Injunction on Supplication:
Allah has commanded people to call upon Him humbly and sincerely, promising them He will respond to their prayers and fulfill their needs.

Nu'man b. Bashir reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Verily supplication is worship." Then he recited the Qur'anic verse, "And your Lord says, 'Call on Me. I will answer your prayer, but those who are too arrogant to serve me will surely find themselves humiliated in Hell!'' Qur'an 40.60. This is reported by Ahmad and Sunan.

'Abdar Razzaq reported from Al-Hasan that the Companions asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, "Where is our Lord?" At this Allah sent down the following verse of the Qur'an, "When My servants ask you (O, Muhammad) conceming Me, I am indeed close to them. I listen to the prayer of every supplicant when he calls upon Me.'' Qur'an 2.186

Abu Hurairah reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Nothing is more dear to Allah than one's supplication to Him.'' (Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

Abu Hurairah also reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Whoever wants Allah to answer his prayers during difficult times, should supplicate to Him more and more in times of ease'.'' (Tirmidhi) Abu Ya'la related from Anas that the Prophet, peace be upon him, reporting from his Lord said, "Allah said, 'There are four characteristics, of which one is Mine, one yours, one common between Me and you, and one is common between you and My other servants. The one that is Mine is that you shall not associate any other god with Me, the one that is for you is that when you do a good deed I shall reward you for it, the one that is common between Me and you is that when you supplicate I shall respond to your supplications, and the one that is common between you and My other servants is that you should like for them what you like for your own selves'."

In a sound hadith the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Allah's wrath is on the one who does not call upon Him for help." 'Aishah reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'Precautions are of no avail against the decree of Allah, but the supplication benefits in the case of a calamity that strikes or is about to strike. And when a calamity descends the supplication intercepts it and holds it at bay until the Day of Resurrection'. (Reported by Al-Bazar, At-Tabrani, and Al-Hakim, who says its chain of authorities is sound)

Salman Al-Farisi reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Nothing can avert the decree of Allah except supplication, and nothing increases life except virtuous deeds." (Tirmidhi) Abu 'Awanah and Ibn Hibban reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When one of you supplicates, he should ask Allah for something important and great, for nothing is difficult for Allah."

Prayer of a Muslim for Another Muslim in his Absence:
Safwan ibn 'Abdallah reported, "I visited Abu Darda's house in Syria. I did not find him there but Umm Darda was present at the house. She asked, 'Do you intend to perform Hajj during this year?' I replied, 'Yes.' She said, 'Do supplicate Allah for us, for Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, used to say, "The supplication of a Muslim for his brother in his absence is accepted when he makes a supplication for blessings for his brother, and the commissioned Angel says, 'Amen, May it be for you too!"" I went to the market and met Abu Darda and he narrated a similar report from Allah' s Messenger, peace be upon him. (Reported by Muslim and Abu Daw'ud)

Abdallah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The supplication that gets the quickest answer is the one made by one Muslim for another in his absence.'' (Abu Daw'ud and Tirmidhi)

'Umar ibn al-Khattab reports, "I sought permission of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to perform 'Umrah. He gave me permission, and said, 'My younger brother, do not forget me in your prayers. ' 'Umar said, 'It was a word more pleasing to me than the entire wealth of the world'."

Opening Words Recommended for a Supplication:
Buraidah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard a man saying, "O Allah, I ask You, I bear witness that there is no god but You, the One, the Etemal, Besought of all, Who begets not, nor is begotten; and there is none like unto Him." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "You have asked Allah by His Greatest Name. When one asks Him by this name, He gives, what one desires, and when supplicated by this name He answers." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud and Tirmidhi, who regards it a sound hadith)

Commenting on the above hadith, Al-Mundhri says, "Our teacher Abu al-Hasan Al-Maqdisi said, 'There is no weakness in its chain, and no other and more sound hadith is found on this subject'."

Mu'adh b. Jabal reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard a man saying, " O Lord of Majesty and Honor!" At this the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Your supplication will be heard, so ask for what you want to ask.'' (Reported by Tirmidhi, who says it is a sound hadith)

Anas reported, "Once the Prophet, peace be upon him, passed by Abu 'Ayyash, Zayd b. as-Samit az-Zarqi, while he was offering prayer and saying, 'O Allah, I call upon You for to You is due all praise, there is no god but You, O the Compassionate One, O the True Benefactor, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of Majesty and Honor, O the Living One, O the One Who is self-subsisting and sustains all.' The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'You have called upon Allah by His greatest name. Anyone calling upon Him by this name is heard, and whatever one asks Him for, He grants it'."

(Reported by Ahmad and others. Al-Hakim says that it is sound according to the criterion of Muslim) Mu'awiyah reported, "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying, 'Whoever supplicates with these five phrases will be granted whatever he asks, 'la ilaha illa-Allah wallahu akhar (there is no god but Allah and Allah is the greatest), la ilaha ill-Allahu wahdahu la sharika lahu (there is no god but only Allah, and he has no partners), lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd wa huwa 'ala kulli shai'in qadir (to Him belongs the authority and His is all praise, and He has power over all things), la ilaha illa-Allahu wa la hawla wala quwwata illa billah (there is no god but Allah and there is no power nor any strength except with His permission)." (Reported by At-Tabarani with a sound chain)

Supplications for Morning and Evening:
The time for the supplications of morning is from dawn until the sunrise, and those of the evening are meant for the time between 'Asr (late afternoon) until the sunset.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone said in the morning and evening: 'subhana-Allah wa bihamdihi' (Glory to Allah and all praise to Him), a hundred times, on the Day of Judgment none will come with anything better than that except the person who utters similar words or adds some to them."

