permissible to say du’aa’ in prayer 
    asking for various worldly needs, which the worshipper wants to ask for and 
    that he needs, such as if he prays to get married or for provision or 
    success and so on. 

    They quoted as evidence for that the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood 
    (may Allaah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet  (peace 
    and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught the Sahaabah the Tashahhud, then 
    he said at the end of it: “Then let him choose whatever supplications he 
    wishes.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5876) and Muslim (402). 

    Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated in al-Musannaf (1/331) that 
    al-Hasan and al-Sha’bi said: 

    Ask during your prayer for whatever you want. End quote. 

    It says in al-Mudawwanah (1/192): 

    Maalik said: There is nothing wrong with a man praying for 
    all his needs in the prescribed prayers, for his needs in this world and in 
    the Hereafter, when standing, sitting and prostrating. He said: Maalik told 
    me that ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said: I heard from him that he said: I ask 
    Allaah for all my needs when praying, even for salt. End quote. 

    The Hanafis and most of the Hanbalis disagreed with that and 
    said that it is not permissible to say du’aa’ asking for worldly things when 
    praying, rather they said that the prayer of one who says du’aa’ in it 
    asking for any of that is invalidated. 

    It says in al-Insaaf (1/81-82), which is a Hanbali 
    book:  

    With regard to saying du’aa’ in words other than those which 
    are narrated (from the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon 
    him)), and which do not have to do with the Hereafter, the view of our 
    madhhab is that it is not permissible to say such du’aa’s whilst praying, 
    and the prayer is invalidated thereby. This is the view of most of our 
    companions. 

    It was also narrated from him – i.e. Imam Ahmad – that it is 
    permissible to say du’aa’ asking for one’s worldly needs, and it is 
    permissible to say du’aa’ asking for one’s worldly needs and pleasures, such 
    as saying: O Allaah, bless me with a beautiful wife and a green suit and a 
    comfortable mount and so on. End quote. 

    It says in al-Fataawa al-Hindiyyah (1/100), which is a 
    Hanafi book: 

    If he says: O Allaah, bless me with So and so (a woman), then 
    the correct view is that it invalidates the prayer, because this wording is 
    also used among people (in day-to-day speech). End quote. 

    See: Fath al-Baari (1/319) and Nasab al-Raayah 
    (1/558). 

    They learned that from a number of the salaf (early 
    generation), and Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated from them in al-Musannaf 
    (1/332) that they regarded it as mustahabb to say du’aa’ in obligatory 
    prayers quoting Qur’aan only. Indeed it was narrated from Ibn ‘Awn that 
    Muhammad said: It was regarded as makrooh to say du’aa’ in prayer concerning 
    any matter of this world. 

    It says in al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (20/265-266):

    The Hanafis and Hanbalis say: It is Sunnah to say du’aa’ in 
    the final tashahhud after sending blessings upon the Prophet  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying things that resemble the wording of 
    the Qur’aan or the wording of the Sunnah, and it is not permissible to say 
    du’aa’ in words that resemble the speech of people, such as saying: O 
    Allaah, marry me to So and so, or give me such and such an amount of gold 
    and silver and positions. 

    The Maalikis and Shaafa’is are of the view that it is Sunnah 
    to say du’aa’ after the Tashahhud and before saying the salaam, asking for 
    the best of religious and worldly things, but it is not permissible to say 
    du’aa’ asking for anything haraam or impossible or conditional. If a person 
    says du’aa’ asking for any such thing then his prayer is invalidated, and it 
    is best to say du’aa’ using words that are mentioned in reports. End quote. 

    The correct view is the view of the Maalikis and Shaafa’is, 
    because of the strength of their evidence, and because of the weakness of 
    the evidence quoted by those who hold the other opinion. 

    Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in 
    al-Majmoo’ (3/454): 

    Our view is that it is permissible to say du’aa’ in prayer 
    for that which it is permissible to ask for outside of prayer, of religious 
    and worldly matters. So one may say: O Allaah, bless me with good (halaal) 
    earnings, and a child, and a house, and a beautiful wife, describing her, 
    or: O Allaah, set So and so free from prison, and destroy So and so, and the 
    like, and his prayer is not invalidated by any of that in our view. 

    This was the view of Maalik, al-Thawri, Abu Thawr and 
    Ishaaq. 

    Abu Haneefah and Ahmad said it is not permissible to say any 
    du’aa’ except those that are mentioned in reports and are in accordance with 
    Qur’aan. 

    They quoted as evidence the words of the Prophet  (peace 
    and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “This prayer is not the right place 
    for any of the people’s speech, rather it is tasbeeh, takbeer and recitation 
    of Qur’aan” (narrated by Muslim), by analogy with returning greetings and 
    saying Yarhamuk Allaah to one who sneezes. 

    Our companions quoted as evidence the words of the Prophet 
     (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “As for prostration, 
    strive hard in du’aa’ therein.” 

    The command to say du’aa’ is general in meaning, and was not 
    restricted, so it applies to everything that is called du’aa’.  

    And because the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah 
    be upon him) said du’aa’ at various points (in the prayer), which indicates 
    that there is no restrictions on that. 

     In al-Saheehayn, in the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood (may 
    Allaah be pleased with him), it is narrated that the Prophet  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) said at the end of the tashahhud: “Then let 
    him choose whatever supplications he likes or wishes”. 

    According to a report narrated by Abu Hurayrah: “Then let him 
    pray for himself as he sees fit.” Al-Nasaa’i said: Its isnaad is saheeh. 

    It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet  
    (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said in his Qunoot: “O Allaah, 
    save al-Waleed ibn al-Waleed and ‘Ayyaash ibn Abi Rabee’ah and Salamah ibn 
    Hishaam, and the believers who are weak and oppressed. O Allaah, punish 
    Mudar severely and send upon them a famine like the famine of Yoosuf.” 
    Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. 

    In al-Saheehayn it is narrated that the Prophet  
    (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O Allaah, curse Ri’l and 
    Dhakwaan and ‘Usayyah who disobeyed Allaah and His Messenger.” These were 
    Arab tribes. 

    There are many other ahaadeeth that are similar to those 
    which we have quoted here. Furthermore, the du’aa’ is not part of people’s 
    day-to-day speech.  

    With regard to saying Yarhamuk Allaah to one who 
    sneezes and returning salaams, these are words that are addressed to another 
    human being, unlike du’aa’. And Allaah knows best. End quote. 

    Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
    al-Sharh al-Mumti’ (3/283): 

    The apparent meaning of the author’s words – meaning Imam 
    Moosa al-Hijjaawi, who was one of the Hanbalis – is that he should not say 
    du’aa’ using words other than those which were narrated, so he should not 
    ask for any worldly matter such as saying: O Allaah, bless me with a 
    spacious house, or O Allaah, bless me with a beautiful wife, or O Allaah, 
    bless me with a lot of wealth, or O Allaah, bless me with a comfortable car, 
    and so on – because this has to do with worldly matters. Some of the fuqaha’ 
    (may Allaah have mercy on them) even said: If he asks for something that has 
    to do with worldly matters, then his prayer is invalidated. 

    But this is undoubtedly a weak view. 

    But the correct view is that there is nothing wrong with 
    asking for things that have to do with worldly matters, because du’aa’ in 
    itself is an act of worship, even if it is asking for worldly things, and 
    man has nowhere to turn but to Allaah. The Messenger  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The closest that a slave is to his 
    Lord is when he is prostrating” and he said, “As for prostration, say a 
    great deal of du’aa’ in it, because it is more likely that you will receive 
    a response.” And according to the hadeeth of Ibn Mas’ood, when he spoke of 
    the Tashahhud, he said: “Then let him choose whatever supplications he 
    wishes.” A person is never turning to Allaah as fully as he is in prayer, so 
    how can we say Do not ask Allaah, when you are praying, for anything that 
    you need of worldly things! This is very unlikely. 

    So the correct view is undoubtedly that he may ask after the 
    Tashahhud for whatever he wishes of good in this world and in the Hereafter. 
    End quote. 

    The point is that there is nothing wrong with saying du’aa’ 
    asking to get married to a particular man – if he is righteous and good – 
    although it is always better to use concise and eloquent du’aa’s and those 
    that were narrated from the Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be 
    upon him). See the answer to question no.
    5236,
    6585 and
    75058. 

    Secondly: 

    Moreover – although we have ruled that it is permissible for 
    you to say du’aa’ in your prayer asking to get married to a particular man – 
    we advise you, from a psychological point of view, not to go to extremes in 
    thinking about this matter. Marriage is decreed by Allaah, and by His mercy 
    to mankind He has given them ample provision and made them independent of 
    means, and has not limited marriage to one particular man, rather He has 
    connected it to conditions of good character and religious commitment, so 
    when these conditions are met, the Muslim should accept it. 

    The Muslim who believes in the will and decree of Allaah 
    (al-qada’ wa’l-qadar) believes that Allaah is wise in all that He commands 
    and does, and that He may ward off from a person the bad that he wants, 
    strives for and prays for, because He knows that the best is in something 
    else. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

    “it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you 
    and that you like a thing which is bad for you. Allaah knows but you do not 
    know”

    [al-Baqarah 2:216]. 

    The slogan of the Muslim in this matter is the words of the 
    Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in du’aa’ 
    al-istikhaarah: “and ordain for me the good wherever it may be and make me 
    pleased with it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1162). 

    We hope that this matter will not take up more space in your 
    heart and mind than it deserves. There are many – praise be to Allaah – who 
    are of good character and religiously committed. We ask Allaah to ordain 
    good for you wherever it may be and to make you pleased with what He decrees 
    for you. 

    And Allaah knows best.