Riyad as-Salihin, 1430

'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:

One night I missed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) from his bed. I searched for him. When I found him he was in bowing or prostrating posture and was reciting: Subhanaka wa bi hamdika. La ilaha illa Anta (You are free from imperfection and I begin praising You. There is no true god except You)." Another narration is: My hand fell over his feet while he was in prostration with his feet erect. He was supplicating: "Allahumma inni a'udhu biridaka min sakhatika, wa bi-mu'afatika min 'uqubatika, wa a'udhu bika minka, la uhsi thana'an 'alaika, Anta kama athnaita 'ala Nafsika (O Allah! I seek protection against Your Wrath in Your Pleasure. I seek protection in Your Pardon against Your chastisement, I am not capable of enumerating praise of You. You are as You have lauded Yourself)."

وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت‏:‏ افتقدت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ذات ليلة فتحسست، فإذا هو راكع‏.‏-أو ساجد- يقول‏:‏ ‏"‏سبحانك وبحمدك لا إله إلا أنت‏"‏ ، وفي رواية‏:‏ فوقعت يدي على بطن قدميه، وهو في المسجد، وهما منصوبتان، وهو يقول‏:‏ ‏"‏اللهم إني أعوذ برضاك من سخطك، وبمعافاتك من عقوبتك، وأعوذ بك منك، لا أحصي ثناء عليك أنت كما أثنيت على نفسك‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه مسلم‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

References1 variant

In-Book Reference: Book 15, Hadith 23

Sharh · explanationclick to expand

Guidance from the Hadith: 1) One may seek refuge with Allah, the Exalted, from bad deeds by virtue of his good deeds, because bad deeds incur Allah’s wrath and anger upon the slave while good deeds earn him Allah’s pleasure. In fact, things are treated by their opposites. 2) One of the most general and comprehensive formulas of supplication is for seeking refuge with Allah Almighty and resorting to Him for protection against His punishment and chastisement. This is what is meant by “wa a‘ūdhu bika minka” (I seek protection from You with You). 3) The love ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had for Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and her being the dearest of all people to him. She is the Siddiqah, daughter of the Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with them both. By Allah, a slave’s faith is never valid unless he shows due reverence and respect to the Mothers of the Believers, in obedience to Allah Almighty and His Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Benefit: Some scholars took this Hadith as evidence to prove that one is recommended to set his feet close to each other in prostration and not set them wide apart, as this is the correct posture of prostration. This is so because Ā’ishah’s hand would not have touched both feet of Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) unless they were close together. It is an act of Sunnah to align one’s heels in prostration.

Related hadiths6