Ibn Mas'ud reported, "When it was evening the Prophet, peace be upon him, would supplicate, "We have evening and the whole Kingdom of Allah also has evening and all praise is due to Allah. There is no god but Allah, the One Who has no partner with Him, His is the Sovereignty and all Praise is due to Him, and He has power over all things. O Allah, I ask You the good of this night and I seek refuge in You from the evil of this night and the evil that follows it. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from sloth and from the evil of vanity. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the torment of Hell-Fire and from the torment of the grave." And likewise when it was morning he would say, "It is morning for us and [also] for the whole Kingdom of Allah." (Muslim)

Abdallah b. Habib reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Speak." I asked, "O Messenger of Allah, what should I say?" He replied, "Recite Surat al-Ikhlas, and the two last surahs (of the Qur'an), i.e. Surat al-Falaq and Surat an-Nas, in the morning and evening three times, and it will suffice you for everything."

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to teach his Companions, "When it is morning you should say, 'O Allah, we have reached morning with Your help and evening with Your help, and with Your help we live and by Your command we die, and to You is our Resurrection.' And when it is evening you should say, 'O Allah, with Your help we have reached evening, and with Your help we will reach morning, with Your help we live and by Your command we die, and to You is our return'." (Reported by Tirmidhi, who says it is a hasan sahih hadith)

Shaddad b. Aws reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The best supplication for forgiveness is to say, 'Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta, Khalaqtani wa ana 'abduka, wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa wa'dika mastata'tu. A'udhu bika min sharri ma sana'tu, abu'u laka bini'matika 'alayya wa abu'u laka bidhanbi faghfirli innahu la yaghfirudhdhunuba illa anta (O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no god but You. You created me and I am Your servant, and I try my best to keep my covenant (faith) with You and to live in the hope of Your promise. I seek refuge in You from evil done by me. I acknowledge Your favors upon me and I acknowledge my sins. So forgive me for none forgives sins but You."') The Prophet, peace be upon him, added, "If somebody recites this during the day with firm faith in it, and dies on the same day before the evening, he will be one of the people of Paradise. And if somebody recites it at night with firm faith in it, and dies before the morning, he will be one of the people of Paradise." (Bukhari) Abu Hurairah reported ihat once Abu Bakr as-Siddiq asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, to tell him something to pray in the morning and in the evening. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Say, O Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who knows the unseen and the seen, Lord and Possessor of everything! I testify that there is no god but You. I seek refuge in You from the evil within myself, from the evil of the devil, and from his inciting one to attribute partners to Allah." Then he added, "Say this in the morning, in the evening, and when you go to bed."

'Uthman b. 'Affan reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'If any servant of Allah says daily in the morning and in the evening, ' In the name of Allah, by Whose name nothing in the earth or in the heaven can do any harm, and He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing!" three times, nothing will harm him.' (Reported by Tirmidhi who regards it a hasan sahih (sound) hadith)

Thawban reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone says in the morning and in the evening, 'I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion, and with Muhammad as the Prophet,' Allah will certainly please him." (Tirmidhi, who says it is a sound (hasan sahih) hadith) Anas b. Malik reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone says in the morning or in the evening, 'O Allah! it is morning, I call to bear witness to You, and to the bearers of Your Throne, Your angels, and all Your creatures, that You are Allah other than Whom there is no god, and that Muhammad is Your servant and Messenger,' Allah will emancipate one-fourth of him from Hell. If one says it twice, Allah will emancipate one-half of him from Hell. If one says it three times, Allah will emancipate three-fourths of him (from Hell). And if he says it four times, Allah will emancipate him (completely) from Hel1. (Tirmidhi)

Abdallah ibn Ghannam reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone says in the morning, 'O Allah! Whatever favor has come to me, has come from You alone Who has no partner. To You all praise is due and all thanksgiving,' he expresses his thanksgiving for the day. And if anyone says the same in the evening, he expresses his thanks for the night. (Abu Daw'ud)

Abdallah ibn 'Umar said, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, always uttered these supplications in the evening and in the morning: 'O Allah, I ask You for security in this world and in the Hereafter. O Allah! I ask You for forgiveness and security in my din and in my worldly affairs, in my family and in my property. O Allah! Cover up my faults, and keep me safe from the things I fear. O Allah! Guard me from the front and the behind, from the right and the left, and from above. And I seek in Your greatness the protection from unexpected harm from beneath." (Abu Daw'ud and Al-Hakim) Waki' said, "This means to be swallowed up by the earth."

'Abdur-Rahman b. Abu Bakrah said that he told his father, "O my father! I hear you supplicating every morning with the words: 'O Allah! Grant me sound health. O Allah! Grant me sound hearing. O Allah! Grant me sound eyesight. There is no god but You.'

You repeat them three times in the morning and three times in the evening.' He replied, 'I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, using these words as a supplication and I like to follow his practice'." (Abu Daw'ud)

Ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone said, 'O Allah, I have risen with Your help, blessings, security, and protection, so complete Your blessings upon me, Your security for me, and your protection, in this world and in the Hereafter,' three times in the morning and in the evening, Allah will certainly complete His favors upon him."

