Alongside the formal prayer, Islam encourages two intimate, everyday forms of devotion: dua — calling on God in personal supplication — and dhikr — the remembrance of God.789

Dua: calling on God

A Muslim can ask God for anything, at any time, in any language and any place. The Quran presents God as close and responsive:

"And when My servants ask you concerning Me — indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me."

— Quran 2:186 (Saheeh International)1

"And your Lord says, 'Call upon Me; I will respond to you.'"

— Quran 40:60 (Saheeh International)2

Unlike the formal prayer, dua has no fixed time or form — it is the direct, personal conversation of a servant with their Lord.

Dhikr: remembering God

Dhikr is keeping God present in the heart and on the tongue — through short phrases such as SubhanAllah ("Glory be to God"), Alhamdulillah ("All praise is to God"), and Allahu Akbar ("God is the Greatest") (see Common Arabic Phrases). The Quran makes remembrance a source of peace, and calls for it often:

"Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured."

— Quran 13:28 (Saheeh International)3

"O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance."

— Quran 33:41 (Saheeh International)4

Remembrance is also a two-way relationship:

"So remember Me; I will remember you."

— Quran 2:152 (Saheeh International)5

The Prophet ﷺ described how alive this keeps a person's heart:

"The example of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who does not is like that of the living and the dead."

— Sahih al-Bukhari 64076

In short

Where salah is the formal, scheduled prayer, dua and dhikr are devotion woven through the whole day — asking God directly for one's needs, and keeping the heart at rest through His constant remembrance.