AbuSalih reported on the authority of some Companions of the Prophet (saws): The Prophet (saws) said to a person: what do you say in prayer?

He replied: I first recite tashahhud (supplication recited in sitting position), and then I say: O Allah, I ask Thee for Paradise, and I seek refuge in Thee from Hell-Fire, but I do not understand your sound and the sound of Mu'adh (what you say or he says in prayer). The Prophet (saws) said: We too go around it (paradise and Hell-fire).

I said: Messenger of Allah, teach me a supplication.

He said: Say: "O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of what I hear, from the evil of what I see, from the evil of what I speak, from the evil of what I think, and from the evil of my semen" (i.e. sexual passion).

A man from Aslam tribe said: I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (saws). A man from among his Companions came and said: Messenger of Allah! I have been stung last night, and I could not sleep till morning. He asked: What was that? He replied: A scorpion.

He said: Oh, had you said in the evening: "I take refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He created," nothing would have harmed you, Allah willing.

"When the Messenger of Allah (saws), would wear a new garment he would mention what it was, whether an 'Imamah, a Qamis, or a Rida', then he would say: Allahumma lakal-hamdu, Anta kasawtanihi, as'aluka khairuhu wa khaira ma suni'a lahu, wa a'udhu bika min sharrihi wa sharri ma suni'a lahu'" ('O Allah! For You is the praise, You have clothed me, I ask You for its good and the god for which it was made, and I seek refuge in You from its evil and the evil for which it was made.)

[Abu 'Eisa said:] There are narrations on this topic from 'Umar, and Ibn 'Umar.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to say when he lay down: O Allah, I seek refuge in Thy noble Person and in Thy perfect Words from the evil of what Thou seizest by its forelock; O Allah! Thou removest debt and sin; O Allah! thy troop's not routed, Thy promise is not broken and the riches of the rich do not avail against Thee. Glory and praise be unto Thee!.

AbuBakr as-Siddiq said: Messenger of Allah! command me something to say in the morning and in the evening. He said: Say "O Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who knowest the unseen and the seen, Lord and Possessor of everything. I testify that there is no god but Thee; I seek refuge in Thee from the evil within myself, from the evil of the devil, and his (incitement to) attributing partners (to Allah)." He said: Say this in the morning.

The Prophet (saws) said: If anyone says in the morning or in the evening: "O Allah! Thou art my Lord; there is no god but Thee, Thou hast created me, and I am Thy servant and hold to Thy covenant and promise as much as I can; I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of what I have done: I acknowledge Thy favour to me, and I acknowledge my sin; pardon me, for none but Thee pardons sins, and dies during the daytime or during the night." he will go to Paradise.

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that receipts were given to people in the time of Marwan ibn al-Hakam for the produce of the market at al-Jar. People bought and sold the receipts among themselves before they took delivery of the goods. Zayd Thabit and one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went to Marwan ibn al-Hakam and said, "Marwan! Do you make usury halal?" He said, "I seek refuge with Allah! What is that?" He said, "These receipts which people buy and sell before they take delivery of the goods." Marwan therefore sent a guard to follow them and to take them from people's hands and return them to their owners.

I asked Az-Zuhri, "Which of the wives of the Prophet sought refuge with Allah from him?" He said "I was told by 'Urwa that `Aisha said, 'When the daughter of Al-Jaun was brought to Allah's Apostle (as his bride) and he went near her, she said, "I seek refuge with Allah from you." He said, "You have sought refuge with The Great; return to your family."

Two men abused each other in front of the Prophet while we were sitting with him. One of the two abused his companion furiously and his face became red. The Prophet said, "I know a word (sentence) the saying of which will cause him to relax if this man says it. Only if he said, "I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the outcast.' " So they said to that (furious) man, 'Don't you hear what the Prophet is saying?" He said, "I am not mad."

Allah's Apostle used to invoke Allah in the prayer saying, "O Allah, I seek refuge with you from all sins, and from being in debt." Someone said, O Allah's Apostle! (I see you) very often you seek refuge with Allah from being in debt. He replied, "If a person is in debt, he tells lies when he speaks, and breaks his promises when he promises."

While I was sitting in the company of the Prophet, two men abused each other and the face of one of them became red with anger, and his jugular veins swelled (i.e. he became furious). On that the Prophet said, "I know a word, the saying of which will cause him to relax, if he does say it. If he says: 'I seek Refuge with Allah from Satan.' then all is anger will go away." Some body said to him, "The Prophet has said, 'Seek refuge with Allah from Satan."' The angry man said, "Am I mad?"

Abu Dawud said: This is a rejected (munkar) tradition. A group of narrators have reported this tradition from al-Zuhri; but did not mention this detail. I am afraid the phrase concerning “seeking refuge in Allah” is the statement of Humaid.

Ibn Sa'd said: My father (Sa'd ibn AbuWaqqas) heard me say: O Allah, I ask Thee for Paradise, its blessings, its pleasure and such-and-such, and such-and-such; I seek refuge in Thee from Hell, from its chains, from its collars, and from such-and-such, and from such-and-such. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) say: There will be people who will exaggerate in supplication. You should not be one of them. If you are granted Paradise, you will be granted all what is good therein; if you are protected from Hell, you will be protected from what is evil therein.

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) put on a new garment he mentioned it by name, turban or shirt, and would then say: O Allah, praise be to Thee! as Thou hast clothed me with it, I ask Thee for its good and the good of that for which it was made, and I seek refuge in Thee from its evil and the evil of that for which it was made.

Abu Nadrah said: When any of the Companions of the Prophet (saws) put on a new garment, he was told: May you wear it out and may Allah give you another in its place.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yazid ibn Khusayfa that Amr ibn Abdullah ibn Kab as-Salami told him that Nafi ibn Jubayr told him that Uthman ibn Abi al-As came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Uthman said that he had a pain which was enough to kill him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Rub it with your right hand seven times and say, 'I take refuge with the might of Allah and His power from the evil of what I feel.' "

Uthman added, "I said that, and Allah removed what I had. I still command my family and others to say it."

Jabir saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) observing prayer. (The narrator Amr said: I do not know which prayer he was offering.)

He (the Prophet) said: Allah is altogether great; Allah is altogether great; Allah is altogether great; and praise be to Allah in abundance; and praise be to Allah is abundance; and praise be to Allah in abundance. Glory be to Allah in the morning and after (saying it three times). I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed devil, from his puffing up (nafkh), his spitting (nafth) and his evil suggestion (hamz).

He (Amr) said: His nafth it poetry, his nafkh is pride, and his hamz is madness.

Abu Dawud said: Abu Sa'id added the following words in his version: He should then tale hold of her forelock and pray for blessing in the case of a woman or a slave.

Ibn `Abbas said to me and to his son `Ali, "Go to Abu Sa`id and listen to what he narrates." So we went and found him in a garden looking after it. He picked up his Rida', wore it and sat down and started narrating till the topic of the construction of the mosque reached. He said, "We were carrying one adobe at a time while `Ammar was carrying two. The Prophet saw him and started removing the dust from his body and said, "May Allah be Merciful to `Ammar. He will be inviting them (i.e. his murderers, the rebellious group) to Paradise and they will invite him to Hell-fire." `Ammar said, "I seek refuge with Allah from affliction."

Two men reviled each other in the presence of the Prophet (saws) and one of them became excessively angry so much so that I thought that his nose will break up on account of excess of anger. The Prophet (saws) said: I know a phrase which, if he repeated, he could get rid of this angry feeling. They asked: What is it, Messenger of Allah? He replied: He should say: I seek refuge in Thee from the accursed devil. Mu'adh then began to ask him to do so, but he refused and persisted in quarrelling, and began to enhance his anger.

Shariq al-Hawzani and I came to Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) and asked her: By which (prayer) the Messenger of Allah (saws) began when he woke up at night? She replied: You asked me about a thing which no one asked me before. When he woke up at night, he uttered: "Allah is Most Great" ten times, and uttered "Praise be to Allah" ten times, and said "Glory be to Allah and I begin with His praise" ten times, and said: "Glory be to the King, the Most Holy" ten times, and asked Allah's pardon ten times, and said: "There is no god but Allah" ten times, and then said: "O Allah! I seek refuge in Thee from the strait of the Day of resurrection," ten times. He then began the prayer.

It was narrated that Ya'la bin `Ata' said: I heard 'Amr bin 'Asim bin ‘Abdullah... a similar report.

The Prophet said, "The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah is: 'Allahumma anta Rabbi la ilaha illa anta. Khalaqtani wa ana `Abduka, wa ana 'ala 'ahdika wa Wa'dika mastata'tu abu'u Laka bi ni 'matika wa abu'u Laka bidhanbi; faghfirli fa'innahu la yaghfiru-dh-dhunuba ill a ant a. A'uidhu bika min sharri ma sana'tu.' If somebody recites this invocation during the night, and if he should die then, he will go to Paradise (or he will be from the people of Paradise). And if he recites it in the morning, and if he should die on the same day, he will have the same fate."

When the Messenger of Allah (saws) got up to pray at night (for tahajjud prayer) he uttered the takbir and then said: "Glory be to Thee, O Allah," and "Praise be to Thee" and "Blessed is Thy name," and Exalted is Thy greatness." and "There is no god but Thee." He then said: "There is no god but Allah" three times; he then said: "Allah is altogether great" three times: "I seek refuge in Allah, All-Hearing and All-Knowing from the accursed devil, from his evil suggestion (hamz), from his puffing up (nafkh), and from his spitting (nafth)" He then recited (the Qur'an).

Abu Dawud said: It is said that this tradition has been narrated by 'Ali b. 'Ali from al-Hasan omitting the name of the Companion of the Prophet (saws). The misunderstanding occurred on the part of Ja'far.