I asked: Messenger of Allah, in which part of night the supplication is more likely to be accepted?

He replied: In the last part: Pray as much as you like, for the prayer is attended by the angels and it is recorded till you offer the dawn prayer; then stop praying when the sun is rising till it has reached the height of one or two lances, for it rises between the two horns of the Devil, and the infidels offer prayer for it (at that time). Then pray as much as you like, because the prayer is witnessed and recorded till the shadow of a lance be- comes equal to it. Then cease prayer, for at that time the Hell-fire is heated up and doors of Hell are opened.

When the sun declines, pray as much as you like, for the prayer is witnessed till you pray the afternoon prayer; then cease prayer till the sun sets, for it sets between the horns of the Devil, and (at that time) the infidels offer prayer for it. He narrated a lengthy tradition.

Abbas said: AbuSalam narrated this tradition in a similar manner from AbuUmamah. If I have made a mistake unintentionally, I beg pardon of Allah and repent to Him.

I asked: "O Messenger of Allah! If I realize Lailat-ul-Qadr (Night of Decree), what should I supplicate in it?" He (PBUH) replied, "You should supplicate: Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun, tuhibbul-'afwa, fa'fu 'anni (O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness; so forgive me)."

[At-Tirmidhi].

The sun and the moon are not eclipsed on account of anyone's death or on account of anyone's birth. So when you see that, supplicate Allah, declare His greatness, and give alms.

a man from among the Bedouins came to the Prophet and believed in him and followed him, then he said: "I will emigrate with you." The Prophet told one of his Companions to look after him. During one battle the Prophet got some prisoners as spoils of war, and he distributed them, giving him (that Bedouin) a share. His Companions gave him what had been allocated to him. He had been looking after some livestock for them, and when he came they gave him his share. He said: "What is this?" They said: "A share that the Prophet has allocated to you." He took it and brought it to the Prophet and said: "What is this?" He said: "I allocated it to you." He said: "It is not for this that I followed you. Rather I followed you so that I might be shot here - and he pointed to his throat - with an arrow and die and enter Paradise." He said, "If you are sincere toward Allah, Allah will fulfill your wish." Shortly after that, they got up to fight the enemy, and he was brought to the Prophet, whom he had pointed to. The Prophet said, "Is it him?" They said, "Yes." He said, "He was sincere toward Allah, and Allah fulfilled his wish." Then the Prophet shrouded him in his own cloak and out him in front of him and offered the (funeral) prayer for him. During his supplication he said: "O Allah, this is Your slave who went out as a emigrant (Muhajir) for your sake and was killed as a martyr; I am a witness to that.

“The Messenger of Allah (saws) supplicated with many supplications of which we did not preserve a thing. We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you supplicated with many supplications of which we did not preserve a thing.’ He (saws) said: ‘Should I not direct you to what will include all of that? That you say: O Allah, we ask You from the good of what Your Prophet Muhammad (saws) asked You for, and we seek refuge in You from the evil of that which Your Prophet Muhammad (saws) sought refuge in You from, and You are the one from Whom aid is sought, and it is for You to fulfill, and there is no might or power except by Allah (Allāhumma innā nas’aluka min khairi mā sa’alaka minhu nabiyyuka Muḥammad, ṣallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam, wa na`ūdhu bika min sharri masta`ādha minhu nabiyyuka Muḥammad, ṣallallāhu `alaihi wa sallam, wa antal-musta`ānu wa `alaikal-balāgh, wa lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh).’”

"You will go to the people of the Book. First call them to testify that 'there is no true god except Allah, that I am (Muhammad (PBUH)) the Messenger of Allah.' If they obey you, tell them that Allah has enjoined upon them five Salat (prayers) during the day and night; and if they obey you, inform them that Allah has made Zakat obligatory upon them; that it should be collected from their rich and distributed among their poor; and if they obey you refrain from picking up (as a share of Zakat) the best of their wealth. Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah".

