I asked Anas b. Malik whether the humble supplication1 during the prayer was before or after bowing and he replied, “Before it; God’s Messenger observed it after bowing only for a month. He had sent out some people called Qur’an readers, to the number of seventy, on an expedition and they were smitten,2 so for a month God’s Messenger stood in humble supplication after bowing, invoking a curse on their murderers.” 1. The Arabic is qunut, which means 'being obedient’, or 'the act of standing’. It is used of certain supplications in the witr or at other times, but there is some disagreement about when these supplications may be made. The traditions in this chapter deal with the appropriate times. 2. The reference is to an incident at Bi’r Ma'una in 4 A.H. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

I stood up to pray along with the Messenger of Allah (saws); he got up and recited Surat al-Baqarah (Surah 2).

When he came to a verse which spoke of mercy, he stopped and made supplication, and when he came to verse which spoke of punishment, he stopped and sought refuge in Allah, then he bowed and paused as long as he stood (reciting Surah al-Baqarah), and said while bowing, "Glory be to the Possessor of greatness, the Kingdom, grandeur and majesty."

:Then he prostrated himself and paused as long as he stood up and recited Surat Aal Imran (Surah 3) and then recited many surahs one after another.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) taught me some words that I say during the witr. (The version of Ibn Jawwas has: I say them in the supplication of the witr.) They were: "O Allah, 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."

He saw the Prophet (SAW) sitting during the prayer. He lay his left foot on the ground and placed his forearms on his thighs, and pointed with his forefinger, supplicating with it.

Teach me a dua that I may say in my prayer. He said: `Say: O Allah, I have wronged myself greatly and no one forgives sins but you, grant me forgiveness from you and have mercy on me for you are the Oft Forgiving Most Merciful

He reported God's messenger as saying, “When one of you makes supplication he must not say, ‘O God, forgive me if Thou wilt, show mercy to me if Thou wilt, provide for me if Thou wilt’, but must make his request definite, for He does what He wills and there is no one to impose compulsion on Him.” Bukhari transmitted it.

knowledge which does not profit, a heart which is not submissive, an appetite which is insatiable, and a supplication which is not heard.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it. Tirmidhi transmitted it from ‘Abdallah b. 'Amr, and Nasa’i from both sources.

Abu Huraira said that God's messenger came and entered Mecca, and after he had gone forward to the stone and touched it, he went round the House. He then went to as-Safa and mounted it so that he could look at the House, then he raised his hands, began to make mention of God as much as he wished and make supplication. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

We went out with God’s Messenger one night and came upon a man who made supplication with persistence. The Prophet said, “He will have done something which guarantees [paradise for him] if he puts a seal to it.” One of the people asked what he should use for a seal, and he replied, “Amen”. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God’s Messenger stood in humble supplication daily for a month at the noon, afternoon; sunset, evening and morning prayer when he said, “God listens to him who praises Him” in the last rak'a, invoking a curse on some clans of the B. Sulaim, Ri‘l, Dhakwan and ‘Usayya, and those standing behind him said Amen. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Zaid said God's Messenger took the people out to the place of prayer and prayed for rain. He led them in two rak'as in the course of which he recited from the Qur'an in a loud voice. He faced the qibla making supplication, raised his hands and turned round his cloak when he faced the qibla. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) offered a funeral prayer and I memorized his supplication. He (PBUH) prayed: "Allahummaghfir lahu, warhamhu, wa 'afihi, wa'fu 'anhu, wa akrim nuzulahu, wa wassi' mudkhalahu, waghsilhu bil-ma'i wath-thalji wal-baradi, wa naqqihi minal-khataya, kama naqqaytath-thawbal-abyada minad-danasi, wa abdilhu daran khairan min darihi, wa ahlan khairan min ahlihi, wa zawjan khairan min zawjihi, wa adkhilhul-Jannata, wa a'idh-hu min 'adhabil- qabri, wa min 'adhabin-nar [if the dead person is a woman, one should change the ending of certain words in this supplication from hu to ha] (O Allah! Forgive him, bestow mercy upon him, pardon him, accord him a noble provision and make his grave spacious, wash him with water, snow and hail, purify him from sins as You have purified the white garment from soiling, give him a better abode in place of his present one, and a better family in exchange of his present one, and a better spouse in place of his present wife; admit him to Jannah and protect from the trial in the grave and punishment in the Hell)." (After hearing this supplication of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), Abu' Abdur-Rahman 'Auf bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I wished I had been that dead man.

[Muslim].

"A man come to the Prophet (saas) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what supplication is best?' He said: 'Ask your Lord for forgiveness and to be kept safe and sound in this world and in the Hereafter.' Then (the man) came the next day and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what supplication is best?' He said: 'Ask your Lord for forgiveness and to be kept safe and sound in this world and in the Hereafter.' Then (the man) came the third day and said: 'O Prophet of Allah, what supplication is best?' He said: 'Ask your Lord for forgiveness and to be kept safe and sound in this world and in the Hereafter, for if you are forgiven and kept safe and sound in this world and the Hereafter, you will have succeeded.'"

When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) sat during the prayer, he put his hands on his knees and raised the finger that is next to the thumb, and supplicates with it, and his left hand was on his knee laid on it.

"The Prophet stood atop as-Safa proclaiming the Tahlil of Allah (saying Lal ilaha illallah) and supplicating in between that."

"I heard Umarah bin Rawaibah Ath-Thaqafi - while Bishr bin Marwan was delivering Khutbah and raising his hands in supplication - so Umarah said: 'May Allah disgrace these two insignificant hands, I have seen Allah's Messenger, and he would not do any more than this;'" and Hushaim (one of the narrators) motioned with his index finger.

Teach me a du'a` that I may say in my prayer. He said: `Say: O Allah. I have wronged myself greatly and no one forgives sins except You, so grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me, for You are the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.`

‘Abdallah b. al-Mughaffal on hearing his son say, “O God, I ask Thee for the white palace on the right of paradise,” said, “Sonny, ask God for paradise and seek refuge in Him from hell, for I heard God’s Messenger say, ‘There will be some among this people who will go over the score in ablution and supplication.” Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

I asked the Prophet’s permission to perform an ‘umra and he gave me permission, saying, “Include me in your supplication, little brother, and do not forget me.” Then he said a word to me for which I would not be willing to take the world in exchange. Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it, Tirmidhi’s version ending with “do not forget me.”

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq said that he asked God’s Messenger to teach him a supplication to use in his prayer, and he told him to say, “O God, I have greatly wronged myself, and Thou alone canst forgive sins, so grant me forgiveness from Thee and show mercy to me. Thou art the forgiving and the merciful One.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Al-Hasan said that ‘Umar b. al-Khattab congregated the people with Ubayy b. Ka‘b as imam and he led them in prayer for twenty nights, but led them in humble supplication only in the second half. When the last ten days came he withdrew and prayed in his house, and the people were saying, “Ubayy has run away.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said that when the Prophet was asked for what reason Friday got its name he replied, "Because on it the nature of your father Adam was fashioned, on it will take place the shout and the resurrection of the dead, on it the assault* will take place, and at the end of three hours in it there is a time at which anyone who makes supplication to God will be answered." * cf. Al-Qur’an, 44:16. Ahmad transmitted it.

Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Kinanah reported: Al-Walid ibn Utbah or (according to the version of Uthman) al-Walid ibn Uqbah, the then governor of Medina, sent me to Ibn Abbas to ask him about the prayer for rain offered by the Messenger of Allah (saws). He said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) went out wearing old clothes in a humble and lowly manner until he reached the place of prayer. He then ascended the pulpit, but he did not deliver the sermon as you deliver (usually). He remained engaged in making supplication, showing humbleness (to Allah) and uttering the takbir (Allah is most great). He then offered two rak'ahs of prayer as done on the 'Id (festival).