Anas reported that once the Prophet, peace be upon him, exclaimed, "Can't anyone of you be like Abu Damdam?" The Companions asked, "Who is Abu Damdam, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "When he gets up in the morning he says, 'O Allah, I offer my honor and life to You?' So that he would not abuse those who abused him, nor would he wrong those who wronged him, or hit those who hit him." Abu Darda reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone says daily in the morning and in the evening, 'Allah suffices me, there is no god but He, in Him is my trust, and he is the Lord of the Throne, Supreme,' seven times, Allah will suffice him for all the concerns of the life of this world and of the Hereafter."

It is reported that Talq b. Habib said, "A man came to Abu Darda and said to him, 'O Abu Darda, your house has burned.' He said: 'No, it cannot be burned. Allah will never allow this to happen because of the words that I heard from the Prophet, peace be upon him. Whoever says these words in the beginning of a day, the Prophet, peace be upon him, told us, will not be afflicted by a misfortune until the end of the day, and whoever says these words in the evening will not be afflicted until morning. These words are, "O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no god but You, I put my trust in You, You are the Lord of the Mighty Throne. Whatever Allah wills will happen and what He does not will, cannot happen. There is no power or strength except with Allah, the Exalted, the Mighty. I know that Allah has power over all things, and Allah comprehends all things in knowledge. O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the evil of myself and from the evil of all creatures under Your control. Surely the straight way is my Sustainer's way"."' In some versions of this hadith we further find that he said, "Come, let us go. So he went with them to his house. They found all the area surrounding the house burned but his house was not damaged."

Supplications at Bed-Time:
Hudhaifah and Abu Dharr reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, went to bed, he would say, "O Allah, by Your name I live and die." And when he woke up he said, "Praise be to Allah Who gave us life after death and to Him is the return." He placed his right hand under his cheek and prayed, three times, "O Allah, save me from Your punishment on the day when You will raise Your creature."

He would also say, "O Allah, Lord of the heavens, the earth, and the Mighty Throne, our Lord and the Lord of everything, Who causes the seed to grow and the date-stone to split and sprout, Who sent down Taurah, Injil, and the Qur'an, I seek refuge in You from the evil of all evil-mongers under Your Control. You are the First and there is nothing before You, and You are the Last, and there is nothing after You. You are the Evident and there is nothing beyond You, and You are the Source and there is no power beside You. Relieve us of our debt and poverty." This is reported by Bukhari.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, also prayed, "Praise be to Allah Who has fed us and given us to drink, met all our needs, and given us refuge, while there are many who have neither anyone to meet their needs nor anyone to provide them with a refuge." And every night when he retired to bed he would hold out his hands together imploringly and blow over them after reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq, and Surah An-Nas, and then rub his hands over whichever parts of his body he was able to rub, starting with his head, face, and front of his body. He used to do that three times.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, instructed his Companions that when they go to bed they should supplicate, "In Your name, O Lord, I lay me down to sleep. And by Your leave I raise myself up. So if You take away my soul during sleep, forgive it, and if You keep it alive after sleep protect it just as You protect Your pious servants."

The Prophet, peace be upon him, once advised his daughter, Fatimah, "Say subhan-Allah thirty three times, al-hamdu-lillah, thirty three times, and Allahu akbar, thirty four times." He also commended the recitation of ayatal-Kursi, the verse of the Throne, Qur'an 2.255 along with the above supplications, and said that he who does so will be under the protection of Allah, Who will assign a protector to protect him.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to Bara, "When you go to bed make wudu as you do for the regular prayer, and then lie down on your right side and say, ' O Allah, I surrender my soul to You, and I tum my face toward You, and I trust my affairs to Your care. I turn to You in fear and hope. There is no refuge nor any protection against You except in You. I believe in Your book which You have revealed to Your Prophet whom You sent'." Then he added, "If you die, you will die in your true nature, and these words will be your last words."

Supplication on Waking Up:
The Prophet, peace be upon him, advised that on waking up from sleep one should say, "Thanks be to Allah Who returned my soul, made my body sound, and permitted me to remember Him."

When the Prophet, peace be upon him, woke he would say, "There is no god but You, glory be to You. O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness of my sins, and ask for Your mercy. O Allah, increase me in knowledge, and let not my heart deviate after You have guided me on the right path. Grant me mercy from You, for You are the Grantor of bounties without measure."

In another sound hadith the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "Whoever wakes up from sleep and cannot go back to sleep, and says, "La ilaha illa-Allahu wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa 'ala kulli sha' in qadeer, al-hamdu lillahi, wa subhan'Allah, wa la ilaha illallahu, wallahu akbar, wala hawla wala quwwata illa billah (there is no god but Allah, He is One and has no partner, to Him belongs all praise and all authority, and He has power over all things, praise be to Allah, glory be to Aliah, there is no god but Allah, Allah is the greatest, there is no power nor any authority but with Allah),' and then says, 'Allahumma ighfir li (O Allah, forgive me), or asks some other thing, will be answered, and if he makes wudu and offers a prayer it will be accepted from him."