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

“O God, forgive me my sin, my ignorance, my extravagance in my affairs, and what Thou knowest better than I do. O God, forgive me my serious and my frivolous sins, my unintentional and my intentional sins, for I am guilty of all that. O God, forgive me my former and my latter sins, what I have kept secret and what I have done openly, and what Thou knowest better than I do. Thou art the Advancer, Thou art the Delayer, and Thou art omnipotent.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

‘Abdallah b. Yazid al-Khatmi told on the authority of God's messenger that he used to say in his supplication, "O God, provide me with Thy love 1 and the love of those whose love will benefit me with Thee; O God, make the things I love with which Thou hast provided me a strength to me regarding what Thou lovest; O God, make the things I love which Thou hast turned away from me a means of my devoting myself to what Thou lovest." 1. hibbaka. This could be translated either as above or as "love of Thee", but the phrase which follows it suggests that the translation given above is the correct one in this context. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

God’s Messenger taught me some words to say when standing in supplication during the witr. They were, “O God, guide me among those Thou hast guided, grant me security among those Thou hast granted security, take me into Thy charge among those Thou hast taken into Thy charge, bless me in what Thou hast given, guard me from the evil of what Thou hast decreed, for Thou dost decree and nothing is decreed for Thee. He whom Thou befriendest is not humbled. Blessed and exalted art Thou, our Lord.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

The Prophet (saws) passed by me while I was supplicating by pointing with two fingers of mine. He said: Point with one finger; point with one finger. He then himself pointed with the forefinger.

I sought permission of the Prophet (PBUH) to perform 'Umrah, and he granted me leave and said, "Brother, do not forget us in your supplications." I would not exchange these words of his for the whole world.

Another narration is: He (PBUH) said, "Include us, my brother, in your supplications."

[Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi].

He heard the Prophet (SAW), when he raised his head in the last rak'ah of the subh prayer, say: "O Allah, curse so-and-so and so-and-so," supplicating against some of the hypocrites. Then Allah revealed the words: "Not for you is the decision; whether He turns in mercy to (pardon) them or punishes them; verily, they are the wrongdoers."

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever seeks refuge with (the name of) Allah, grant him refuge; whoever asks of you in (the name of) Allah, give him; whoever seeks protection with (the name of Allah, give him protection. Whoever does you a favor, then reciprocate, and if you cannot, then supplicate for him until you think that you have repaid him."'

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, used to say the following dua, "O Allah, it is You who makes the dawn break and makes the night a time for rest and appoints the sun and moon to reckon by. Relieve me of debt and enrich me from poverty and let me enjoy my hearing, my sight and my strength in Your way."

Allahumma faliqa'l isbah, wa ja ila'l-layli sakana, wa 'sh-shamsi wa'l-qamari husbana. Iqda anniy addayna, wa'ghnaniy mina'l faqr. Na'mti aniy bi samiy wa basariy, wa quwwatiy fi sabilik.

“When the people would see the first fruit, they would bring it to the Messenger of Allah (saws). When the Messenger of Allah (saws) would take it, he would say: ‘O Allah, bless for us our fruits, and bless for us our city, and bless for us our Sa` and our Mudd, O Allah, verily, Ibrahim is Your worshipper and Your friend and Your Prophet, and verily I am Your slave and Your Prophet, and indeed, he (i.e., Ibrahim AS) supplicated to You for Makkah, and I supplicate to You for Al-Madinah with the like of that with which he supplicated to You for Makkah, and the like of it with it.’ He said: Then he would call the smallest young child he saw and give him that fruit.

the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “It used to be from the supplication of Dawud that he would say: ‘O Allah, indeed, I ask You for Your love and the love of those who love You, and for the action that will cause me to attain Your love, O Allah, make Your love more beloved to me than myself, my family and cold water (Allāhumma innī as’aluka ḥubbaka wa ḥubba man yuḥibbuka wal-`amalalladhī yuballighunī ḥubbak. Allāhummaj`al ḥubbaka aḥabba ilaiyya min nafsī, wa ahlī wa minal-mā’il-bārid) He said: “And when the Prophet (saws) would mention Dawud, he would narrate about him, saying: “He was the best in worship out of all men.”

“O Allah grant me Your love and the love of those whose love will benefit me with You. O Allah, whatever you have provided me of that which I love, then make it strength for me for that which You love. O Allah, and what you have kept from me of that which I love, then make it for me a period of rest in that which You love. (Allāhummarzuqnī ḥubbuka, wa ḥubba man yanfa`unī ḥubbuhū `indak. Allāhumma mā razaqtanī mimmā uḥibbu faj`alhu quwwatan lī fīmā tuḥibb. Allāhumma wa mā zawaita `annī mimmā uḥibbu faj`alhu farāghan lī fīmā tuḥibb). “

A slave who had made a contract with his master to pay for his freedom, came to me and said: "I am unable to fulfill my obligation, so help me." He said to him: "Shall I not teach you a supplication which the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) taught me? It will surely prove so effective that if you have a debt as large as a huge mountain, Allah will surely pay it for you. Say: 'Allahumm-akfini bihalalika 'an haramika, wa aghnini bifadlika 'amman siwaka (O Allah! Grant me enough of what You make lawful so that I may dispense with what You make unlawful, and enable me by Your Grace to dispense with all but You)."

[At- Tirmidhi].

Ibn ‘Umar said that when God’s Messenger sat at the tashahhud1 he placed his left hand on his left knee and his right hand on his right knee, counted fifty-three on his knuckles,2 and pointed with the forefinger. A version says that when he sat during the prayer he placed his hands on his knees and raised his right finger which is next to the thumb making supplication in this way, while keeping his left hand spread out on his left knee. 1. Tashahhud means to say the words in the prayers beginning with at-tahiyat lillah. Cf. Chapter 9a 2. This refers to a method of counting on the fingers. In the position indicated the forefinger is full out and the thumb and other fingers are clenched. Muslim transmitted it.

I was standing among some people who made supplication to God for `Umar when he had been placed on his couch[*], and a man behind me who had put his elbow on my shoulder was saying, "God have mercy on you! I hope God may place you along with your two companions, because I often heard God's messenger say, `I, Abu Bakr and `Umar were...', `I, Abu Bakr and `Umar did... `I, Abu Bakr and 'Umar went off...' `I, Abu Bakr and `Umar entered...', `I, Abu Bakr and `Umar went out...'" Ibn `Abbas said that when he turned round, he saw it was `Ali b. Abu b. Talib. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

"Ammar bin Yasir led us in prayer and he made it brief. Some of the people said to him: 'You made the prayer sort (or brief).' He said: 'Nevertheless I still recited supplications that I heard from the Messenger of Allah (SAW).' When he got up and left, a man -- he was my father but he did not name himself -- followed him and asked him about that supplication, then he came and told the people: "Allāhumma bi `ilmikal-ghaiba wa qudratika 'alal-khalqi aḥyinī mā `alimtal-ḥayāta khairan lī, wa tawaffanī idhā `alimtal-wafāta khairan lī. Allāhumma wa 'as'aluka khashyataka fil-ghaibi wash-shahādati wa 'as'aluka kalimatal-ḥaqqi fir-riḍā'i wal ghaḍab, wa as'alukal-qaṣda fil faqri wal-ghina, wa 'as'aluka na`īman lā yanfadu wa 'as'aluka qurrata `ainin lā tanqaṭi`u wa as'alukar-riḍā'i ba`dal-qaḍā'i wa 'as'aluka bardal `aishi ba`dal-mawti, wa 'as'aluka ladhdhatan-naẓari ilā wajhika wash-shawqa ilā liqā'ika fī ghairi ḍarrā'a muḍirratin wa lā fitnatin muḍillatin, Allāhumma zayyinnā bizīnatil-īmāni waj`alna hudātan muhtadīn (O Allah, by Your knowledge of the unseen and Your power over creation, keep me alive so long as You know that living is good for me and cause me to die when You know that death is better for me. O Allah, cause me to fear You in secret and in public. I ask You to make me true in speech in times of pleasure and of anger. I ask You to make me moderate in times of wealth and poverty. And I ask You for everlasting delight and joy that will never cease. I ask You to make me pleased with that which You have decreed and for an easy life after death. I askYou for the sweetness of looking upon Your face and a longing to meet You in a manner that does not entail a calamity that will bring about harm or a trial that will cause deviation. O Allah, beautify us with the adornment of faith and make us among those who guide and are rightly guided."

