Etiquette of making Dua
Supplication should start with Praising Allah, sending Peace and Blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam), and should end with Ameen!
Narrated Fudalah bin Ubaid (Radhi Allahu Anhu) said that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) heard a man supplicating in prayer. He did not glorify Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala neither did he invoke blessing on the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam). The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “He made haste.” He then called him and said to him or those him, “If any one of you prayers, he should commence by glorifying His Lord and Praising Him, then he should invoke peace and blessings on His Prophet thereafter he should supplicate Allah for whatever he wishes.” (Abu Dawud)
Ali ibn Talib (Radhi Allahu Anhu) said that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “Every supplication is veiled until one has invoked peace and blessing upon the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam)” (Saheeh Al-Jaami no 4523)
To face the Qiblah.
Narrated Abdullah bin Zaid (Radhi Allahu Anhu) the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) went out to his Musala (praying place) to offer the prayer of Istisqa. He invoked Allah for rain and then faced the Qiblah and turned his Rida (upper garment) inside out. (Al-Bukhari)
In another narration it is reported that when the Quraish tormented the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam), he faced the Ka'bah and made Dua against them. (Al-Bukhari)
However supplicating during Khutbah, the Imam faces the congregation when making Dua.
To make Dua in a state of Taharah (purity).
Abu Musa Al-Ashari (Radhi Allahu Anhu) said that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) after the Battle of Hunayn asked for water, performed Wudhu, then raised his hands and said: “O Allah forgive Ubayd ibn Amir.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
It is also prescribed to raise the hands when making Dua. (Some scholars caution against raising the hands after obligatory prayer)
Abu Musa (Radhi Allahu Anhu) narrated: The Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) invoked (Allah) and raised his hands (so high that) I saw the whiteness of his armpits.” (Al-Bukhari)
Salman Al-Farsi (Radhi Allahu Anhu) narrated that the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “Indeed, Allah is Shy and Beneficent. He is Shy when His servant raises his hands to Him (in Dua) to return them empty and disappointed. (Abu Dawud, ibn Majah)
To end the Dua by saying “Ameen!” or to say Ameen! When the Iman or someone else is supplicating.
‘O Allah! Accept my supplication! '
Narrated Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu Anhu) the Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “When the Imam says ‘Ameen!’ then you should all say ‘Ameen!’ for the angels say ‘Ameen!’ at that time, and he whose ‘Ameen!’ coincides with the ‘Ameen!’ of the angels, all his past sins will be forgiven.” (Al-Bukhari)
The Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “The Jews do not envy you for any matter as much as they envy you for saying Ameen and for giving Salams to one another. (Al-Bukhari)
Make Dua in conformity with the Shariah
The Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said: “Whoever innovates in this matter of ours something which is not part of it, it will be rejected.” (Agreed upon)
The voice of the suppliant should be neither so loud nor so low.
And remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and with fear and without loudness in words, in the mornings and in the afternoons, and be not of those who are neglectful. (Surah Al-A’raf 7: 205)
Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (Radhi Allahu Anhu) said, "We were in the company of Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) during a battle. Whenever we climbed a high place, went up a hill or went down a valley, we used to say, ‘Allahu Akbar” (Allah is the Most Great)' raising our voices. The Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) came by us and said: (O people! Be merciful to yourselves (i.e., don't raise your voices), for you are not calling a deaf or an absent one, but One Who is All-Hearer, All-Seer. The One Whom you call is closer to one of you than the neck of his animal. O `Abdullah bin Qais (Abu Musa's name) should I teach you a statement that is a treasure of Paradise: `La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah (there is no power or strength except from Allah).') (Imam Ahmad)
To make Dua for all Matters.
We normally only make Dua for this that are important to us. However we should make Dua for all matters big or small.
Aishah (Radhi Allahu Anha) said: “Ask Allah for everything even if it is only a shoelace, because if Allah does not make it easy, then it will not be possible. (At-Tirmidhi)