Supplication (Dua)
The term “dua” linguistically originates from the verb “da’ut,” meaning to call upon something. In a broader context, scholars have provided various interpretations of the term. Al-Khattabi explained that dua is the invocation of a servant to their Lord, beseeching His attention and seeking assistance. The essence of dua reflects one’s neediness before God, emphasizing humility and recognizing human frailty. It embodies the spirit of servitude and acknowledges human vulnerability, alongside praising God and attributing generosity and kindness to Him. According to Ibn Mandhur, dua signifies a longing towards God. Below are some notable supplications.
Morning and Evening Supplications
- The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “There is no servant who recites in the morning and evening: ‘In the name of Allah, with Whose name nothing can harm in the heavens or the earth, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing’ three times, except that nothing shall harm him.” (Tirmidhi, 3388).
- One day, the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, entered the mosque and noticed a man from the Ansar named Abu Umamah sitting in prayer outside the designated times. The Prophet asked him: “O Abu Umamah, why do I see you sitting here at a time not meant for prayer?” Abu Umamah replied, “I am overwhelmed with worries and debts, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet then offered to teach him a supplication that would alleviate his concerns and debts. Abu Umamah consented. The Prophet instructed him to say at dawn and dusk: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, from weakness and laziness, from cowardice and stinginess, from the burden of debt and the oppression of men.” (Abu Dawood, 1555).
- Ibn Umar reported: The Prophet, peace be upon him, would not neglect saying these supplications in the morning and evening: “O Allah, I ask You for wellbeing in this life and the Hereafter. O Allah, I seek Your forgiveness and wellbeing concerning my religion, my worldly affairs, my family, and my possessions. O Allah, cover my faults and grant me tranquility from fear. O Allah, protect me from in front of me, behind me, to my right, to my left, and from above me. I seek refuge in Your majesty from being taken by surprise from below.” (Abu Dawood, 5074).
- Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet, peace be upon him, would say in the morning: “O Allah, we have entered this day, and so has the kingdom, all belonging to You. There is no deity but You, alone without partner. To You belongs the sovereignty, and to You belongs all praise. You have power over all things. O Lord, I ask You for the best of what this day holds and the best of what follows it, and I seek refuge in You from the evils of this day and the evils that follow it.” (Abu Dawood, 5068).
- A man approached the Prophet, peace be upon him, and asked how to send salutations upon him in prayer. The Prophet responded, “When you send blessings upon me, say: ‘O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet, and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. You are indeed Praiseworthy and Majestic.'” (Bukhari, 3370).
- “Allah! There is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 255).
- “We have entered upon a new day, and sovereignty belongs to Allah, the praise belongs to Allah. There is no deity but Allah, alone without partner. To Him belongs the sovereignty, and to Him belongs all praise. He has power over all things. O Lord, I ask You for the best of what this day holds and the best of what follows it, and I seek refuge in You from the evils of this day and the evils that follow it.”.
- “We have entered the evening, and sovereignty belongs to Allah, the praise belongs to Allah. There is no deity but Allah, alone without partner. To Him belongs the sovereignty, and to Him belongs all praise. He has power over all things. O Lord, I ask You for the best of what this night holds and the best of what follows it, and I seek refuge in You from the evils of this night and the evils that follow it.”.
Supplications for Sustenance
- O Allah, my sins have left me with only the hope of Your pardon. I stand before You, pleading for what I do not deserve. I implore You for matters I have not merited and beseech You with what I do not earn to have. You know my state even if it is hidden from people. O Allah, if my sustenance is in the heavens, send it down, and if it is on earth, manifest it. If it is distant, bring it closer, and if it is near, ease it. If it is little, increase and bless it for us.
- O Lord of the seven heavens and the Earth, and of the glorious Throne, our Lord and the Lord of all creation, who splits the grain and the seeds, and who bestowed the Torah, the Gospel, and the Criterion, I seek refuge with You from the evils of what You hold by its forelock. You are the First; there is nothing before You. You are the Last; there is nothing after You. You are the Most High; there is nothing above You. You are the Most Hidden; there is nothing beneath You. Clear our debts and provide us with sustenance.
- O Allah, Owner of sovereignty, You grant sovereignty to whom You will and confiscate sovereignty from whom You will. You elevate whom You will and humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is all goodness, and You are capable of all things. You cause the night to enter into the day and the day to enter into the night. You bring the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living. You provide for whom You will without account. Merciful in this world and the Hereafter, You bestow mercy upon whom You will and withhold mercy from whom You will. Have mercy on me with a mercy that renders me independent of the mercy of others.
Accepted Supplications
- O Allah, indeed I am Your servant, son of Your servant, son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your Hand. Your decree over me is being executed, and Your judgment upon me is just. I ask You by every name that You have named Yourself, or that You have sent down in Your Book, or that You have taught to any of Your creation, or that You have kept hidden in the knowledge of the unseen with You, to make the Quran the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the removal of my sorrow, and the departure of my worry.
- There is no deity but You, exalted are You; indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.
- O Allah, we ask You by Your Greatest Name, which is invoked and answered, and by all of Your beautiful names, known and unknown to us, to respond to our supplications, fulfill our desires, meet our needs, relieve our distress, forgive our sins, cover our shortcomings, accept our repentance, protect us, pardon us, and rectify our families and offspring. Grant us long lives with good endings, and have mercy on us with a mercy that makes us independent of the mercy of others.
- O Most Loving, O Lord of the Glorious Throne, I ask You by Your might that cannot be challenged and Your sovereignty that cannot be violated, and by Your light that fills the corners of Your Throne, to relieve me of what burdens me in matters of this world and the Hereafter.
- O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no deity but You. You created me, and I am Your servant, and I am committed to Your covenant and promise as much as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your blessings upon me, and I confess my sins, so forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.
- O Lord, forgive me and turn toward me; indeed, You are the Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
- I seek forgiveness from Allah, the Almighty, there is no deity but Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence, and I repent to Him.
- I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah.
- O Allah, forgive me my faults, my ignorance, and my extravagant actions in my affairs, of which You know well. O Allah, forgive me my seriousness and joking, my errors and my intentional acts; all of that is with me. O Allah, forgive me what I have done in the past and what I have been delayed in, and forgive what I have concealed and what I have made manifest; You know me better than I know myself. You are the Foremost and the Last, and You are capable of everything.
- O Allah, I seek refuge with You from knowledge that does not benefit, from a heart that does not humble itself, and from a supplication that is not answered. O Lord of the worlds.