'Abdullah bin Mughaffal heard his son say: "O Allah, I ask You for the white palace on the right-hand side of Paradise, when I enter it." He said: "O my son, ask Allah for Paradise and seek refuge with Him from Hell, for I heard the Messenger of Allah (saas) say: 'There will be people who will transgress in supplication.'"

“When the Messenger of Allah (saw) came to a sick person, he would make supplication for him, and would say: Adhhibil-bas, Rabban-nas, washfi Antash-Shafi, la shifa’a illa shifa’uka shifa’an la yughadiru saqama (Take away the pain, O Lord of mankind, and grant healing, for You are the Healer, and there is no healing but Your healing that leaves no trace of sickness).’”

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) supplicated for forgiveness for me on the Night of the Camel, twenty-five times."

‘A’isha said that God’s messenger liked comprehensive supplications and abandoned other kinds. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

AbdurRahman reported on the authority of his mother: When the Messenger of Allah (saws) passed any place from the house of Ya'la,--the narrator Ubaydullah forgot its name--he faced the House (the Ka'bah) and supplicated.

I used to invite my mother who was a polytheist to accept Islam, and one day when I had invited her and she caused me to hear something about God's messenger which I do not care to repeat[*] I went to him weeping and said, "Messenger of God, supplicate God to guide Abu Huraira's mother." He said, "O God, guide Abu Huraira's mother," so I came out cheered by the Prophet's supplication. When I came to the door, I found it shut, and when she heard the sound of my feet she said, "Stay where you are, Abu Huraira." I heard the splashing of water, and when she had bathed and put on her chemise, but was in too big a hurry to put on her head-covering, she opened the door and said, "I testify, Abu Huraira, that there is no god but God, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger." I then returned to God's messenger weeping for joy, and he praised God and said some good words. *Or, 'of which I disapproved' Muslim transmitted it.

"The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said the Qunut for a month."- (One of the narrators) Shu'bah said: "He cursed some men." Hisham said: "He supplicated against some of the tribes of Arabs."-"Then he stopped doing that after bowing." This is what Hisham said. Shu'bah said, narrating from Qatadah, from Anas that the Prophet (SAW) said the Qunut for a month, cursing Ri'l, Dhawkan and Lihyan.

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'There is no Arabian horse but it is allowed to offer two supplications every Sahar (end of the night): O Allah, You have caused me to be owned by whoever You wanted among the sons of Adam, and you have made me belong to him. Make me the dearest of his family and wealth to him, or among the dearest of his family and wealth to him.'"

Anas said that when they experienced a drought ‘Umar b. al-Khattab prayed for rain by virtue of al-‘Abbas b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib, and said, "O God, we used to supplicate Thee by virtue of our prophet and Thou didst give us water. We are now supplicating Thee by virtue of our prophet’s uncle, so give us water.” He said that they were then given water. Bukhari transmitted it.

"I asked 'Aishah about a supplication that the Messenger of Allah (saas) used to say. She said that he used to say: 'Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min sharri ma 'amiltu, wa min sharri ma lam a'mal (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from the evil of that which I have done and the evil of that which I have not done).'"

“When the fasting person breaks his fast, his supplication is not turned back.”

