Sayyiduna Khalid bin al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I used to wake up at night in fright, take hold of my sword, and strike with the sword whatever came before me. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Shall I not teach you the words which the Trustworthy Spirit (Ruh al-Amin) taught me?" I said: "Yes, indeed!" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Recite:
'A'udhu bi-kalimatillahit-tammah allati la yujawizuhunna barrun wa la fajir, min sharri ma yanzilu min as-sama'i wa ma ya'ruju fiha, wa min sharri fitan al-layli wan-nahar, wa min kulli tariqin illa tariqan yatruqu bi-khayr, ya Rahman' (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah, which no righteous or wicked person can go beyond, from the evil of whatever descends from the sky and whatever ascends to it, from the evil of the trials of the night and the day, and from everything that comes by night, except one who comes bringing good, O Most Merciful!)"
When Sayyiduna Khalid (may Allah be pleased with him) began reciting these words, his distress went away.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains Zakariyya bin Yahya bin Ayyub al-Darir al-Mada'ini, whom I do not know; the remaining narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy).
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب الأذكار / 17065
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسنادہ صحیح
Hadith Takhrij«أخرجه المعجم الأوسط للطبراني برقم: 5411»