Seeking refuge in God - Section 1

English translation

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Seek refuge in God from severe calamity, being overtaken by misery, (1) evil destiny, and the triumphant mockery of enemies.” 1. <i>darak ash-shaqa</i>. It might be translated “the depth of misery.” Cf. Qur’an, iv, 145 where the accepted reading is <i>dark</i>, although the word has also been read <i>darak</i>. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

English translation

Anas said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from care, grief, incapacity, slackness, cowardliness, niggardliness, the burden of debt, and being overpowered by men.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

English translation

‘A’isha said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from slackness, decrepitude, debt and sin. O God, I seek refuge in You from the punishment in hell, the trial [which leads to] hell, the trial in the grave, (2) the punishment in the grave, the evil of the trial of riches, the evil of the trial of poverty, (3) and the evil of the testing of the antichrist. (4) O God, wash away my sins with snow and hail water, purify my heart as a white garment is purified from filth, and put my sins as far away from me as You have put the East from the West.” 2. Being unable to answer the two angels. 3. Riches may lead to oppression and poverty to envy. 4. <i>al-Masih ad-dajjal</i>. The false Christ who is to appear in the last days. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

English translation

Zaid b. Arqam said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from incapacity, slackness, cowardliness, niggardliness, decrepitude, and the punishment in the grave. O God, bring my soul to fear of You and purify it; You are the best of those who purify it; You are its Patron and Master. O God, I seek refuge in You from knowledge which does not profit, from a heart which is not submissive, from an appetite which is insatiable, and from a supplication which is not granted an answer.” Muslim transmitted it.

English translation

‘Abdallah b. ‘Umar said that one of the supplications of God’s messenger was, “O God, I seek refuge in You from the decline of Your favour, change in Your granting wellbeing, sudden vengeance from You, and all Your displeasure.” Muslim transmitted it.

English translation

‘A’isha said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from the evil of what I have done and from the evil of what I have not done.” Muslim transmitted it.

English translation

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, to You I have submitted, in You I believe, on You I rely, to You I turn in repentance, and by You I contend. O God, I seek refuge in Your might, than whom there is no god, lest You leadest me into error. You are the Living One who dost not die, while jinn and men die.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

English translation

Abu Huraira said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from the four things:

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.

English translation

‘Umar said that God’s messenger used to seek refuge in God from five things:

cowardliness, niggardliness, the evils of old age, evil thoughts, and the punishment in the grave. Abu Dawud and Nasa'i transmitted it.

English translation

Abu Huraira said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from poverty, lack and abasement, and I seek refuge in You lest I cause or suffer wrong.” Abu Dawud and Nasa'i transmitted it.

English translation

He said that God’s messenger used to say, "O God, I seek refuge in You from divisiveness, hypocrisy and evil character." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

English translation

He said that God’s messenger used to say, "O God, I seek refuge in You from hunger, for it is an evil bedfellow; and I seek refuge in You from treachery, for it is an evil hidden trait." 1 1. Literally, ‘lining.’ Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

English translation

Anas said that God’s messenger used to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from leprosy, elephantiasis, madness, and evil diseases.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it.

English translation

Qutba b. Malik said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to say, "O God, I seek refuge in You from objectionable characteristics, deeds and passions." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

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Shutair b. Shakal b. Humaid said that his father asked God’s Prophet (ﷺ) to teach him a formula by which he might seek refuge in God, and he told him to say, “O God, I seek refuge in You from evil in what I hear, see, speak, think about, and from evil arising from my sexual passion.” Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it.

English translation

Abul Yasar said, that God’s messenger used to make this supplication, “O God, I seek refuge in You from my house falling on me; I seek refuge, in You from falling into an abyss, drowning, burning and decrepitude; I seek refuge in You from the devil harming me at the time of my death; I seek refuge in You from dying in Your path while retreating; and I seek refuge in You from dying of the sting of a poisonous creature.” Abu Dawud and Nasa’i transmitted it. In another version Nasa’i added, “and from sorrow.”

English translation

Mu'adh reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “Seek refuge in God from covetousness which leads to disgrace.” Ahmad and Baihaqi, in [<i>Kitab</i>] <i>ad-Da'awat al-kabir</i>, transmitted it.

English translation

‘A’isha told of the Prophet (ﷺ) looking at the moon and saying, “Seek refuge in God from the evil of this one, ‘A'isha, for this is the darkness when it overspreads.” 2 2. cf. Qur’an, cxiii, 3. The tradition is said to refer to the moon being eclipsed. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

English translation

'Imran b. Husain told of the Prophet (ﷺ) asking his father, “How many gods do you worship to-day, Husain?” His father replied, “Seven, six in the earth and one in heaven.” He asked, “Which of them do you take account of regarding your hopes and your fears?” On receiving his reply that it was the one in heaven, he said, “If you were to accept Islam, Husain, I would teach you two phrases which would benefit you.” When Husain accepted Islam" he asked God’s messenger to teach him the two phrases he had promised him, and he told him to say, “O God, direct me in the right way and deliver me from the evil within myself.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

English translation

‘Amr b. Shu'aib, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfather reported God’s messenger as saying that when anyone was alarmed while asleep he should say, “I seek refuge in God's perfect words from His anger, His punishment, the evil of His servants, the evil suggestions of the devils and their presence,” for they will not injure him. 'Abdallah b. ‘Amr used to teach them to those of his children who had reached puberty and those who had not. He wrote them down on some material (1) and hung the writing on the child’s neck. 1. The word is <i>sakh</i> which usually means a document. Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi transmitted it, this being Tirmidhi's wording.

English translation

Anas reported God’s Messenger as saying that if anyone asks God for paradise three times, paradise will say, ‘‘O God, bring him into paradise;” and if anyone asks for protection from hell three times, hell will say, "O God, grant him protection from hell.” Tirmidhi and Nasa’i transmitted it.

English translation

Al-Qa'qa' reported Ka‘b al-Ahbar as saying, “Were it not for some words which I say, the Jews would treat me as an ass.” (2) He was asked what they were and replied, “I seek refuge in God’s mighty Person than which nothing is mightier, in God’s perfect words which no one, whether pious or profligate, can go beyond and in God’s beautiful names, those which I know and those which I do not know, from the evil of what He has created, produced and brought into being.” 2. This might be translated “turn me into an ass.” If that is the correct translation it would suggest the use of magic. Malik transmitted it.

English translation

Muslim b. Abu Bakra said:

My father used to say at the end of the prayer, “O God, I seek refuge in You from infidelity, poverty and the punishment in the grave.” I used to say these words also, so he asked me, “From whom did you get this, sonny?” When I told him that I had got it from him, he said that God’s messenger used to say these words at the end of the prayer. Nasa'i and Tirmidhi transmitted it, but the latter did not mention "at the end of the prayer." Ahmad transmitted the wording of the tradition, but he had, "at the end of every prayer."

English translation

Abu Sa'id said he heard God’s messenger say, "I seek refuge in God from infidelity and debt." A man asked him whether he treated infidelity on a level with debt, and he replied that he did. A version has, "O God, I seek refuge in You from infidelity and poverty." A man asked whether they were equal, and replied that they were. Nasa’i transmitted it.