Book 9: Supplications

‘A'isha said that when God’s messenger sat in an assembly or prayed he spoke some words, so she asked him about them. Saying that they were, “Glory be to Thee, O God, and I begin with praise of Thee; there is no god but Thou; I ask forgiveness of Thee and turn to Thee in repentance,” he told her that if one speaks what is good this will act as a seal on his words till the day of resurrection, and that if one speaks what is evil this will act as an atonement for what he has said. Nasa’i transmitted it.

Qatada told of hearing that when God’s messenger saw the new moon he said, “A new moon of good and right guidance; a new moon of good and right guidance; a new moon of good and right guidance. I believe in Him who created you” (three times). He would then say, “Praise be to God who has made such and such a month to pass and has brought such and such a month.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying that if anyone is afflicted by much care he should say, “O God, I am Thy servant, the son of Thy servant, the son of Thy handmaid, and at Thy disposal; my forelock is in Thy hand; Thy judgment is effective regarding me; just concerning me is Thy decree; I ask Thee by every name Thou hast by which Thou hast called Thyself, or sent down in Thy Book, or taught any of Thy creatures, or kept to Thyself in the hidden place of the unseen, to make the Qur’an the Spring of my heart and the means of clearing away my care and grief.” He declared that no one had ever said it without God removing his grief and giving him joy instead of it. Razin transmitted it.

Jabir said that when they went up to high ground they said, “God is most great,” and when they descended they said, “Glory be to God.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Anas told that when anything caused God’s messenger anxiety he would say, “O Living One, O Eternal One, in Thy mercy I seek help.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a gharib tradition which is not committed to memory.* *Laisa bi-mahfuz is used here. A tradition called mahfuz is one which is considered superior when compared with a shadhdh tradition (cf. p. xii).

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said that at the battle of the Trench [The siege of Medina in 5 A. H.] they asked God’s messenger whether there was anything they could repeat, for their hearts were in their mouths.* He replied that there was; they should say, “O God, cover our danger points(1) and give security from fears.” He said that God then sent a wind in the faces of His enemies and God routed them by the wind. *Literally, ‘For the hearts had reached the windpipes.’ 1. The word is 'aurat used in a similar prayer on p. 510. There it was translated 'faults'. Another meaning refers to places on a frontier, etc., which give openings to an enemy, and so are places where caution is necessary. This seems more suitable in the present context. Cf. Mirqat, iii, 134. Ahmad transmitted it.

Buraida reported that when the Prophet (ﷺ) entered the market he said, “In the name of God. O God, I ask Thee for the good of this market and the good of what it contains, and I seek refuge in Thee from its evil and the evil of what it contains. O God, I seek refuge in Thee lest I get a bad bargain in it.” Baihaqi transmitted it in [Kitab] ad-Da‘ awat al-kabir.