Allah has commanded people to call upon Him humbly and sincerely, promising them
He will respond to their prayers and fulfill their needs.
Nu'man b. Bashir reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Verily supplication
is worship." Then he recited the Qur'anic verse, "And your Lord says, 'Call on Me.
I will answer your prayer, but those who are too arrogant to serve me will surely
find themselves humiliated in Hell!'' Qur'an 40.60. This is reported by Ahmad and
Sunan.
'Abdar Razzaq reported from Al-Hasan that the Companions asked the Prophet, peace
be upon him, "Where is our Lord?" At this Allah sent down the following verse of
the Qur'an, "When My servants ask you (O, Muhammad) conceming Me, I am indeed close
to them. I listen to the prayer of every supplicant when he calls upon Me.'' Qur'an
2.186
Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Nothing is more dear
to Allah than one's supplication to Him.'' (Tirmizhi and Ibn Majah)
Abu Hurairah also reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Whoever wants
Allah to answer his prayers during difficult times, should supplicate to Him more
and more in times of ease'.'' (Tirmizhi)
Abu Ya'la related from Anas that the Prophet, peace be upon him, reporting from
his Lord said, "Allah said, 'There are four characteristics, of which one is Mine,
one yours, one common between Me and you, and one is common between you and My other
servants. The one that is Mine is that you shall not associate any other god with
Me, the one that is for you is that when you do a good deed I shall reward you for
it, the one that is common between Me and you is that when you supplicate I shall
respond to your supplications, and the one that is common between you and My other
servants is that you should like for them what you like for your own selves'."
In a sound hadith the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Allah's wrath is on the
one who does not call upon Him for help." 'Aishah reported, "The Prophet, peace
be upon him, said, 'Precautions are of no avail against the decree of Allah, but
the supplication benefits in the case of a calamity that strikes or is about to
strike. And when a calamity descends the supplication intercepts it and holds it
at bay until the Day of Resurrection'. (Reported by Al-Bazar, At-Tabrani, and Al-Hakim,
who says its chain of authorities is sound)
Salman Al-Farisi reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Nothing can
avert the decree of Allah except supplication, and nothing increases life except
virtuous deeds." (Tirmizhi)
Abu 'Awanah and Ibn Hibban reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When
one of you supplicates, he should ask Allah for something important and great, for
nothing is difficult for Allah."
There are certain manners that must be observed while making a supplication to Allah.
These are given in the following topics.
Ibn 'Abbas reported, "Once, when I recited the verses of the Qur'an, 'O you people!
Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good' (2.168) in the presence of the Prophet,
peace be upon him. Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas got up and said, 'O Messenger of Allah! Ask
Allah to make me one whose supplication is heard.' At this the Prophet, peace be
upon him, said, 'O Sa'd, consume lawful things and your supplications will be heard,
and by Him in Whose hands is the soul of Muhammad, when a man puts into his stomach
a morsel of what is forbidden his prayers are not accepted for forty days, and a
servant of Allah whose body is nourished by usury or by what is forbidden becomes
more deserving of the Hell fire." (Al-Hafiz b. Marduwiyah)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "O people, Allah
is Good and He, therefore, accepts only that which is good. And Allah commanded
the believers as He commanded the Messengers by saying, 'O Messengers, eat of the
good things, and do good deeds; verily I am aware of what you do,' Qur'an 23.51
and He said: 'O those who believe, eat of the good things that We gave you'." Qur'an
2.172 The Prophet, peace be upon him, then made mention of a person who travels
widely, his hair dishevelled, and covered with dust. "He lifts his hands and makes
supplication, 'O Lord, O Lord,' but his diet is unlawful, his drink is unlawful,
and his clothes are unlawful, and his nourishment is unlawful. How then can his
supplication be accepted?" (Muslim and Ahmad)
The Prophet (peace be upon him went out and prayed for rain and faced the qiblah.
These are, for instance, the day of 'Arafah, month of Ramadan, Friday, the last
part of the night, at dawn, during prostration, at the time of rainfall, between
the azhan and iqamah, at the time of encounter of armies, at times of panic, and
when one's heart is soft and tender.
Abu Umamah reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked, 'What supplication
finds the greatest acceptance?' He answered: 'A prayer offered in the middle of
the latter part of the night and after the prescribed Prayers'.' (Reported by Tirmizhi
with a sound chain of authorities)
Abu Hurairah reported, the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The servant is nearest
to his Lord when he is prostrating to Him, so make supplication in this state."
(Muslim) There are very many hadith found in various books on this subject.
Ibn 'Abbas is reported as saying, "When asking for something from Allah, you should
raise your hands opposite to your shoulders; when asking for forgiveness you should
point with one finger; and when making an earnest supplication you should spread
out both your hands." This is reported by Abu Daw'ud.
Malik b. Yassar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Supplicate
Allah with the palms of your hands, and do not supplicate Him with their backs upwards."
Salman reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Your Lord, the Blessed
and the Exalted One, is Modest and Generous, and He loathes to turn away His servant
empty-handed when he raises his hands to Him in supplication."
Fudalah b. 'Ubaid reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard a man supplicating
during prayer. He did not glorify Allah, nor did he invoke blessings on the Prophet.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "He has been hasty." Then he called the man
and said either to him, or to someone else, "When any one of you prays, he should
begin by glorifying and praising his Lord and then he should invoke blessings on
the Prophet, peace be upon him, and after that he should supplicate Allah for anything
he wishes."
Allah says: "Neither say your prayer aloud, nor speak it in a low tone, but seek
a middle course between." Qur'an 17.110 And "Call on your Lord with humility and
in private, for Allah does not love those who go beyond bounds." Qur'an 7.55
Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari reported, "Once the people raised their voices in supplication.
At this the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Be easy on yourselves. You are not
calling upon someone deaf or absent. Y ou are calling upon one Who is All-seeing
and All-hearing. He is nearer to you than the neck of your mount. O Abdallah b.
Qais, shall I tell you a word that is one of the treasures of Paradise? It is: "There
is no power nor any might except with the permission of Allah''.' (Muslim and Bukhari)
Abdallah b. 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Hearts are
like vessels, some more attentive and capacious than others. When you supplicate
Allah you should be certain of being answered, and know that Allah does not answer
a supplication that comes from a careless and inattentive heart." (Ahmad)
Ahmad records that Abu Sa'id reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
"Any Muslim who makes a supplication containing nothing that is sinful and nothing
that involves breaking ties of blood relationships, will be given for it by Allah
one of these three things: He may accept his request, or assign its reward for him
in the next world, or turn away from him an equivalent amount of evil." Those who
heard it said, "We would, then, make many supplications." The Prophet, peace be
upon him, replied, "Allah is more than ready to answer what you ask."
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Your supplication
will be answered if you are not impatient, and if you do not say, 'I supplicated
but my supplication was not heard'." (Malik)
Abu Hurairah also reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "None of you
should say, 'O Allah, forgive me if You wish, (or) O Allah, have mercy on me if
you wish.' Rather you should be firm in your request, for (Allah does whatever He
wishes) and no one can force Him to do otherwise."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, loved comprehensive supplications but used other
supplications as well. The Qur'anic supplication, "Our Lord, give us good in this
world, and give us good in the hereafter," is just such a comprehensive supplication.
A man came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said, "O Messenger of Allah, which
is the best supplication?" The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Supplicate to
your Lord for forgiveness and security in this world and in the Hereafter." He came
again the next day, and then again on the following (third) day and asked him the
same thing. The Prophet, peace be upon him, gave him the same answer, and then said,
"If you are given forgiveness and security in this world and in the Hereafter you
have attained success." Another version says: "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
'No supplication made by a person is better than asking "O Allah, I ask You for
security in this world and in the Hereafter"'." (Ibn Majah)
Jabir reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Do not supplicate against
your own selves, your children, your servants, or your property, lest you should
supplicate at a time when supplications are accepted."
Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, loved to repeat
his supplication three times, and pray for forgiveness three times." (Abu Daw'ud)
The Qur'an says that the believers pray, "Our Lord, forgive us and our brethren
in faith who have preceded us in faith." Ubayy b. Ka'b reported, "When someone requested
the Prophet, peace be upon him, to pray for him, he used to begin by supplicating
for his own self." (Reported by Tirmizhi with a sound chain of authorities)
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The supplications of three persons are accepted,
and there is no doubt concerning their acceptance: the supplication of a father,
of a traveller, and of one who is wronged.' (Reported by Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, and
Tirmizhi, with a sound chain of transmitters)
The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said, "The supplications of three persons are
not rejected: the supplication of a fasting person at the time of breaking fast,
of a just ruler, and of a person who is wronged. Allah causes their supplications
to rise above the clouds, and gates of heaven are opened for them, and God says,
'By My Majesty, I will help you, even it be after a while'." (Reported by Tirmizhi
with a sound chain of authorities)
Safwan ibn 'Abdallah reported, "I visited Abu Darda's house in Syria. I did not
find him there but Umm Darda was present at the house. She asked, 'Do you intend
to perform Hajj during this year?' I replied, 'Yes.' She said, 'Do supplicate Allah
for us, for Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, used to say, "The supplication
of a Muslim for his brother in his absence is accepted when he makes a supplication
for blessings for his brother, and the commissioned Angel says, 'Amen, May it be
for you too!"" I went to the market and met Abu Darda and he narrated a similar
report from Allah' s Messenger, peace be upon him. (Reported by Muslim and Abu Daw'ud)
Abdallah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
"The supplication that gets the quickest answer is the one made by one Muslim for
another in his absence.'' (Abu Daw'ud and Tirmizhi)
'Umar ibn al-Khattab reports, "I sought permission of the Prophet, peace be upon
him, to perform 'Umrah. He gave me permission, and said, 'My younger brother, do
not forget me in your prayers. ' 'Umar said, 'It was a word more pleasing to me
than the entire wealth of the world'."
Buraidah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard a man saying, "O Allah,
I ask You, I bear witness that there is no god but You, the One, the Etemal, Besought
of all, Who begets not, nor is begotten; and there is none like unto Him." The Prophet,
peace be upon him, said, "You have asked Allah by His Greatest Name. When one asks
Him by this name, He gives, what one desires, and when supplicated by this name
He answers." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud and Tirmizhi, who regards it a sound hadith)
Commenting on the above hadith, Al-Munzhri says, "Our teacher Abu al-Hasan Al-Maqdisi
said, 'There is no weakness in its chain, and no other and more sound hadith is
found on this subject'."
Mu'azh b. Jabal reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard a man saying,
" O Lord of Majesty and Honor!" At this the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Your
supplication will be heard, so ask for what you want to ask.'' (Reported by Tirmizhi,
who says it is a sound hadith)
Anas reported, "Once the Prophet, peace be upon him, passed by Abu 'Ayyash, Zayd
b. as-Samit az-Zarqi, while he was offering prayer and saying, 'O Allah, I call
upon You for to You is due all praise, there is no god but You, O the Compassionate
One, O the True Benefactor, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, the Lord
of Majesty and Honor, O the Living One, O the One Who is self-subsisting and sustains
all.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'You have called upon Allah by His greatest
name. Anyone calling upon Him by this name is heard, and whatever one asks Him for,
He grants it'." (Reported by Ahmad and others. Al-Hakim says that it is sound according
to the criterion of Muslim) Mu'awiyah reported, "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon
him, saying, 'Whoever supplicates with these five phrases will be granted whatever
he asks, 'la ilaha illa-Allah wallahu akhar (there is no god but Allah and Allah
is the greatest), la ilaha ill-Allahu wahdahu la sharika lahu (there is no god but
only Allah, and he has no partners), lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli
shai'in qadir (to Him belongs the authority and His is all praise, and He has power
over all things), la ilaha illa-Allahu wa la hawla wala quwwata illa billah (there
is no god but Allah and there is no power nor any strength except with His permission)."
(Reported by At-Tabarani with a sound chain)
The time for the supplications of morning is from dawn until the sunrise, and those
of the evening are meant for the time between 'Asr (late afternoon) until the sunset.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone said
in the morning and evening: 'subhana-Allah wa bihamdihi' (Glory to Allah and all
praise to Him), a hundred times, on the Day of Judgment none will come with anything
better than that except the person who utters similar words or adds some to them."
Ibn Mas'ud reported, "When it was evening the Prophet, peace be upon him, would
supplicate, "We have evening and the whole Kingdom of Allah also has evening and
all praise is due to Allah. There is no god but Allah, the One Who has no partner
with Him, His is the Sovereignty and all Praise is due to Him, and He has power
over all things. O Allah, I ask You the good of this night and I seek refuge in
You from the evil of this night and the evil that follows it. O Allah, I seek refuge
in You from sloth and from the evil of vanity. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from
the torment of Hell-Fire and from the torment of the grave." And likewise when it
was morning he would say, "It is morning for us and [also] for the whole Kingdom
of Allah." (Muslim)
Abdallah b. Habib reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Speak." I
asked, "O Messenger of Allah, what should I say?" He replied, "Recite Surat al-Ikhlas,
and the two last surahs (of the Qur'an), i.e. Surat al-Falaq and Surat an-Nas, in
the morning and evening three times, and it will suffice you for everything."
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to teach his Companions,
"When it is morning you should say, 'O Allah, we have reached morning with Your
help and evening with Your help, and with Your help we live and by Your command
we die, and to You is our Resurrection.' And when it is evening you should say,
'O Allah, with Your help we have reached evening, and with Your help we will reach
morning, with Your help we live and by Your command we die, and to You is our return'."
(Reported by Tirmizhi, who says it is a hasan sahih hadith)
Shaddad b. Aws reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The best supplication
for forgiveness is to say, 'Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta, Khalaqtani
wa ana 'abduka, wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'dika mastata'tu. A'uzhu bika min sharri
ma sana'tu, abu'u laka bini'matika 'alayya wa abu'u laka bizhanbi faghfirli innahu
la yaghfiru zhzhunuba illa anta (O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no god but You.
You created me and I am Your servant, and I try my best to keep my covenant (faith)
with You and to live in the hope of Your promise. I seek refuge in You from evil
done by me. I acknowledge Your favors upon me and I acknowledge my sins. So forgive
me for none forgives sins but You."') The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, "If
somebody recites this during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same
day before the evening, he will be one of the people of Paradise. And if somebody
recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will
be one of the people of Paradise." (Bukhari)
Abu Hurairah reported ihat once Abu Bakr as-Siddiq asked the Prophet, peace be upon
him, to tell him something to pray in the morning and in the evening. The Prophet,
peace be upon him, said, "Say, O Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who
knows the unseen and the seen, Lord and Possessor of everything! I testify that
there is no god but You. I seek refuge in You from the evil within myself, from
the evil of the devil, and from his inciting one to attribute partners to Allah."
Then he added, "Say this in the morning, in the evening, and when you go to bed."
'Uthman b. 'Affan reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'If any servant
of Allah says daily in the morning and in the evening, ' In the name of Allah, by
Whose name nothing in the earth or in the heaven can do any harm, and He is All-Hearing,
All-Knowing!" three times, nothing will harm him.' (Reported by Tirmizhi who regards
it a hasan sahih (sound) hadith)
Thawban reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone says in the
morning and in the evening, 'I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my
religion, and with Muhammad as the Prophet,' Allah will certainly please him." (Tirmizhi,
who says it is a sound (hasan sahih) hadith)
Anas b. Malik reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone says
in the morning or in the evening, 'O Allah! it is morning, I call to bear witness
to You, and to the bearers of Your Throne, Your angels, and all Your creatures,
that You are Allah other than Whom there is no god, and that Muhammad is Your servant
and Messenger,' Allah will emancipate one-fourth of him from Hell. If one says it
twice, Allah will emancipate one-half of him from Hell. If one says it three times,
Allah will emancipate three-fourths of him (from Hell). And if he says it four times,
Allah will emancipate him (completely) from Hell. (Tirmizhi)
Abdallah ibn Ghannam reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone
says in the morning, 'O Allah! Whatever favor has come to me, has come from You
alone Who has no partner. To You all praise is due and all thanksgiving,' he expresses
his thanksgiving for the day. And if anyone says the same in the evening, he expresses
his thanks for the night. (Abu Daw'ud)
Abdallah ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, always uttered these supplications
in the evening and in the morning: 'O Allah, I ask You for security in this world
and in the Hereafter. O Allah! I ask You for forgiveness and security in my din
and in my worldly affairs, in my family and in my property. O Allah! Cover up my
faults, and keep me safe from the things I fear. O Allah! Guard me from the front
and the behind, from the right and the left, and from above. And I seek in Your
greatness the protection from unexpected harm from beneath." (Abu Daw'ud and Al-Hakim)
Waki' said, "This means to be swallowed up by the earth."
'Abdur-Rahman b. Abu Bakrah said that he told his father, "O my father! I hear you
supplicating every morning with the words: 'O Allah! Grant me sound health. O Allah!
Grant me sound hearing. O Allah! Grant me sound eyesight. There is no god but You.'
You repeat them three times in the morning and three times in the evening.' He replied,
'I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, using these words as a supplication and
I like to follow his practice'." (Abu Daw'ud)
Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone said,
'O Allah, I have risen with Your help, blessings, security, and protection, so complete
Your blessings upon me, Your security for me, and your protection, in this world
and in the Hereafter,' three times in the morning and in the evening, Allah will
certainly complete His favors upon him."
Anas reported that once the Prophet, peace be upon him, exclaimed, "Can't anyone
of you be like Abu Damdam?" The Companions asked, "Who is Abu Damdam, O Messenger
of Allah?" He replied, "When he gets up in the morning he says, 'O Allah, I offer
my honor and life to You?' So that he would not abuse those who abused him, nor
would he wrong those who wronged him, or hit those who hit him."
Abu Darda reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone says daily
in the morning and in the evening, 'Allah suffices me, there is no god but He, in
Him is my trust, and he is the Lord of the Throne, Supreme,' seven times, Allah
will suffice him for all the concerns of the life of this world and of the Hereafter."
It is reported that Talq b. Habib said, "A man came to Abu Darda and said to him,
'O Abu Darda, your house has burned.' He said: 'No, it cannot be burned. Allah will
never allow this to happen because of the words that I heard from the Prophet, peace
be upon him. Whoever says these words in the beginning of a day, the Prophet, peace
be upon him, told us, will not be afflicted by a misfortune until the end of the
day, and whoever says these words in the evening will not be afflicted until morning.
These words are, "O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no god but You, I put my trust
in You, You are the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Whatever Allah wills will happen
and what He does not will, cannot happen. There is no power or strength except with
Allah, the Exalted, the Mighty. I know that Allah has power over all things, and
Allah comprehends all things in knowledge. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from
the evil of myself and from the evil of all creatures under Your control. Surely
the straight way is my Sustainer's way"."'
In some versions of this hadith we further find that he said, "Come, let us go.
So he went with them to his house. They found all the area surrounding the house
burned but his house was not damaged."
Huzhaifah and Abu Zharr reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, went
to bed, he would say, "O Allah, by Your name I live and die." And when he woke up
he said, "Praise be to Allah Who gave us life after death and to Him is the return."
He placed his right hand under his cheek and prayed, three times, "O Allah, save
me from Your punishment on the day when You will raise Your creature."
He would also say, "O Allah, Lord of the heavens, the earth, and the Mighty Throne,
our Lord and the Lord of everything, Who causes the seed to grow and the date-stone
to split and sprout, Who sent down Taurah, Injil, and the Qur'an, I seek refuge
in You from the evil of all evil-mongers under Your Control. You are the First and
there is nothing before You, and You are the Last, and there is nothing after You.
You are the Evident and there is nothing beyond You, and You are the Source and
there is no power beside You. Relieve us of our debt and poverty." This is reported
by Bukhari.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, also prayed, "Praise be to Allah Who has fed us
and given us to drink, met all our needs, and given us refuge, while there are many
who have neither anyone to meet their needs nor anyone to provide them with a refuge."
And every night when he retired to bed he would hold out his hands together imploringly
and blow over them after reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq, and Surah An-Nas,
and then rub his hands over whichever parts of his body he was able to rub, starting
with his head, face, and front of his body. He used to do that three times.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, instructed his Companions that when they go to bed
they should supplicate, "In Your name, O Lord, I lay me down to sleep. And by Your
leave I raise myself up. So if You take away my soul during sleep, forgive it, and
if You keep it alive after sleep protect it just as You protect Your pious servants."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, once advised his daughter, Fatimah, "Say subhan-Allah
thirty three times, al-hamdu-lillah, thirty three times, and Allahu akbar, thirty
four times." He also commended the recitation of ayatal-Kursi, the verse of the
Throne, Qur'an 2.255 along with the above supplications, and said that he who does
so will be under the protection of Allah, Who will assign a protector to protect
him.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to Bara, "When you go to bed make wudu as you
do for the regular prayer, and then lie down on your right side and say, ' O Allah,
I surrender my soul to You, and I tum my face toward You, and I trust my affairs
to Your care. I turn to You in fear and hope. There is no refuge nor any protection
against You except in You. I believe in Your book which You have revealed to Your
Prophet whom You sent'." Then he added, "If you die, you will die in your true nature,
and these words will be your last words."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, advised that on waking up from sleep one should
say, "Thanks be to Allah Who returned my soul, made my body sound, and permitted
me to remember Him."
When the Prophet, peace be upon him, woke he would say, "There is no god but You,
glory be to You. O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness of my sins, and ask for Your mercy.
O Allah, increase me in knowledge, and let not my heart deviate after You have guided
me on the right path. Grant me mercy from You, for You are the Grantor of bounties
without measure."
In another sound hadith the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Whoever wakes up
from sleep and cannot go back to sleep, and says, "La ilaha illa-Allahu wahdahu
la sharika lahu, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli sha' in qadeer, al-hamdu
lillahi, wa subhan'Allah, wa la ilaha illallahu, wallahu akbar, wala hawla wala
quwwata illa billah (there is no god but Allah, He is One and has no partner, to
Him belongs all praise and all authority, and He has power over all things, praise
be to Allah, glory be to Aliah, there is no god but Allah, Allah is the greatest,
there is no power nor any authority but with Allah),' and then says, 'Allahumma
ighfir li (O Allah, forgive me), or asks some other thing, will be answered, and
if he makes wudu and offers a prayer it will be accepted from him."
'Umar b. Shu'aib reported from his father and he from his grandfather that the Prophet,
peace be upon him, said, "When one of you is frightened during sleep he should say,
'I seek protection in the perfect words of Allah, from His displeasure and punishment
and from evil people, and from the (evil) prompting of devils and from their presence.'
Then nothing will harm him." The narrator added, "Ibn 'Umar used to teach this to
his children, both grown up and young, and he would write it on a piece of paper
and make them wear it around their necks." The chain of authorities of this hadith
is sound.
Khalid b. Walid reported that once he suffered from insomnia. The Prophet, peace
be upon him, said to him, "Shall I teach you words that will make you go to sleep
when you say them? Say, 'O Allah, the Lord of the seven heavens and whatever they
cover, Lord of the earths and whatever they contain, Creator of devils and whomever
they mislead, be my protector from the evil of all Your creatures lest some of them
may hasten with insolence against me or transgress the bounds. Honored is he who
is in Your protection and blessed be Your name, there is no god except You'.' (Reported
by At-Tabrani in his Al-Kahir and Al-Awsat. Its chain is sound, although Abdur-Rahman
did not hear it from Khalid. Al-Hafiz al-Munzhari has mentioned it)
Bara' b. 'Azib reported that a man complained to the Prophet, peace be upon him,
about fear and depression. The Prophet said to him, 'Say, 'Glory to Allah, the Holy,
the King, Lord of the angels and of Gabriel. Your power and glory encompass the
heavens and the earth." The man said these words and Allah healed him of his depression
and fear.
Jabir reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, -If someone of you sees
an unpleasant dream he should spit three times on his left side and seek Allah's
refuge from the accursed Satan, and change the side on which he was lying.' (Reported
by Muslim, Abu Daw'ud, Nasa-i, and Ibn Majah)
Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri reported that he heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying,
"When someone among you sees a good and pleasing dream, he should know that it is
from Allah, and so he should praise and thank Allah, and describe to others what
he saw in the dream. But if he sees something he dislikes then it is from Satan,
so he should seek Allah's refuge from its evil and should not mention it to anyone.
It will not harm him." (Reported by Tirmizhi, who said it is a hasan sahih hadith)
Ibn As-Sinni reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, put on his clothes,
whether a shirt, a cloak, or a turban, he would say, "O Allah, I seek from You its
goodness and the goodness for which it is made, and I seek Your refuge against its
evil and the evil that is apportioned for it."
Mu'azh b. Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone wears
a new garment and says, 'All thanks and praise be to Allah, Who clothed me and gave
me sustenance, whereas I have no power or strength,' Allah will forgive all his
previous sins." To pronounce the name of Allah is also recommended, because anything
done without invoking Allah's name is flawed.
Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri reported that when the Prophet, peace be him, got a new piece
of garment, he would mention it, whether a turban or a shirt or a cloak, and then
would say, "O Allah all praise and thanks be to You. You have given me this garment.
I seek from You its good and the good that is made of it and I seek Your refuge
against its evil and the evil that it is made of." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud and Tirmizhi,
who considers it a sound hadith)
'Umar reported that he heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, say "If anyone wears
some new clothing and says, 'all praise and thanks be to Allah Who clothed me to
cover my nakedness, and made it a means of adomment for me,' and then takes his
old garment and gives it in charity, will be under the protection of Allah and will
be treated as if struggling in the cause of Allah, in life and after his death."
According to a sound hadith, the Prophet, peace be upon him, dressed Umm Khalid,
a small girl, in a black woolen blanket and said to her, "May you live so long that
you will wear out many garments." The Companions used to say, "May you live so long
that you wear out this garment and may Allah replace it with a better one." On seeing
'Umar wearing some new clothes the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "May you wear
new clothes and may you live nobly and die as a happy martyr.' (Reported by Ibn
Majah and Ibn As-Sinni)
Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The barrier between the
eyes of the Jinn and the nakedness of the Children of Adam is [created] when a Muslim
discards a garment and says, 'In the name of Allah besides Whom there is no other
god'." (Ibn As-Sinni)
Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When one of you leaves
the house he should say, 'In the name of Allah, I put my trust in Allah. There is
no power or strength except with Allah.' To him is said, 'This is sufficient for
you. You are protected, saved, and guided.' The devil leaves him alone, saying to
another devil, 'How can you tackle a man who is guided, saved, and well protected'.'
(Abu Daw'ud)
A sound hadith reports the following supplication from Anas: "In the name of Allah,
I believe in Allah, and I seek protection of Allah. There is no power or strength
except with Allah." (Musnad Ahmad)
Umm Salmah reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, whenever left
her apartment he would look up and then pray, "O Allah, I seek Your refuge against
going astray or leading others astray, slipping or causing others to slip, doing
wrong or being wronged by others, and behaving arrogantly or being treated arrogantly
by others." (Reported by Tirmizhi, who considers it a sound hadith)
Jabir reported, "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying, 'If a man remembers
Allah while entering his house and eating his meals, the devil says to his forces,
"You will have no place to sleep or food to eat." But if the person fails to remember
Allah while entering his house the devil says to them, "You have found the place
to rest at night." And if he does not remember Allah while eating meals, the devil
says, "You have found the place to rest and meals to eat.' ' "(Muslim)
Abu Malik Al-Asha'ri reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When a
man enters his house he should say, 'O Allah, I seek of You the best of entrance
and the best of departure. In the name of Allah we enter and in the name of Allah
we go out, and we put our trust in Allah, our Lord,' and then he should greet his
family." (Abu Daw'ud)
Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him, "O son, when you
enter your house say, 'As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you).' It will bring blessing
to you and to your family." (Tirmizhi)
On seeing something good and pleasing concerning one's family or property one should
say, "Allah's will be done! There is no power or strength except with Allah." (Reported
by Ibn As-Sinni) And on seeing in them something unpleasant, he should say, "Praise
and thanks be to Allah under all circumstances." Allah says in the Qur'an (18.39),
"Why did you not say, as you went into your garden, 'Allah's Will be done! There
is no power but with Allah!"'
Anas reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'If for every blessing bestowed
by Allah upon his servant in his family or property the servant says, "Allah's will
be done! There is no power but with Allah," he will witness no misfortune concerning
them except that of death'." (Reported by Ibn As-Sinni)
It is reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, on seeing something good and
pleasing used to say, "Praise be to Allah with Whose blessings all good deeds are
perfected." And when he saw something that displeased him, he would say, "Praise
and thanks be to Allah under all circumstances." (Reported by Ibn Majah. Al-Hakim
said, -The chain of this hadith is sound and its narrators are trustworthy)
'Ali reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, looked into a mirror he
would say, "Praise and thanks be to Allah. O Allah, make me good mannered as You
made me good looking." (Reported by Ibn As-Sinni) Anas reported that whenever the
Prophet, peace be upon him, looked at his face in the mirror, he would say, "Praise
be to Allah Who fashioned my nature and gave it a perfect form, and Who honored
my face and made it good, and made me one of the Muslims."
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "If one sees an
afflicted person and says, 'Praise and thanks be to Allah Who has saved me from
what he has afflicted you with, and has honored me over many of His creatures,'
he will be saved from that affliction." (Reported by Tirmizhi, who considers it
sound)
An-Nawawi states that the scholars said, "One should say the above mentioned supplication
inaudibly so that the afflicted person should not hear it, lest he should be grieved
by it. But if the affliction is the result of his sinful conduct then there is no
harm in his listening if he is not heedful of evil."
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, -Seek refuge with
Allah against the devil when you hear the sound of a donkey, for it sees the devil,
and when you hear a cock, pray to Allah for His bounty, for it sees an angel.' (Bukhan
and Muslim)
Abu Daw'ud's version reads, "When you hear the barking of dogs and braying of donkeys
during the night seek the refuge of Allah from them, for they see what you don't."
Abu Hurairah reported, "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying, "The wind
is a blessing from Allah. It brings mercy as well as punishment. So when you see
it do not abuse it, and ask Allah for its good, and seek refuge with Allah against
its evil'." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud with a sound chain of narrators)
'Aishah reported that whenever the wind blew, the Prophet, peace be upon him, would
supplicate, "O Allah, I ask You for its good, and the good that is in it, and the
good of what it is sent with, and I seek Your refuge against its evil, and the evil
it is sent with." (Muslim)
Ibn 'Umar reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard the sound
of thunder or lightning he would say, "O Allah, do not destroy us with Your wrath
nor let us perish with Your punishment, and save us before it comes to pass." (Reported
by Tirmizhi, by its chain of authorities is weak)
'Abdallah b.'Umar reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw moon he
would say, "Allah is the Greatest! O Allah, make it shine upon us in peace, faith,
security, safety, and with the power to do what You love and are pleased with! O
moon! Your Lord and our Lord is Allah." (At-Tabarani)
Qatadah reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw the moon, he would
say, "You are the new moon of goodness and guidance, the new moon of goodness and
guidance. I believe in Allah Who created you." He said this three times. And then
he would add, "Praise be to Allah Who caused such and such month to go by in this
manner and brought another month (which he named)." This is reported by Abu Daw
'ud.
Ibn 'Abbas reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, at times of sorrow and grief
used to supplicate, La iliha illa Allah Al-'Azim, Al-'Alim, la ilaha illa Allah,
Rabbul 'arshil 'Azim, la ilaha illa Allahu, Rabbus-Samawati wa rabbul ardi wa rabbul
'arshi karim (There is no god but Allah, the Mighty, the Forbearing, there is no
god but Allah, the Lord of the mighty throne, there is no god but Allah, the Lord
of the heavens and the earth, and the Lord of the throne of honor)'." This is reported
by Bukhari and Muslim.
Anas said that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was faced with a serious difficulty,
he would always supplicate, "Ya Hayyu, ya Qayyumu, bi-rahmatika astaghithu (O the
Living, O the Eternal, I seek help in Your grace). (Tirmizhi)
Abu Hurairah reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, was faced with
a serious difficulty, he would raise his head to the sky and supplicate, "Subhan-Allah
al-'Azim (glory be to Allah, the Mighty)." And when he implored seriously and strongly,
he would say "Ya Hayyu, Ya Qayyum (O the Living, the Eternal One)." (Tirmizhi)
Abu Bakrah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The supplications
of distress are, 'Allahumma rahmataka arju, fala takilni ila nafsi tarfata 'ain,
wa aslah li sha'ni kullahu, la ilaha illa anta (O Allah, I hope for Your mercy,
so give me not over to my self even for as little as wink of an eye, and set right
all my affairs, there is no god but You)." (Abu Daw'ud)
Asma, daughter of 'Amais, reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked her,
"Shall I tell you words that you may say in times of pain or distress. These are,
'Allah, Allah, Rabbi la ushriku bihi shai'an (Allah, Allah, my Lord, I associate
none with Him)." Another narration says that these words should be said seven times.
(Abu Daw'ud)
Sa'd ibn Waqas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The supplication
made by the Companion of the Fish (Prophet Yunus) in the belly of the fish was,
'La ilaha illa anta, subhanaka, inni kuntu minaz-zalimin (there is no god but You,
You are far exalted and above all weaknesses, and I was indeed the wrongdoer)'.
If any Muslim supplicates in these words, his supplication will be accepted." In
another report we read, "I know words that will cause Allah to remove one's distress.