When One is Frightened During Sleep:
'Umar b. Shu'aib reported from his father and he from his grandfather that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When one of you is frightened during sleep he should say, 'I seek protection in the perfect words of Allah, from His displeasure and punishment and from evil people, and from the (evil) prompting of devils and from their presence.' Then nothing will harm him." The narrator added, "Ibn 'Umar used to teach this to his children, both grown up and young, and he would write it on a piece of paper and make them wear it around their necks." The chain of authorities of this hadith is sound.

Khalid b. Walid reported that once he suffered from insomnia. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him, "Shall I teach you words that will make you go to sleep when you say them? Say, 'O Allah, the Lord of the seven heavens and whatever they cover, Lord of the earths and whatever they contain, Creator of devils and whomever they mislead, be my protector from the evil of all Your creatures lest some of them may hasten with insolence against me or transgress the bounds. Honored is he who is in Your protection and blessed be Your name, there is no god except You'.' (Reported by At-Tabrani in his Al-Kahir and Al-Awsat. Its chain is sound, although Abdur-Rahman did not hear it from Khalid. Al-Hafiz al-Mundhari has mentioned it)

Bara' b. 'Azib reported that a man complained to the Prophet, peace be upon him, about fear and depression. The Prophet said to him, 'Say, 'Glory to Allah, the Holy, the King, Lord of the angels and of Gabriel. Your power and glory encompass the heavens and the earth." The man said these words and Allah healed him of his depression and fear.

Prayer on Dreaming Something Unpleasant:
Jabir reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, -If someone of you sees an unpleasant dream he should spit three times on his left side and seek Allah's refuge from the accursed Satan, and change the side on which he was lying.' (Reported by Muslim, Abu Daw'ud, Nasa-i, and Ibn Majah) Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri reported that he heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying, "When someone among you sees a good and pleasing dream, he should know that it is from Allah, and so he should praise and thank Allah, and describe to others what he saw in the dream. But if he sees something he dislikes then it is from Satan, so he should seek Allah's refuge from its evil and should not mention it to anyone. It will not harm him." (Reported by Tirmidhi, who said it is a hasan sahih hadith)

Prayer On Wearing Clothes:
Ibn As-Sinni reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, put on his clothes, whether a shirt, a cloak, or a turban, he would say, "O Allah, I seek from You its goodness and the goodness for which it is made, and I seek Your refuge against its evil and the evil that is apportioned for it."

Mu'adh b. Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If anyone wears a new garment and says, 'All thanks and praise be to Allah, Who clothed me and gave me sustenance, whereas I have no power or strength,' Allah will forgive all his previous sins." To pronounce the name of Allah is also recommended, because anything done without invoking Allah's name is flawed.

Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri reported that when the Prophet, peace be him, got a new piece of garment, he would mention it, whether a turban or a shirt or a cloak, and then would say, "O Allah all praise and thanks be to You. You have given me this garment. I seek from You its good and the good that is made of it and I seek Your refuge against its evil and the evil that it is made of." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud and Tirmidhi, who considers it a sound hadith)

'Umar reported that he heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, say "If anyone wears some new clothing and says, 'all praise and thanks be to Allah Who clothed me to cover my nakedness, and made it a means of adomment for me,' and then takes his old garment and gives it in charity, will be under the protection of Allah and will be treated as if struggling in the cause of Allah, in life and after his death."

On Seeing Another Muslim Wearing Some New Clothes:
According to a sound hadith, the Prophet, peace be upon him, dressed Umm Khalid, a small girl, in a black woolen blanket and said to her, "May you live so long that you will wear out many garments." The Companions used to say, "May you live so long that you wear out this garment and may Allah replace it with a better one." On seeing 'Umar wearing some new clothes the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "May you wear new clothes and may you live nobly and die as a happy martyr.' (Reported by Ibn Majah and Ibn As-Sinni)

On Discarding a Piece of Clothing:
Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The barrier between the eyes of the Jinn and the nakedness of the Children of Adam is [created] when a Muslim discards a garment and says, 'In the name of Allah besides Whom there is no other god'." (Ibn As-Sinni)

On Leaving One's House:
Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When one of you leaves the house he should say, 'In the name of Allah, I put my trust in Allah. There is no power or strength except with Allah.' To him is said, 'This is sufficient for you. You are protected, saved, and guided.' The devil leaves him alone, saying to another devil, 'How can you tackle a man who is guided, saved, and well protected'.' (Abu Daw'ud)

A sound hadith reports the following supplication from Anas: "In the name of Allah, I believe in Allah, and I seek protection of Allah. There is no power or strength except with Allah." (Musnad Ahmad) Umm Salmah reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, whenever left her apartment he would look up and then pray, "O Allah, I seek Your refuge against going astray or leading others astray, slipping or causing others to slip, doing wrong or being wronged by others, and behaving arrogantly or being treated arrogantly by others." (Reported by Tirmidhi, who considers it a sound hadith)

Prayers On Entering One's House:
Jabir reported, "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying, 'If a man remembers Allah while entering his house and eating his meals, the devil says to his forces, "You will have no place to sleep or food to eat." But if the person fails to remember Allah while entering his house the devil says to them, "You have found the place to rest at night." And if he does not remember Allah while eating meals, the devil says, "You have found the place to rest and meals to eat.' ' "(Muslim)

Abu Malik Al-Asha'ri reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When a man enters his house he should say, 'O Allah, I seek of You the best of entrance and the best of departure. In the name of Allah we enter and in the name of Allah we go out, and we put our trust in Allah, our Lord,' and then he should greet his family." (Abu Daw'ud)

Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him, "O son, when you enter your house say, 'As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you).' It will bring blessing to you and to your family." (Tirmidhi)

On Seeing Something Pleasing About One's Own Property:
On seeing something good and pleasing concerning one's family or property one should say, "Allah's will be done! There is no power or strength except with Allah." (Reported by Ibn As-Sinni) And on seeing in them something unpleasant, he should say, "Praise and thanks be to Allah under all circumstances." Allah says in the Qur'an (18.39), "Why did you not say, as you went into your garden, 'Allah's Will be done! There is no power but with Allah!"'

Anas reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'If for every blessing bestowed by Allah upon his servant in his family or property the servant says, "Allah's will be done! There is no power but with Allah," he will witness no misfortune concerning them except that of death'." (Reported by Ibn As-Sinni) It is reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, on seeing something good and pleasing used to say, "Praise be to Allah with Whose blessings all good deeds are perfected." And when he saw something that displeased him, he would say, "Praise and thanks be to Allah under all circumstances." (Reported by Ibn Majah. Al-Hakim said, -The chain of this hadith is sound and its narrators are trustworthy)

On Looking into a Mirror:
'Ali reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, looked into a mirror he would say, "Praise and thanks be to Allah. O Allah, make me good mannered as You made me good looking." (Reported by Ibn As-Sinni) Anas reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, looked at his face in the mirror, he would say, "Praise be to Allah Who fashioned my nature and gave it a perfect form, and Who honored my face and made it good, and made me one of the Muslims."

On Seeing Someone in Distress:
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "If one sees an afflicted person and says, 'Praise and thanks be to Allah Who has saved me from what he has afflicted you with, and has honored me over many of His creatures,' he will be saved from that affliction." (Reported by Tirmidhi, who considers it sound)

An-Nawawi states that the scholars said, "One should say the above mentioned supplication inaudibly so that the afflicted person should not hear it, lest he should be grieved by it. But if the affliction is the result of his sinful conduct then there is no harm in his listening if he is not heedful of evil."

On Hearing the Sound of a Cock, a Donkey, and a Dog:
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, -Seek refuge with Allah against the devil when you hear the sound of a donkey, for it sees the devil, and when you hear a cock, pray to Allah for His bounty, for it sees an angel.' (Bukhan and Muslim)

Abu Daw'ud's version reads, "When you hear the barking of dogs and braying of donkeys during the night seek the refuge of Allah from them, for they see what you don't."

When the Wind Blows:
Abu Hurairah reported, "I heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying, "The wind is a blessing from Allah. It brings mercy as well as punishment. So when you see it do not abuse it, and ask Allah for its good, and seek refuge with Allah against its evil'." (Reported by Abu Daw'ud with a sound chain of narrators)

'Aishah reported that whenever the wind blew, the Prophet, peace be upon him, would supplicate, "O Allah, I ask You for its good, and the good that is in it, and the good of what it is sent with, and I seek Your refuge against its evil, and the evil it is sent with." (Muslim)

On Hearing Thunder:
Ibn 'Umar reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, heard the sound of thunder or lightning he would say, "O Allah, do not destroy us with Your wrath nor let us perish with Your punishment, and save us before it comes to pass." (Reported by Tirmidhi, by its chain of authorities is weak)

On Seeing the Moon:
'Abdallah b.'Umar reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw moon he would say, "Allah is the Greatest! O Allah, make it shine upon us in peace, faith, security, safety, and with the power to do what You love and are pleased with! O moon! Your Lord and our Lord is Allah." (At-Tabarani) Qatadah reported that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, saw the moon, he would say, "You are the new moon of goodness and guidance, the new moon of goodness and guidance. I believe in Allah Who created you." He said this three times. And then he would add, "Praise be to Allah Who caused such and such month to go by in this manner and brought another month (which he named)." This is reported by Abu Daw 'ud.

Supplications of Sorrow and Grief:
Ibn 'Abbas reported, "The Prophet, peace be upon him, at times of sorrow and grief used to supplicate, La iliha illa Allah Al-'Azim, Al-'Alim, la ilaha illa Allah, Rabbul 'arshil 'Azim, la ilaha illa Allahu, Rabbus-Samawati wa rabbul ardi wa rabbul 'arshi karim (There is no god but Allah, the Mighty, the Forbearing, there is no god but Allah, the Lord of the mighty throne, there is no god but Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, and the Lord of the throne of honor)'." This is reported by Bukhari and Muslim.

Anas said that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, was faced with a serious difficulty, he would always supplicate, "Ya Hayyu, ya Qayyumu, bi-rahmatika astaghithu (O the Living, O the Eternal, I seek help in Your grace). (Tirmidhi)

Abu Hurairah reported that whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, was faced with a serious difficulty, he would raise his head to the sky and supplicate, "Subhan-Allah al-'Azim (glory be to Allah, the Mighty)." And when he implored seriously and strongly, he would say "Ya Hayyu, Ya Qayyum (O the Living, the Eternal One)." (Tirmidhi)

Abu Bakrah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The supplications of distress are, 'Allahumma rahmataka arju, fala takilni ila nafsi tarfata 'ain, wa aslah li sha'ni kullahu, la ilaha illa anta (O Allah, I hope for Your mercy, so give me not over to my self even for as little as wink of an eye, and set right all my affairs, there is no god but You)." (Abu Daw'ud)

Asma, daughter of 'Amais, reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, asked her, "Shall I tell you words that you may say in times of pain or distress. These are, 'Allah, Allah, Rabbi la ushriku bihi shai'an (Allah, Allah, my Lord, I associate none with Him)." Another narration says that these words should be said seven times. (Abu Daw'ud)

Sa'd ibn Waqas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The supplication made by the Companion of the Fish (Prophet Yunus) in the belly of the fish was, 'La ilaha illa anta, subhanaka, inni kuntu minaz-zalimin (there is no god but You, You are far exalted and above all weaknesses, and I was indeed the wrongdoer)'.

If any Muslim supplicates in these words, his supplication will be accepted." In another report we read, "I know words that will cause Allah to remove one's distress. These are the words (of supplication) of my brother Yunus, peace be upon him,'' (Tirmidhi)

Ibn Mas'ud reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If any servant of Allah afflicted with distress or grief makes this supplication, his supplication will be accepted: 'O Allah, I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of your maidservant. My forehead is in Your hand. Your command conceming me prevails, and Your decision concerning me is just. I call upon You by every one of the beautiful names by which You have described Yourself, or which You have revealed in Your book, or have taught anyone of Your creatures, or which You have chosen to keep in the knowledge of the unseen with You, to make the Qur'an the delight of my heart, the light of my breast, and remover of my griefs, sorrows, and afflictions'." A supplication in these words will be answered. Allah will remove one's affliction and replace it with joy and happiness. (Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban)

On Encountering the Enemy, and When One is Afraid of the Ruler:
Abu Musa narrated that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, feared a people, he used to supplicate against them in these words, "O Allah, we request you to kill them and we seek Your protection against their evil.' (Abu Daw'ud and Nasa'i)

Ibn As-Sinni reported that in a battle the Prophet, peace be upon him, supplicated, "O Master of the Day of Judgment, I worship You alone, and seek only Your help." Anas remarked, "I saw the angels fighting against his enemies and defeating them left and right."

It is also reported from Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When you are afraid of a ruler or someone else, you should say, 'There is no god but Allah, the Forbearing, the Gracious. Glory be to Allah, my Lord, glory be to Allah, the Lord of the seven heavens and of the mighty throne. There is no god but You, strong is your protection, and great is Your praise'."

Ibn 'Abbas said, "Hasbuna-Allah wa ni'am alwakil (Allah suffices us for everything and He is the most excellent guardian)," and then he added, "These words were uttered by the Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, when he was thrown into the fire, and the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said these words when the people informed him, 'The people have gathered against you'." (Bukhari) 'Awf b. Malik reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, judged the case of two men. The one who lost the case, turning away to go, said, "Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best guardian." The Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him, "Allah disapproves of weakness and impotence. You must put in effort and work, but if you are overwhelmed by a difficulty then say, 'Allah is sufficient for me, and he is the most excellent guardian'."

When One is Confronted with a Difficult Situation:
Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to supplicate, "O Allah, there is no ease except what You make easy, and you alone can turn a difficulty into ease." (Ibn As-sinni)

When One is Destitute:
Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When you leave your house and are afflicted with hardship, why don't you pray, 'In the name of Allah respecting myself, my property, and my din. O Allah, cause me to be satisfied and pleased with Your decree, and bless me in whatis decreed for me, so that I will not want to hasten what You have delayed, nor to delay what You have hastened'." (Ibn As-Sinni)

When One is in Debt:
'Ali related that a slave, who had agreed on terms of his freedom with his master, came to him and said, "I cannot pay my master as I agreed in the terms of freedom, so help me." 'Ali said to him, "Let me teach you the supplication that the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught me. If you say it, Allah will cause your debt to be paid even if it be as great as a mountain. Say, 'O Allah, make Your lawful bounties sufficient for me so as to save me from what is unlawful, and from Your grace grant me sufficient abundance to make me free from the need of all except You'." (Reported by Tirmidhi, who considers it sound)

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported, "One day the Prophet, peace beupon him, entered the mosque. He saw there a man from the Ansar called Abu Umamah. He asked, 'What is the matter with you that I see you sitting in the mosque when it is not the time of prayer.' He replied, 'I am very much worried and in great debt, O Messenger of Allah!' The Prophet said, 'Let me teach you words to say so that Allah will remove your worries and settle your debt?' He exclaimed, 'Of course, O, Messenger of Allah.' The Prophet said, 'Say in morning and evening, "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from all worry and grief. I seek refuge in You from incapacity and slackness. I seek refuge in You from cowardice and niggardliness, and I seek refuge in You from being overcome by debt and being subjected to men".' The man said, 'When I did that, Allah removed all my worries and settled my debt'." (Abu Daw'ud)

When One is Faced with Something Difficult or Unpleasant:
Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "When one of you is afflicted with any misfortune he should say, 'Ina li llahi wa inna 'ilayhi Raji'un (We are for Allah, and to Him is our return),' even if it be merely losing one's shoe straps, for this is also a misfortune." (Ibn As-Sinni)

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "A strong believer is better and dearer to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone, but cherish what gives you benefit in the Hereafter and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don't say, 'If I had not done that, such and such thing would not have happened,' but say, 'Allah has ordained it so, and whatever He pleases He does,' because 'ifs' and 'buts' open the door for Satan."(Muslim)

What to Say When One is Struck by Doubt:
Abu Hurairah reported that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said, "Satan comes to you and says, 'Who created so-and-so, until finally he says, 'Who created your Lord?' So, when he inspires such a doubt, one should seek refuge with Allah and give up such thoughts.'' (Bukhari and Muslim) Another sahih hadith reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "The people will continue raising questions until they ask, 'Allah created the creation, but who created Allah?' So whoever is faced with such a situation should say, 'I believe in Allah and His messengers'."

