Dua’s to Recite in the Morning and Evening

v  Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who recites in the morning and in the evening the statement: 'Subhan-Allahi wa bihamdihi (Allah is free from imperfection and I begin with praising Him)' one hundred times, will not be surpassed on the Day of Resurrection by anyone with better deeds than one who utters the same words or utters more of these words." [Muslim]

v  Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: A man came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said, "What a trouble I suffered from a scorpion which stung me last night!" He (PBUH) said, "Had you said in the evening: 'A'udhu bikalimatillahit-tammati min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek the protection of Allah's Perfect Words from the evil of whatever He has created),' it would not have harmed you." [Muslim]

v  Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) used to say in the morning: "Allahumma bika asbahna, wa bika amsaina, wa bika nahya, wa bika namutu, wa ilaikan-nushur (O Allah! With Your Power we have come to the morning, with Your Power we come to the evening, with Your Power we live, and we die, and to You will we return)." In the evening he would say: "Allahumma bika amsaina, wa bika nahya, wa bika namutu, wa ilaikan-nushur (O Allah! With Your Power, we have come to the evening, by You do we live, by You do we die, and to You is the return)." [At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud]

v  Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: Abu Bakr asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Teach me some words so that I may recite them in the morning and in the evening." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Recite these words: 'Allahumma fatiras-samawati wal-ardi, 'alimal-ghaibi wash-shahadati, Rabba kulli shai'in wa malikahu. Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Anta, a'udhu bika min sharri nafsi, wa sharrish-Shaitani wa shirkihi (O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! Knower of the hidden and the exposed! Rubb of everything and everyone. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but You. I seek Your Protection from the evil of my own self from the evil of Satan and from the evil of Shirk to which he calls)."' The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) added: "Recite these words in the morning and the evening and when you go to bed." [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi]

v  Abdullah bin Khubaib (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to me, "Recite Surat Al-Ikhlas and Al-Mu'awwidhatain (Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas) three times at dawn and dusk. It will suffice you in all respects." [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi]

v  Uthman bin 'Affan (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "He who recites three times every morning and evening: 'Bismillahil-ladhi la yadurru ma'as-mihi shai'un fil-ardi wa la fis-sama'i, wa Huwas-Sami'ul-'Alim (In the Name of Allah with Whose Name there is protection against every kind of harm in the earth or in the heaven, and He is the All-Hearing and All-Knowing),' nothing will harm him." [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi]

Supplications by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Anas (RA) reported: The supplication most often recited by the Prophet (PBUH) was: "Allahumma atina fid-dunya hasanatan, wa fil-akhirati hasanatan, wa qina 'adhab-annar (O our Rubb! give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the punishment of the Fire)."' 

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Abdullah bin Mas'ud (RA) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) used to supplicate: "Allahumma inni as'alukal-huda, wat-tuqa, wal-'afafa, wal-ghina (O Allah! I beseech You for guidance, piety, chastity and contentment)." 

[Muslim]

Tariq bin Ashyam (RA) reported: Whenever a man entered the fold of Islam, the Prophet (PBUH) would show him how to perform Salat and then direct him to supplicate: "Allahumm-aghfir li, warhamni, wa-hdini, wa 'afini, warzuqni (O Allah! Forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, guard me against harm and provide me with sustenance and salvation)." 

[Muslim]

'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) supplicated: "Allahumma musarrifal-qulubi, sarrif qulubana 'ala ta'atika (O Allah! Controller of the hearts, direct our hearts to Your obedience)." 

[Muslim]

Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (RA) reported: I requested the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) to teach me a supplication which I could recite in my Salat (prayer). Thereupon he said, "Recite: 'Allahumma inni zalamtu nafsi zulman kathiran, wa la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa Anta, faghfir li maghfiratan min 'indika, warhamni, innaka Antal-Ghafur-ur-Rahim (O Allah! I have considerably wronged myself. There is none to forgive the sins but You. So grant me pardon and have mercy on me. You are the Most Forgiving, the Most Compassionate)."' 
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The Intrinsic Worth of Tasbih of Syeda Fatima Zehra (AS)

Tasbih is a form of dhikr that involves the repetitive utterances of short sentences praising Allah. The Tasbih of Hazrat Fatima Zahra (AS) is an ardently recommended act of worship in the Islam.  It is short yet very prevailing act of worship from the aspect of performance, effect, reward and merit. Holy Prophet imparted this act of worship to his daughter Hazrat Fatima (AS) and as Imam Muhammed Baqir (AS) said that after every mandatory prayer, there is no better invocation than the Tasbih-e-Fatima. If there was any other, more effective, way of Praising Allah, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) would most certainly have instructed his daughter about that.

Reciting ‘Allahu Akbar' - 34 times, 'Alhamdulillah' - 33 times and 'Subhanallah' - 33 times is called as Tasbeeh of Sayeda Fatima(AS)

Likewise the value of this tasbih can be observed from the following two ahadith.

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "He who recites after every prayer: Subhan-Allah (Allah is free from imperfection) thirty-three times; Al-hamdu lillah (praise be to Allah) thirty-three times; Allahu Akbar (Allah is Greatest) thirty-three times; and completes the hundred with: La ilaha illallahu, wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa 'ala kulli shai'in Qadir (there is no true god except Allah. He is One and He has no partner with Him. His is the sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Omnipotent), will have all his sins pardoned even if they may be as large as the foam on the surface of the sea."

Ka'b bin 'Ujrah (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "There are some words, the reciters of which will never be disappointed. These are: Tasbih [saying 'Subhan-Allah' (Allah is free from imperfection)], thirty-three times, Tahmid[saying 'Al-hamdu lillah' (praise be to Allah)] thirty-three times and Takbir [saying 'Allahu Akbar' (Allah is Greatest)] thirty-four times; and these should be recited after the conclusion of every prescribed prayer."

Duas to Recite during and after Salat

Thauban (RA) reported: Whenever the Messenger of Allah (SAW) concluded his prayer, he would beg forgiveness from Allah thrice and then would recite: "Allahumma Antas-Salamu, wa minkas-salamu, tabarakta ya Dhal-Jalali wal-Ikram (O Allah, You are the Grantor of security, and security comes from You. You are Blessing, O You Who have majesty and nobility)!" (Imam) Al-Awza'i, one of the narrators of this Hadith, was asked: "How forgiveness is to be sought?" He answered: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to say: 'Astaghfirullah! Astaghfirullah! (I beseech Allah for forgiveness, I beseech Allah for forgiveness)'." [Muslim]

Sa'd bin Abu Waqqas (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) used to seek (Allah's) protection after prayers in these words: "Alla-humma inni a'udhu bika minal-jubni wal-bukhl, wa a'udhu bika min an uradda ila ardhalil-'umur, wa a'udhu bika min fitnatid-dunya, wa a'udhu bika min fitnatil-qabr (O Allah, I seek refuge with You from cowardice, miserliness and from being sent back to a feeble age; and, seek refuge with You from the trials of this life and those of the grave)."

Mu'adh (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) took hold of my hand and said, "O Mu'adh! By Allah I love you, so I advise you to never forget to recite after every prayer: "Allahumma a'inni ala dhikrika, wa shukrika, wa husni 'ibadatika (O Allah, help me remember You, to be grateful to You, and to worship You in an excellent manner)."

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "When anyone of you has done his Tashahhud during Salat (prayer), he should seek refuge in Allah against four things and say: "Allahumma inni a'udhu bika min 'adhabi jahannam, wa min 'adhabil-qabr, wa min fitnatil-mahya wal-mamat, wa min sharri fitnatil-masihid-dajjal (O Allah! I seek refuge in you from the torment of Hell, from the torment of the grave, from the trials of life and death, and from the mischief of Al-Masih Ad-Dajjal (Antichrist)."

'Ali (RA) reported: When the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was in Salat (prayer), he used to supplicate towards the end of prayer after Tashahhud and before the concluding salutations: "Allahum-maghfir li ma qaddamtu wa ma akh-khartu, wa ma asrartu, wa ma a'lantu, wa ma asraftu, wa ma Anta a'lamu bihi minni. Antal-Muqqadimu, wa Antal-Mu'akh-khiru. La ilaha illa Anta (O Allah! Forgive my former and latter sins, which I have done secretly and those which I have done openly, and that I have wronged others, and those defaults of mine about which you have better knowledge than I have. You alone can send whomever you will to Jannah, and You Alone can send whomever you will to Hell-fire. None has the right to be worshipped but you."

The Obligation of Gratitude

Gratitude means responding to kindness and giving praise to the one who has done good and kind towards you. If looked closely then we will realize that the one deserving gratitude most is Allah the Exalted. Allah has bestowed us with many blessings and great favors in both spiritual and worldly terms. Therefore Allah has commanded us to give thanks and praise Him for everything He does for us and besides it’s our obligation as well. Gratitude from heart consists in actually being intentionally aware of the immeasurable gifts and blessings of Allah and in attributing them to Him and no one else.

"If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshiping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings)." (14:7)

Allah has given us the means to thank Him and moreover in His overwhelming generosity promised to reward us for doing it.  The above ayat depicts this by informing us that by thanking we will end up having more of Allah’s blessing. So there is return gift too for gratitude.