These are the words (of supplication) of my brother Yunus, peace be upon him,''
(Tirmizhi)
Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If any servant of
Allah afflicted with distress or grief makes this supplication, his supplication
will be accepted: 'O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of your
maidservant. My forehead is in Your hand. Your command conceming me prevails, and
Your decision concerning me is just. I call upon You by every one of the beautiful
names by which You have described Yourself, or which You have revealed in Your book,
or have taught anyone of Your creatures, or which You have chosen to keep in the
knowledge of the unseen with You, to make the Qur'an the delight of my heart, the
light of my breast, and remover of my griefs, sorrows, and afflictions'." A supplication
in these words will be answered. Allah will remove one's affliction and replace
it with joy and happiness. (Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban)
Abu Musa narrated that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, feared a people, he
used to supplicate against them in these words, "O Allah, we request you to kill
them and we seek Your protection against their evil.' (Abu Daw'ud and Nasa'i)
Ibn As-Sinni reported that in a battle the Prophet, peace be upon him, supplicated,
"O Master of the Day of Judgment, I worship You alone, and seek only Your help."
Anas remarked, "I saw the angels fighting against his enemies and defeating them
left and right."
It is also reported from Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When
you are afraid of a ruler or someone else, you should say, 'There is no god but
Allah, the Forbearing, the Gracious. Glory be to Allah, my Lord, glory be to Allah,
the Lord of the seven heavens and of the mighty throne. There is no god but You,
strong is your protection, and great is Your praise'."
Ibn 'Abbas said, "Hasbuna-Allah wa ni'am alwakil (Allah suffices us for everything
and He is the most excellent guardian)," and then he added, "These words were uttered
by the Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, when he was thrown into the fire, and
the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said these words when the people informed
him, 'The people have gathered against you'." (Bukhari)
'Awf b. Malik reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, judged the case of two
men. The one who lost the case, turning away to go, said, "Allah is sufficient for
us, and He is the best guardian." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him, "Allah
disapproves of weakness and impotence. You must put in effort and work, but if you
are overwhelmed by a difficulty then say, 'Allah is sufficient for me, and he is
the most excellent guardian'."
Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to supplicate, "O Allah,
there is no ease except what You make easy, and you alone can turn a difficulty
into ease." (Ibn As-sinni)
Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When you leave your
house and are afflicted with hardship, why don't you pray, 'In the name of Allah
respecting myself, my property, and my din. O Allah, cause me to be satisfied and
pleased with Your decree, and bless me in whatis decreed for me, so that I will
not want to hasten what You have delayed, nor to delay what You have hastened'."
(Ibn As-Sinni)
'Ali related that a slave, who had agreed on terms of his freedom with his master,
came to him and said, "I cannot pay my master as I agreed in the terms of freedom,
so help me." 'Ali said to him, "Let me teach you the supplication that the Prophet,
peace be upon him, taught me. If you say it, Allah will cause your debt to be paid
even if it be as great as a mountain. Say, 'O Allah, make Your lawful bounties sufficient
for me so as to save me from what is unlawful, and from Your grace grant me sufficient
abundance to make me free from the need of all except You'." (Reported by Tirmizhi,
who considers it sound)
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported, "One day the Prophet, peace beupon him, entered the
mosque. He saw there a man from the Ansar called Abu Umamah. He asked, 'What is
the matter with you that I see you sitting in the mosque when it is not the time
of prayer.' He replied, 'I am very much worried and in great debt, O Messenger of
Allah!' The Prophet said, 'Let me teach you words to say so that Allah will remove
your worries and settle your debt?' He exclaimed, 'Of course, O, Messenger of Allah.'
The Prophet said, 'Say in morning and evening, "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from
all worry and grief. I seek refuge in You from incapacity and slackness. I seek
refuge in You from cowardice and niggardliness, and I seek refuge in You from being
overcome by debt and being subjected to men".' The man said, 'When I did that, Allah
removed all my worries and settled my debt'." (Abu Daw'ud)
Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When one of you
is afflicted with any misfortune he should say, 'Ina li llahi wa inna 'ilayhi Raji'un
(We are for Allah, and to Him is our return),' even if it be merely losing one's
shoe straps, for this is also a misfortune." (Ibn As-Sinni)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "A strong believer
is better and dearer to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone,
but cherish what gives you benefit in the Hereafter and seek help from Allah and
do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don't
say, 'If I had not done that, such and such thing would not have happened,' but
say, 'Allah has ordained it so, and whatever He pleases He does,' because 'ifs'
and 'buts' open the door for Satan."(Muslim)
Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said, "Satan comes
to you and says, 'Who created so-and-so, until finally he says, 'Who created your
Lord?' So, when he inspires such a doubt, one should seek refuge with Allah and
give up such thoughts.'' (Bukhari and Muslim)
Another sahih hadith reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The people
will continue raising questions until they ask, 'Allah created the creation, but
who created Allah?' So whoever is faced with such a situation should say, 'I believe
in Allah and His messengers'."
Sulaiman b. Sard said, "I was sitting with the Prophet, peace be upon him, when
two men abused each other and one of them became so angry that his face became swollen
and changed. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'I know a word that that will
cause him to relax, and this is, "I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed."
(If he said these words) his anger will cool down.' (Muslim aud Bukhari)
'Aishah says that the Prophet, peace be upon him, loved the short but comprehensive,
meaningful supplications, more than others. We give below some of these supplications,
which are a must for every believer.
Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, frequently prayed, "O Allah,
give us all the good of this world, and the good of the life hereafter, and save
us from the punishment of the fire."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, visited one of the Muslims who had become as feeble
as a chicken, and inquired about his health. Allah's Messenger, peace be him, asked,
"Did you supplicate Allah for anything or beg Him for it?" He replied, "Yes, I asked
in these words, 'O, God punish me in this world with the punishment that You are
going to inflict on me in the Hereafter'." Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him,
remarked, "Hallowed be Allah! You have neither the power nor the forbearance to
take upon yourself the burden of Allah's punishment. Why did you not say this, 'O
Allah, grant us all the good of the world, and all the good of the Hereafter, and
save us from the torment of the fire?"' Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, made
this supplication for him and he was all right. (Muslim)
Sa'd ibn Abu Waqqas heard his son praying, "O Allah, I ask You for Paradise and
its blessings and its pleasure, and for such-and-such, and such-and-such. I seek
refuge in You from Hell, from its chains, from its collars, and from such-and-such,
and from such-and-such." At this Sa'd said, "You have asked Allah for a lot of good,
and sought His refuge from a lot of evil. I heard Allah's Messenger, peace be upon
him, saying, 'There will be people who will exaggerate in supplication. For you
it is sufficient to say, "O Allah, I seek from You all the good, whether I know
it or I do not know it, and I seek Your refuge from all the evil, whether I know
it or I do not know it.' (Ahmad and Nasa'i)
'Abdallah ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed to Allah,
"My Lord, help me and do not turn against me. Grant me victory, and do not grant
victory over me. Plan on my behalf and do not plan against me. Guide me, and make
the guidance easy for me. Grant me victory over those who act wrongfully toward
me. O Allah, make me grateful to You, mindful of You, in awe of You, devoted to
your obedience, humble, penitent, and ever turning to You in repentance. My Lord,
accept my repentance, wash away my sins, answer my supplication, clearly establish
my evidence, guide my heart, make my tongue true, and draw out malice from my breast."
Zaid ibn Arqam said, "I am not going to say anything except what Allah's Messenger,
may peace be upon him, used to say. He used to supplicate, 'O Allah, I seek refuge
in You from incapacity, from sloth, from cowardice, from miserliness, from old age,
and from the torment of the grave. O Allah, grant my soul righteousness, and purify
it, for You are the Best Purifier. You are the Protecting friend, and Guardian.
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the knowledge that does not benefit, from a heart
that does not fear You, from a soul that is uncontented, and from supplication to
which You do not respond." (Muslim)
The Prophet, peace be upon him, exclaimed to his Companions, "O people, would you
like to be serious in your supplications?" They replied, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger."
He said, "Then ask Him, 'O Allah, help us in remembring You, in offering thanks
to You, and in worshipping You properly'.' (Al-Hakim)
Ahmad reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, advised: "Recite frequently,
"Ya zha al-jalali w al-ikram (O, Possessor of Majesty and sublimity)"'.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, also used to say, "O Controller of the Hearts, make
my heart firm in Your faith. The balance is in the hands of the Beneficent, the
Exalted, the Mighty, and He honors some and brings others low thereby. (Ahmad)
Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to supplicate, "O Allah,
I seek refuge in You against deprivation of Your bounties, against loosing Your
security, against the suddenness of Your wrath, and against everything that might
cause Your anger."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to say, "O Allah, benefit me with what You
have taught me, and teach me what is beneficial for me, and increase me in knowledge.
