Fiqh Assunah

Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 4: Supplications

Volume4, Page 109a: Injunction on Supplication

Allah has commanded people to call upon Him humbly and sincerely, promisingthem 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 whoare 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 thefollowing 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 everysupplicant 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.'' (Tirmizhiand Ibn Majah)

Abu Hurairah also reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said,'Whoever wants Allah to answer his prayers during difficult times, shouldsupplicate to Him more and more in times of ease'.'' (Tirmizhi)

Abu Ya'la related from Anas that the Prophet, peace be upon him, reportingfrom his Lord said, "Allah said, 'There are four characteristics, of whichone is Mine, one yours, one common between Me and you, and one is commonbetween you and My other servants. The one that is Mine is that you shall notassociate any other god with Me, the one that is for you is that when you do agood deed I shall reward you for it, the one that is common between Me and youis that when you supplicate I shall respond to your supplications, and the onethat is common between you and My other servants is that you should like forthem what you like for your own selves'."

In a sound hadith the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Allah's wrathis on the one who does not call upon Him for help." 'Aishah reported,"The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Precautions are of no availagainst the decree of Allah, but the supplication benefits in the case of acalamity that strikes or is about to strike. And when a calamity descends thesupplication 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 ofauthorities is sound)

Salman Al-Farisi reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said,"Nothing can avert the decree of Allah except supplication, and nothingincreases 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 somethingimportant and great, for nothing is difficult for Allah."

Volume4, Page 110: Etiquette of Supplication

There are certain manners that must be observed while making a supplicationto Allah. These are given in the following topics.

Volume4, Page 110a: Pursuit of lawful means of Livelihood.

Ibn 'Abbas reported, "Once, when I recited the verses of the Qur'an, 'Oyou people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good' (2.168) in the presenceof the Prophet, peace be upon him. Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas got up and said, 'OMessenger of Allah! Ask Allah to make me one whose supplication is heard.' Atthis the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'O Sa'd, consume lawful things andyour supplications will be heard, and by Him in Whose hands is the soul ofMuhammad, when a man puts into his stomach a morsel of what is forbidden hisprayers are not accepted for forty days, and a servant of Allah whose body isnourished by usury or by what is forbidden becomes more deserving of the Hellfire." (Al-Hafiz b. Marduwiyah)

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Opeople, Allah is Good and He, therefore, accepts only that which is good. AndAllah commanded the believers as He commanded the Messengers by saying, 'OMessengers, eat of the good things, and do good deeds; verily I am aware ofwhat you do,' Qur'an 23.51 and He said: 'O those who believe, eat of the goodthings 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, andcovered with dust. "He lifts his hands and makes supplication, 'O Lord, OLord,' but his diet is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, and his clothes areunlawful, and his nourishment is unlawful. How then can his supplication beaccepted?" (Muslim and Ahmad)

Volume4, Page 111: Facing the Qiblah while making a Supplication.

The Prophet (peace be upon him went out and prayed for rain and faced theqiblah.

Volume4, Page 111a: Supplicating at the most Opportune Times and Locations.

These are, for instance, the day of 'Arafah, month of Ramadan, Friday, thelast 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 ofpanic, and when one's heart is soft and tender.

Abu Umamah reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, was asked, 'Whatsupplication finds the greatest acceptance?' He answered: 'A prayer offered inthe 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, "Theservant is nearest to his Lord when he is prostrating to Him, so make supplicationin this state." (Muslim) There are very many hadith found in various bookson this subject.

Volume4, Page 111b: Raising One's hands to one's shoulders.

Ibn 'Abbas is reported as saying, "When asking for something fromAllah, you should raise your hands opposite to your shoulders; when asking forforgiveness you should point with one finger; and when making an earnestsupplication you should spread out both your hands." This is reported byAbu 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 Himwith 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 turnaway His servant empty-handed when he raises his hands to Him insupplication."

Volume4, Page 111c: Starting the Supplication with Allah's Praise and Blessings onHis Prophet.

Fudalah b. 'Ubaid reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard a mansupplicating during prayer. He did not glorify Allah, nor did he invokeblessings on the Prophet. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "He hasbeen hasty." Then he called the man and said either to him, or to someoneelse, "When any one of you prays, he should begin by glorifying andpraising his Lord and then he should invoke blessings on the Prophet, peace beupon him, and after that he should supplicate Allah for anything hewishes."

Volume4, Page 111d: Supplicating with attention and humility, in a voice neither loudnor low.

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 yourLord with humility and in private, for Allah does not love those who go beyondbounds." Qur'an 7.55

Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari reported, "Once the people raised their voices insupplication. At this the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Be easy onyourselves. You are not calling upon someone deaf or absent. Y ou are callingupon one Who is All-seeing and All-hearing. He is nearer to you than the neckof your mount. O Abdallah b. Qais, shall I tell you a word that is one of thetreasures of Paradise? It is: "There is no power nor any might except withthe 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 knowthat Allah does not answer a supplication that comes from a careless andinattentive heart." (Ahmad)

Volume4, Page 112: Supplications without a sin or breaking blood ties.

Ahmad records that Abu Sa'id reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him,said, "Any Muslim who makes a supplication containing nothing that issinful and nothing that involves breaking ties of blood relationships, will begiven for it by Allah one of these three things: He may accept his request, orassign its reward for him in the next world, or turn away from him anequivalent 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."

Volume4, Page 112a: Avoiding hastiness for acceptance of supplication.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Yoursupplication will be answered if you are not impatient, and if you do not say,'I supplicated but my supplication was not heard'." (Malik)

Volume4, Page 112b: Supplicating with confidence in its acceptance.

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."

Volume4, Page 112c: Choosing comprehensive words for supplication.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, loved comprehensive supplications but usedother supplications as well. The Qur'anic supplication, "Our Lord, give usgood in this world, and give us good in the hereafter," is just such acomprehensive supplication.

A man came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said, "O Messenger ofAllah, which is the best supplication?" The Prophet, peace be upon him,said, "Supplicate to your Lord for forgiveness and security in this worldand in the Hereafter." He came again the next day, and then again on thefollowing (third) day and asked him the same thing. The Prophet, peace be uponhim, gave him the same answer, and then said, "If you are givenforgiveness and security in this world and in the Hereafter you have attainedsuccess." Another version says: "The Prophet, peace be upon him,said, 'No supplication made by a person is better than asking "O Allah, Iask You for security in this world and in the Hereafter"'." (IbnMajah)

Volume4, Page 113: Avoid Supplicating Against (Cursing) Yourself, your Family, orProperty.

Jabir reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Do notsupplicate against your own selves, your children, your servants, or yourproperty, lest you should supplicate at a time when supplications areaccepted."

Volume4, Page 113a: Repeating a supplication three times.

Abdallah b. Mas'ud reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, loved to repeathis supplication three times, and pray for forgiveness three times." (AbuDaw'ud)

Volume4, Page 113b: When supplicating for someone begin with yourself.

The Qur'an says that the believers pray, "Our Lord, forgive us and ourbrethren 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 Tirmizhiwith a sound chain of authorities)

Volume4, Page 113c: Supplication of a father, of one who is fasting, a traveller, andof a person who is wronged.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The supplications of threepersons are accepted, and there is no doubt concerning their acceptance: thesupplication of a father, of a traveller, and of one who is wronged.' (Reportedby Ahmad, Abu Daw'ud, and Tirmizhi, with a sound chain of transmitters)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, also said, "The supplications of threepersons are not rejected: the supplication of a fasting person at the time ofbreaking fast, of a just ruler, and of a person who is wronged. Allah causestheir supplications to rise above the clouds, and gates of heaven are openedfor 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)

Volume4, Page 114: Prayer of a Muslim for Another Muslim in his Absence

Safwan ibn 'Abdallah reported, "I visited Abu Darda's house in Syria. Idid not find him there but Umm Darda was present at the house. She asked, 'Doyou intend to perform Hajj during this year?' I replied, 'Yes.' She said, 'Dosupplicate 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 acceptedwhen he makes a supplication for blessings for his brother, and thecommissioned Angel says, 'Amen, May it be for you too!"" I went tothe market and met Abu Darda and he narrated a similar report from Allah' sMessenger, 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 byone 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, 'Myyounger brother, do not forget me in your prayers. ' 'Umar said, 'It was a wordmore pleasing to me than the entire wealth of the world'."

Volume4, Page 114a: Opening Words Recommended for a Supplication

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 nonelike unto Him." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "You have askedAllah by His Greatest Name. When one asks Him by this name, He gives, what onedesires, and when supplicated by this name He answers." (Reported by AbuDaw'ud and Tirmizhi, who regards it a sound hadith)

Commenting on the above hadith, Al-Munzhri says, "Our teacher Abual-Hasan Al-Maqdisi said, 'There is no weakness in its chain, and no other andmore sound hadith is found on this subject'."

Mu'azh b. Jabal reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard a mansaying, " O Lord of Majesty and Honor!" At this the Prophet, peace beupon him, said, "Your supplication will be heard, so ask for what you wantto 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, 'OAllah, I call upon You for to You is due all praise, there is no god but You, Othe Compassionate One, O the True Benefactor, the Originator of the heavens andthe earth, the Lord of Majesty and Honor, O the Living One, O the One Who isself-subsisting and sustains all.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Youhave called upon Allah by His greatest name. Anyone calling upon Him by thisname is heard, and whatever one asks Him for, He grants it'." (Reported byAhmad and others. Al-Hakim says that it is sound according to the criterion ofMuslim) Mu'awiyah reported, "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him,saying, 'Whoever supplicates with these five phrases will be granted whateverhe asks, 'la ilaha illa-Allah wallahu akhar (there is no god but Allah andAllah is the greatest), la ilaha ill-Allahu wahdahu la sharika lahu (there isno god but only Allah, and he has no partners), lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd wahuwa 'ala kulli shai'in qadir (to Him belongs the authority and His is allpraise, and He has power over all things), la ilaha illa-Allahu wa la hawlawala quwwata illa billah (there is no god but Allah and there is no power norany strength except with His permission)." (Reported by At-Tabarani with asound chain)

Volume4, Page 115: Supplications for Morning and Evening

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, "Ifanyone said in the morning and evening: 'subhana-Allah wa bihamdihi' (Glory toAllah and all praise to Him), a hundred times, on the Day of Judgment none willcome with anything better than that except the person who utters similar wordsor adds some to them."

Ibn Mas'ud reported, "When it was evening the Prophet, peace be uponhim, would supplicate, "We have evening and the whole Kingdom of Allahalso has evening and all praise is due to Allah. There is no god but Allah, theOne Who has no partner with Him, His is the Sovereignty and all Praise is dueto Him, and He has power over all things. O Allah, I ask You the good of thisnight and I seek refuge in You from the evil of this night and the evil thatfollows it. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from sloth and from the evil ofvanity. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the torment of Hell-Fire and fromthe 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 itwill suffice you for everything."

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to teach hisCompanions, "When it is morning you should say, 'O Allah, we have reachedmorning with Your help and evening with Your help, and with Your help we liveand by Your command we die, and to You is our Resurrection.' And when it isevening you should say, 'O Allah, with Your help we have reached evening, andwith Your help we will reach morning, with Your help we live and by Yourcommand we die, and to You is our return'." (Reported by Tirmizhi, whosays it is a hasan sahih hadith)

Shaddad b. Aws reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Thebest supplication for forgiveness is to say, 'Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilahailla anta, Khalaqtani wa ana 'abduka, wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'dikamastata'tu. A'uzhu bika min sharri ma sana'tu, abu'u laka bini'matika 'alayyawa abu'u laka bizhanbi faghfirli innahu la yaghfiru zhzhunuba illa anta (OAllah, You are my Lord, there is no god but You. You created me and I am Yourservant, and I try my best to keep my covenant (faith) with You and to live inthe hope of Your promise. I seek refuge in You from evil done by me. Iacknowledge Your favors upon me and I acknowledge my sins. So forgive me fornone forgives sins but You."') The Prophet, peace be upon him, added,"If somebody recites this during the day with firm faith in it, and dieson 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 themorning, he will be one of the people of Paradise." (Bukhari)

Abu Hurairah reported ihat once Abu Bakr as-Siddiq asked the Prophet, peacebe 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 theheavens and the earth, Who knows the unseen and the seen, Lord and Possessor ofeverything! I testify that there is no god but You. I seek refuge in You fromthe evil within myself, from the evil of the devil, and from his inciting oneto attribute partners to Allah." Then he added, "Say this in themorning, in the evening, and when you go to bed."

'Uthman b. 'Affan reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Ifany servant of Allah says daily in the morning and in the evening, ' In thename of Allah, by Whose name nothing in the earth or in the heaven can do anyharm, and He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing!" three times, nothing will harmhim.' (Reported by Tirmizhi who regards it a hasan sahih (sound) hadith)

Thawban reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyonesays 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 willcertainly please him." (Tirmizhi, who says it is a sound (hasan sahih)hadith)

Anas b. Malik reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Ifanyone says in the morning or in the evening, 'O Allah! it is morning, I callto bear witness to You, and to the bearers of Your Throne, Your angels, and allYour creatures, that You are Allah other than Whom there is no god, and thatMuhammad is Your servant and Messenger,' Allah will emancipate one-fourth ofhim from Hell. If one says it twice, Allah will emancipate one-half of him fromHell. 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 allthanksgiving,' he expresses his thanksgiving for the day. And if anyone saysthe same in the evening, he expresses his thanks for the night. (Abu Daw'ud)

Abdallah ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, alwaysuttered these supplications in the evening and in the morning: 'O Allah, I askYou for security in this world and in the Hereafter. O Allah! I ask You forforgiveness and security in my din and in my worldly affairs, in my family andin my property. O Allah! Cover up my faults, and keep me safe from the things Ifear. O Allah! Guard me from the front and the behind, from the right and theleft, and from above. And I seek in Your greatness the protection from unexpectedharm from beneath." (Abu Daw'ud and Al-Hakim) Waki' said, "This meansto 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 soundhealth. 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 asupplication and I like to follow his practice'." (Abu Daw'ud)

Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Ifanyone said, 'O Allah, I have risen with Your help, blessings, security, andprotection, so complete Your blessings upon me, Your security for me, and yourprotection, in this world and in the Hereafter,' three times in the morning andin the evening, Allah will certainly complete His favors upon him."

