Prayer (Salat)

On the authority of Jabir Ibn Abdullah (ra) he said: The Prophet would instruct us to pray for guidance in all of our concerns, just as he would teach us a chapter from the Quran. He (saw) would say If any of you intends to undertake a matter then let him pray two supererogatory units (two rakah nafilah) of prayer and after which he should supplicate: اللّهُـمَّ إِنِّـي أَسْتَخيـرُكَ بِعِاْـمِك، وَأسْتَقْـدِرُكَ بِقُـدْرَتِـك، وَأَسْـألُـكَ مِنْ فَضْـلِكَ العَظـيم، فَإِنَّـكَ تَقْـدِرُ وَلا أَقْـدِر، وَتَـعْلَـمُ وَلا أَعْلَـم، وَأَنْـتَ عَلاّمُ الغُـيوب، اللّهُـمَّ إِنْ كُنْـتَ تَعْـلَمُ أَنَّ هـذا الأمْـرَ- وَيُسَـمِّي حاجَتَـه - خَـيْرٌ لي في دينـي وَمَعـاشي وَعاقِـبَةِ أَمْـري، فَاقْـدُرْهُ لي وَيَسِّـرْهُ لي ثـمَّ بارِكْ لي فيـه، وَإِنْ كُنْـتَ تَعْـلَمُ أَنَّ هـذا الأمْـرَ شَـرٌ لي في دينـي وَمَعـاشي وَعاقِـبَةِ أَمْـري، فَاصْرِفْـهُ وَاصْرِفْني عَنْـهُ وَاقْـدُرْ لي الخَـيْرَ حَيْـثُ كانَ ثُـمَّ أَرْضِـني بِـه

O Allah, I seek Your counsel by Your knowledge and by Your power I seek strength and I ask You from Your immense favour, for verily You are able while I am not and verily You know while I do not and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah, if You know this affair -and here he mentions his need- to be good for me in relation to my religion, my life, and end, then decree and facilitate it for me, and bless me with it, and if You know this affair to be ill for me towards my religion, my life, and end, then remove it from me and remove me from it, and decree for me what is good wherever it be and make me satisfied with such. One who seeks guidance from his Creator and consults his fellow believers and then remains firm in his resolve does not regret, for Allah has said: وَشـاوِرْهُـم في الأمْـرِ فَـإِذا عَـزَمْـتَ فَتَوَكّـلْ عَلـى الله( ...and consult them in the affair. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah... (chapter 3 verse 159)

اللّهُـمَّ باعِـدْ بَيـني وَبَيْنَ خَطـايايَ كَما باعَدْتَ بَيْنَ المَشْرِقِ وَالمَغْرِبْ ، اللّهُـمَّ نَقِّنـي مِنْ خَطايايَ كَمـا يُـنَقَّى الثَّـوْبُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسْ ، اللّهُـمَّ اغْسِلْنـي مِنْ خَطايـايَ بِالثَّلـجِ وَالمـاءِ وَالْبَرَدْ

O Allah, distance me from my sins just as You have distanced The East from The West, O Allah, purify me of my sins as a white robe is purified of filth, O Allah, cleanse me of my sins with snow, water, and ice.

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيْمَنْ هَدَيْتَ، وَعَافِنِي فِيْمَنْ عَافَيْتَ، وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيْمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ، وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيْمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلا يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ، إِنَّهُ لا يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ، [ وَلا يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ ]، تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ.

‘O Allah, guide me along with those whom You have guided, pardon me along with those whom You have pardoned, be an ally to me along with those whom You are an ally to and bless for me that which You have bestowed. Protect me from the evil You have decreed for verily You decree and none can decree over You.For surety, he whom you show allegiance to is never abased and he whom You take as an enemy is never honoured and mighty. O our Lord, Blessed and Exalted are You.’ Evil you have decreed: Allah does not create pure evil which does not have any good or contain any benefit, wisdom or mercy at all, nor does He punish anyone without having commited a sin. Something can be good in terms of its creation when viewed in a particular perspective and at the same time be evil when viewed in another way.Allah created the devil and by him, He tests His servants, so there are those who hate the devil, fight him and his way and they stand at enmity towards him and his followers and there are others who are at allegiance with the devil and follow his steps. So evil exists in His creatures by His will and wisdom, not in His actions or act of creating.

أَسْـتَغْفِرُ الله . (ثَلاثاً) اللّهُـمَّ أَنْـتَ السَّلامُ ، وَمِـنْكَ السَّلام ، تَبارَكْتَ يا ذا الجَـلالِ وَالإِكْـرام

I ask Allah for forgiveness. (three times) O Allah, You are As-Salam and from You is all peace, blessed are You, O Possessor of majesty and honour. AS-Salam: The One Who is free from all defects and deficiencies.

اللّهُـمَّ صَلِّ عَلـى مُحمَّـد، وَعَلـى آلِ مُحمَّد، كَمـا صَلَّيـتَ عَلـىإبْراهـيمَ وَعَلـى آلِ إبْراهـيم، إِنَّكَ حَمـيدٌ مَجـيد ، اللّهُـمَّ بارِكْ عَلـى مُحمَّـد، وَعَلـى آلِ مُحمَّـد، كَمـا بارِكْتَ عَلـىإبْراهـيمَ وَعَلـى آلِ إبْراهيم، إِنَّكَ حَمـيدٌ مَجـيد

The Prophet (saws) said: Whoever sends a prayer upon me, Allah sends ten upon him.

سُبْـحانَ رَبِّـيَ الأَعْلـى . (ثلاثاً )

How perfect my Lord is, The Most High. (three times)

التَّحِيّـاتُ للهِ وَالصَّلَـواتُ والطَّيِّـبات ، السَّلامُ عَلَيـكَ أَيُّهـا النَّبِـيُّ وَرَحْمَـةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكـاتُه ، السَّلامُ عَلَيْـنا وَعَلـى عِبـادِ كَ الصَّـالِحـين . أَشْـهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلـهَ إِلاّ الله ، وَأَشْـهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمّـداً عَبْـدُهُ وَرَسـولُه

At-tahiyyat is for Allah. All acts of worship and good deeds are for Him. Peace and the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you O Prophet. Peace be upon us and all of Allah's righteous servants. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.’ At-tahiyyat: all words which indicate the glorification of Allah. His eternal existence, His perfection and His sovereignty.

اللّهُـمَّ إِنِّـي أَعـوذُ بِكَ مِـنْ عَذابِ القَـبْر، وَمِـنْ عَذابِ جَهَـنَّم، وَمِـنْ فِتْـنَةِ المَحْـيا وَالمَمـات، وَمِـنْ شَـرِّ فِتْـنَةِ المَسيحِ الدَّجّال

O Allah, I take refuge in You from the punishment of the grave, from the torment of the Fire, from the trials and tribulations of life and death and from the evil affliction of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjal.

سَبِّحِ اِسْمَ رَبِّكَ الأَعْلَى (قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الكَافِرُوْنَ…) (قُلْ هُوَ اللهُ أَحَدٌ…) سبْحَانَ المَلِكِ القُدُّوْسِ (ثَلاثَ مَرَّات) وَالثَّالِثَةُ يَجْهَرُ بِهَا وَيَمُدُّ بِهَا صَوْتَهُ، [ رَبِّ المَلائِكَةِ وَالرُّوْحِ]

The Messenger of Allah (S) would recite (the following chapters) during the witr prayer suras:[Al-Ala], [Al-kafiroon], [Al-ikhlas]…after giving salam he would supplicate three times: ‘How perfect The King, The Holy One is.’ (three times) ..on the third time he would raise his voice, elongate it and add: ‘Lord of the angles and the Rooh (i.e. Jibraeel).

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم واتفل على يسارك ( ثلاثا )

Uthman Ibn Al-Aas narrated: I said ‘O Messenger of Allah (saw), verily the devil comes between me and my prayer and recitation making me confused’ The Messenger of Allah (saw) replied ‘That is a devil called Khanzab, so if you sense his presence then seek refuge in Allah from him and spit (A form of spitting comprising mainly of air with little spittle) on your left side three times.’

سُبْحَانَ ذِی الْمُلْکِ وَالْمَلَکُوْتِ ط سُبْحَانَ ذِی الْعِزَّةِ وَالْعَظَمَةِ وَالْهَيْبَةِ وَالْقُدْرَةِ وَالْکِبْرِيَآئِ وَالْجَبَرُوْتِ ط سُبْحَانَ الْمَلِکِ الْحَيِ الَّذِی لَا يَنَامُ وَلَا يَمُوْتُ سُبُّوحٌ قُدُّوْسٌ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّ الْمَلَائِکَةِ وَالرُّوْحِ ط اَللّٰهُمَّ اَجِرْنَا مِنَ النَّارِ يَا مُجِيْرُ يَا مُجِيْرُ يَا مُجِيْر۔

Exalted is the Possessor of the hidden and the manifest dominion. Exalted is the Possessor of Might, Greatness, Reverence, Power, Pride, and Majesty. Exalted is the Master, the Living, the one who neither sleeps nor dies. All-perfect, All-holy, Our Lord, and the Lord of the angels and the souls. O Allah, grant us refuge from the Hellfire. O Granter of refuge, O Granter of refuge, O Granter of refuge.

اللّهُـمَّ صَلِّ عَلـى مُحمَّـد، وَعَلـى آلِ مُحمَّد، كَمـا صَلَّيـتَ عَلـىإبْراهـيمَ وَعَلـى آلِ إبْراهـيم، إِنَّكَ حَمـيدٌ مَجـيد ، اللّهُـمَّ بارِكْ عَلـى مُحمَّـد، وَعَلـى آلِ مُحمَّـد، كَمـا بارِكْتَ عَلـىإبْراهـيمَ وَعَلـى آلِ إبْراهيم، إِنَّكَ حَمـيدٌ مَجـيد

O Allah, send prayers upon Muhammad and the followers of Muhammad, just as You sent prayers upon Ibraheem and upon the followers of Ibraheem. Verily, You are full of praise and majesty. O Allah, send blessings upon Mohammad and upon the family of Muhammad, just as You sent blessings upon Ibraheem and upon the family of Ibraheem. Verily, You are full of praise and majesty.’ send prayers: praise and exalt him in the highest and superior of gatherings: that of the closest angels to Allah. (al) has been translated in it’s broadest sense: some scholars are of the view that the meaning here is more specific and that it means: his (saw) followers from among his family.

رَبِّ اغْفِـرْ لي ، رَبِّ اغْفِـرْ لي

My Lord forgive me, My Lord forgive me.

اَللَهُمَّ اِنَّا نَسْئَالُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَ نَعُوْذُبِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ يَا خَالِقَ الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارِ- بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَاعَزِيْزُ يَا غَفَّارُ يَا كَرِيْمُ يَا سَتَّارُ يَا رَحِيْمُ يَاجَبَّارُ يَاخَالِقُ يَابَارُّ اَللَّهُمَّ اَجِرْنَا مِنَ النَّارِ يَا مُجِيْرُ يَا مُجِيْرُ يَا مُجِيْرُ- بِرَحْمَتِكَ يَا اَرْحَمَ الرَّحِمِيْنَ

O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and seek refuge in You from the Fire. O Creator of Paradise and Fire, by Your mercy, O Mighty One, O Forgiver, O Generous One, O Concealer [of faults], O Merciful One, O Compeller [of hearts], O Creator, O Maker! O Allah, save us from the Fire! O Rescuer! O Rescuer! O Rescuer! By Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful.

سُبْـحانَ رَبِّـيَ الْعَظـيم . (ثلاثاً)

How perfect my Lord is, The Supreme. (three times)

سَمِـعَ اللهُ لِمَـنْ حَمِـدَه

May Allah answer he who praises Him.’ This supplication is to be made while rising.

سَجَدَ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي خَلَقَهُ، وَشَقَّ سَمْعَهُ وَبَصَرَهُ، بِحَوْلِهِ وَقُوَّتِهِ، فَتَبَارَكَ اللهُ أَحسَنُ الْخَالِقِي

My face fell prostrate before He who created it and brought forth its faculties of hearing and seeing by His might and power. So Blessed is Allah, the best of creators.