Allah says:

“Say (O Muhammad PBUH): “Praise and thanks be to Allah, and peace be on His slaves whom He has chosen (for His Message)….” [Surah An-Naml 27: 59]

and Allah said:
“…And If you would count the blessings of Allah you would not be able to count them…” [Surah Ibrahim 14:34]

In another Verse, Allah commands us to thank Him:
“Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying), I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favors on you) and never be ungrateful to Me.” [Surah al-Baqarah 2: 152]

In Surah Rahman (The Most Gracious), This Verse is repeated many times:
“Then which of the Blessings of your Lord will you both (jinn and men) deny?”

Allah also asks His slaves to be patient and praise Him in an event of calamity. The following hadith illustrates what approach a person should adopt at times of death of one owns child.

Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said, "When a slave's child dies, Allah the Most High asks His angels, 'Have you taken out the life of the child of My slave?" They reply in the affirmative. He then asks, 'Have you taken the fruit of his heart?' They reply in the affirmative. Thereupon he asks, 'What has My slave said?' They say: 'He has praised You and said: Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un (We belong to Allah and to Him we shall be returned). Allah says: 'Build a house for My slave in Jannah and name it as Bait-ul-Hamd (the House of Praise)."' 
[At-Tirmidhi]

This Hadith points that rather than moaning and wailing, one should submit himself to the Will of Allah and demonstrate firmness. Such attitude of patience and resignation is highly meritorious and has great reward.

A Misconception

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Whenever someone greets me, Allah returns the soul to my body (in the grave) and I return his greeting."

Commentary

From the Hadith it is understood that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is alive in his grave and he answers the salutation offered by a Muslim.Some people infer the hadith as saying that Prophet (saw) is alive and his life is like the worldly life due to which He can return the answer of our salutation. It is wrong to say so because it is not confirmed by the Quran and Hadith. If he were to be alive the way he was in his lifetime, there would have been no need for "the returning of the soul to his body" and he would be able to answer the salutations without it. Another ambiguity that often comes to mind is that since countless Muslims are always offering salutations to the Prophet (PBUH) then how does the return of the soul takes place within such short intervals? Such questions come to pass due to the deficient of certainty in the supremacy of Allah. Allah can do everything in any form and nature and it is also our duty to believe with full faith anything Prophet (saw) says. Further the hadith has an encouragement for offering more and more supplications for the Prophet (PBUH) so that the follower is blessed with the highest reward in the form of the Prophet's response to his salutations. Every Muslim should try to achieve this blessing.

Equality of Slaves in Islam

Allah, the Exalted, says: "Worship Allah and join none with Him (in worship); and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masakin (the poor), the neighbor who is near of kin, the neighbor who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves) whom your right hands possess." (4:36)

Al-Ma'rur bin Suwaid (RA) reported: I saw Abu Dharr (RA) wearing a nice gown, and his slave was also wearing one similar to it. I asked him about it, and he said that he had exchanged harsh words with a person during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and put him to shame by making a reference to his mother. That person came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and made mention of that to him. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah said, "You are a person who has remnants of the 'Days of Ignorance' in you. Your slaves are your brothers. Allah has placed them under your authority. He who has his brother under him, should feed him from whatever he eats, and dress him with whatever he wears, and do not burden them (assign burdensome task to them) beyond their capacity; and if you burden them then help them. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Islam has laid great emphasis on good treatment of slaves. The ayat and hadith above contain the illumination about treatment of slaves in Islam.The slaves should be treated fairly in all matters such that they should have the same food and clothes which the master has, or he should give them such wages that they can afford to buy the same food and clothes. In Islam all humans are equal in the eyes of Allah and if someone is superior then it might be because of his Taqwa neither wealth nor high status. The slaves have the status of brother and they have the same human needs as the master. Same goes for the laborers in factories, shops, offices and homes. It is equally important that the work load on slaves and laborers be considered thoroughly and they should not be over burdened with work more than there capability. Pride on one’s lineage and criticism of others on this account is an act of ignorance and exceedingly unacknowledged by Islam. Being a Muslim we should keep ourselves away from such conceited views. So a slave should not be treated badly because of their cast. By issuing the instruction mentioned in the Hadith, Islam has established equality in the true meanings of the word. Islam promotes brotherhood between the employers and employed the master and the slave, the ruler and the ruled. It also urges them to be sensitive and helpful to each other. By stressing the rights of people, it teaches both classes to love and respect each other. In another hadith

Abu Hurairah (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "When your servant brings food for you and you do not seat him with you, you should at least give him a morsel or two out of it because he has prepared it himself."  [Al-Bukhari]

The sense of equality of people is so much emphasized by Islam that if a servant brings meal to his master, this latter should make him sit by his side to take the meal with him. If this is not possible for a reason or another, then he should give some portion of the meal to the servant.