Anas reported that once the Prophet, peace be upon him, exclaimed, "Can'tanyone of you be like Abu Damdam?" The Companions asked, "Who is AbuDamdam, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "When he gets up in themorning he says, 'O Allah, I offer my honor and life to You?' So that he wouldnot abuse those who abused him, nor would he wrong those who wronged him, orhit those who hit him."

Abu Darda reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Ifanyone says daily in the morning and in the evening, 'Allah suffices me, thereis 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 lifeof this world and of the Hereafter."

It is reported that Talq b. Habib said, "A man came to Abu Darda andsaid to him, 'O Abu Darda, your house has burned.' He said: 'No, it cannot beburned. Allah will never allow this to happen because of the words that I heardfrom the Prophet, peace be upon him. Whoever says these words in the beginningof a day, the Prophet, peace be upon him, told us, will not be afflicted by amisfortune until the end of the day, and whoever says these words in theevening 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 theLord of the Mighty Throne. Whatever Allah wills will happen and what He doesnot will, cannot happen. There is no power or strength except with Allah, theExalted, the Mighty. I know that Allah has power over all things, and Allahcomprehends all things in knowledge. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from theevil of myself and from the evil of all creatures under Your control. Surelythe 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 areasurrounding the house burned but his house was not damaged."

Volume4, Page 119: Supplications at Bed-Time

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 afterdeath and to Him is the return." He placed his right hand under his cheekand prayed, three times, "O Allah, save me from Your punishment on the daywhen You will raise Your creature."

He would also say, "O Allah, Lord of the heavens, the earth, and theMighty Throne, our Lord and the Lord of everything, Who causes the seed to growand the date-stone to split and sprout, Who sent down Taurah, Injil, and theQur'an, I seek refuge in You from the evil of all evil-mongers under YourControl. You are the First and there is nothing before You, and You are theLast, and there is nothing after You. You are the Evident and there is nothingbeyond You, and You are the Source and there is no power beside You. Relieve usof our debt and poverty." This is reported by Bukhari.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, also prayed, "Praise be to Allah Whohas fed us and given us to drink, met all our needs, and given us refuge, whilethere are many who have neither anyone to meet their needs nor anyone toprovide them with a refuge." And every night when he retired to bed hewould hold out his hands together imploringly and blow over them after recitingSurah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq, and Surah An-Nas, and then rub his hands overwhichever 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 goto bed they should supplicate, "In Your name, O Lord, I lay me down tosleep. And by Your leave I raise myself up. So if You take away my soul duringsleep, forgive it, and if You keep it alive after sleep protect it just as Youprotect 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 ofayatal-Kursi, the verse of the Throne, Qur'an 2.255 along with the abovesupplications, and said that he who does so will be under the protection ofAllah, Who will assign a protector to protect him.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to Bara, "When you go to bed makewudu as you do for the regular prayer, and then lie down on your right side andsay, ' O Allah, I surrender my soul to You, and I tum my face toward You, and Itrust my affairs to Your care. I turn to You in fear and hope. There is norefuge nor any protection against You except in You. I believe in Your bookwhich 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 beyour last words."

Volume4, Page 121: Supplication on Waking Up

The Prophet, peace be upon him, advised that on waking up from sleep oneshould 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 nogod but You, glory be to You. O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness of my sins, andask for Your mercy. O Allah, increase me in knowledge, and let not my heartdeviate 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, "Whoeverwakes up from sleep and cannot go back to sleep, and says, "La ilahailla-Allahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'alakulli 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, andHe has power over all things, praise be to Allah, glory be to Aliah, there isno god but Allah, Allah is the greatest, there is no power nor any authoritybut with Allah),' and then says, 'Allahumma ighfir li (O Allah, forgive me), orasks some other thing, will be answered, and if he makes wudu and offers aprayer it will be accepted from him."

Volume4, Page 122: When One is Frightened During Sleep

'Umar b. Shu'aib reported from his father and he from his grandfather thatthe Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When one of you is frightenedduring 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, bothgrown up and young, and he would write it on a piece of paper and make themwear it around their necks." The chain of authorities of this hadith issound.

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 makeyou go to sleep when you say them? Say, 'O Allah, the Lord of the seven heavensand whatever they cover, Lord of the earths and whatever they contain, Creatorof devils and whomever they mislead, be my protector from the evil of all Yourcreatures lest some of them may hasten with insolence against me or transgressthe 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 andAl-Awsat. Its chain is sound, although Abdur-Rahman did not hear it fromKhalid. Al-Hafiz al-Munzhari has mentioned it)

Bara' b. 'Azib reported that a man complained to the Prophet, peace be uponhim, 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 gloryencompass the heavens and the earth." The man said these words and Allahhealed him of his depression and fear.

Volume4, Page 122a: Prayer on Dreaming Something Unpleasant

Jabir reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, -If someone of yousees an unpleasant dream he should spit three times on his left side and seekAllah's refuge from the accursed Satan, and change the side on which he waslying.' (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 shouldknow that it is from Allah, and so he should praise and thank Allah, anddescribe to others what he saw in the dream. But if he sees something hedislikes then it is from Satan, so he should seek Allah's refuge from its eviland should not mention it to anyone. It will not harm him." (Reported byTirmizhi, who said it is a hasan sahih hadith)

Volume4, Page 123: Prayer On Wearing Clothes

Ibn As-Sinni reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, put on hisclothes, whether a shirt, a cloak, or a turban, he would say, "O Allah, Iseek from You its goodness and the goodness for which it is made, and I seekYour 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, "Ifanyone wears a new garment and says, 'All thanks and praise be to Allah, Whoclothed me and gave me sustenance, whereas I have no power or strength,' Allahwill forgive all his previous sins." To pronounce the name of Allah isalso recommended, because anything done without invoking Allah's name isflawed.

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri reported that when the Prophet, peace be him, got a newpiece 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 havegiven me this garment. I seek from You its good and the good that is made of itand 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 "Ifanyone wears some new clothing and says, 'all praise and thanks be to Allah Whoclothed me to cover my nakedness, and made it a means of adomment for me,' andthen takes his old garment and gives it in charity, will be under theprotection of Allah and will be treated as if struggling in the cause of Allah,in life and after his death."

Volume4, Page 123a: On Seeing Another Muslim Wearing Some New Clothes

According to a sound hadith, the Prophet, peace be upon him, dressed UmmKhalid, a small girl, in a black woolen blanket and said to her, "May youlive so long that you will wear out many garments." The Companions used tosay, "May you live so long that you wear out this garment and may Allahreplace it with a better one." On seeing 'Umar wearing some new clothesthe Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "May you wear new clothes and mayyou live nobly and die as a happy martyr.' (Reported by Ibn Majah and IbnAs-Sinni)

Volume4, Page 124: On Discarding a Piece of Clothing

Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The barrierbetween 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 Allahbesides Whom there is no other god'." (Ibn As-Sinni)

Volume4, Page 124a: On Leaving One's House

Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When one ofyou leaves the house he should say, 'In the name of Allah, I put my trust inAllah. There is no power or strength except with Allah.' To him is said, 'Thisis sufficient for you. You are protected, saved, and guided.' The devil leaveshim 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 thename of Allah, I believe in Allah, and I seek protection of Allah. There is nopower or strength except with Allah." (Musnad Ahmad)

Umm Salmah reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, wheneverleft her apartment he would look up and then pray, "O Allah, I seek Yourrefuge against going astray or leading others astray, slipping or causingothers to slip, doing wrong or being wronged by others, and behaving arrogantlyor being treated arrogantly by others." (Reported by Tirmizhi, whoconsiders it a sound hadith)

Volume4, Page 125: Prayers On Entering One's House

Jabir reported, "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying, 'If aman remembers Allah while entering his house and eating his meals, the devilsays 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 devilsays to them, "You have found the place to rest at night." And if hedoes not remember Allah while eating meals, the devil says, "You havefound 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 thebest of entrance and the best of departure. In the name of Allah we enter andin the name of Allah we go out, and we put our trust in Allah, our Lord,' andthen 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 willbring blessing to you and to your family." (Tirmizhi)

Volume4, Page 125a: On Seeing Something Pleasing About One's Own Property

On seeing something good and pleasing concerning one's family or propertyone should say, "Allah's will be done! There is no power or strengthexcept with Allah." (Reported by Ibn As-Sinni) And on seeing in themsomething unpleasant, he should say, "Praise and thanks be to Allah underall circumstances." Allah says in the Qur'an (18.39), "Why did younot say, as you went into your garden, 'Allah's Will be done! There is no powerbut with Allah!"'

Anas reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'If for everyblessing bestowed by Allah upon his servant in his family or property theservant says, "Allah's will be done! There is no power but withAllah," he will witness no misfortune concerning them except that ofdeath'." (Reported by Ibn As-Sinni)

It is reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, on seeing something goodand pleasing used to say, "Praise be to Allah with Whose blessings allgood deeds are perfected." And when he saw something that displeased him,he would say, "Praise and thanks be to Allah under allcircumstances." (Reported by Ibn Majah. Al-Hakim said, -The chain of thishadith is sound and its narrators are trustworthy)

Volume4, Page 126: On Looking into a Mirror

'Ali reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, looked into a mirrorhe would say, "Praise and thanks be to Allah. O Allah, make me goodmannered as You made me good looking." (Reported by Ibn As-Sinni) Anasreported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, looked at his face inthe mirror, he would say, "Praise be to Allah Who fashioned my nature andgave it a perfect form, and Who honored my face and made it good, and made meone of the Muslims."

Volume4, Page 126a: On Seeing Someone in Distress

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "Ifone sees an afflicted person and says, 'Praise and thanks be to Allah Who hassaved me from what he has afflicted you with, and has honored me over many ofHis creatures,' he will be saved from that affliction." (Reported byTirmizhi, who considers it sound)

An-Nawawi states that the scholars said, "One should say the abovementioned supplication inaudibly so that the afflicted person should not hearit, lest he should be grieved by it. But if the affliction is the result of hissinful conduct then there is no harm in his listening if he is not heedful ofevil."

Volume4, Page 127: On Hearing the Sound of a Cock, a Donkey, and a Dog

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, -Seekrefuge with Allah against the devil when you hear the sound of a donkey, for itsees the devil, and when you hear a cock, pray to Allah for His bounty, for itsees an angel.' (Bukhan and Muslim)

Abu Daw'ud's version reads, "When you hear the barking of dogs andbraying of donkeys during the night seek the refuge of Allah from them, forthey see what you don't."

Volume4, Page 127a: When the Wind Blows

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 refugewith Allah against its evil'." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud with a sound chainof narrators)

'Aishah reported that whenever the wind blew, the Prophet, peace be uponhim, would supplicate, "O Allah, I ask You for its good, and the good thatis in it, and the good of what it is sent with, and I seek Your refuge againstits evil, and the evil it is sent with." (Muslim)

Volume4, Page 127b: On Hearing Thunder

Ibn 'Umar reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard thesound of thunder or lightning he would say, "O Allah, do not destroy uswith Your wrath nor let us perish with Your punishment, and save us before itcomes to pass." (Reported by Tirmizhi, by its chain of authorities isweak)

Volume4, Page 127c: On Seeing the Moon

'Abdallah b.'Umar reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, sawmoon he would say, "Allah is the Greatest! O Allah, make it shine upon usin peace, faith, security, safety, and with the power to do what You love andare 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, hewould say, "You are the new moon of goodness and guidance, the new moon ofgoodness and guidance. I believe in Allah Who created you." He said thisthree times. And then he would add, "Praise be to Allah Who caused suchand such month to go by in this manner and brought another month (which henamed)." This is reported by Abu Daw 'ud.

Volume4, Page 128: Supplications of Sorrow and Grief

Ibn 'Abbas reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, at times ofsorrow and grief used to supplicate, La iliha illa Allah Al-'Azim, Al-'Alim, lailaha illa Allah, Rabbul 'arshil 'Azim, la ilaha illa Allahu, Rabbus-Samawatiwa 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, thereis no god but Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and the Lord of thethrone of honor)'." This is reported by Bukhari and Muslim.

Anas said that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was faced with a seriousdifficulty, he would always supplicate, "Ya Hayyu, ya Qayyumu,bi-rahmatika astaghithu (O the Living, O the Eternal, I seek help in Yourgrace). (Tirmizhi)

Abu Hurairah reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, wasfaced 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 heimplored seriously and strongly, he would say "Ya Hayyu, Ya Qayyum (O theLiving, the Eternal One)." (Tirmizhi)

Abu Bakrah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Thesupplications of distress are, 'Allahumma rahmataka arju, fala takilni ilanafsi tarfata 'ain, wa aslah li sha'ni kullahu, la ilaha illa anta (O Allah, Ihope for Your mercy, so give me not over to my self even for as little as winkof an eye, and set right all my affairs, there is no god but You)." (AbuDaw'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 ordistress. These are, 'Allah, Allah, Rabbi la ushriku bihi shai'an (Allah,Allah, my Lord, I associate none with Him)." Another narration says thatthese words should be said seven times. (Abu Daw'ud)

Sa'd ibn Waqas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Thesupplication made by the Companion of the Fish (Prophet Yunus) in the belly ofthe fish was, 'La ilaha illa anta, subhanaka, inni kuntu minaz-zalimin (thereis no god but You, You are far exalted and above all weaknesses, and I wasindeed the wrongdoer)'.

If any Muslim supplicates in these words, his supplication will beaccepted." In another report we read, "I know words that will causeAllah to remove one's distress. These are the words (of supplication) of mybrother Yunus, peace be upon him,'' (Tirmizhi)

Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyservant of Allah afflicted with distress or grief makes this supplication, hissupplication will be accepted: 'O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Yourservant, son of your maidservant. My forehead is in Your hand. Your commandconceming me prevails, and Your decision concerning me is just. I call upon Youby every one of the beautiful names by which You have described Yourself, orwhich 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, tomake the Qur'an the delight of my heart, the light of my breast, and remover ofmy griefs, sorrows, and afflictions'." A supplication in these words willbe answered. Allah will remove one's affliction and replace it with joy andhappiness. (Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban)

Volume4, Page 130: On Encountering the Enemy, and When One is Afraid of the Ruler

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 requestyou to kill them and we seek Your protection against their evil.' (Abu Daw'udand 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, andseek only Your help." Anas remarked, "I saw the angels fightingagainst 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, myLord, glory be to Allah, the Lord of the seven heavens and of the mightythrone. There is no god but You, strong is your protection, and great is Yourpraise'."

Ibn 'Abbas said, "Hasbuna-Allah wa ni'am alwakil (Allah suffices us foreverything and He is the most excellent guardian)," and then he added,"These words were uttered by the Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, whenhe was thrown into the fire, and the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, saidthese words when the people informed him, 'The people have gathered againstyou'." (Bukhari)

'Awf b. Malik reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, judged the caseof two men. The one who lost the case, turning away to go, said, "Allah issufficient for us, and He is the best guardian." The Prophet, peace beupon him, said to him, "Allah disapproves of weakness and impotence. Youmust put in effort and work, but if you are overwhelmed by a difficulty thensay, 'Allah is sufficient for me, and he is the most excellent guardian'."

Volume4, Page 131: When One is Confronted with a Difficult Situation

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 canturn a difficulty into ease." (Ibn As-sinni)

Volume4, Page 131a: When One is Destitute

Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When youleave your house and are afflicted with hardship, why don't you pray, 'In thename of Allah respecting myself, my property, and my din. O Allah, cause me tobe satisfied and pleased with Your decree, and bless me in whatis decreed forme, so that I will not want to hasten what You have delayed, nor to delay whatYou have hastened'." (Ibn As-Sinni)

Volume4, Page 131b: When One is in Debt

'Ali related that a slave, who had agreed on terms of his freedom with hismaster, came to him and said, "I cannot pay my master as I agreed in theterms of freedom, so help me." 'Ali said to him, "Let me teach youthe 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 mefrom what is unlawful, and from Your grace grant me sufficient abundance tomake me free from the need of all except You'." (Reported by Tirmizhi, whoconsiders 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. Heasked, 'What is the matter with you that I see you sitting in the mosque whenit is not the time of prayer.' He replied, 'I am very much worried and in greatdebt, O Messenger of Allah!' The Prophet said, 'Let me teach you words to sayso that Allah will remove your worries and settle your debt?' He exclaimed, 'Ofcourse, 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 inYou from incapacity and slackness. I seek refuge in You from cowardice andniggardliness, and I seek refuge in You from being overcome by debt and beingsubjected to men".' The man said, 'When I did that, Allah removed all myworries and settled my debt'." (Abu Daw'ud)

Volume4, Page 132: When One is Faced with Something Difficult or Unpleasant

Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Whenone of you is afflicted with any misfortune he should say, 'Ina li llahi wainna 'ilayhi Raji'un (We are for Allah, and to Him is our return),' even if itbe merely losing one's shoe straps, for this is also a misfortune." (IbnAs-Sinni)

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Astrong believer is better and dearer to Allah than a weak believer, and thereis good in everyone, but cherish what gives you benefit in the Hereafter andseek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form oftrouble) comes to you, don't say, 'If I had not done that, such and such thingwould not have happened,' but say, 'Allah has ordained it so, and whatever Hepleases He does,' because 'ifs' and 'buts' open the door forSatan."(Muslim)

Volume4, Page 132a: What to Say When One is Struck by Doubt

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 seekrefuge 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 createdthe creation, but who created Allah?' So whoever is faced with such a situationshould say, 'I believe in Allah and His messengers'."

Volume4, Page 133: When One is Angry

Sulaiman b. Sard said, "I was sitting with the Prophet, peace be uponhim, when two men abused each other and one of them became so angry that hisface became swollen and changed. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'I knowa word that that will cause him to relax, and this is, "I seek refuge withAllah from Satan, the accursed." (If he said these words) his anger willcool down.' (Muslim aud Bukhari)

Volume4, Page 133a: Some Comprehensive Supplications

'Aishah says that the Prophet, peace be upon him, loved the short butcomprehensive, meaningful supplications, more than others. We give below someof 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 lifehereafter, and save us from the punishment of the fire."

The Prophet, peace be upon him, visited one of the Muslims who had become asfeeble as a chicken, and inquired about his health. Allah's Messenger, peace behim, asked, "Did you supplicate Allah for anything or beg Him forit?" He replied, "Yes, I asked in these words, 'O, God punish me inthis world with the punishment that You are going to inflict on me in theHereafter'." Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, remarked, "Hallowedbe Allah! You have neither the power nor the forbearance to take upon yourselfthe burden of Allah's punishment. Why did you not say this, 'O Allah, grant usall the good of the world, and all the good of the Hereafter, and save us fromthe torment of the fire?"' Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, made thissupplication for him and he was all right. (Muslim)

Sa'd ibn Abu Waqqas heard his son praying, "O Allah, I ask You forParadise and its blessings and its pleasure, and for such-and-such, andsuch-and-such. I seek refuge in You from Hell, from its chains, from itscollars, and from such-and-such, and from such-and-such." At this Sa'dsaid, "You have asked Allah for a lot of good, and sought His refuge froma lot of evil. I heard Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, saying, 'Therewill be people who will exaggerate in supplication. For you it is sufficient tosay, "O Allah, I seek from You all the good, whether I know it or I do notknow it, and I seek Your refuge from all the evil, whether I know it or I do notknow it.' (Ahmad and Nasa'i)

'Abdallah ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed toAllah, "My Lord, help me and do not turn against me. Grant me victory, anddo not grant victory over me. Plan on my behalf and do not plan against me. Guideme, and make the guidance easy for me. Grant me victory over those who actwrongfully toward me. O Allah, make me grateful to You, mindful of You, in aweof You, devoted to your obedience, humble, penitent, and ever turning to You inrepentance. My Lord, accept my repentance, wash away my sins, answer mysupplication, clearly establish my evidence, guide my heart, make my tonguetrue, and draw out malice from my breast."

Zaid ibn Arqam said, "I am not going to say anything except whatAllah'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. Youare the Protecting friend, and Guardian. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from theknowledge that does not benefit, from a heart that does not fear You, from asoul that is uncontented, and from supplication to which You do notrespond." (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 Youproperly'.' (Al-Hakim)

Ahmad reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, advised: "Recitefrequently, "Ya zha al-jalali w al-ikram (O, Possessor of Majesty andsublimity)"'.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, also used to say, "O Controller of theHearts, make my heart firm in Your faith. The balance is in the hands of theBeneficent, the Exalted, the Mighty, and He honors some and brings others lowthereby. (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, andagainst everything that might cause Your anger."

