Prayers from the Ḥadīth

1. For Submission to God 

اللّٰہُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ لَا مَلْجَأَ وَلاَ مَنْجَی مِنْكَ إِلاَّ إِلَيْكَ اللّٰہُمَّ آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ 

O God! I have consigned myself to You and submitted my affairs to You and rested my back against You while fearing Your might and while moving towards You with fondness. There is no refuge and resting place after running away from You, and if ever there is, then it is with You. Lord! I professed faith in the Book that You have revealed and professed faith in the Prophet whom You have sent as a Messenger.[1] 

2. For God’s Mercy 

اللّٰہُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُو فَلاَ تَكِلْنِي إلی نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِي كُلَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ 

O God! I am hopeful of Your mercy. Please do not consign me to my base desires even for a moment and reform all my affairs. Lord! There is no deity except You.[2] 

3. For a Deep Relationship with the Qur’ān

 اللّٰہُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ أَوْ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي وَنُورَ صَدْرِي وَجِلَاءَ حُزْنِي وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي 

O God! I am Your servant, the son of Your male servant and maid servant. My forehead is in Your hands. Your commands are implemented on me. Your decision about me is correct. By means of every name of Yours by which You have called Yourself or revealed in Your Book or taught to any of Your creations or adopted in knowledge specific to You, I request You to make the Qur’ān the season of spring for my heart, the radiance of my chest, the remedy of my sorrow and the solution of my difficulties.[3] 

4. For Help

 اللّٰہُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ 

O God! I seek refuge with You from sorrow, distress, meekness, laziness, stinginess, cowardice, and from the burden of debt and from the dominance of people.[4] 

5. Of Istikhārah

 اللّٰہُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيْرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيْمِ فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلَا أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ اللّٰہُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ خَيْرٌ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاقْدُرْهُ لِي وَ يَسِّرْهُ لِي ثُمَّ بَارِكْ لِيْ فِيْهِ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ شَرٌّ لِي فِي دِينِي وَمَعَاشِي وَعَاقِبَةِ أَمْرِي فَاصْرِفْهُ عَنِّي وَاصْرِفْنِي عَنْهُ وَاقْدُرْ لِي الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُ كَانَ ثُمَّ رَضِّنِي بِهِ 

O God! I seek goodness through Your knowledge and through Your might I seek strength, and I request from You Your great blessings, because You have the might and I do not have the might. You know everything and I do not know, and You have knowledge of the unseen. God! If in Your knowledge this action [which I intend to do] is better with regard to my religion, my life and my fate, then destine it for me and make it easy for me and then add blessings to it for me. God! In Your knowledge if this action is evil for me, for my religion and for my fate, then turn it away from me and [God!] whatever is better for me, ordain that for me wherever it is, and then make me satisfied with it.[5] 

6. Upon Waking Up

 اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِي اَحْيَانَا بَعْدَ مَا اَمَاتَنَا وَاِلَيْهِ النُّشُوْرُ 

Gratitude is for God alone Who gave us life after death and one day towards Him shall be the return.[6] 

7. For Forgiveness

 اللّٰہُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا وَلَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ وَارْحَمْنِي إِنَّك أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ 

O God! I have wronged my soul a lot and none except You can forgive my sins. So forgive me through Your compassion and have mercy on me. Indeed, You are Forgiving and Ever Merciful.[7]

 اللّٰہُمَّ اغْسِلْ خَطَايَايَ بِمَاءِ الثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ وَنَقِّ قَلْبِي مِنْ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا يُنَقَّی الثَّوْبُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنْ الدَّنَسِ وَبَاعِدْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ خَطَايَايَ كَمَا بَاعَدْتَ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ 

O God! Wash my sins with water of snow and hail and cleanse my heart of sins the way a white cloth is cleansed of dirt and distance me from my sins the way you have distanced the East and the West from one another.[8]

 اللّٰہُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي خَطِيئَتِي وَجَهْلِي وَإِسْرَافِي فِي أَمْرِي وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي اللّٰہُمَّ اغْفِرْلِي جِدِّي وَهَزْلِي وَخَطَئِی وَعَمْدِي وَكُلُّ ذَلِكَ عِنْدِي اللّٰہُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ وَأَنْتَ عَلَی كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ 

O God! Forgive my mistakes and foolishness and my excesses I commit in my affairs and all those things which You are more aware of than me. O God! Forgive whatever I have done with seriousness and whatever I have done in jest, whatever I have done intentionally and whatever I have done un-intentionally. All this is from me. O God! Forgive whatever I have sent forward and whatever I have left behind and whatever I have concealed and whatever I have done openly and that also which You know more than me. It is You Who sends forward and it is You Who relegates backwards and You have power over all things.[9]

 8. When Embarking on Journey

 سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ وَإِنَّا إِلَی رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ اللّٰہُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ فِي سَفَرِنَا هَذَا الْبِرَّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَمِنْ الْعَمَلِ مَا تَرْضَی اللّٰہُمَّ هَوِّنْ عَلَيْنَا سَفَرَنَا هَذَا وَاطْوِ عَنَّا بُعْدَهُ اللّٰہُمَّ أَنْتَ الصّاحِبُ فِي السَّفَرِ وَالْخَلِيفَةُ فِي الْأَهْلِ اللّٰہُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ وَعْثَاءِ السَّفَرِ وَكَآبَةِ الْمَنْظَرِ وَسُوءِ الْمُنْقَلَبِ فِي الْمَالِ وَالْأَهْلِ 

Glory be to He Who has made this [means of] transport subservient to us otherwise we would not have been able to make it subservient to us, and in indeed we are to return to our Lord. O God! We ask from You piety and virtue in this journey of ours and ask from You [to make us do] deeds which please You. Lord! Make this journey of ours easy for us and shorten its length. O God! You are the companion in this journey and the guardian for the family left behind. O God! I seek refuge with You from the hardships of this journey and from any evil sight that I may see and from any evil which may await me when I return to my family and my wealth.[10]

 9. At Tahajjud Time

 عنُ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيْ اللّٰہُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ يَنْزِلُ رَبُّنَا تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَي كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ إلی السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِيْنَ يَبْقَی ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرُ يَقُوْلُ مَنْ يَدْعُونِي فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهٗ مَنْ يَسْأَلُنِي فَأُعْطِيَهُ مَنْ يَسْتَغْفِرُنِي فَأَغْفِرَ لَهٗ 

Abū Hurayrah reports that God’s Messenger said: “Every night, the Almighty directs His attention at our sky when one-third of the night remains, saying: ‘Who is there to supplicate before me that I can respond to him; who is it that can ask from Me so that I grant him; who is it that seeks mercy so that I forgive him.’”[11]

 10. At Funerals

 اللّٰہُمَّ اغْفِرْ له وَارْحَمْهُ وَعَافِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنْهُ وَاَكْرِمْ نُزُلَهُ وَوَسِّعْ مُدْخَلَهُ وَاغْسِلْهُ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ وَنَقِّهِ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا نَقَّيْتَ الثَّوْبَ الْأَبْيَضَ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ وَاَبْدِلْهُ دَارًا خَيْرًا مِنْ دَارِهِ وَاَهْلًا خَيْرًا مِنْ اَهْلِهِ وَزَوْجًا خَيْرًا مِنْ زَوْجِهِ وَاَدْخِلْهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَاَعِذْهُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ اوَ مِنْ عَذَابِ النَّارِ 

O Lord! Forgive him, have mercy on him, grant him prosperity and pardon him, and be a good host to him. Broaden his grave and wash him with water and with snow and with hail. Cleanse him of his sins just as a white piece of cloth is cleansed from filth. [O Lord!] Grant him a better house in place of his own house and a better family than his own family and a spouse better than his own and protect him from the punishment of the grave or the Fire.[12]

 اللّٰہُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِحَيِّنَا وَمَيِّتِنَا وَشَاهِدِنَا وَغَائِبِنَا وَصَغِيرِنَا وَكَبِيْرِنَا وَذَكَرِنَا وَأُنْثَانَا اللّٰہُمَّ مَنْ أَحْيَيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَأَحْيِهِ عَلَی الْإِسْلَامِ وَمَنْ تَوَفَّيْتَهُ مِنَّا فَتَوَفَّهُ عَلَی الْإِيمَانِ اللّٰہُمَّ لَا تَحْرِمْنَا أَجْرَهُ وَلَا تُضِلَّنَا بَعْدَهُ 

O Lord! Forgive our living and our dead, those [who are] present [here] and those who are not and forgive our young ones and old ones, our men and our women. Lord! Whoever you give life, give him life such that he [follows] Islam and whoever you give death, let him die on faith. Lord! Do not deprive us of the reward of this deceased person and do not lead us astray after him.[13]

 اللّٰہُمَّ إِنَّ فُلَانَ بْنَ فُلَانٍ فِي ذِمَّتِكَ وَحَبْلِ جِوَارِكَ فَقِهِ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْقَبْرِ وَعَذَابِ النَّارِ وَأَنْتَ أَهْلُ الْوَفَاءِ وَالْحَقِّ اللّٰہُمَّ فَاغْفِرْ لَهُ وَارْحَمْهُ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ 

Lord! Such-and-such a person who is the son of such-and-such a person is in your refuge and in the covenant of your asylum. So, protect him from the trial of the grave and the torment of the Fire. Only You are worthy of the truth and of the fulfillment of your promises. So, O God! Forgive him and have mercy on him. Indeed, you are Forgiving and Ever-Merciful.[14]

 11. Upon Entering and Leaving a Mosque

 عَنْ أبي أُسَيْدٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰہِ صَلَّي اللّٰہُ عَلَیۡہِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا دَخَلَ أَحَدُكُمْ الْمَسْجِدَ فَلْيَقُلْ اللّٰہُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ وَإذا خَرَجَ فَلْيَقُلْ اللّٰہُمَّ إنيِّ أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ 

Abū Usayd stated the God’s Messenger (sws) said: “When anyone among you enters a mosque, he should say: اللّٰہُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي اَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ (O God! Open for me the doors of your mercy) and when he leaves it, he should say: اللّٰہُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ (O God! I seek from you your blessings).”[15]

 12. When Responding to the Ādhān 

اللّٰہُمَّ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيْلَةَ وَالْفَضِيْلَةَ وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ 

O Lord of this complete call and of the prayer which stands as its result! Bless Muḥammad and grant him a rank of nearness and raise him up on the Day of Judgement in a manner that he earns the praise of the people – something which you had promised him.[16]

 13. To acknowledge God’s Power

 اللّٰہُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ ولا مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ وَلَا يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ 

O Lord! Whomsoever You have given, no one can stop him [from receiving it], and no one can give the one whom You stop giving, and the greatness and majesty of none can save him from Your grasp.[17] 

14. For the Holy Prophet (sws)

 اللّٰہُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَی آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَی آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَبَارِكْ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَی آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَی آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي الْعَالَمِيْنَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيْدٌ مَجِيْدٌ 

O God! Be merciful to Muḥammad and his clan the way you have been merciful to Abraham’s clan and bless Muḥammad and his clan the way you have blessed Abraham’s clan in this whole world. Indeed, You are great and possess all worthy attributes.[18] 

15. More Prayers

 اللّٰہُمَّ بِعِلْمِكَ الْغَيْبَ وَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَی الْخَلْقِ أَحْيِنِي مَا عَلِمْتَ الْحَيَاةَ خَيْرًا لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا عَلِمْتَ الْوَفَاةَ خَيْرًا لِي اللّٰہُمَّ وَأَسْأَلُكَ خَشْيَتَكَ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ وَأَسْأَلُكَ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ فِي الرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبِ وَأَسْأَلُكَ الْقَصْدَ فِي الْفَقْرِ وَالْغِنَی وَأَسْأَلُكَ نَعِيمًا لَا يَنْفَدُ وَأَسْأَلُكَ قُرَّةَ عَيْنٍ لَا تَنْقَطِعُ وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضَاءَ بَعْدَ الْقَضَاءِ وَأَسْأَلُكَ بَرْدَ الْعَيْشِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ وَأَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَی وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَی لِقَائِكَ فِي غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ وَلَا فِتْنَةٍ مُضِلَّةٍ اللّٰہُمَّ زَيِّنَّا بِزِينَةِ الْإِيمَانِ وَاجْعَلْنَا هُدَاةً مُهْتَدِيْنَ 

O God! Through the help of Your knowledge of the unknown and Your might over Your Creation give me life till the time You deem it appropriate for me, and give me death when You deem it appropriate for me. O God! And I seek humility towards You in open and in private, and want to be guided to the truth in happiness and in sorrow and request You to make me a moderate person between poverty and affluence and want a blessing which will never end and the contentment of the eyes which will never cease, and seek the courage to be happy at Your decisions and seek the serenity of life after death, and seek from You the fondness of meeting You and the joy of seeing You in a manner that I do not remain in hardships which are harmful and in a trial which leads [a person] astray. O God! Please grant us the grace of faith, and make us such that we ourselves remain among the guided and are a source of providing guidance to others.[19]

 اللّٰہُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لَا يَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لَا يَخْشَعُ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لَا تَشْبَعُ وَمِنْ دَعْوَةٍ لَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَهَا 

O God! I seek refuge with You from knowledge which is not beneficial, from the heart which is devoid of humility, from the soul whose [greed] is never quenched and from the supplication which is never accepted.[20] 

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[1]. Abū ‘Abdullāh Muh@ammad ibn Ismā‘īl al-Bukhārī, Al-Jāmi‘ al-sahīh, 3rd ed., vol. 1 (Beirut: Dār Ibn Kathīr, 1987), 97, (no. 244). O ,n the authority of al-Barā’ ibn ‘Āzib (rta). 

[2]. Abū Dā’ūd Sulaymān ibn al-Ash‘ath al-Sajistānī, Sunan, vol. 4 (Beirut: Dār al-jīl, 1992), 324, (5090). On the authority of Abū Bakrah (rta). 

[3]. Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Musnad, vol. 1 (Cairo: Mu’assasah al-Qurṭubah, n.d.), 391, (no. 3712). On the authority of ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (rta). 

[4]. Al-Bukhārī, Al-Jāmi‘ al-ṣaḥīḥ, vol. 3, 1059, (no. 2736). On the authority of Anas ibn Mālik (rta). 

[5]. Ibid., vol. 1, 391, (no. 1109). On the authority of Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (rta). 

[6]. Ibid., vol. 5, 2326, (no. 5953). On the authority of Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān (rta). 

[7]. Ibid., vol. 1, 286, (no. 799). On the authority of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (rta). 

[8]. Abū al-H~usayn Muslim ibn al-H~ajjāj al-Qushayrī. Al-Jāmi‘ al-s~ah~īh~, vol. 4 (Beirut: Dār ihyā’ al-turāth al-‘arabī, n.d.), 2078, (no. 2704). On the authority of ‘Ā’ishah (rta) 

[9]. Ibid., vol. 4, 2087, (no. 2719). On the authority of Abū Musā al-Ash‘arī (rta). 

[10]. Muslim, Al-Jāmi‘ al-ṣaḥīḥ, vol. 2, 978, (no. 1342). On the authority of ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (rta). 

[11]. Al-Bukhārī, Al-Jāmi‘ al-ṣaḥīḥ, vol. 1, 384, (no. 1094). 

[12]. Muslim, Al-Jāmi‘ al-ṣaḥīḥ, vol. 2, 662, (no. 963). On the authority of ‘Awf ibn Mālik (rta). 

[13]. Abū ‘Abdullāh Muhammad ibn Yazīd al-Qazwīnī ibn Mājah, Sunan, vol. 1 (Beirut: Dār al-fikr, n.d), 480, (no. 1498). On the authority of Abū Hurayrah (rta). 

[14]. Abū Dā’ūd, Sunan, vol. 3, 211, (no. 3202). On the authority of Wāthilah ibn al-Asqa‘ (rta). 

[15]. Muslim, Al-Jāmi‘ al-ṣaḥīḥ, vol. 1, 494, (no. 713). On the authority of Abū Usayd (rta). 

[16]. Al-Bukhārī, Al-Jāmi‘ al-ṣaḥīḥ, vol. 1, 222, (no. 589). On the authority of Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (rta). 

[17]. Muslim, Al-Jāmi‘ al-ṣaḥīḥ, vol. 1, 414, (no. 593). On the authority of Mu‘āwiyyah (rta). 

[18]. Ibid., vol. 1, 305, (no.405). On the authority of Abū Mas‘ūd al-Anṣārī (rta). 

[19]. Abū ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Aḥmad ibn Shu‘ayb al-Nasā’ī, Sunan, 2nd ed., vol. 3 (Ḥalab: Maktab al-maṭbū‘āt al-islāmiyyah, 1986.), 54, (no. 1305). On the authority of ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir (rta). 

[20]. Muslim, Al-Jāmi‘ al-ṣaḥīḥ, vol. 4, 2088, (no. 2722). On the authority of Zayd ibn Arqam (rta).