Sunan an-Nasa'i 3253

Qutaybah reported to us; he said: Ibn Abi al-Mawali narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, from Jabir ibn Abd Allah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to teach us to seek Allah’s guidance in all matters, just as he taught us a surah from the Quran. He would say: ‘When one of you intends to do something, let him pray two units of prayer, other than the obligatory prayer, then say: “O Allah, I seek the good choice from You by Your knowledge, and I seek help from You through Your power, and I ask You from Your immense bounty. You have power, and I have none; You know, and I do not know; and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair—or he said: in my present and future affairs—then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and then bless it for me. And if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair—or he said: in my present and future affairs—then turn it away from me and turn me away from it. Decree good for me wherever it may be, then make me content with it.”’ He said: ‘And he should name his need.’