(One of the narrators) Ibn Abi Mulaikah said: "When he broke his fast, I heard 'Abdullah bin 'Amr say: 'O Allah! I ask You by Your mercy, which encompasses all things, to forgive me.'"

I head the Prophet(saws) uttering (all these supplications) in a supererogatory prayer; he narrated the tradition in a similar manner.

"O Allah, I seek refuge in You that Your blessings are lifted, and Your protection (of me) is changed, and in the suddenness of Your punishment, and from all Your anger.

that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "O Allah, respond to Sa'd when he supplicates to You."

“Pray to Allah to heal me.” He said: “If you wish to store your reward for the Hereafter, that is better, or if you wish, I will supplicate for you.” He said: “Supplicate.” So he told him to perform ablution and do it well, and to pray two Rak’ah, and to say this supplication: “Allahumma inni as’aluka wa atawajjahu ilaika bimuhammadin nabiyyir-rahmah. Ya Muhammadu inni qad tawajjahtu bika ila rabbi fi hajati hadhihi lituqda. Allahumma fashaffi’hu fiya (O Allah, I ask of You and I turn my face towards You by virtue of the intercession of Muhammad the Prophet of mercy. O Muhammad, I have turned to my Lord by virtue of your intercession concerning this need of mine so that it may be met. O Allah, accept his intercession concerning me)”.

"I entered the House with the Messenger of Allah. He sat and praised Allah, and recited the Takbir, and the Tahlil. Then he went to the wall of the House that was in front of him, and placed his chest, cheek and hands on it, then he recited the Takbir, and the Tahlil, and supplicated. And he did that in all the corners, then he came out, and turned to face the Qiblah while he was in front of the door, and he said: 'This is the Qiblah, this is the Qiblah.'"

the Messenger of Allah (saas) said: "When you supplicate to Allah, supplicate with your palms uppermost, not with the backs of your hands uppermost, and when you finish, wipe your face with them."

When the Prophet (saws) wanted to travel, he would say: “O Allah, You are the companion on the journey, and the caretaker for the family, O Allah, accompany us in our journey, and watch over our families, O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the difficulties of the journey, and from returning in great sadness, and from loss after increase, and from the supplication of the oppressed, and from someone looking with evil at our families and wealth (Allāhumma antaṣ-ṣāḥibu fis safari wal-khalīfatu fil-ahli, allāhumma aṣḥabnā fī safarinā wakhlufnā fī ahlinā. Allāhumma innī a’ūdhu bika min wa`thā’is-safari wa ka’ābatil-munqalab, wa minal-ḥawri ba`dal-kawni, wa min da`watil-maẓlūm, wa min sū’il-manẓari fil-ahli wal-māl).”

I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying, "When a person suffers from a calamity and utters: 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un. Allahumma ujurni fi musibati, wakhluf li khairan minha (We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return. O Allah! Compensate me in my affliction, recompense my loss and give me something better in exchange for it), then Allah surely compensates him with reward and better substitute." Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: When Abu Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him) died, I repeated the same supplication as the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had commanded me (to do). So Allah bestowed upon me a better substitute than him (I was married to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH)).

[Muslim].

During the lifetime of God’s Messenger was shooting some of my arrows in Medina when an eclipse of the sun took place. I therefore threw them away and said, “I swear by God that I must see how God’s Messenger acts in a solar eclipse.” When I came to him he was standing in prayer raising his hands. He then began to glorify God, to acknowledge that He is the only God, to declare His greatness, to express His praise and make supplication till the eclipse came to an end. When the eclipse was over he recited two suras and prayed two rak'as. Muslim transmitted it in his Sahih from 'Abd ar-Rahman b. Samura, and the same occurs in Sharh as-sunna, on his authority, but in the copies of al-Masabih it is given on the authority of Jabir b. Samura.

