Authentic Supplications for Prayer
Supplications Before Prayer
Below are some of the supplications reported from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that he would recite before performing prayer:
- Opening Supplication; recited before reading Surah Al-Fatiha and after the Takbir:
- (O Allah, distance me from my sins as You have distanced the east from the west. O Allah, purify me from my sins as a white garment is purified from dirt. O Allah, wash me of my sins with snow, water, and hail.)
- (I have directed my face to the One who created the heavens and the earth, inclining towards truth, and I am not of those who associate partners with Allah. Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds. He has no partner. This is what I was commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.)
- Opening Supplication for Night Prayer and Tahajjud:
- (O Allah, all praise is for You; You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. All praise is for You; Yours is the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. All praise is for You; You are the Light of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. All praise is for You; You are the King of the heavens and the earth. All praise is for You; You are the Truth, and Your promise is true. Meeting You is true, and Your words are true. Paradise is true, and Hellfire is true, and the prophets are true, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is true, and the Hour is true. O Allah, to You I submit, and in You I believe, and upon You I place my trust, and to You I turn back, and in You I argue, and to You I refer for judgment. Forgive me what I have done in the past and what I will do in the future, what I have concealed and what I have declared. You are the First and You are the Last; there is no deity except You.)
- (O Allah, Lord of Gabriel, Michael, and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, You judge between Your servants concerning that in which they used to differ. Guide me to the truth concerning what they differ about, by Your permission, for indeed, You guide whom You will to a straight path.)
Supplications During Prayer
Here are some of the supplications reported from the Prophet while praying:
- Supplications in Ruku (Bowing):
- (Glory is to You, O Allah, our Lord, and with Your praise, O Allah, forgive me.)
- (Glory is to my Lord, the Most Great.)
- Supplications Upon Rising from Ruku:
- (Allah hears the one who praises Him.)
- (All praise is for Allah, abundant and good, blessed in it.)
- (O Allah, to You belongs praise, filling the heavens and whatever You wish of creation thereafter. O Allah, purify me with snow, hail, and cold water. O Allah, cleanse me from sins, and purify me as a white garment is purified from dirt.)
- Supplications in Sujud (Prostration):
- (Glory is to You, O Allah, our Lord, and with Your praise, O Allah, forgive me.)
- The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would say in his prostration: (O Allah, to You I prostrate, and in You I believe, and to You I submit. My face has prostrated to the One who created it, fashioned it, and opened its hearing and sight. Blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators.)
- Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would say in his prostration: (O Allah, forgive all my sins, small and large, first and last, open and secret.)
- Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that she once lost sight of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) at night, so she searched for him and found his feet raised while he was in the mosque, and he was saying: (O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your displeasure, and in Your pardon from Your punishment, and I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot enumerate Your praise; You are as You have praised Yourself.)
- Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) also said: (The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would frequently say in his Ruku and Sujud: Glory is to You, O Allah, our Lord, and with Your praise, O Allah, forgive me.)
- (O Allah, to You I have prostrated, and in You I believe, and to You I submit. My face has prostrated to the One who created it, fashioned it, and opened its hearing and sight. Blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators.)
- Supplications While Sitting Between Two Sujuds:
- (O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, support me, guide me, and provide for me.)
- (My Lord, forgive me; my Lord, forgive me.)
- First Tashahhud: (All greetings, prayers, and good things are for Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us and the righteous servants of Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.)
- Final Tashahhud: (O Allah, send your Salat upon Muhammad and upon his household as You sent your Salat upon the household of Ibrahim; You are indeed Praiseworthy and Majestic. O Allah, send your blessings upon Muhammad and upon his household, as You blessed the household of Ibrahim; You are indeed Praiseworthy and Majestic.)
- Supplications After the Final Tashahhud: (O Allah, indeed I have wronged myself greatly, and no one forgives sins except You. So forgive me with a forgiveness from You and have mercy on me; indeed, You are the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.)
- Before concluding the prayer and after the final Tashahhud; according to the narration of Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught them the Tashahhud, and at the end, he said: (Then he may choose from the supplication whatever he wishes.)
- In Qunoot of Witr; as narrated by Al-Hasan ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) taught him specific words to recite in Qunoot of Witr, which are: (O Allah, guide me among those You have guided, grant me health among those You have granted health, take me as a protector among those You have taken as a protector, bless me in what You have provided, and protect me from the evil of what You have decreed. Indeed, You decree, and no decree is over You. He is not humiliated whom You befriend, nor is he honored whom You oppose. Blessed are You, our Lord, and exalted.)