Supplications during prayer.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Assalamu
Alaikum
Brother Burhan, I am Mohammed Rafiq from Kerala the state which follows the
Shafi Madhab. Our prayers are as follows:
1. Before Fathiha, we recite “Wajjahthu Waj’hiya lilladee … “ hope you
know
the rest. Is this correct?
2.
After that Fahiha, then optionally a sura which every madhab follows.
3. In ruku and sajda in addition to “Subhana Rabbi’al A’ala/Azeem” (whatever it
maybe) we add “Wabihamdihi”. Is it ok brother?
4.
After standing up from Ruku, we say “Rabbana Lakal Hamd” then we add
“milassamawati wa milal ard wamil’amaashiath min shay in ba’ad”. Is it a bid’aa
or is it ok or anything wrong?
5.
Between two sajdahs we say “Rabbigfirli, Warhamnee, Wajburnee, Warfa’ni,
Warzuqni, Wahdinee, Wa’aafinee”. Is it correct or should we say something else?
6. In
Tashahud, while reciting Durood, is it sufficient to say only ‘Allahumma Salli
7. After reciting
Durood in Tashahud, we recite the foll:
“Allahummagfirlee Maa Qaddamthu, Wa Maa Akharthu, Wa Maa Asrarthu, Wa Maa
A’alamthu, Wa Maa Asrafthu, Wa Maa Antha A’lamu bihi minnee, Innaka Anthal
Muqaddimu, Wa Anthal Mu’akhhiru. Laa Ilaha Illaa Antha Allaahumma Innee
Aoodubika Min Adaabi l Khabari, Wa Min Adaabinnaari, Wa Min Fithnathil Mahya
wal Mamaathi, Wa Min Fithnathil Maseehuddajjal”.
Pl. clarify whether all this is ok or not. Thanks,
(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors
in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions,
comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
Supplications during
prayer
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His
help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear
witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear
witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
Dear and beloved brother in Islam, there are some acts in
‘salaah’ which are absolutely obligatory (eg. wudu, facing qibla, takbeer to
start prayer, qiyaam, recitation of Surah Fatihah, ruku, sujood, tasleem to end
prayer, etc.).
Then there are parts which are preferred Sunnah of the
Messenger of Allah (saws) (for example: the making of supplications, the
declaration of Allah’s Greatness, the recitation of other Surahs or Verses
after recitation of Surah Fatihah, etc.)
As long as one fulfills all the obligatory rites of
prayer, there is absolutely no harm if one wishes to make supplications as
often and as many as they like in their prayers, for there is enough evidence
in the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) that
he (saws) would make many supplications in his prayers (after the takbeer,
while standing, while sitting for tashahud, and specially when in the state of
prostration, etc.).
The Messenger of Allah (saws) forbade the believers to
recite the Quran while in the state of ruku and sajdah in prayer; and guided
that one should only Praise and Extol their Lord in their ruku, and Praise,
Extol, and make as many supplications as one wills in their state of sajdah in
prayer.
Sahih Muslim Hadith 970 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbas (part)
The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘I have
been forbidden to recite the Qur'an in the state of bowing (ruku) and
prostration (sajdah) in prayer. So far as the Ruku (bowing in prayer) is concerned,
Extol in it the Great and Glorious Lord, and while prostrating (sajdah in
prayer) yourselves be earnest in supplication, for it is fitting that your
supplications should be answered.’
Nu'man b. Bashir
reported that the Prophet (saws), said, "Verily supplication is
worship."
Narrated by Ahmad
and Abu Dawood.
Your Question-1:
Before Fathiha, we recite “Wajjahthu Waj’hiya lilladee … “ hope you know the
rest. Is this correct?