Abu Dawud said: This is the version of al-Nufail. What is correct is Ibn Utbah's

The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to supplicate in prayer thus:" O Allah! I seek refuge with Thee from the torment of the grave, and I seek refuge with Thee from the trial of the Masih al-Dajjal (Antichrist) and I seek refuge with Thee from the trial of life and death. O Allah! I seek refuge with Thee from sin and debt." She ('A'isha) reported: Someone said to him - (the Holy Prophet): Messenger of Allah! why is it that you so often seek refuge from debt? He said: When a (person) incurs debt, (he is obliged) to tell lies and break promise.

The sun eclipsed during the time of the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him). He stood in great anxiety fearing that it might be the Doomsday, till he came to the mosque. He stood up to pray with prolonged qiyam, ruku', and prostration which I never saw him doing in prayer; and then he said: These are the signs which Allah sends, not on account of the death of anyone or life of any one, but Allah sends them to frighten thereby His servants. So when you see any such thing, hasten to remember Him, supplicate Him and beg pardon from Him, and in the narration transmitted by Ibn 'Ala the words are:" The sun eclipsed"."" He frightens His servants."

During the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) I was shooting some of my arrows in Medina, when the sun eclipsed. I threw (the arrows) and said: By Allah, I must see how the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) acts in solar eclipse. So I came to him and he was standing in prayer, raising his hands, glorifying Him, praising Him, acknowledging His Oneness, declaring His greatness, and supplicating Him, till the sun cleared. When the eclipse was over, he recited two surahs and prayed two rak'ahs.

When Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) went forth from Mecca to Medina, Suraqa b. Malik b. Ju'shum pursued him. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) invoked curse upon him, and his horse sank (in the desert). He (Suraqa) said: (Allah's Messenger), invoke blessings for me and I will do no harm to you. He (the Holy Prophet) then supplicated Allah. (At that time) he (the Holy Prophet) felt thirsty, and they happened to pass by a shepherd. Abu Bakr Siddiq said: I took hold of a bowl and milked some milk into it for Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and gave it to him. He drank it and I was pleased.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from his father that Umar ibn al-Khattab gave a mawla of his called Hunayy charge over the hima. He said, "Hunayy! Do not harm the people. Fear the supplication of the wronged, for the supplication of the wronged is answered. Let the one with a small herd of camels and the one with a small herd of sheep enter, but be wary of the livestock of Ibn Awf and the livestock of Ibn Affan. If their livestock are destroyed, they will return to palm-trees and agriculture. If the livestock of the one with a small herd of camels and the one with a small herd of sheep are destroyed, he will bring his children to me crying, 'Amir al-muminin! Amir al-Muminin!' Shall I neglect them? Water and pasturage are of less value to me than gold and silver. By Allah, they think that I have wronged them. This is their land and their water. They fought for it in the jahiliyya and became muslims on it in Islam. By He in whose hand my self is! Were it not for the mounts which I give to be ridden in the way of Allah, I would not have turned a span of their land into hima."

“O Messenger of Allah, teach me a supplication that I may supplicate with in my Salat.” He (saws) said: “Say: ‘O Allah, I have wronged myself much, and none forgives sins except You. So forgive me with forgiveness from You, and have mercy upon me, indeed, You are the Forgiving, the Merciful (Allāhumma innī ẓalamtu nafsī ẓulman kathīran wa lā yaghfirudh-dhunūba illā anta faghfirlī maghfiratan min `indika warḥamnī innaka antal-Ghafūrur-Raḥīm).’”

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ''When you are making dua do not say; 'O Allah, forgive me if You wish. O Allah, forgive me if you wish.' You should be firm in your asking, for there is no compelling Him."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Hisham ibn Urwa from Fatima bint al-Mundhir that whenever a woman who had a fever, was brought to Asma bint Abi Bakr, she made dua for her and took water and poured it inside her collar. She said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, ordered us to cool it with water."

from the Prophet (SAW) regarding Allah's saying: Your Lord said: Invoke Me, I shall respond to you (40:60, it appears that the author intended to apply it to Al-Baqarah 2:186). - he said: "The supplication is the worship." And he recited: 'Your Lord said: Invoke Me, I shall respond to you.' up to His saying: 'in humiliation.'"