When One is Angry:
Sulaiman b. Sard said, "I was sitting with the Prophet, peace be upon him, when two men abused each other and one of them became so angry that his face became swollen and changed. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'I know a word that that will cause him to relax, and this is, "I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed." (If he said these words) his anger will cool down.' (Muslim aud Bukhari)

Some Comprehensive Supplications:
'Aishah says that the Prophet, peace be upon him, loved the short but comprehensive, meaningful supplications, more than others. We give below some of these supplications, which are a must for every believer.

Anas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, frequently prayed, "O Allah, give us all the good of this world, and the good of the life hereafter, and save us from the punishment of the fire."

The Prophet, peace be upon him, visited one of the Muslims who had become as feeble as a chicken, and inquired about his health. Allah's Messenger, peace be him, asked, "Did you supplicate Allah for anything or beg Him for it?" He replied, "Yes, I asked in these words, 'O, God punish me in this world with the punishment that You are going to inflict on me in the Hereafter'." Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, remarked, "Hallowed be Allah! You have neither the power nor the forbearance to take upon yourself the burden of Allah's punishment. Why did you not say this, 'O Allah, grant us all the good of the world, and all the good of the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of the fire?"' Then the Prophet, peace be upon him, made this supplication for him and he was all right. (Muslim)

Sa'd ibn Abu Waqqas heard his son praying, "O Allah, I ask You for Paradise and its blessings and its pleasure, and for such-and-such, and such-and-such. I seek refuge in You from Hell, from its chains, from its collars, and from such-and-such, and from such-and-such." At this Sa'd said, "You have asked Allah for a lot of good, and sought His refuge from a lot of evil. I heard Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, saying, 'There will be people who will exaggerate in supplication. For you it is sufficient to say, "O Allah, I seek from You all the good, whether I know it or I do not know it, and I seek Your refuge from all the evil, whether I know it or I do not know it.' (Ahmad and Nasa'i)

'Abdallah ibn 'Abbas reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, prayed to Allah, "My Lord, help me and do not turn against me. Grant me victory, and do not grant victory over me. Plan on my behalf and do not plan against me. Guide me, and make the guidance easy for me. Grant me victory over those who act wrongfully toward me. O Allah, make me grateful to You, mindful of You, in awe of You, devoted to your obedience, humble, penitent, and ever turning to You in repentance. My Lord, accept my repentance, wash away my sins, answer my supplication, clearly establish my evidence, guide my heart, make my tongue true, and draw out malice from my breast."

Zaid ibn Arqam said, "I am not going to say anything except what Allah's Messenger, may peace be upon him, used to say. He used to supplicate, 'O Allah, I seek refuge in You from incapacity, from sloth, from cowardice, from miserliness, from old age, and from the torment of the grave. O Allah, grant my soul righteousness, and purify it, for You are the Best Purifier. You are the Protecting friend, and Guardian. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the knowledge that does not benefit, from a heart that does not fear You, from a soul that is uncontented, and from supplication to which You do not respond." (Muslim)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, exclaimed to his Companions, "O people, would you like to be serious in your supplications?" They replied, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger." He said, "Then ask Him, 'O Allah, help us in remembring You, in offering thanks to You, and in worshipping You properly'.' (Al-Hakim) Ahmad reports that the Prophet, peace be upon him, advised: "Recite frequently, "Ya dha al-jalali w al-ikram (O, Possessor of Majesty and sublimity)"'.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, also used to say, "O Controller of the Hearts, make my heart firm in Your faith. The balance is in the hands of the Beneficent, the Exalted, the Mighty, and He honors some and brings others low thereby. (Ahmad)

Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to supplicate, "O Allah, I seek refuge in You against deprivation of Your bounties, against loosing Your security, against the suddenness of Your wrath, and against everything that might cause Your anger."

The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to say, "O Allah, benefit me with what You have taught me, and teach me what is beneficial for me, and increase me in knowledge. Thanks be to Allah under all circumstances, and I seek Allah's refuge from the plight of the people of the fire.' (At-Tirmidhi) When (his daughter) Fatimah came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, asking him to give her a servant, he said, "Say, 'O Allah, the Lord of the seven heavens, and the magnificent throne, our Lord and the Lord of all things, the Revealer of the Torah, Injil, and the Qur'an, The Splitter and Grower of the seed grain and date stone, I seek Your refuge against the evil of all things that You hold under Your control. You are the First, there is nothing before You. You are the Last, and there is nothing after You. You are the Manifest and there is nothing above You, You are Innermost and there is nothing beyond You. Remove the burden of debt from us and relieve us from want'.' (Muslim)

The Prophet, peace be upon him, also used to supplicate, "O Allah, I beseech You for guidance, virtuousness, chastity, and detachment from the world."

'Abdallah Ibn 'Umar reported that the Prophet, peace be upon him, seldom left an assembly without using these supplications for his Companions: "O Allah, apportion to us the fear of You that will stand between us and acts of disobedience to You, and the obedience to You that will bring us to Your Paradise, and the certainty sufficient for You to make the calamities of this world easy for us. Grant us enjoyment of our hearing, our sight, and our power as long as You grant us life, and do the same for those who inherit from us. Grant us victory over those who have wronged us and help us against those who are hostile to us. Let no calamity befall our din, do not let worldly affairs become our greatest concern or all that we know about, and do not let those rule over us who do not show us mercy." (Reported by Tirmidhi, who considers it a sound hadith)

Invoking Blessings on the Prophet:
Allah says, "Allah and His angels send blessings to the Prophet, O you who believe! Send blessings to him, and salute him with all respect."

Sending Salutations to the Prophet on Hearing His Name. Is this Obligatory?:
Some Muslim scholars hold that it is obligatory to send salutations to the Prophet, i.e. invoke blessings upon him, each time one hears his name mentioned. They, like Al-Tahawi and Al-Halimi, base their argument on a hadith recorded by Tirmidhi, which he grades as sound, from Abu Hurairah, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "May the nose of the person in whose presence I am mentioned be covered with dirt if he does not invoke blessings upon me. And let the nose of that person be smeared with dust who finds the month of Ramadan but lets it come to an end without securing pardon for himself. And may the nose of the person be smeared wlth dust whose aged parents, both of them or one of them, are still living, and who fails them (i.e. by serving them) to enter Paradise." (Related by Tirmidhi, who said it is an authentic hadith)

In a report related by Abu Dharr we read, "the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, 'The most miserly among people is the one who fails to invoke blessings upon me when my name is mentioned in his or her presence'."

Other scholars are of the opinion that invoking Allah's blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him, only once while in a gathering is obligatory. After that it is no longer necessary, though it is preferred to do so. This is based on a hadith from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, "If some people sitting together in an assembly do not remember Allah in it, nor invoke Allah's blessings upon His Prophet, peace be upon him, they will be sorry on the Day of Judgment. Allah may either punish them or forgive them." (Tirmidhi)

Invoking Allah's Blessings Upon the Prophet when Writing his Name:
The scholars hold it desirable to invoke Allah's blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him, each time one writes his name. But this is not mentioned in any hadith, so none can be used to support this view. Al Khatib al-Baghdadi said, "I saw the handwriting of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and I found that often he wrote the name of the Prophet, peace be upon him, without invoking Allah's blessings upon him." Then he added, "It has come to my knowledge that he used to invoke Allah's blessings upon the Prophet verbally."

An-Nawawi said, "When invoking Allah's blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him, we should combine prayers for peace and blessings upon him (by saying Salalahu 'alaihi was sallam), and should not confine it to one of these saying either Sallahu 'alaihi (May Allah shower His blessings upon him) or 'Alaihi as-salaam (peace be upon him)'."

Invoking Blessings Upon the Prophets:
It is preferred to invoke Allah's blessings upon the Prophets and angels separately. As to others than the Prophets, there is consensus among scholars that Allah's blessings may be invoked for them along with others (but not separately). The statement of the Prophet, peace be upon him, has been cited above, "O Allah invoke blessings on Muhammad, the Prophet, and his wives, the mothers of the believers ..." It is disliked, however, to invoke blessings for them on their own. For instance, one should not say, "Umar, may Allah shower His blessings upon him."

How to Invoke Blessings and Peace Upon the Prophet:
Abu Mas'ud Al-Ansari reported the following account from Bashir ibn Sa'd: "I asked Prophet, peace be upon him, 'O Messenger of Allah, Allah has commanded us to invoke blessings upon you. How should we do it?' The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, remained silent until we wished we had not asked him. Then he told us to say, 'Allahumma salli 'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama sallayta 'ala ali ibrahima wa barik 'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama barakta 'ala ibrahima wa 'ala ali ibrahima fil 'alamin, innaka hammidum majeed (O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed the family of Ibrahim, and give baraka to Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You gave baraka to the family of Ibrahim, in all the worlds. You are worthy of Praise and Glorious), and then he told us to give the taslim as you have learned it." (Muslim)

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said, "When you invoke blessings upon the Prophet do it in the best manner, because you don't know whether or not your blessings may be presented to him. The Companions asked him to teach them how to do it. He replied, ' Say, "Allahumma 'ij'al salawataka wa rahmataka wa barakataka 'ala sayyidil mursalin, wa imamal mutaqadimin wa khatimin nahiyyin muhammadin 'abduka wa rasuluka imamal khair wa qaidil khair wa rasulir rahmati. Allahumma b'athu maqaman yaghbatuhu bihil awalun. Allahumma salli 'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama sallaita 'ala ibrahima wa ali ibrahima innaka hamidum majeed . Allahumma barik 'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama barakta 'ala ibrahima wa 'ala ali ibrahima innak hamidum majeed (O Allah, shower Your blessings, mercy, and favors on the Chief of the Messengers, and the Chief of the Foremost, the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad, Your servant and Your Messenger, the leader of the virtuous, the chief of the virtuous, the Messenger of Mercy, grant him a station that is the happy goal of the most excellent, O Allah, bless Muhammad and his family as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. You are indeed Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, give baraka to Muhammad and his family as you gave baraka to Ibrahim and his family, You are indeed Praiseworthy and Glorious"'." (Ibn Majah)

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