Invocations
كتاب الدعوات
Chapter 16: What to say when one gets up in the morning
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah is: 'Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta. Khalaqtani wa ana `Abduka, wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa Wa'dika mastata'tu abu'u Laka bi ni 'matika wa abu'u Laka bidhanbi; faghfirli fa'innahu la yaghfiru-dh-dhunuba ill a ant a. A'uidhu bika min sharri ma sana'tu.' If somebody recites this invocation during the night, and if he should die then, he will go to Paradise (or he will be from the people of Paradise). And if he recites it in the morning, and if he should die on the same day, he will have the same fate."
Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) intended to go to bed, he would recite: "Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya (With Your name, O Allah, I die and I live)." And when he woke up from his sleep, he would say: "Al-hamdu lil-lahil-ladhi ahyana ba'da ma amatana; wa ilaihi an-nushur (All the Praises are for Allah Who has made us alive after He made us die (sleep) and unto Him is the Resurrection). "
Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) lay on his bed, he used to say: "Allahumma bismika amutu wa ahya," and when he woke up he would say: "Al-hamdu lil-lahilladhi ahyana ba'da ma an atana, wa ilaihi an-nushur."
Chapter 17: Invocation during the Salat
Abu Bakr As-Siddiq said to the Prophet, "Teach me an invocation with which I may invoke (Allah) in my prayer." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Say: Allahumma inni zalamtu nafsi zulman kathiran wala yaghfirudhdhunuba illa anta, Faghfirli maghfiratan min indika war-hamni, innaka antalGhafur-Rahim."
The Verse: 'Neither say your prayer aloud, nor say it in a low tone.' (17.110) was revealed as regards invocation.
We used to say in the prayer: 'AsSalam be on Allah, As-Salam be on so-and so.' So one day the Prophet said to us, "Allah Himself is As-Salam; when anyone of you sits during his prayer, he should say: 'at-tah, iyyatu-li l-lahi,' up to 'As-Salihin,' (All the compliments are for Allah ...righteous people) for when he recites this, then he says his Salam to all the righteous people present in the heavens and on the earth. Then he should say, 'I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and His Apostle,' and then he can select whatever he likes to celebrate (Allah's) Praises."
Chapter 18: The invocation after the Salat
The people said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! The rich people have got the highest degrees of prestige and the permanent pleasures (in this life and the life to come in the Hereafter)." He said, "How is that?" They said, "The rich pray as we pray, and strive in Allah's Cause as we do, and spend from their surplus wealth in charity, while we have no wealth (to spend likewise)." He said, "Shall I not tell you a thing, by doing which, you will catch up with those who are ahead of you and supersede those who will come after you; and nobody will be able to do such a good deed as you do except the one who does the same (deed as you do). That deed is to recite 'Subhan Allah ten times, and 'Al-Hamduli l-lah ten times, and 'AllahuAkbar' ten times after every prayer."
(the freed slave of Al-Mughira bin Shu`ba) Al-Mughira wrote to Muawiya bin Abu Sufyan that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to say at the end of every prayer after the Taslim, "La ilaha illa-l-lahu wahdahu la sharika lahu; lahu-l-mulk wa lahu-l-hamd, wahuwa 'ala kulli shai'n qadir. Allahumma la mani'a Lima a taita, wa la mu'ta Lima mana'ta, wa la yanfa'u dhal-jaddu minkal-jadd.
Chapter 19: "... And invoke Allah for them ..."
We went out with the Prophet (ﷺ) to Khaibar. A man among the people said, "O 'Amir! Will you please recite to us some of your poetic verses?" So 'Amir got down and started chanting among them, saying, "By Allah! Had it not been for Allah, we would not have been guided." 'Amir also said other poetic verses which I do not remember. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Who is this (camel) driver?" The people said, "He is 'Amir bin Al-Akwa`," He said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy on him." A man from the People said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Would that you let us enjoy his company longer." When the people (Muslims) lined up, the battle started, and 'Amir was struck with his own sword (by chance) by himself and died. In the evening, the people made a large number of fires (for cooking meals). Allah's Apostle said, "What is this fire? What are you making the fire for?" They said, "For cooking the meat of donkeys." He said, "Throw away what is in the pots and break the pots!" A man said, "O Allah's Prophet! May we throw away what is in them and wash them?" He said, "Never mind, you may do so." (See Hadith No. 509, Vol. 5).
