Its core meaning is:
to call, to invite, to summon, to appeal to, to address, or to ask/call out to someone.
In other words, the Qur’anic meaning is communication directed toward someone, not ritualistic supplication.
The idea of “supplication” is a later theological usage.
1. Most Basic Meaning in the Qur’an: “To Call”
Example: Calling someone verbally
2:221
وَيَدۡعُوۡنَ اِلَى النَّارِ
“they call to the Fire...” https://quran.com/2/221
This is not “supplication”; it is literally calling or inviting.
Example: Calling a child by name
19:3
اِذۡ نَادٰى رَبَّهٗ نِدَآءً خَفِيًّا
When he called his Lord in a low voice.
This uses نادى (another verb for calling), but it is parallel to دَعَا. https://quran.com/19/3
This is a quiet call, not formal ritual.
2. “To Call Upon” in the Sense of Asking Someone for Something
This is the meaning most people associate with “duʿā’,” but the Qur’an still frames it as calling upon someone — not ritual supplication.
Example: Calling upon other deities
10:106
وَلَا تَدۡعُ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ
“Do not call upon besides Allah...” https://quran.com/10/106
Here, dāʿa means to address, to seek, to appeal to, or to request from.
Not “perform a ritual prayer of supplication.”
Example: Asking Allah for help
2:186
اُجِيۡبُ دَعۡوَةَ الدَّاعِ اِذَا دَعَانِ
“I respond to the call of the caller when he calls upon Me.” https://quran.com/2/186
Key point: The Qur’an uses دَعَا and دَعْوَة as calling, not as a technical term for ritualized supplication.
3. “دعاء” Can Mean “Calling Someone Over”
Example: Calling someone to guidance
14:44
وَدَعَا الرَّسُوۡلُ
“and the messenger called…” https://quran.com/14/44
Again — not supplication. It is invitation, addressing someone, calling them to something.
4. “دعاء” Can Even Mean “Label / Calling someone by a name”
Example: Calling your adopted sons “sons”
33:5
اُدۡعُوۡهُمۡ لِاٰبَآٮِٕهِمۡ
“Call them by the names of their fathers.” https://quran.com/33/5
This is naming, not supplication.
5. Zakariyya made dua or “said?”
Family of Imran (3:38)
هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُۥ ۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةًۭ طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ ٣٨
Thereupon, Zakariyyā called to his Lord. He said: “O my Lord, grant me from Your self (Your own choosing) goodly progeny. Verily, You are the One who listens to the calling.”
This verse is one of the clearest proofs that دعا ≠ inherently supplication. Why?
Because the Qur’an explicitly separates:
- دعا زكريا ربه — Zakariya called upon his Lord
- قال رب هب لي… — He SAID: My Lord, grant me…
If دعا already meant a request, the second phrase would be redundant.
But the Qur’an makes a distinction:
- دعا = calling toward
- قال… = the content of the request
This supports the core meaning:
To call upon / address someone, not a specialized ritual act.
5. Wife of Imran “said”
Here’s another example of someone asking Allah for something by simply saying it
Surah Aal Imran (3:35)
إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُ عِمْرَٰنَ رَبِّ إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِى بَطْنِى مُحَرَّرًۭا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٣٥
when ‘Imrān’s wife said: “O my Lord, I have vowed that what is in my womb will be devoted exclusively for You. So, accept (it) from me. You, certainly You, are the Hearing, the Knowing.”
How this fits all other Qur’anic examples
Every usage of د ع و follows the same pattern:
When used with Allah:
It means calling upon Him, appealing, addressing.
When used with people:
It means calling them, inviting, naming, summoning.
The root has a single underlying meaning across contexts: CALLING, not “supplicating.”
“Supplication” is only a derived meaning when the call happens to be a request addressed to Allah.
Summary
Does duʿā’ mean asking or supplicating?
In Qur’anic usage:
- The word never means a ritual of supplication.
- It does mean “calling upon someone,” in the sense of appealing, addressing, or seeking response from them.
- Context determines whether it’s a casual call, invitation, naming, or a request to Allah
So the core meaning is still:
CALL — not supplicate.
The “supplication” meaning exists only when the context is calling upon Allah asking for something. But the word itself does not inherently mean “supplication.”
Final Comparison
Term
Qur’anic Core Meaning
Ritual meaning?
Notes
دعا (daʿā)
To call, summon, address
No
Broad meaning: calling a person, calling Allah, calling to guidance, naming someone
دعاء (duʿāʾ)
The act of calling
No
Becomes “supplication” only if context is asking Allah
Call upon
Most accurate English match
—
Fits every Qur’anic context
Short Conclusion
In the Qur’an, “dua” = calling, inviting, summoning, addressing someone. It is not inherently “supplication”; that is one contextual usage. It is fundamentally about communication toward someone, not ritual or ceremony.
