Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Injunctions about Witr
كتاب الوتر
Chapter 23: Regarding Supplication (Ad-Du'a)
"One of you should not say (in his supplication): O Allah, forgive me if You please, show mercy to me if You please.' Rather, be firm in your asking, for no one can force Him."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not cover the walls. He who sees the letter of his brother without his permission, sees Hell-fire.
Supplicate Allah with the palms of your hands; do not supplicate Him with their backs upwards. When you finish supplication, wipe your faces with them.
Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted through a different chains by Muhammad b. Ka'b; all of them are weak. The chain I have narrated is best of them; but it is also weak.
When the Prophet (ﷺ) made supplication (to Allah) he would raise his hands and wipe his face with his hands.
"Allah's Greatest Names is in these two verses: "And your Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah (God), none has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving' and the beginning of Surah Al 'Imran, "A.L.M Allah, there is no deity but He, the Living, the Eternal."
Chapter 24: At-Tasbih (Glorifying Allah) Using Pebbles
Once Sa'd, with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), visited a woman in front of whom were some date-stones or pebbles which she was using as a rosary to glorify Allah. He (the Prophet) said: I tell you something which would be easier (or more excellent) for you than that. He said (it consisted of saying): "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He has created in Heaven; "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He has created on Earth; "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He has created between them; "Glory be to Allah" as many times as the number of that which He is creating; "Allah is most great" a similar number of times; "Praise (be to Allah)" a similar number of times; and "There is no god but Allah" a similar number of times; "There is no might and no power except in Allah" a similar number of times.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out from Juwayriyyah (wife of the Prophet). Earlier her name was Barrah, and he changed it. When he went out she was in her place of worship, and when he returned she was in her place of worship.
He asked: Have you been in your place of worship continuously? She said: Yes. He then said: Since leaving you I have said three times four phrases which, if weighed against all that you have said (during this period), would prove to be heavier: "Glory be to Allah, and I begin with praise of Him to the number of His creatures, in accordance with His good pleasure, to the weight of His throne and to the ink (extent) of His words."
AbuDharr said: Prophet of Allah. The wealthy people have all the rewards; they pray as we pray; they fast as we fast; and they have surplus wealth which they give in charity; but we have no wealth which we may give in charity.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: AbuDharr, should I not teach you phrases by which you acquire the rank of those who excel you? No one can acquire your rank except one who acts like you.
He said: Why not, Messenger of Allah? He said: Exalt Allah (say: Allah is Most Great) after each prayer thirty-three times; and praise Him (say: Praise be to Allah) thirty-three times; and glorify Him (say: Glory be to Allah) thirty-three times, and end it by saying, "There is no god but Allah alone, there is no partner, to Him belongs the Kingdom, to Him praise is due and He has power over everything". His sins will be forgiven, even if they are like the foam of the sea.
Chapter 25: What A Person Should Say When He Says The Taslim
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying (the version of Sulayman has: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say) after his prayer:-
"O Allah, our Lord and Lord of everything, I bear witness that Thou art the Lord alone Who hast no partner; O Allah, Our Lord and Lord of everything, I bear witness that Muhammad is Thy servant and Thy apostle ; O Allah, our Lord and Lord of everything, I bear witness that all the servants are brethren; O Allah, our Lord and Lord of everything make me sincere to Thee, and my family too at every moment, in this world and in the world hereafter, O Possessor of glory and honour, listen to me and answer. Allah is incomparably great. O Allah, Light of the heavens and of the earth".
The narrator Sulaiman b. Dawud said: "Lord of the heavens and of the earth, Allah is incomparably great. Allah is sufficient for me; and the excellent guardian is He; Allah is incomparably great.
Chapter 26: About Seeking Forgiveness
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who asks pardon is not a confirmed sinner, even if he returns to his sin seventy times a day.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone says: "I ask pardon of Allah than Whom there is no deity, the Living, the eternal, and I turn to Him in repentance," he will be pardoned, even if he has fled in time of battle.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: May I not teach you phrases which you utter in distress? (These are:) "Allah , Allah is my Lord, I do not associate anything as partner with Him."
Abu Dawud said: The narrator Hilal is a client of 'Umar b. 'Abd al-Aziz. The name of Ja'far, a narrator, is 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone invokes blessings on me once, Allah will bless him ten times.
Among the most excellent of your days is Friday; so invoke many blessings on me on that day, for your blessing will be submitted to me. They (the Companions) asked: Messenger of Allah, how can our blessings be submitted to you, when your body has decayed? He (ﷺ) said: Allah has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of Prophets.
Chapter 29: Supplicating For One In His Absence
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The supplication which gets the quickest answer is that made by one distant Muslim for another.
Chapter 32: Regarding Seeking Refuge
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to say: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from weakness, and laziness, and cowardice, and old age, and I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge in You from the trails of the life and death."
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to teach us this supplication as he taught us the surah from the Qur'an. He would say: O Allah! I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell and I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge from You from the trails of Al-Masihid-Dajjal, and I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death.
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to say: "O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from poverty", lack and abasement, and I seek refuge in Thee lest I cause or suffer wrong."
Chapter 25: What A Person Should Say When He Says The Taslim
'Abd Allah b. al-Zubair used to recite this supplication after each (prescribed) prayer. He then narrated a similar supplication and added to it: "There is no might and no power except in Allah; there is no god but Allah Whom alone we worship. To Him belongs wealth." The narrator then transmitted the rest of tradition.
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to supplicate Allah: "My Lord, help me and do not give help against me; grant me victory, and do not grant victory over me; plan on my behalf and do not plan against me; guide me, and made my right guidance easy for me; grant me victory over those who act wrongfully towards me; O Allah, make me grateful to Thee, mindful of Thee, full of fear towards Thee, devoted to Thy obedience, humble before Thee, or penitent. My Lord, accept my repentance, wash away my sin, answer my supplication, clearly establish my evidence, guide my heart, make true my tongue and draw out malice in my breast."
When the Prophet (ﷺ) uttered taslim, he used to say: "O Allah, You are As-Salam, and from you is As-Salam. You are blessed, O One of Magnificence and Generosity."