It is the preferred
Sunnah of the Prophet (saws) to make a supplication immediately after the
‘takbeer’ or start of prayer and before the recitation of Surah al-Fatihah; and
one amongst the Sunnah supplications is the ‘Wajjahtu wajhiya…..’:
Hadrat Ali ibn Abi Taalib (r.a.) said that
when the Prophet (saws) stood for prayer, he (saws) would make the ‘takbeer’
and then say, "Wajjahtu Wajhiya…..(I have turned my face to the One who Created
the heavens and the earth as a sincere submissive (person), and I am not one of
the polytheists. My prayers, my sacrifice, my life, and my death are all for
Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. He has no partner. That is what I have been
ordered and I am of those who submit. O Allah, you are the King and there is no
Lord besides You. You are my Lord and I am Your slave. I have wronged my soul
and You are aware of my sins, so forgive all of my sins. No one forgives sins
save You. Guide me to the best character. No one can guide to the best of that
save You. Turn me away from its evil, and no one can turn me from its evil save
You. At Your beck and call, all the good is in Your hands and evil is not to
You. And I am for You and to You are the blessings and the exaltedness. I seek
your forgiveness and return unto You."
Related by Ahmad, Muslim, at-Tirmidhi, and
Abu Dawud.
Your Question-2: After
that Fahiha, then optionally a sura which every madhab follows.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (saws) said,
"Whoever prays a prayer and does not recite the opening chapter of the
Qur'an (Surah Al Fatihah) has not prayed correctly."
Related by Ahmad,
al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Said Abu Hurairah,
"A recitation should be done in every prayer. What we heard from the
Prophet (saws) we let you hear. What he
(saws) was silent about, we are silent about with you. If one does not add anything to al-Fatihah,
it is sufficient. If one does add
something, it is good."
Related by
al-Bukhari.
It is an obligatory condition of
prayer that Surah Fatihah is recited in every rakah of the prayer; whether the
prayers are obligatory (fard) or voluntary (Sunnah or Nafl). If one does not pray the Surah Fatihah in any
rakah of the prayer, the prayer of the
person will not be considered valid.
Reciting anything from the Quran in addition to the Surah Fatihah in
prayer is the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws).
Your Question-3: In
ruku and sajda in addition to “Subhana Rabbi’al A’ala/Azeem” (whatever it
maybe) we add “Wabihamdihi”. Is it ok brother?
Uqbah
ibn 'Aamr related that when the phrase "Subhanah Rabbi al-Aala (Glorify
your Lord, the Most High)" was revealed, the Prophet (saws) said, "Do
so in your prostrations."
Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and
al-Hakim.
Hudhaifah reported that when the Prophet
(saws) prostrated in prayer, he (saws) would say "Subhana Rabbi
al-Aala."
Rrelated by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i,
Ibn Majah and at-Tirmidhi.
It is the Sunnah of the Prophet (saws) to declare
‘Subhanah Rabbi al-Aala’ at least three times in one’s state of prostration in
prayer; if one wishes to recite it more than three times, one is absolutely at
liberty to do so, but it would be preferred if one does so an odd number of
times (3,5,7,9,11….).
If one wishes to add more phrases of Glorification or
Extol the Lord Most High (eg. ‘wabihamdihi’ (and all Praise is Yours), etc.),
there is absolutely no harm. Except for
the recitation of the Quran, one may Praise, Glorify, Extol, and make as many
supplications as one wills in the state of prostration in prayer.
Your
Question-4: After standing up from Ruku, we say “Rabbana Lakal Hamd” then we
add “milassamawati wa milal ard wamil’amaashiath min shay in ba’ad”. Is it a
bid’aa or is it ok or
anything
wrong?
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.764 Narrated by Rifaa bin Rafi Az Zuraqi
One day we were praying behind the Prophet
(saws). When he raised his head from ruku, he (saws) said, "Sami'a-l-lahu
Liman hamida (Allah Listens to him Who Praises Him)" A man behind him
said, "Rabbana walaka-l hamd hamdan Kathiran taiyiban mubarakan fihi. (O
our Lord! All the praises are for You, many good and blessed praises therein)”.
When the Prophet (saws) completed the prayer, he (saws) asked, "Who has
said these words?" The companion replied, "I." The Prophet
(saws) said, "I saw over thirty Angels competing to write it first!"
There is absolutely no harm if one wishes to additionally
Praise and Glorify Allah Subhanah after the declaration of ‘Rabbana lakal hamd’
when standing up from the state of ruku in prayer.
Your
Question-5: Between two sajdahs we say “Rabbigfirli, Warhamnee, Wajburnee,
Warfa’ni, Warzuqni, Wahdinee, Wa’aafinee”. Is it correct or should we say
something else?
