Supplication

Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, supplicated in this mosque—the Mosque of the Conquest—on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and his supplication was answered between the two prayers on Wednesday. Jabir said: Whenever a serious, distressing matter befell me, I would seek out that time and supplicate to Allah about it between the two prayers on Wednesday, and I would recognize the response.

Anas said: I was with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when a man supplicated, saying: “O Originator of the heavens, O Ever-Living, O Sustainer, I ask You…” He said: “Do you know what he has invoked? By the One in whose hand my soul is, he has called upon Allah by His name which, when He is invoked by it, He answers.”

Abu al-Khayr heard ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr say: Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace: “Teach me a supplication to say in my prayer.” He said: “Say: ‘O Allah, I have wronged myself greatly, and none forgives sins except You. So grant me forgiveness from You; You are the All-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.’”

Al-Harith ibn Suwayd said: ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud said: If one of you has a ruler over him whose arrogance or injustice he fears, let him say: “O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Magnificent Throne, be a protector for me against so-and-so son of so-and-so and his factions among Your creation, lest any of them overstep against me or act tyrannically. Mighty is Your protection, exalted is Your praise; there is no god but You.”

Ibn ‘Abbas said: If you go to a formidable ruler and fear that he may assault you, say three times: “Allah is greatest. Allah is mightier than all His creation; Allah is mightier than what I fear and dread. I seek refuge in Allah, besides whom there is no god, who holds the seven heavens so that they do not fall upon the earth except by His permission, from the evil of Your servant so-and-so, his troops, followers, and adherents among the jinn and humankind. O Allah, be a protector for me against their evil. Exalted is Your praise, mighty is Your protection, blessed is Your name, and there is no god besides You.”

Ibn ‘Abbas said: Whoever is visited by worry, sorrow, or distress, or fears a ruler, and supplicates with these words will be answered: “I ask You by the fact that there is no god but You, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Magnificent Throne. I ask You by the fact that there is no god but You, Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Noble Throne. And I ask You by the fact that there is no god but You, Lord of the seven heavens, the seven earths, and all that is in them. You have power over all things.” Then ask Allah for what you need.”

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “No Muslim supplicates—so long as the supplication does not involve sin or severing family ties—without being granted one of three things: his supplication is answered promptly, it is stored up for him in the Hereafter, or an equivalent evil is turned away from him.” He was asked: “Then we will make many supplications?” He replied: “Allah gives even more.”

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Whenever a believer turns toward Allah and asks Him for something, He grants it to him: either He grants it promptly in this world or stores it up for him in the Hereafter, so long as he does not become impatient.” They asked: “Messenger of Allah, what is his impatience?” He said: “He says, ‘I have supplicated and supplicated, but I do not think I will be answered.’”

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Nothing is more honored in Allah’s sight than supplication.”

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “The most excellent act of worship is supplication.”

An-Nu‘man ibn Bashir reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Supplication is worship.” Then he recited: “Call upon Me; I will answer you.”

‘A’isha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked: “Which act of worship is best?” He replied: “A person’s supplication for himself.”

A man from the people of Basra said: I heard Ma‘qil ibn Yasar say: I went with Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said: “Abu Bakr, associating partners with Allah among you is more hidden than the movement of ants.” Abu Bakr asked: “Is associating partners with Allah anything other than taking another god alongside Allah?” The Prophet said: “By the One in whose hand my soul is, associating partners with Allah is more hidden than the movement of ants. Shall I not point you to something which, when you say it, will remove its little and much from you?” He said: “Say: ‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from associating anything with You knowingly, and I ask Your forgiveness for what I do unknowingly.’”

Anas said: When a strong wind arose, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would say: “O Allah, I ask You for the good with which it has been sent, and I seek refuge in You from the evil with which it has been sent.”

Salama said that when the wind grew strong, he would say: “O Allah, make it a fruitful wind, not a barren one.”

Ubayy said: Do not revile the wind. When you see something in it that you dislike, say: “O Allah, we ask You for the good of this wind, the good within it, and the good with which it was sent; and we seek refuge in You from the evil of this wind, the evil within it, and the evil with which it was sent.”

Abu Hurayra said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “The wind is from the mercy/breath of Allah; it brings mercy and punishment. So do not revile it. Rather, ask Allah for its good and seek refuge in Allah from its evil.”

Salim ibn ‘Abdullah reported from his father: When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, heard thunder and lightning, he would say: “O Allah, do not kill us with Your thunderbolt, do not destroy us with Your punishment, and grant us well-being before that.”

‘Ikrima reported that when Ibn ‘Abbas heard the sound of thunder, he would say: “Glory be to the One whom you glorify.” He said: “Thunder is an angel who cries out for rain, just as a shepherd calls to his sheep.”

‘Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr would stop speaking when he heard thunder and say: “Glory be to the One whom the thunder glorifies with praise, and the angels, in awe of Him.” Then he would say: “This is indeed a severe warning to the people of the earth.”