Whenever a man brought his alms to the Prophet, the Prophet (ﷺ) would say, "O Allah! Bestow Your Blessing upon the family of so-and-so." When my father came to him (with his alms), he said, "O Allah! Bestow Your Blessings upon the family of Abi `Aufa."
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to me. "Will you relieve me from Dhi-al-Khalasa? " Dhi-al-Khalasa was an idol which the people used to worship and it was called Al-Ka`ba al Yamaniyya. I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) I am a man who can't sit firm on horses." So he stroked my chest (with his hand) and said, "O Allah! Make him firm and make him a guiding and well-guided man." So I went out with fifty (men) from my tribe of Ahrnas. (The sub-narrator, Sufyan, quoting Jarir, perhaps said, "I went out with a group of men from my nation.") and came to Dhi-al-Khalasa and burnt it, and then came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have not come to you till I left it like a camel with a skin disease." The Prophet then invoked good upon Ahmas and their cavalry (fighters).
Um Sulaim said to the Prophet (ﷺ) "Anas is your servant." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Allah! increase his wealth and offspring, and bless (for him) what ever you give him."
The Prophet (ﷺ) heard a man reciting (the Qur'an) in the mosque. He said," May Allah bestow His Mercy on him, as he made me remember such and-such Verse which I had missed in such-and-such Sura."
The Prophet (ﷺ) divided something (among the Muslims) and distributed the shares (of the booty). A man said, "This division has not been made to please Allah." When I informed the Prophet (ﷺ) about it, he became so furious that I noticed the signs of anger on his face and he then said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy on Moses, for he was hurt with more than this, yet he remained patient."
Chapter 20: What rhymed prose is disapproved in invocations
Ibn `Abbas said, "Preach to the people once a week, and if you won't, then preach them twice, but if you want to preach more, then let it be three times (a week only), and do not make the people fed-up with this Qur'an. If you come to some people who are engaged in a talk, don't start interrupting their talk by preaching, lest you should cause them to be bored. You should rather keep quiet, and if they ask you, then preach to them at the time when they are eager to hear what you say. And avoid the use of rhymed prose in invocation for I noticed that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and his companions always avoided it."
Chapter 21: One should appeal to Allah with determination
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When anyone of you appeal to Allah for something, he should ask with determination and should not say, 'O Allah, if You wish, give me.', for nobody can force Allah to do something against His Will.
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "None of you should say: 'O Allah, forgive me if You wish; O Allah, be merciful to me if You wish,' but he should always appeal to Allah with determination, for nobody can force Allah to do something against His Will."
Chapter 22: Invocation is granted by Allah if impatience is not shown
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The invocation of anyone of you is granted (by Allah) if he does not show impatience (by saying, "I invoked Allah but my request has not been granted.")
Chapter 23: The raising of the hands on invoking
Narrated Anas, "The Prophet (ﷺ) raised his hands (in invocation) till I saw the whiteness of his armpits."
Chapter 24: To invoke Allah while not facing the Qiblah
While the Prophet (ﷺ) was delivering a sermon on a Friday, a man stood up and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Invoke Allah to bless us with rain." (The Prophet (ﷺ) invoked Allah for rain.) So, the sky became overcast and it started raining till one could hardly reach one's home. It kept on raining till the next Friday when the same man or another man got up and said (to the Prophet), "Invoke Allah to withhold the rain from us, for we have been drowned (with heavy rain )." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Allah! Let it rain around us and not on us." Then the clouds started dispersing around Medina and rain ceased to fall on the people of Medina.