Thanks be to Allah under all circumstances, and I seek Allah's refuge from the plight
of the people of the fire.' (At-Tirmizhi)
When (his daughter) Fatimah came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, asking him to
give her a servant, he said, "Say, 'O Allah, the Lord of the seven heavens, and
the magnificent throne, our Lord and the Lord of all things, the Revealer of the
Torah, Injil, and the Qur'an, The Splitter and Grower of the seed grain and date
stone, I seek Your refuge against the evil of all things that You hold under Your
control. You are the First, there is nothing before You. You are the Last, and there
is nothing after You. You are the Manifest and there is nothing above You, You are
Innermost and there is nothing beyond You. Remove the burden of debt from us and
relieve us from want'.' (Muslim)
The Prophet, peace be upon him, also used to supplicate, "O Allah, I beseech You
for guidance, virtuousness, chastity, and detachment from the world."
'Abdallah Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, seldom left an
assembly without using these supplications for his Companions: "O Allah, apportion
to us the fear of You that will stand between us and acts of disobedience to You,
and the obedience to You that will bring us to Your Paradise, and the certainty
sufficient for You to make the calamities of this world easy for us. Grant us enjoyment
of our hearing, our sight, and our power as long as You grant us life, and do the
same for those who inherit from us. Grant us victory over those who have wronged
us and help us against those who are hostile to us. Let no calamity befall our din,
do not let worldly affairs become our greatest concern or all that we know about,
and do not let those rule over us who do not show us mercy." (Reported by Tirmizhi,
who considers it a sound hadith)
Allah says, "Allah and His angels send blessings to the Prophet, O you who believe!
Send blessings to him, and salute him with all respect."
Abual-'Aliyah said, "Allah's sending blessings to the Prophet, peace be upon him,
means that He praises him in front of the angels, and the blessings of angels mean
their supplications invoking blessings on the Prophet.' (Bukhari) Sufian Al-Thawri
and other scholars said, "Blessings of the Lord mean His mercy, and the blessings
of the angels refer to their supplications and seeking forgiveness." (Tirmizhi)
Commenting on the Qur'anic verse 33.56, Ibn Kathir said, "In this verse Allah, the
Exalted, informed His servants about the revered status that His Prophet and servant
occupies with Him in the higher assembly. He revealed that He praises him in the
company of the angels close to Him, and that the angels pray for him, and that He
has commanded the inhabitants of the lower world to send their salutations and greetings
to the Prophet, so that the lower and the higher worlds would join together in his
praise. On this subject there are many hadith. Some of these are given below:
Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-'As reported that he heard the Prophet, peace be upon him,
saying, "If anyone invokes blessings upon me once, Allah will bestow blessings upon
him ten times over." (Muslim)
Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The people nearest
to me on the Day of Judgment will be the ones most conscientious in invoking blessings
upon me." Tirmizhi reported this hadith, and he considers it a sound hadith. The
words "nearest to me" here mean the ones most deserving of the Prophet's intercession
and nearest to him in station.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Do not turn my
grave into a site of festivities, but send greetings to me for your greetings are
raised to me wherever you might be." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud with a sound chain
of authorities)
Aus reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The best of your days is
Friday, so send more and more greetings to me on it, for your greetings are presented
to me." They asked, "How are our greetings presented to you while you are dead and
your body is turned into dust?" He replied, "Allah has forbidden the earth to consume
the bodies of the prophets." (Abu Daw'ud and Nasa'i)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When any Muslim
sends greetings to me, Allah returns my soul to me so that I may respond to his
greetings." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud with a sound chain of authorities)
Ahmad recorded that Abu Talha Al Ansari said, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, woke
up one day cheerful and beaming. His companions exclaimed, 'O Prophet of Allah,
you woke up today cheerful and beaming.' He replied, 'Yes! A messenger of Allah,
the Mighty and the Glorified, came to me and said, "If anyone from your ummah sends
you a salutation, Allah will record for him ten good deeds, wipe off ten of his
sins, and raise him thereby ten degrees in rank, and He will return his salutation
with a similar salutation".' Ibn Kathir considers this a sound hadith.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Whoever desires
to be given (his reward) in full measure, should send salutations to us - the members
of my family - and should say, 'O Allah, shower blessings upon Muhammad, the Prophet,
his wives, the mothers of the believers, his descendants, and the members of his
family, as you showered blessings upon the family of Ibrahim. You are the Praiseworthy
and Glorious." (Related by Abu Daw'ud and Nasa'i)
Abu ibn Ka'ab said, "When two-thirds of the night had passed, the Prophet, peace
be upon him, would get up and say, 'O people, remember Allah, remember Allah. The
great commotion has come, followed by more commotions. Death has come with all that
it has in store. Death has come with all that it has in store.' I said, 'O messenger
of Allah, I invoke blessings to you a great deal. How much of my prayer should I
reserve for invoking [such] blessings upon you?' The Prophet replied, 'Whatever
you want.' I asked, 'A quarter of it?' He said, 'Whatever you wish. If you increase
it, that would be better for you.' I asked, 'Half of it?' He repeated, 'Whatever
you wish, but if you increase it, that would be better for you.' I asked, 'Two-thirds
of it?' He said, 'Whatever you wish. If you increase it, that would be better for
you.' I said, 'I devote my whole prayer to invoking blessings on you (i.e. I pray
for you wherever I am).' He concluded, 'Thus will you be relieved of your anxiety,
and your sins forgiven'." (Related by Tirmizhi)
Some Muslim scholars hold that it is obligatory to send salutations to the Prophet,
i.e. invoke blessings upon him, each time one hears his name mentioned. They, like
Al-Tahawi and Al-Halimi, base their argument on a hadith recorded by Tirmizhi, which
he grades as sound, from Abu Hurairah, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
"May the nose of the person in whose presence I am mentioned be covered with dirt
if he does not invoke blessings upon me. And let the nose of that person be smeared
with dust who finds the month of Ramadan but lets it come to an end without securing
pardon for himself. And may the nose of the person be smeared wlth dust whose aged
parents, both of them or one of them, are still living, and who fails them (i.e.
by serving them) to enter Paradise." (Related by Tirmizhi, who said it is an authentic
hadith)
In a report related by Abu Zharr we read, "the Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
'The most miserly among people is the one who fails to invoke blessings upon me
when my name is mentioned in his or her presence'."
Other scholars are of the opinion that invoking Allah's blessings upon the Prophet,
peace be upon him, only once while in a gathering is obligatory. After that it is
no longer necessary, though it is preferred to do so. This is based on a hadith
from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If some people sitting
together in an assembly do not remember Allah in it, nor invoke Allah's blessings
upon His Prophet, peace be upon him, they will be sorry on the Day of Judgment.
Allah may either punish them or forgive them." (Tirmizhi)
The scholars hold it desirable to invoke Allah's blessings upon the Prophet, peace
be upon him, each time one writes his name. But this is not mentioned in any hadith,
so none can be used to support this view. Al Khatib al-Baghdadi said, "I saw the
handwriting of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and I found that often he wrote the name of
the Prophet, peace be upon him, without invoking Allah's blessings upon him." Then
he added, "It has come to my knowledge that he used to invoke Allah's blessings
upon the Prophet verbally."
An-Nawawi said, "When invoking Allah's blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon
him, we should combine prayers for peace and blessings upon him (by saying Salalahu
'alaihi was sallam), and should not confine it to one of these saying either Sallahu
'alaihi (May Allah shower His blessings upon him) or 'Alaihi as-salaam (peace be
upon him)'."
It is preferred to invoke Allah's blessings upon the Prophets and angels separately.
As to others than the Prophets, there is consensus among scholars that Allah's blessings
may be invoked for them along with others (but not separately). The statement of
the Prophet, peace be upon him, has been cited above, "O Allah invoke blessings
on Muhammad, the Prophet, and his wives, the mothers of the believers ..." It is
disliked, however, to invoke blessings for them on their own. For instance, one
should not say, "Umar, may Allah shower His blessings upon him."
Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansari reported the following account from Bashir ibn Sa'd: "I asked
Prophet, peace be upon him, 'O Messenger of Allah, Allah has commanded us to invoke
blessings upon you. How should we do it?' The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon
him, remained silent until we wished we had not asked him. Then he told us to say,
'Allahumma salli 'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama sallayta 'ala ali ibrahima
wa barik 'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama barakta 'ala ibrahima wa 'ala
ali ibrahima fil 'alamin, innaka hammidum majeed (O Allah, bless Muhammad and the
family of Muhammad as You blessed the family of Ibrahim, and give baraka to Muhammad
and the family of Muhammad as You gave baraka to the family of Ibrahim, in all the
worlds. You are worthy of Praise and Glorious), and then he told us to give the
taslim as you have learned it." (Muslim)
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, "When you invoke blessings upon the Prophet do it in the
best manner, because you don't know whether or not your blessings may be presented
to him. The Companions asked him to teach them how to do it. He replied, ' Say,
"Allahumma 'ij'al salawataka wa rahmataka wa barakataka 'ala sayyidil mursalin,
wa imamal mutaqadimin wa khatimin nahiyyin muhammadin 'abduka wa rasuluka imamal
khair wa qaidil khair wa rasulir rahmati. Allahumma b'athu maqaman yaghbatuhu bihil
awalun. Allahumma salli 'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama sallaita 'ala
ibrahima wa ali ibrahima innaka hamidum majeed . Allahumma barik 'ala muhammadin
wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama barakta 'ala ibrahima wa 'ala ali ibrahima innak hamidum
majeed (O Allah, shower Your blessings, mercy, and favors on the Chief of the Messengers,
and the Chief of the Foremost, the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad, Your servant
and Your Messenger, the leader of the virtuous, the chief of the virtuous, the Messenger
of Mercy, grant him a station that is the happy goal of the most excellent, O Allah,
bless Muhammad and his family as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim.
You are indeed Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, give baraka to Muhammad and his
family as you gave baraka to Ibrahim and his family, You are indeed Praiseworthy
and Glorious"'." (Ibn Majah)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Travel and be
sound in health, and fight (in the cause of Allah) and be enriched." (Ahmad. Almanawi
considers this a sound hadith)
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "No one leaves
his home without two banners waiting at his door, one of them in the hands of an
angel and the other in the hands of a devil. If he intends to do what pleases Allah
the angel will follow him with his standard, and he will remain under the banner
of the angel until he returns to his house, but if he sets out for what displeases
Allah the devil with his banner will follow him about, and he will remain under
the devil's banner until he returns to his house." (Ahmad and At-Tabarani. Its chain
of authorities is sound)
Istikhara (Arabic) means to ask Allah to guide one to the right thing concerning
any affair in one's life, especially when one has to choose between two permissible
alternatives. A traveller should consult good righteous persons before setting out
on a journey, because Allah says, "And consult them (O Prophet) in affairs (of moment),"
(Qur'an 3.159) and one of the characteristics of the believers is that "they (conduct)
their affairs by mutual consultation" (Qur'an 42.38).
Qatadah said, "Every people who seek the pleasure of Allah and consult with one
another are guided to the best course in their affairs."
The traveller should also make istikharah and seek guidance from Allah. Sa' d ibn
Waqas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Istikharah (seeking guidance
from Allah) is one of the distinct favors (of Allah) upon man, and a good fortune
for the son of Adam is to be pleased with the judgment of Allah. And a misfortune
of the son of Adam is his failure to make istikharah (seeking Allah's guidance),
and a misfortune for the son of Adam is his displeasure with the judgment of Allah."
Ibn Taimiyyah said, "He who seeks guidance from the Creator and consults the creatures
will never regret it."
For this purpose one should pray two non-obligatory raka'at of prayer, even if they
are of the regular sunnah prayers or a prayer for entering the mosque, and so on,
during any time of the day or night. One should recite in them whatever one wishes
of the Qur'an, after reciting al-Fatihah. Then one should praise Allah and invoke
blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him. After this one should supplicate
to Allah with the following supplication, which Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah has reported
from the Prophet, peace be upon him, when he related, "The Prophet, peace be upon
him, taught us how to make Istikharah in all (our) affairs, just as he taught us
various surahs of the Qur'an. He told us, 'If anyone of you considers doing something
he should offer a two-rak'at prayer other than the obligatory prayers, and then
say (after the prayer), "Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika. wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika,
wa as'aluka min fadlika al-azimfa-innaka taqdiru wala aqdiru, wa ta'lamu wala a
' lamu, wa anta 'allamu-l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta' lamu anna hazhaI-amra
khairun lifi dini wa ma'ashi wa aqibati amri (or 'ajili amri wa'ajilihi) f aqdirhu
li wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li fihi, wa in kunta ta'llamu anna hazha-l-amra
sharrun lifi dini wa ma'ashi wa-aqibati amri (orfi'ajili amri wa ajilihi) fasrifhu
anni was-rifni'anhu. Wa aqdir li al-khaira haithu kana thumma ardini bihi (O Allah
! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, and Power from Your Might and I ask for Your
great blessings. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know
the unseen. O Allah! If You know that this thing is good for my din and my subsistence
and for my Hereafter - (or say, If it is better for my present and later needs)
- then ordain it for me and make it easy for me to obtain, and then bless me in
it. If You know that this thing is harmful to me in my din and subsistence and in
the Hereafter--(or say, If it is worse for my present and later needs)--then keep
it away from me, and keep me away from it. And ordain for me whatever is good for
me, and make me satisfied with it)."' The Prophet, may peace be upon him, added
that then the person should mention his need."
There is nothing authentic concerning anything specific that is to be recited in
the prayer nor is there any authentic report concerning how many times one should
repeat it.
An-Nawawi holds that "after making istikharah, a person must do what he is wholeheartedly
inclined to do and feels good about doing and should not insist on doing what he
had desired to do before making the istikharah. And if his feelings change, he should
leave what he had intended to do, for otherwise he is not leaving the choice to
Allah, and would not be honest in seeking aid from Allah's power and knowledge.
Sincerity in seeking Allah's choice, means that one should completely abandon what
one desired oneself."
Bukhari reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, seldom set out on a journey
except on Thursday.
Al-Mut'am ibn al-Miqdam reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "No
one leaves anything behind with his family better than the two raka'at of prayers
that he offers with them while intending to go on a journey." (At-Tabarani and Ibn
'Asakir as a mursal hadith)
Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade loneliness, i.e.,
that a man should sleep alone at night, or go on a journey alone. (Ahmad)
Umar ibn Shu'aib reported from his father and he from his grandfather that the Prophet,
peace be upon him, said, "A single horseman (traveller) is a devil, two are two
devils, but three are a caravan."
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Anyone intending
to go on a journey should say to those staying behind, 'I commend you to Allah Whose
trusts are never lost'." (Ibn As-Sinni)
'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When something is entrusted
to the care of Allah, He guards it." (Ahmad)
It is reported from Abu Huraraih that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When
one of you intends to go on a journey, he should bid farewell to his brothers, for
Allah will make their prayers a means of good."
It is sunnah that the members of the family, as well as the friends and those who
see the traveller off should pray for him as in the following prayer transmitted
from the Prophet.
Salim reported that when someone wanted to leave for a journey 'Ibn Umar would say
to him, "Come over to me so that I may bid you farewell as the Prophet, peace upon
him, used to bid us farewell," and that he used to say, "To Allah I commend your
din (Islam), your trust (That is his family, those he leaves behind, and his property),
and the conclusion of your deeds."'
In another report we read that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, bid farewell
to a man he would hold his hand and would not leave it until the man himself dropped
the Prophet' s hand. The rest of the hadith is similar to the one given above. Tirmizhi
considers this a sound (hasan sahih) hadith.
Anas reported that a man came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said, "O Allah's
Messenger, I intend to go on a journey, so please give me provision for the journey."
The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied, "May Allah provide you with piety (taqwa)."
The man said, "Give me some more provision." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said,
"And may Allah forgive your sins." The man said, "Give me still more." The Prophet,
peace be upon him, then replied, "And may Allah facilitate good for you wherever
you may be." Tirmizhi considers this a sound hadith. (Reported by Abu Daw'ud and
Tirmizhi, who considers it to be a sound, hasan sahih, hadith)
Abu Hurairah reported that a man said to the Prophet, peace be upon him, "O Allah's
Messenger, I intend to proceed on a journey, so give me some advice." The Prophet,
peace be upon him, said to him, "Fear Allah, the Mighty and the Exalted, and glorify
Him on every elevated piece of ground." When the man turned away to go, the Prophet,
peace be upon him, said, "O Allah, make the distance short for him, and make his
journey easy for him." Tirmizhi considers this a sound hadith.
'Umar ibn al-Khattab reports, "I sought permission of the Prophet, peace be upon
him, to perform 'umrah. He gave me permission and said, 'My brother, do not forget
me in your prayers' ." 'Umar reported further, "This was a word more pleasing to
me than the entire wealth of the world." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud and Tirmizhi, who
holds it to be a sound hadith)
It is preferred for a traveller to say when leaving home, "Bismillahi tawakaltu
'alallah wa la haula wala quwwata illa billah, Allahumma inni auzhu bika an adilla
au udalla au azilla au uzalla au azlima au uzlama au aj-hala au yuj-hala 'alayya
(In the name of Allah, I repose my trust in Allah, and there is neither power nor
any might except with Allah. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from leading others
astray or being led astray, causing others to slip or being caused to slip by others,
or doing wrong or be wronged by others, or behaving foolishly or being treated foolishly
by others)." The traveller may choose whatever he wants from the supplications reported
from the Prophet, peace be upon him. Some of these supplications are given below.
Ibn ' Abbas reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, proceeded on journey,
he would say, "O Allah, You are the Companion in the journey, and the One Who looks
after the family. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worthless companions on the
journey, and from finding harm when I return, O Allah, make the length of the journey
short for us, and the journey easy for us." And when he returned he would say, "We
are returning repentant, worshipping our Lord and praising Him." And when he went
to his family he would say, "Repentant, repentant, we return to our Lord, the sin
visits us not." (Reported by Ahmad, At-Tabarani, and Al-Bazar with a sound chain
of authorities)
Abdullah ibn Sarjis reported that when Allah's Messenger, may peace be upon him,
set forth on a journey, he would say, "O Allah, I seek refuge (with You) from the
hardships of the journey and finding evil changes on my return, and disgrace after
honor, and the curse of the oppressed, and a sad disarray in my property and family."
And when he retumed he would use similar words, except that he would mention his
family before his property, and would say "... a sad disarray in my family and property.'
(Ahmad and Muslim)
'Ali ibn Rabi'a reported that a riding animal was brought for 'Ali to ride. When
he put his foot in the stirrups he said, "In the name of Allah." When he was seated
on it he said, "Glory to Him Who has subjected this (means of transportation) to
our (use), for we could never have accomplished this (by ourselves). And to our
Lord, surely, must we return." (Qur'an 43.13-14) Then he praised Allah three times,
and glorified Him (i.e. said Allahu akbar), and then said, "Subhanaka la ilaha illa
ant, qad zalamtu nafsi, faghfirli, innahu la yaghfiru zhunuba illa anta (Glory to
You (O Allah), there is no god but You, I have indeed wronged my soul, so forgive
me, verily none can forgive sins except You)." Then he laughed, whereupon I asked
him, "Why did you laugh, O Chief of the Believers?" He replied, "I saw the Prophet,
peace be upon him, doing as I did." At this I asked him, "Why did you laugh, O Allah's
messenger?" He replied, "Our Lord is pleased when his servant says ' My Lord, forgive
me, ' and He says, 'My servant knows that there is none to forgive sins except Me'."
(Reported by Ahmad, Ibn Hibban, and Al-Hakim, who said it is sound according to
the criterion of Muslim)
Al-Azdi recorded Abdullah Ibn 'Umar's narration that whenever Allah's Messenger,
peace be upon him, mounted his camel to set out on a journey, he glorified Allah
(uttered Allah-o-Akbar) three times, and then said, "Glory to Him Who has subjected
these to our (use), for we could never have accomplished this (by ourselves). And
to our Lord, surely, must we return. O Allah, we seek virtue and piety from You
on this journey of ours, and actions that please You. O Allah, lighten this journey
of ours, and make its distance easy for us. O Allah, You are (our) companion during
the journey, and guardian of (our) family. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from
the hardship of the journey, the gloominess of the sights, and from finding misfortunes
in property and family on our return." And the Prophet, peace be upon him, uttered
these words in addition, "We are returning repentant, worshipping our Lord and praising
Him." (Ahmad and Muslim)
Abdullah ibn 'Umar reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was travelling
or fighting (in the cause of Allah) and night came on, he said, "O earth, my Lord
and your Lord is Allah. I seek refuge in Allah from your evil, the evil of what
you contain, the evil of what has been created in you, and the evil of what creeps
upon you. I seek refuge in Allah from lions, from large black snakes, from other
snakes, from scorpions, from the evil of jinn who inhabit settlements, and from
a parent and his offspring.'' (Ahmad and Abu Daw'ud)
Khaulah, daughter of Hakim As-Sallammiya, reported that the Prophet, peace be upon
him, said, "If anyone stops at a place and then says, 'I seek refuge with all the
perfect words of Allah from the evil of his creatures,' nothing will harm him until
he departs from that place." (Reported by the Group except Bukhari and Abu Daw'ud)
'Ata ibn Abi Marwan relates from his father that Ka'ab swore to him by Him Who split
the sea for Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, that Suhaib informed him that whenever
the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw a village that he wanted to enter, he always
supplicated, "Allahumma rabbis samawati sab' i wa ma azlalna wa rabbul ardinas sab'
i wa ma aqlalna wa rabbush sayatini wa ma adlalna wa rabbur riyyahi wa ma zaraina
as'aluka khaira hazhihil qaryata wa khaira ahlaha wa khaira mafiha wa na'uzhu bika
min sharriha wa sharri ahliha wa sharri mafiha (O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens
and what they overshadow, Lord of the seven earths and what they carry, and Lord
of the devils and those whom they mislead, and Lord of the winds and what they scatter
about, I ask You of the good of this village, the good of its people and the good
it has, and seek Your protection from its evil, and the evil of its people, and
the evil in it)." (Reported by Nasa'i, Ibn Hibban, and Al-Hakim who considers this
a sound hadith)
Ibn 'Umar reported, "We were with the Prophet, peace be upon him, on a journey.
When he saw a town that he wanted to enter he would say, 'O Allah, bless us in it'
three times, and then 'O Allah grant us sustenance from its fruits, and put our
love in (the hearts of) its people, and put the love of its righteous people in
our hearts'.'' (Reported by At-Tabarani in his Al-Awsar with a sound chain of authorities)
A'ishah reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, approached a place
that he intended to enter he would say, 'O Allah I ask You of the good in it, and
the good of what you have placed in it, and I seek Your refuge from its evil and
the evil of what You have placed in it. O Allah, give us its fruits and protect
us from its plagues, and put our love in the hearts of its people and put the love
of its righteous people in our hearts.' (Reported by As-Sinni)
Abu Hurairah reported that during a journey when the day broke, the Prophet, peace
be upon him, would say, "A listener has heard that we praise Allah for His favors
upon us. Our Lord, accompany us and grant us Your favors. We seek protection of
Allah from the Fire.' (Muslim)
Jabir said, "We used to say Allahu akbar when we went up a high place, and subhanallah
when we went down a valley." (Bukhari)
Ibn ' Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, returned from hajj (or
'umrah). When he approached a path high up in mountain or one that was difficult,
he would back up three steps and say. "There is no god but Allah, He is One. He
has no partners. To Him belongs all dominion and praise, and He has power over all
things. We are returning repentant, worshipping, prostrating, praising our Lord.
He kept His promise. And gave victory to His servant, and defeated all the confederates
alone."
Al-Hussain ibn Ali reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The security
for my community against drowning is to say, while boarding a ship (or a boat),
'Bismillahi majraiha wa mursaha inna rahhi laghafoor un raheem (Bukhari), wa ma
qadarullaha haqa qadrihi, wal ardu jami'an qabadatuhu yaumal qiyyamati was samawatu
matwiyyatun hi yameenihi subhanallahi 'amma yushrakun (Qur'an 11.41) (In the name
of Allah, whether it move or be at rest! For my Lord is, be sure, Oft-Forgiving,
Most merciful! No just estimate have they made of Allah, such as is due to Him,
On the day of Judgment the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens
will be rolled up in His right hand, Glory to Him! High is He above the partners
they attribute to Him!)" This is reported by As-Sinni.
It is not permissible to embark on a voyage when the sea is stormy and agitated.
According to a hadith reported by Abu 'Umran al-Jawni some of the Companions told
him that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Anyone who sleeps on a house-top
that has no fence, and then falls and dies, he forfeits the protection of Allah,
and anyone who sails while the sea is rough, and then perishes, he forfeits the
protection of Allah." (Reported by Ahmad with a sound chain of authorities)
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