The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to say, "O Allah, benefit me withwhat You have taught me, and teach me what is beneficial for me, and increaseme in knowledge. Thanks be to Allah under all circumstances, and I seek Allah'srefuge from the plight of the people of the fire.' (At-Tirmizhi)

When (his daughter) Fatimah came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, askinghim to give her a servant, he said, "Say, 'O Allah, the Lord of the sevenheavens, and the magnificent throne, our Lord and the Lord of all things, theRevealer of the Torah, Injil, and the Qur'an, The Splitter and Grower of theseed grain and date stone, I seek Your refuge against the evil of all thingsthat You hold under Your control. You are the First, there is nothing beforeYou. You are the Last, and there is nothing after You. You are the Manifest andthere 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, Ibeseech You for guidance, virtuousness, chastity, and detachment from theworld."

'Abdallah Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, seldomleft an assembly without using these supplications for his Companions: "OAllah, apportion to us the fear of You that will stand between us and acts ofdisobedience to You, and the obedience to You that will bring us to YourParadise, and the certainty sufficient for You to make the calamities of thisworld easy for us. Grant us enjoyment of our hearing, our sight, and our poweras 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 whoare hostile to us. Let no calamity befall our din, do not let worldly affairsbecome our greatest concern or all that we know about, and do not let thoserule over us who do not show us mercy." (Reported by Tirmizhi, whoconsiders it a sound hadith)

Volume4, Page 136: Invoking Blessings on the Prophet

Allah says, "Allah and His angels send blessings to the Prophet, O youwho believe! Send blessings to him, and salute him with all respect."

Volume4, Page 136a: What is Meant by Invoking Blessings on the Prophet?

Abual-'Aliyah said, "Allah's sending blessings to the Prophet, peace beupon him, means that He praises him in front of the angels, and the blessingsof angels mean their supplications invoking blessings on the Prophet.'(Bukhari) Sufian Al-Thawri and other scholars said, "Blessings of the Lordmean His mercy, and the blessings of the angels refer to their supplicationsand seeking forgiveness." (Tirmizhi) Commenting on the Qur'anic verse33.56, Ibn Kathir said, "In this verse Allah, the Exalted, informed Hisservants about the revered status that His Prophet and servant occupies withHim in the higher assembly. He revealed that He praises him in the company ofthe angels close to Him, and that the angels pray for him, and that He hascommanded the inhabitants of the lower world to send their salutations andgreetings to the Prophet, so that the lower and the higher worlds would jointogether in his praise. On this subject there are many hadith. Some of theseare given below:

Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-'As reported that he heard the Prophet, peace beupon him, saying, "If anyone invokes blessings upon me once, Allah willbestow blessings upon him ten times over." (Muslim)

Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Thepeople nearest to me on the Day of Judgment will be the ones most conscientiousin invoking blessings upon me." Tirmizhi reported this hadith, and heconsiders it a sound hadith. The words "nearest to me" here mean theones most deserving of the Prophet's intercession and nearest to him instation.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Donot turn my grave into a site of festivities, but send greetings to me for yourgreetings are raised to me wherever you might be." (Reported by Abu Daw'udwith a sound chain of authorities)

Aus reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The best ofyour days is Friday, so send more and more greetings to me on it, for yourgreetings are presented to me." They asked, "How are our greetingspresented to you while you are dead and your body is turned into dust?" Hereplied, "Allah has forbidden the earth to consume the bodies of theprophets." (Abu Daw'ud and Nasa'i)

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Whenany Muslim sends greetings to me, Allah returns my soul to me so that I mayrespond to his greetings." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud with a sound chain ofauthorities)

Ahmad recorded that Abu Talha Al Ansari said, "The Prophet, peace beupon him, woke up one day cheerful and beaming. His companions exclaimed, 'OProphet of Allah, you woke up today cheerful and beaming.' He replied, 'Yes! Amessenger of Allah, the Mighty and the Glorified, came to me and said, "Ifanyone from your ummah sends you a salutation, Allah will record for him tengood deeds, wipe off ten of his sins, and raise him thereby ten degrees inrank, and He will return his salutation with a similar salutation".' IbnKathir 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 sendsalutations to us - the members of my family - and should say, 'O Allah, showerblessings upon Muhammad, the Prophet, his wives, the mothers of the believers,his descendants, and the members of his family, as you showered blessings uponthe family of Ibrahim. You are the Praiseworthy and Glorious." (Related byAbu Daw'ud and Nasa'i)

Abu ibn Ka'ab said, "When two-thirds of the night had passed, theProphet, 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 ithas in store.' I said, 'O messenger of Allah, I invoke blessings to you a greatdeal. How much of my prayer should I reserve for invoking [such] blessings uponyou?' The Prophet replied, 'Whatever you want.' I asked, 'A quarter of it?' Hesaid, 'Whatever you wish. If you increase it, that would be better for you.' Iasked, '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, 'Whateveryou wish. If you increase it, that would be better for you.' I said, 'I devotemy whole prayer to invoking blessings on you (i.e. I pray for you wherever Iam).' He concluded, 'Thus will you be relieved of your anxiety, and your sinsforgiven'." (Related by Tirmizhi)

Volume4, Page 138: Sending Salutations to the Prophet on Hearing His Name. Is thisObligatory?

Some Muslim scholars hold that it is obligatory to send salutations to theProphet, i.e. invoke blessings upon him, each time one hears his namementioned. They, like Al-Tahawi and Al-Halimi, base their argument on a hadithrecorded by Tirmizhi, which he grades as sound, from Abu Hurairah, that theProphet, peace be upon him, said, "May the nose of the person in whosepresence I am mentioned be covered with dirt if he does not invoke blessingsupon me. And let the nose of that person be smeared with dust who finds themonth of Ramadan but lets it come to an end without securing pardon forhimself. And may the nose of the person be smeared wlth dust whose agedparents, 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 saidit is an authentic hadith)

In a report related by Abu Zharr we read, "the Prophet, peace be uponhim, said, 'The most miserly among people is the one who fails to invokeblessings upon me when my name is mentioned in his or her presence'."

Other scholars are of the opinion that invoking Allah's blessings upon theProphet, peace be upon him, only once while in a gathering is obligatory. Afterthat it is no longer necessary, though it is preferred to do so. This is basedon 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 init, nor invoke Allah's blessings upon His Prophet, peace be upon him, they willbe sorry on the Day of Judgment. Allah may either punish them or forgivethem." (Tirmizhi)

Volume4, Page 139: Invoking Allah's Blessings Upon the Prophet when Writing his Name

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 inany hadith, so none can be used to support this view. Al Khatib al-Baghdadisaid, "I saw the handwriting of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and I found thatoften he wrote the name of the Prophet, peace be upon him, without invokingAllah's blessings upon him." Then he added, "It has come to myknowledge that he used to invoke Allah's blessings upon the Prophetverbally."

An-Nawawi said, "When invoking Allah's blessings upon the Prophet, peacebe upon him, we should combine prayers for peace and blessings upon him (bysaying Salalahu 'alaihi was sallam), and should not confine it to one of thesesaying either Sallahu 'alaihi (May Allah shower His blessings upon him) or'Alaihi as-salaam (peace be upon him)'."

Volume4, Page 139a: Invoking Blessings Upon the Prophets

It is preferred to invoke Allah's blessings upon the Prophets and angelsseparately. As to others than the Prophets, there is consensus among scholarsthat Allah's blessings may be invoked for them along with others (but notseparately). The statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him, has been citedabove, "O Allah invoke blessings on Muhammad, the Prophet, and his wives,the mothers of the believers ..." It is disliked, however, to invokeblessings for them on their own. For instance, one should not say, "Umar,may Allah shower His blessings upon him."

Volume4, Page 139b: How to Invoke Blessings and Peace Upon the Prophet

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 hascommanded us to invoke blessings upon you. How should we do it?' The Messengerof Allah, peace be upon him, remained silent until we wished we had not askedhim. Then he told us to say,

'Allahumma salli 'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama sallayta 'alaali ibrahima wa barik 'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama barakta 'alaibrahima 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 tothe family of Ibrahim, in all the worlds. You are worthy of Praise andGlorious), 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 Prophetdo it in the best manner, because you don't know whether or not your blessingsmay 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. Allahummab'athu maqaman yaghbatuhu bihil awalun. Allahumma salli 'ala muhammadin wa 'alaali muhammadin kama sallaita 'ala ibrahima wa ali ibrahima innaka hamidummajeed . Allahumma barik 'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama barakta'ala ibrahima wa 'ala ali ibrahima innak hamidum majeed (O Allah, shower Yourblessings, mercy, and favors on the Chief of the Messengers, and the Chief ofthe Foremost, the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad, Your servant and YourMessenger, the leader of the virtuous, the chief of the virtuous, the Messengerof Mercy, grant him a station that is the happy goal of the most excellent, OAllah, bless Muhammad and his family as You blessed Ibrahim and the family ofIbrahim. You are indeed Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, give baraka to Muhammadand his family as you gave baraka to Ibrahim and his family, You are indeedPraiseworthy and Glorious"'." (Ibn Majah)

Volume4, Page 140: Going on a Journey

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 beenriched." (Ahmad. Almanawi considers this a sound hadith)

Volume4, Page 140a: Leaving One's House for What is Dear to Allah

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Noone leaves his home without two banners waiting at his door, one of them in thehands of an angel and the other in the hands of a devil. If he intends to dowhat pleases Allah the angel will follow him with his standard, and he willremain under the banner of the angel until he returns to his house, but if hesets out for what displeases Allah the devil with his banner will follow himabout, and he will remain under the devil's banner until he returns to hishouse." (Ahmad and At-Tabarani. Its chain of authorities is sound)

Volume4, Page 141: Consultation and Istikharah Before Setting out on a Journey

Istikhara (Arabic) means to ask Allah to guide one to the right thingconcerning any affair in one's life, especially when one has to choose betweentwo permissible alternatives. A traveller should consult good righteous personsbefore setting out on a journey, because Allah says, "And consult them (OProphet) in affairs (of moment)," (Qur'an 3.159) and one of thecharacteristics of the believers is that "they (conduct) their affairs bymutual consultation" (Qur'an 42.38).

Qatadah said, "Every people who seek the pleasure of Allah and consultwith 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 pleasedwith the judgment of Allah. And a misfortune of the son of Adam is his failureto make istikharah (seeking Allah's guidance), and a misfortune for the son ofAdam is his displeasure with the judgment of Allah." Ibn Taimiyyah said,"He who seeks guidance from the Creator and consults the creatures willnever regret it."

Volume4, Page 141a: How to make Istikharah

For this purpose one should pray two non-obligatory raka'at of prayer, evenif 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 themwhatever one wishes of the Qur'an, after reciting al-Fatihah. Then one shouldpraise Allah and invoke blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him. Afterthis one should supplicate to Allah with the following supplication, whichJabir Ibn 'Abdullah has reported from the Prophet, peace be upon him, when herelated, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us how to make Istikharahin all (our) affairs, just as he taught us various surahs of the Qur'an. Hetold us, 'If anyone of you considers doing something he should offer atwo-rak'at prayer other than the obligatory prayers, and then say (after theprayer), "Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika. wa astaqdirukabi-qudratika, wa as'aluka min fadlika al-azimfa-innaka taqdiru wala aqdiru, wata'lamu wala a ' lamu, wa anta 'allamu-l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta' lamuanna hazhaI-amra khairun lifi dini wa ma'ashi wa aqibati amri (or 'ajili amriwa'ajilihi) f aqdirhu li wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li fihi, wa in kuntata'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 lial-khaira haithu kana thumma ardini bihi (O Allah ! I ask guidance from Yourknowledge, and Power from Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. Youare capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know the unseen. OAllah! If You know that this thing is good for my din and my subsistence andfor 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 init. If You know that this thing is harmful to me in my din and subsistence andin the Hereafter--(or say, If it is worse for my present and later needs)--thenkeep it away from me, and keep me away from it. And ordain for me whatever isgood for me, and make me satisfied with it)."' The Prophet, may peace be uponhim, added that then the person should mention his need."

There is nothing authentic concerning anything specific that is to berecited in the prayer nor is there any authentic report concerning how manytimes one should repeat it.

An-Nawawi holds that "after making istikharah, a person must do what heis wholeheartedly inclined to do and feels good about doing and should notinsist on doing what he had desired to do before making the istikharah. And ifhis feelings change, he should leave what he had intended to do, for otherwisehe is not leaving the choice to Allah, and would not be honest in seeking aidfrom Allah's power and knowledge. Sincerity in seeking Allah's choice, meansthat one should completely abandon what one desired oneself."

Volume4, Page 142: Travelling on Thursday is Preferred

Bukhari reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, seldom set out on ajourney except on Thursday.

Volume4, Page 142a: Offering Two Raka'at Before the Journey

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'atof prayers that he offers with them while intending to go on a journey."(At-Tabarani and Ibn 'Asakir as a mursal hadith)

Volume4, Page 142b: It is Preferred to have Companions for the Journey

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 thatthe Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "A single horseman (traveller) is adevil, two are two devils, but three are a caravan."

Volume4, Page 143: Bidding Farewell to One's Relatives, Asking them for Prayers, andPraying for Them

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, "Whensomething 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 hisbrothers, for Allah will make their prayers a means of good."

It is sunnah that the members of the family, as well as the friends andthose who see the traveller off should pray for him as in the following prayertransmitted from the Prophet.

Salim reported that when someone wanted to leave for a journey 'Ibn Umarwould say to him, "Come over to me so that I may bid you farewell as theProphet, peace upon him, used to bid us farewell," and that he used tosay, "To Allah I commend your din (Islam), your trust (That is his family,those he leaves behind, and his property), and the conclusion of yourdeeds."'

In another report we read that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, bidfarewell to a man he would hold his hand and would not leave it until the manhimself dropped the Prophet' s hand. The rest of the hadith is similar to theone 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 meprovision for the journey." The Prophet, peace be upon him, replied,"May Allah provide you with piety (taqwa)." The man said, "Giveme some more provision." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Andmay Allah forgive your sins." The man said, "Give me stillmore." The Prophet, peace be upon him, then replied, "And may Allahfacilitate good for you wherever you may be." Tirmizhi considers this asound 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 someadvice." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him, "Fear Allah,the Mighty and the Exalted, and glorify Him on every elevated piece ofground." 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 easyfor him." Tirmizhi considers this a sound hadith.

Volume4, Page 144: Asking the Traveller "Pray for Us"

'Umar ibn al-Khattab reports, "I sought permission of the Prophet,peace be upon him, to perform 'umrah. He gave me permission and said, 'Mybrother, do not forget me in your prayers' ." 'Umar reported further,"This was a word more pleasing to me than the entire wealth of theworld." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud and Tirmizhi, who holds it to be a soundhadith)

Volume4, Page 144a: Supplications for a Journey

It is preferred for a traveller to say when leaving home, "Bismillahitawakaltu 'alallah wa la haula wala quwwata illa billah, Allahumma inni auzhubika an adilla au udalla au azilla au uzalla au azlima au uzlama au aj-hala auyuj-hala 'alayya (In the name of Allah, I repose my trust in Allah, and thereis neither power nor any might except with Allah. O Allah, I seek refuge withYou from leading others astray or being led astray, causing others to slip orbeing caused to slip by others, or doing wrong or be wronged by others, orbehaving foolishly or being treated foolishly by others)." The travellermay 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 onjourney, he would say, "O Allah, You are the Companion in the journey, andthe One Who looks after the family. O Allah, I seek refuge in You fromworthless companions on the journey, and from finding harm when I return, OAllah, make the length of the journey short for us, and the journey easy forus." And when he returned he would say, "We are returning repentant,worshipping our Lord and praising Him." And when he went to his family hewould say, "Repentant, repentant, we return to our Lord, the sin visits usnot." (Reported by Ahmad, At-Tabarani, and Al-Bazar with a sound chain ofauthorities)

Abdullah ibn Sarjis reported that when Allah's Messenger, may peace be uponhim, set forth on a journey, he would say, "O Allah, I seek refuge (withYou) 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 inmy 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)

Volume4, Page 145: What a Traveller Should Say on Riding

'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 accomplishedthis (by ourselves). And to our Lord, surely, must we return." (Qur'an43.13-14) Then he praised Allah three times, and glorified Him (i.e. saidAllahu akbar), and then said, "Subhanaka la ilaha illa ant, qad zalamtunafsi, 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, verilynone can forgive sins except You)." Then he laughed, whereupon I askedhim, "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 Iasked him, "Why did you laugh, O Allah's messenger?" He replied,"Our Lord is pleased when his servant says ' My Lord, forgive me, ' and Hesays, '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 tothe criterion of Muslim)

Al-Azdi recorded Abdullah Ibn 'Umar's narration that whenever Allah'sMessenger, peace be upon him, mounted his camel to set out on a journey, heglorified Allah (uttered Allah-o-Akbar) three times, and then said, "Gloryto Him Who has subjected these to our (use), for we could never haveaccomplished this (by ourselves). And to our Lord, surely, must we return. OAllah, we seek virtue and piety from You on this journey of ours, and actionsthat please You. O Allah, lighten this journey of ours, and make its distanceeasy for us. O Allah, You are (our) companion during the journey, and guardianof (our) family. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the hardship of thejourney, the gloominess of the sights, and from finding misfortunes in propertyand family on our return." And the Prophet, peace be upon him, utteredthese words in addition, "We are returning repentant, worshipping our Lordand praising Him." (Ahmad and Muslim)

Volume4, Page 146: What a Traveller Should Say at Nightfall

Abdullah ibn 'Umar reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, wastravelling 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 yourevil, 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, fromlarge black snakes, from other snakes, from scorpions, from the evil of jinnwho inhabit settlements, and from a parent and his offspring.'' (Ahmad and AbuDaw'ud)

Volume4, Page 146a: What a Traveller Should Say on Stopping at a Place

Khaulah, daughter of Hakim As-Sallammiya, reported that the Prophet, peacebe upon him, said, "If anyone stops at a place and then says, 'I seekrefuge 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 theGroup except Bukhari and Abu Daw'ud)

Volume4, Page 147: On Approaching a Village or Place

'Ata ibn Abi Marwan relates from his father that Ka'ab swore to him by HimWho split the sea for Prophet Moses, peace be upon him, that Suhaib informedhim that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw a village that he wantedto enter, he always supplicated, "Allahumma rabbis samawati sab' i wa maazlalna wa rabbul ardinas sab' i wa ma aqlalna wa rabbush sayatini wa maadlalna wa rabbur riyyahi wa ma zaraina as'aluka khaira hazhihil qaryata wakhaira ahlaha wa khaira mafiha wa na'uzhu bika min sharriha wa sharri ahliha washarri 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 thosewhom they mislead, and Lord of the winds and what they scatter about, I ask Youof the good of this village, the good of its people and the good it has, andseek Your protection from its evil, and the evil of its people, and the evil init)." (Reported by Nasa'i, Ibn Hibban, and Al-Hakim who considers this asound hadith)

Ibn 'Umar reported, "We were with the Prophet, peace be upon him, on ajourney. 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 itsfruits, and put our love in (the hearts of) its people, and put the love of itsrighteous people in our hearts'.'' (Reported by At-Tabarani in his Al-Awsarwith a sound chain of authorities)

A'ishah reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, approached aplace that he intended to enter he would say, 'O Allah I ask You of the good init, and the good of what you have placed in it, and I seek Your refuge from itsevil and the evil of what You have placed in it. O Allah, give us its fruitsand protect us from its plagues, and put our love in the hearts of its peopleand put the love of its righteous people in our hearts.' (Reported by As-Sinni)

Volume4, Page 147a: What the Traveller Should say at Dawn

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 Allahfor His favors upon us. Our Lord, accompany us and grant us Your favors. Weseek protection of Allah from the Fire.' (Muslim)

Volume4, Page 148: On Going Uphill, Downhill, or Returning

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 wasdifficult, he would back up three steps and say. "There is no god butAllah, 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 Hisservant, and defeated all the confederates alone."

Volume4, Page 148a: On Boarding a Ship

Al-Hussain ibn Ali reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said,"The security for my community against drowning is to say, while boardinga ship (or a boat), 'Bismillahi majraiha wa mursaha inna rahhi laghafoor unraheem (Bukhari), wa ma qadarullaha haqa qadrihi, wal ardu jami'an qabadatuhuyaumal qiyyamati was samawatu matwiyyatun hi yameenihi subhanallahi 'ammayushrakun (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 havethey made of Allah, such as is due to Him, On the day of Judgment the whole ofthe earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in Hisright hand, Glory to Him! High is He above the partners they attribute toHim!)" This is reported by As-Sinni.

Volume4, Page 149: Sailing in Rough Weather

It is not permissible to embark on a voyage when the sea is stormy andagitated. According to a hadith reported by Abu 'Umran al-Jawni some of theCompanions told him that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Anyone whosleeps on a house-top that has no fence, and then falls and dies, he forfeitsthe protection of Allah, and anyone who sails while the sea is rough, and thenperishes, he forfeits the protection of Allah." (Reported by Ahmad with asound chain of authorities)