The Book of Seeking Refuge with Allah

Qutaybah reported to us; he said: Sufyan and Malik both narrated to us, from Abu al-Zinad, from al-Aʿraj, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: ‘Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave. Seek refuge in Allah from the trials of life and death. Seek refuge in Allah from the trial of the False Messiah, al-Dajjal.’

ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad reported to us; he said: Abu Dawud narrated to us; he said: Shuʿbah narrated to us; he said: Yaʿla ibn ʿAtaʾ informed me; he said: I heard Abu ʿAlqamah narrate from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to seek refuge from five things, saying: ‘Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave, from the punishment of Hell, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the False Messiah, al-Dajjal.’

Muhammad ibn Bashshar reported to us from Muhammad, who mentioned a phrase to the effect that Shuʿbah narrated to us, from Yaʿla ibn ʿAtaʾ, who said: I heard Abu ʿAlqamah al-Hashimi say: I heard Abu Hurayrah say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: ‘Whoever obeys me has obeyed Allah, and whoever disobeys me has disobeyed Allah.’ He used to seek refuge from the punishment of the grave, the punishment of Hell, the trials of the living and the dead, and the trial of the False Messiah, al-Dajjal.

Abu Dawud reported to us; he said: Abu al-Walid narrated to us; he said: Abu ʿAwanah narrated to us, from Yaʿla ibn ʿAtaʾ, from his father, from Abu ʿAlqamah, who said: Abu Hurayrah told me, directly from his mouth to mine. He said—meaning the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: ‘Seek refuge in Allah from five things: the punishment of Hell, the punishment of the grave, the trials of life and death, and the trial of the False Messiah, al-Dajjal.’

Qutaybah reported to us, from Malik, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Tawus, from ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAbbas, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to teach them this supplication as he taught them a surah of the Qur’an: ‘Say: O Allah, we seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell. I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave; I seek refuge in You from the trial of the False Messiah, al-Dajjal; and I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death.’

Muhammad ibn Maymun reported to us, from Sufyan, from ʿAmr, from Tawus, from Abu Hurayrah; and (through another chain) from Abu al-Zinad, from al-Aʿraj, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: ‘Seek refuge in Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, from Allah’s punishment. Seek refuge in Allah from the trials of life and death, from the punishment of the grave, and from the trial of the False Messiah, al-Dajjal.’

Al-Harith ibn Miskin said, as it was read to him while I listened, from Ibn al-Qasim, from Malik, from Abu al-Zinad, from al-Aʿraj, from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to supplicate, saying: ‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the punishment of Hell; I seek refuge in You from the punishment of the grave; I seek refuge in You from the trial of the False Messiah, al-Dajjal; and I seek refuge in You from the trials of life and death.’

Abu ʿAsim reported to us; he said: al-Qasim ibn Kathir al-Muqriʾ narrated to us, from al-Layth ibn Saʿd, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, from Sulayman ibn Yasar, who heard Abu Hurayrah say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say in his supplication: ‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the trial of the grave, the trial of al-Dajjal, and the trials of life and death.’ Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman said: ‘This is an error; the correct name is Sulayman ibn Sinan.’

Muhammad ibn Mansur reported to us; he said: Sufyan narrated to us, from Abu al-Zinad, from al-Aʿraj, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: ‘Seek refuge in Allah from Allah’s punishment. Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave. Seek refuge in Allah from the trials of life and death. Seek refuge in Allah from the trial of the False Messiah, al-Dajjal.’

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim reported to us; he said: Abu ʿAmir al-ʿAqadi informed us; he said: Shuʿbah narrated to us, from Budayl ibn Maysarah, from ʿAbdullah ibn Shaqiq, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to seek refuge from the punishment of Hell, the punishment of the grave, and the False Messiah, al-Dajjal.

Mahmud ibn Khalid reported to us; he said: al-Walid narrated to us; he said: Abu ʿAmr narrated to us, from Yahya, who related to him: Abu Salamah informed me; he said: Abu Hurayrah told me: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the Fire and the punishment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the evil of the False Messiah, al-Dajjal.’

Ahmad ibn Hafs reported to us; he said: My father narrated to me; he said: Ibrahim narrated to me, from Sufyan ibn Saʿid, from Abu Hassan, from Jasrah, from ʿAishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘O Allah, Lord of Jibril and Mika'il, and Lord of Israfil, I seek refuge in You from the heat of the Fire and from the punishment of the grave.’

ʿAmr ibn Sawwad reported to us; he said: Ibn Wahb narrated to us; he said: ʿAmr ibn al-Harith narrated to us, from Yazid ibn Abi Habib, from Sulayman ibn Sinan al-Muzani, who heard Abu Hurayrah say: I heard Abu al-Qasim, peace and blessings be upon him, say during his prayer: ‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the trial of the grave, from the trial of al-Dajjal, from the trials of life and death, and from the heat of Hell.’ Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman said: ‘This is the correct version.’

Qutaybah reported to us; he said: Abu al-Ahwas narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, from Burayd ibn Abi Maryam, from Anas ibn Malik, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: ‘Whoever asks Allah for Paradise three times, Paradise says, “O Allah, admit him to Paradise.” And whoever seeks protection from the Fire three times, the Fire says, “O Allah, protect him from the Fire.”’

ʿAmr ibn ʿAli reported to us; he said: Yazid—namely, Ibn Zurayʿ—narrated to us; he said: Husayn al-Muʿallim narrated to us, from ʿAbdullah ibn Buraydah, from Bushayr ibn Kaʿb, from Shaddad ibn Aws, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: ‘The foremost supplication for forgiveness is for a servant to say: “O Allah, You are my Lord; there is no god but You. You created me, and I am Your servant. I remain true to Your covenant and promise as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge to You my sin, and I acknowledge Your blessing upon me, so forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.” If someone says it in the morning, firmly believing in it, and dies, he will enter Paradise; and if he says it in the evening, firmly believing in it, and dies, he will enter Paradise.’ Al-Walid ibn Thaʿlabah differed from him in this report.’

Yunus ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿla reported to us, from Ibn Wahb, who said: Musa ibn Shaybah informed me, from al-Awzaʿi, from ʿAbdah ibn Abi Lubabah, that Ibn Yasaf told him he had asked ʿAishah, the wife of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: ‘What supplication did the Messenger of Allah most often make before his death?’ She said: ‘The supplication he made most often was: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not done.”’

ʿImran ibn Bakkar informed me; he said: Abu al-Mughira narrated to us; he said: al-Awzaʿi narrated to us; he said: ʿAbdah informed me; he said: Ibn Yasaf informed me: ʿAishah was asked, ‘What supplication did the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, make most often?’ She said: ‘The supplication he made most often was: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not yet done.”’

Muhammad ibn Qudamah informed me, from Jarir, from Mansur, from Hilal ibn Yasaf, from Farwah ibn Nawfal, who said: I asked the Mother of the Believers, ʿAishah, what the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to supplicate. She said: ‘He used to say: “I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not done.”’

Hannad reported to us, from Abu al-Ahwas, from Husayn, from Hilal, from Farwah ibn Nawfal, from ʿAishah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say: ‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not done.’

Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿla reported to us; he said: al-Muʿtamir narrated to us, from his father, from Husayn, from Hilal ibn Yasaf, from Farwah ibn Nawfal, who said: I asked ʿAishah, ‘Tell me something the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to supplicate with.’ She said: ‘The Messenger of Allah used to say: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not done.”’