Hadith 8, 40 Hadith Qudsi

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported from the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace):

‘Whoever performs a prayer without reciting the Opening of the Book in it, it is deficient—three times over—and incomplete.’ Abu Hurayrah was asked, ‘We are behind the imam.’ He said, ‘Recite it quietly to yourself, for I heard the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) say: Allah, Might and Majesty belong to Him, said: “I have divided the prayer between Me and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he asks for. When the servant says, ‘All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds,’ Allah, Might and Majesty belong to Him, says, ‘My servant has praised Me.’ When he says, ‘The Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful,’ Allah, Might and Majesty belong to Him, says, ‘My servant has extolled Me.’ When he says, ‘Master of the Day of Judgment,’ Allah says, ‘My servant has glorified Me’—and on one occasion He said, ‘My servant has entrusted [his affair] to Me.’ When he says, ‘You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help,’ He says, ‘This is between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.’ When he says, ‘Guide us to the straight path, the path of those You have blessed, not those who have incurred anger, nor those who are astray,’ He says, ‘This is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.’”’

It was related by Muslim (and likewise by Malik, al-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, al-Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah).