Jami` at-Tirmidhi 480

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

Jabir ibn Abdullah said: The Messenger of Allah used to teach us to seek guidance from Allah in all matters, just as he taught us a surah from the Quran. He would say: "When one of you is considering a matter, let him pray two non-obligatory rakahs and then say: O Allah, I seek the better choice from You through Your knowledge, and I seek ability from You through Your power. I ask You from Your immense bounty, for You have power and I do not, You know and I do not, 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 in its immediate or later outcome—then decree it for me, make it easy for me, and bless it for me. But if You know that this matter is bad for me in my religion, my livelihood, and the outcome of my affair—or in its immediate or later outcome—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: Then let him name his need. Reports on this topic are also narrated from Abdullah ibn Masud and Abu Ayyub. Abu Isa said: The hadith of Jabir is hasan sahih gharib; we know it only through the report of Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Mawali. He was a trustworthy scholar from Madinah. Sufyan narrated a hadith from him, and more than one leading scholar narrated from Abd al-Rahman. He was Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Abi al-Mawali.