Hudhaifah (r.a.) reported that between the
two prostrations in prayer, the Prophet (saws) would (at times) say, "O
Lord, forgive me."
Narrated by An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.
Abu Dawud recorded from
Ibn Abbas (r.a.) reported that between the
two prostrations in prayer, the Prophet (saws) would (at times) say
"Rabbigfirli, Warhamnee…….(O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, grant me
well-being, guide me and provide for me.)"
One may make as many supplications as one likes in the
seated position between the two prostrations in prayer.
Your
Question-6: In Tashahud, while reciting Durood, is it sufficient to say only
‘Allahumma Salli
Abu Mas'ud
Al-Ansari reported the following account from Bashir ibn Sa'd: "I asked
Prophet (saws) 'O Messenger of Allah (saws), Allah has commanded us to invoke blessings
upon you. How should we do it?' The Messenger of Allah (saws) remained
silent until we wished we had not asked him.
Then he told us to say,
'Allahumma salli 'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama
sallayta 'ala ali ibrahima, wa barik
'ala muhammadin wa 'ala ali muhammadin kama barakta 'ala ibrahima wa 'ala ali
ibrahima; fil 'alamin, innaka hammidum
majeed. {Narrated by Muslim.}
(O Allah, bless
Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You blessed the family of Ibrahim, and give baraka to Muhammad and the family of
Muhammad as You gave baraka to Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim. In all the worlds, You are worthy of Praise
and Glorious)
The absolute majority of the scholars and the jurists in
Islam are of the opinion that it is ‘wajib’ (obligatory) to recite the durood
salutations upon the Prophet (saws) in full in one’s final tashahud in prayer
(ie. until ‘….innaka Hameed un Majeed’)
Question-7:
After reciting Durood in Tashahud, we recite the foll:
“Allahummagfirlee
Maa
Asrafthu, Wa Maa Antha A’lamu bihi minnee, Innaka Anthal Muqaddimu, Wa Anthal
Mu’akhhiru. Laa Ilaha Illaa Antha Allaahumma Innee Aoodubika Min Adaabi l
Khabari, Wa Min Adaabinnaari, Wa Min Fithnathil Mahya wal Mamaathi, Wa Min
Fithnathil Maseehuddajjal”.
There are at least ten different supplications recorded in
the authentic and established Sunnah which the Messenger of Allah (saws) would
make before the ‘tasleems’ to signal the end of his prayer; thus it is
absolutely permissible for one to make any number or type of the Sunnah
supplications as one wills, before one ends one’s prayer by declaring the
‘tasleems’.
Amongst the many supplications made by the Prophet (saws)
before the ‘tasleems’ and recorded in the authentic Sunnah are:
1.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said,
"When one of you finishes the final tashahud, he should say, 'O Allah, I
seek refuge in You from the torment of the Hell-fire and the grave, from the
trials of life and death, and from the trials of the Dajjal." (Related by
Muslim.)
2.
Aishah reported that the Messenger of Allah would supplicate
before the end of his prayers: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the
torment of the grave, from the trials of the Dajjal, and from the trials of
life and death. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from sin and debt." (Related
by Muslim and al-Bukhari.)
3.
'Ali reported that when the Prophet (saws) prayed, the last thing
he would say between the tashahud and the tasleem was, "O Allah, forgive
my past and later sins, what was in private and what was in public, and what I
have been extravagant in. You are more knowledgeable of it than I. You are the
Promoter and the Retarder. There is no god except You." (Related by
Muslim.)
4.
Abdullah ibn 'Amr reported that Abu Bakr said to the Messenger of
Allah (saws), "Teach me a supplication that I may use in my prayers."
He (saws) told him, "Say, O Allah, I have wronged my soul a great wrong
and no one forgives sins except You, so forgive me with such forgiveness that
only comes from You and have mercy on me. Verily, You are the Oft-Forgiving,
the Oft-Mercful." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
The supplication quoted by you is a combination and
compilation of a few of the Sunnah supplications, and absolutely acceptable and
permissible to recite in prayer.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only
due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me
alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister