Riyad Us-Saliheen (Gardens of the Righteous)

Chapter 248
Remembrance of Allah in the Morning and in the Evening

Allah, the Exalted, says:

"And remember your Rubb by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and with fear and without loudness in words in the mornings, and in the afternoons and be not of those who are neglectful.'' (7:205)

"And declare the perfectness of your Rubb before the rising of the sun, and before its setting.'' (20:130)

"And declare the perfectness of your Rubb and praise Him in the `Ashi (i.e., the time period after the midnoon till sunset) and in the Ibkar (i.e., the time period from early morning or sunrise till before midnoon).'' (40:55)

"In houses (mosques) which Allah has ordered to be raised (to be cleaned, and to be honoured), in them His Name is mentioned in the mornings and in the afternoons or the evenings. Men whom neither trade nor sale diverts from the remembrance of Allah (with heart and tongue).'' (24:36,37)

"Verily, We made the mountains to declare the Perfectness of Allah with him [Dawud (David)] in the `Ashi (i.e., after the midday till sunset) and Ishraq (i.e., after the sunrise till midday).'' (38:18)

 

1451. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who recites in the morning and in the evening the statement: `Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection and I begin with praising Him)' one hundred times, will not be surpassed on the Day of Resurrection by anyone with better deeds than one who utters the same words or utters more of these words.''
[Muslim].

 

1452. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said, "What a trouble I suffered from a scorpion which stung me last night!'' He (PBUH) said, "Had you said in the evening: `A`udhu bikalimatillahit-tammati min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek the protection of Allah's Perfect Words from the evil of whatever He has created),' it would not have harmed you.''
[Muslim].

Commentary:  Kalimat means the Words of Allah, His Decisions and His Power. At-Tamat being free from every defect and shortcoming. Thus, it means "I seek the protection of Allah, by means of faultless Words, Decisions and Power of Allah, from the mischief of every living being''. It is the best prayer for protection from dangerous animals, insects and people.

 

1453. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) used to say in the morning: "Allahumma bika asbahna, wa bika amsaina, wa bika nahya, wa bika namutu, wa ilaikan-nushur (O Allah! With Your Power we have come to the morning, with Your Power we come to the evening, with Your Power we live, and we die, and to You will we return).'' In the evening he would say: "Allahumma bika amsaina, wa bika nahya, wa bika namutu, wa ilaikan-nushur (O Allah! With Your Power, we have come to the evening, by You do we live, by You do we die, and to You is the return).''
[At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud].

 

1454. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Abu Bakr asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Teach me some words so that I may recite them in the morning and in the evening.'' The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Recite these words: `Allahumma fatiras-samawati wal-ardi, `alimal-ghaibi wash-shahadati, Rabba kulli shai'in wa malikahu. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Anta, a`udhu bika min sharri nafsi, wa sharrish-Shaitani wa shirkihi (O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! Knower of the hidden and the exposed! Rubb of everything and every one. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but You. I seek Your Protection from the evil of my own self from the evil of Satan and from the evil of Shirk to which he calls).''' The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) added: "Recite these words in the morning and the evening and when you go to bed.''
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].

 

1455. `Abdullah bin Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: When it was evening, the Prophet (PBUH) used to supplicate: "Amsaina wa amsal-mulku lillah, wal-hamdu lillah. La `ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lahu (We have entered upon evening and the whole kingdom of Allah, too, has entered upon evening. Praise is due to Allah. There is none who has the right to be worshiped but Allah, the One who has no partner with Him).'' He (the narrator) said: I think that he (PBUH) used to follow the recitation with these words: "Lahul-mulku, wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa `ala kulli shi'in Qadir. Rabbi as'aluka khaira ma fi hadhihil-lailati, wa khaira ma ba`daha; wa a`udhu bika min sharri ma fi hadhihil-lailati, wa sharri ma ba`daha; Rabbi a`udhu bika minal-kasali, wa su'il-kibari; Rabbi a`udhu bika min `adhabin fin-nari, wa `adhabin fil-qabri (His is the sovereignty and to Him is all praise due, and He is Omnipotent. My Rubb, I beg of you good that lies in this night and good that follows it, and I seek refuge in You from the evil that lies in this night and from the evil of that which follows it. My Rubb! I seek refuge in You from lethargy and the misery of old age. O Allah! I seek Your Protection from the torment of Hell-fire and the punishment of the grave).'' When it was morning, he (PBUH) would recite the same, replacing the words: "We have entered upon evening and the whole kingdom of Allah, too, has entered upon evening'' with "We have entered upon morning and the whole kingdom of Allah entered upon morning.'' (Replace the words "Amsaina, amsa, hadhihil-lailati, ma ba`daha with Asbahna, asbaha, hadhal-yaumi, ma ba`dahu, respectively.)
[Muslim].

Commentary:  It is desirable to recite the invocations cited in the Hadith in the morning and the evening and also when one goes to bed and awakes. The purpose is that the concept of Allah's Providence and Divinity remains alive all the time in one's mind. With these words one seeks Allah's Protection in life and the Hereafter from things which are harmful. One also begs for his safety and guidance in this life and the Hereafter. This Hadith fully expresses one's recognition of Allah's Godhood and Lordship.

 

1456. `Abdullah bin Khubaib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to me, "Recite Surat Al-Ikhlas and Al-Mu`awwidhatain (Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas) three times at dawn and dusk. It will suffice you in all respects.''
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary:  "Recite Surat Al-Ikhlas and Al-Mu`awwidhatain (Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas) three times at dawn and dusk. It will suffice you in all respects'' means that then one would not need any other recitation for the remembrance of Allah. Moreover, by virtue of these three Surah, Allah will protect the reciter from every dangerous thing. In other Ahadith, it is stated that after lying in the bed, the Prophet (PBUH) used to recite these Surah, then blow on his hands and rub them over his body to the extent he could.

 

1457. `Uthman bin `Affan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who recites three times every morning and evening: `Bismillahil-ladhi la yadurru ma`as-mihi shai'un fil-ardi wa la fis-sama'i, wa Huwas-Sami`ul-`Alim (In the Name of Allah with Whose Name there is protection against every kind of harm in the earth or in the heaven, and He is the All-Hearing and All-Knowing),' nothing will harm him.''
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary:  The prayer cited in this Hadith means that "I seek the Protection of Allah by means of which one can save himself from every vice, whether it is an animal or man, a jinn or Satan because He is Aware of everyone's condition and Capable of hearing everybody's petition. He who comes in His Protection none can harm him, except that which He wills.''