We travelled with God's messenger between Mecca and Medina, and when we passed a wadi he asked its name. On being told it was the wadi al-Azraq he said, "I can fancy myself looking at Moses (and he mentioned something about his colour and his hair) putting two fingers in his ears, making loud supplication to God saying, `At Thy service,' while passing this wadi.'' He said: We journeyed till we came to a mountain pass and he asked its name. On being told that it was Harsha, or Lift, he said, "I can fancy myself looking at Jonah on a red she-camel with a nose-rein of palm fibre, wearing a woolen mantle and saying `At Thy service' while passing this wadi. Muslim transmitted it.

I went on an expedition with God's messenger on a camel used for drawing water which had grown weary and could scarcely go on. The Prophet came up beside me and asked what was the matter with my camel, and when I told him it had grown weary, he went behind it and urged it on. He then made supplication for it and it kept going in front of the other camels. He asked me how I found my camel and I replied that it was fine, having received the benefit of his blessing. He asked if I would sell it to him for a wuqiya, and I agreed on condition that I might ride it till we came to Medina. When God's messenger came to Medina I took the camel to him in the morning, and he gave me its price, then returned the animal to me. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

`A'isha told that she said, "O my head!'' and that God's messenger said, "If you were to die[*] while I am alive I would ask forgiveness for you and make supplication on your behalf." `A'isha then said, "Alas! I swear by God that I think you want me to die; and if that happened you would spend that night with one of your wives." The Prophet replied, "Stop worrying about your head and think of me. I purposed (or, wished) to send to Abu Bakr and his son and make him my successor lest people should talk, or people who hoped for the succession should have their hopes raised; then I thought that God wants nothing else and that the believers will prevent anything else," or, "that God will prevent anything else and that the believers want nothing else." *Literally, if that happened. Bukhari transmitted it.

I sought permission of the Prophet (PBUH) to perform 'Umrah. He granted me leave and said, "Dear brother! Do not forget us in your supplications". ('Umar added): This is something I would not exchange for the whole world.

Another narration is: He (PBUH) said, "Include us, my dear brother, in your supplications." [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, who categorized the Hadith as Hasan Sahih.].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Among the best of your days is Friday; so supplicate Allah more often for me in it , for your supplications will be displayed to me." He was asked: "O Messenger of Allah! How will our blessings be displayed to you when your decayed body will have mixed with the earth?" He (PBUH) replied, "Allah has prohibited the earth from consuming the bodies of the Prophets."

[Abu Dawud].

Buraida told that God’s messenger heard a man saying, “O God I ask Thee by virtue of Thy being God than whom there is no god, the One, He to whom men repair, who has not begotten and has not been begotten, and to whom no one is equal,” and said, “He has supplicated God using His greatest name, when asked by which He gives and when supplicated by which He answers.” Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

You sent me to a servant. who did not want to die. Allah restored his eye to its proper place (and revived his eyesight), and then said: Go back to him and tell him that if he wants life he must place his hand on the back of an ox, and he would be granted as many years of life as the number of hair covered by his hand. He (Moses) said: My Lord what would happen then He said: Then you must court death. He said: Let it be now. And he supplicated Allah to bring him close to the sacred land. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: If I were there, I would have shown you his grave beside the road at the red mound.

I heard Ibn 'Abbas as saying: When 'Umar b. Khattab was placed in the coffin the people gathered around him. They praised him and supplicated for him before the bier was lifted up, and I was one amongst them. Nothing attracted my attention but a person who gripped my shoulder from behind. I saw towards him and found that he was 'Ali. He invoked Allah's mercy upon 'Umar and said: You have left none behind you (whose) deeds (are so enviable) that I love to meet Allah with them. By Allah, I hoped that Allah would keep you and your two associates together. I had often heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: I came and there came too Abu Bakr and 'Umar; I entered and there entered too Abu Bakr and 'Umar; I went out and there went out too Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and I hope and think that Allah will keep you along with them.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Whoever supplicates against the one who wronged him has triumphed.”