Ibn `Abbas told that a woman brought a son of hers to God's messenger and said, "Messenger of God, my son is possessed, and it seizes him when we have our morning and evening meals." God's messenger stroked his breast and made a supplication, and when the boy had vomited once, something like a black puppy came running out from within him. Darimi transmitted it.

Umm Sulaim[*] told that she said, "Messenger of God, Anas is your servant. Make supplication to God for him." He said, "O God, multiply his property and his children, and bless him in what Thou givest him." Anas said, "I swear by God that my property is abundant and that my children and grandchildren exceed the neighbourhood of a hundred in number to-day." *The mother of Anas. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Can I recite Qur`an when bowing and prostrating? `Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “I have been forbidden to recite Qur`an when bowing and prostrating. When you bow, then proclaim the might of Allah, and when you prostrate, offer supplication, for it is more likely that you will receive an answer.”

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, quoted his grandfather as saying that the Prophet said, “The best supplication is that on the day of ‘Arafa, and the best thing which I and the prophets before me have said is, ‘There is no god but God alone who has no partner; to Him belongs the dominion, to Him praise is due, and He is omnipotent’.’’ Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Malik transmitted on the authority of Talha b. ‘Ubaidallah up to “who has no partner.”

Asma’ daughter of Abu Bakr said she conceived ‘Abdallah b. azZubair in Mecca and gave birth to him in Quba’, then took him to God’s messenger and placed him in his lap. He called for a date, chewed it and spat in his mouth, after which he rubbed his palate and then made supplication for him and invoked a blessing on him. He was the first child to be born in the Islamic period. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) liked comprehensive supplications or (Al-Jawami' - i.e., supplications with very few words but comprehensive in meanings), and discarded others.

[Abu Dawud].

the Prophet (saas) said: "There is nothing more noble to Allah the Glorified, than supplication."

The Messenger of Allah (saws) heard a man saying: O Allah, I ask Thee, I bear witness that there is no god but Thou, the One, He to Whom men repair, Who has not begotten, and has not been begotten, and to Whom no one is equal, and he said: You have supplicated Allah using His Greatest Name, when asked with this name He gives, and when supplicated by this name he answers.

Messenger of Allah, the camels died and the passages were blocked; so supplicate Allah to send down rain upon us. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) raised his hands and then said: (O Allah, send down rain upon us; O Allah, send dowp rain upon us; O Allah, send down rain upon us. Anas said: By Allah, we did not see any cloud or any patch of it, and there was neither any house or building standing between us and the (hillock) Sal'a. There appeared a cloud in the shape of a shield from behind it, and as it (came high) in the sky it spread and then there was a downpour of rain. By Allah, we did not see the sun throughout the week. Then (that very man) came on the coming Friday through the same door when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was standing and delivering the sermon. He stood in front of him and said: Messenger of Allah, our animals died and the passages blocked. Supplicate Allah to stop the rain for us. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) again raised his hands and said: O Allah, let it (rain) fall in our suburbs and not on us, O Allah (send it down) on the hillocks and small mountains and the river-beds and at places where trees grow. The rain stopped, and as we stepped out we were walking in sun- shine. He (the narrator) said to Sharik: I asked Anas b. Malik if he was the same man. He said: I do not know.

I said to 'Ata': Have you heard Ibn 'Abbas saying: You have been commanded to observe circumambulation, and not commanded to enter it (the Ka'ba)? He ('Ata') said: He (Ibn Abbas) (at the same time) did not forbid entrance into it. I, however, heard him saying: Usama b. Zaid informed me that when Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) entered the House, he supplicated in all sides of it; and he did not observe prayer therein till he came out, and as he came out he observed two rak'ahs in front of the House, and said: This is your Qibla. I said to him: What is meant by its sides? Does that mean its corners? He said: (In all sides and nooks of the House) there is Qibla.

" O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from the trial of Hell-Fire; and from the torment of Hell-Fire; and from the trial of the grave and torment of the grave; and from the evil of the trial of the affluence and from the evil of the trial of poverty and I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of the turmoil of the Dajjal. O Allah, wash away my sins with snow and hail water, purify my heart from the sins as is purified the white garment from the dirt, and keep away at a distance the sins from me as yawns the distance between the East and the West; O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from sloth, from senility, from sin, and from debt."

" O Allah, forgive me my faults, my ignorance, my immoderation in my concerns. And Thou art better aware (of my affairs) than myself. O Allah, grant me forgiveness (of the faults which I committed) seriously or otherwise (and which I committed inadvertently and de- liberately. All these (failings) are in me. O Allah, grant me forgiveness from the fault which I did in haste or deferred, which I committed in privacy or in public and Thou art better aware of (them) than myself. Thou art the First and the Last and over all things Thou art Omnipotent."

" We have entered upon evening and so has the Kingdom of Allah entere d upon evening; praise is due to Allah, there is no god but Allah the One, and there is no partner with Him. O Allah, I beg of Thee the blessing of this night and the blessing of that which lies in it. I seek refuge in Thee from the evil of it and what lies in it. O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from sloth, from decrepitude, from the evil of vanity, from trial of the world, and from torment of the grave." Zubaid, through another chain of transmitters, has narrated on the authority of Abdullah directly this addition:" There is no god but Allah, the One, there is no partner with Him, His is the Sovereignty and to Him is praise due and He is Potent over everything."

"I heard the Messenger of Allah offer the funeral prayer and say: Allahumma ighfir lahu warhamhu wa`fu `anhu wa `afihi, wa akrim nuzulahu wa wassi` mudkhalahu waghsilhu bi-ma'in wa thaljin wa-barad, wa naqqihi min al-khataya kama yunaqqa ath-thawb al-abyad min ad-danas. Wa abdilhu daran khairan min darihi wa ahlan khayran min ahlihi, wa zawjan khayran min zawjihi, wa qihi 'adhab al-qabri wa 'adhab an-nar (O Allah, forgive him and have mercy on him, forgive him and keep him safe and sound, honor the place where he settles and make his entrance wide; wash him with water and snow and hail, and cleanse him of his sin as a white garment is cleansed of dirt. Give him a house better than his house and a family better than his family and a spouse better than his spouse. Protect him from the torment of the grave and the torment of Hell-fire)." 'Awf said: "I wished that I was that deceased person because of the supplication that the Messenger of Allah said for that deceased person."

"We heard that when the Messenger of Allah stoned the Jamrah he stoned it with seven pebbles, saying the Takbir every time he threw a pebble. Then he came in front of it ans stood facing the Qiblah, raising his hands and supplicating fro a long time. Then he came to the second Jamrah and stoned it stoned it with seven pebbles, saying the Takbir every time he threw a pebble. Then he moved to the left and stood facing the Qiblah, raising his hands and supplicating for a long time. Then he came to the Jamrat that is at al 'Aqabah and stoned ti with seven pebbles, but he did not stand there." Az-Zuhri said: "I heard Salim narrted this from his father, from the Prophetk and Ibn'Umar used to do that."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi that he heard Abdullah ibn Umar making dua on Safa saying, "O Allah, You have said, 'call on Me - I will answer you' and You do not break Your promise. So I am askingYou, in the same way that You have guided me to Islam, not to take it away from me, and that You make me die while I am muslim."

He reported God’s messenger as saying, “A servant is granted an answer provided he does not ask for anything sinful or for breaking ties of relationship, and provided he does not demand an answer quickly.” On being asked what demanding an answer quickly meant, God’s messenger replied, “It is when he says he has prayed and prayed and does not think he will be answered, so he grows weary in such circumstances and gives up supplication.” Muslim transmitted it.

AI-Fadl b. ‘Abbas reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The prayer is in twos, every two rak'as containing an utterance of the tahiyat, and acts of submission, supplication and humility. Then you should uplift your hands, i.e., raise them to your Lord, with the palms opposite your face, and say, ‘My Lord, my Lord.’ Anyone who does not do that is such and such.”* A version has, “is guilty of imperfection.” *A vague phrase indicating that the prayer is defective. Tirmidhi transmitted it.