Supplications

Ibn Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying that if anyone is afflicted by much care he should say, “O God, I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, the son of Your handmaid, and at Your disposal; my forelock is in Your hand; Your judgment is effective regarding me; just concerning me is Your decree; I ask You by every name You have by which You have called Thyself, or sent down in Your Book, or taught any of Your creatures, or kept to Thyself in the hidden place of the unseen, to make the Qur’an the Spring of my heart and the means of clearing away my care and grief.” He declared that no one had ever said it without God removing his grief and giving him joy instead of it. Razin transmitted it.

Jabir said that when they went up to high ground they said, “God is most great,” and when they descended they said, “Glory be to God.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas told that when anything caused God’s messenger anxiety he would say, “O Living One, O Eternal One, in Your mercy I seek help.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a <i>gharib</i> tradition which is not committed to memory.* *<i>Laisa bi-mahfuz</i> is used here. A tradition called <i>mahfuz</i> is one which is considered superior when compared with a <i>shadhdh</i> tradition (cf. p. xii).

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that at the battle of the Trench [The siege of Medina in 5 A. H.] they asked God’s messenger whether there was anything they could repeat, for their hearts were in their mouths.* He replied that there was; they should say, “O God, cover our danger points(1) and give security from fears.” He said that God then sent a wind in the faces of His enemies and God routed them by the wind. *Literally, ‘For the hearts had reached the windpipes.’ 1. The word is <i>'aurat</i> used in a similar prayer on p. 510. There it was translated 'faults'. Another meaning refers to places on a frontier, etc., which give openings to an enemy, and so are places where caution is necessary. This seems more suitable in the present context. Cf. <i>Mirqat</i>, iii, 134. Ahmad transmitted it.

Buraida reported that when the Prophet (ﷺ) entered the market he said, “In the name of God. O God, I ask You for the good of this market and the good of what it contains, and I seek refuge in You from its evil and the evil of what it contains. O God, I seek refuge in You lest I get a bad bargain in it.” Baihaqi transmitted it in <i>[Kitab] ad-Da‘ awat al-kabir</i>.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Seek refuge in God from severe calamity, being overtaken by misery, (1) evil destiny, and the triumphant mockery of enemies.” 1. <i>darak ash-shaqa</i>. It might be translated “the depth of misery.” Cf. Qur’an, iv, 145 where the accepted reading is <i>dark</i>, although the word has also been read <i>darak</i>. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Anas said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from care, grief, incapacity, slackness, cowardliness, niggardliness, the burden of debt, and being overpowered by men.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘A’isha said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from slackness, decrepitude, debt and sin. O God, I seek refuge in You from the punishment in hell, the trial [which leads to] hell, the trial in the grave, (2) the punishment in the grave, the evil of the trial of riches, the evil of the trial of poverty, (3) and the evil of the testing of the antichrist. (4) O God, wash away my sins with snow and hail water, purify my heart as a white garment is purified from filth, and put my sins as far away from me as You have put the East from the West.” 2. Being unable to answer the two angels. 3. Riches may lead to oppression and poverty to envy. 4. <i>al-Masih ad-dajjal</i>. The false Christ who is to appear in the last days. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Zaid b. Arqam said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from incapacity, slackness, cowardliness, niggardliness, decrepitude, and the punishment in the grave. O God, bring my soul to fear of You and purify it; You are the best of those who purify it; You are its Patron and Master. O God, I seek refuge in You from knowledge which does not profit, from a heart which is not submissive, from an appetite which is insatiable, and from a supplication which is not granted an answer.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar said that one of the supplications of God’s messenger was, “O God, I seek refuge in You from the decline of Your favour, change in Your granting wellbeing, sudden vengeance from You, and all Your displeasure.” Muslim transmitted it.

‘A’isha said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not done.” Muslim transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, to You I have submitted, in You I believe, on You I rely, to You I turn in repentance, and by You I contend. O God, I seek refuge in Your might, than whom there is no god, lest You leadest me into error. You are the Living One who dost not die, while jinn and men die.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Abu Huraira said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from the four things:

knowledge which does not profit, a heart which is not submissive, an appetite which is insatiable, and a supplication which is not heard.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it. Tirmidhi transmitted it from ‘Abdallah b. 'Amr, and Nasa’i from both sources.

‘Umar said that God’s messenger used to seek refuge in God from five things:

cowardliness, niggardliness, the evils of old age, evil thoughts, and the punishment in the grave. Abu Dawud and Nasa'i transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from poverty, lack and abasement, and I seek refuge in You lest I cause or suffer wrong.” Abu Dawud and Nasa'i transmitted it.

He said that God’s messenger used to say, "O God, I seek refuge in You from divisiveness, hypocrisy and evil character." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

He said that God’s messenger used to say, "O God, I seek refuge in You from hunger, for it is an evil bedfellow; and I seek refuge in You from treachery, for it is an evil hidden trait." 1 1. Literally, ‘lining.’ Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Anas said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from leprosy, elephantiasis, madness, and evil diseases.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

Qutba b. Malik said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say, "O God, I seek refuge in You from objectionable characteristics, deeds and passions." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Shutair b. Shakal b. Humaid said that his father asked God’s Prophet (ﷺ) to teach him a formula by which he might seek refuge in God, and he told him to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from evil in what I hear, see, speak, think about, and from evil arising from my sexual passion.” Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it.