What the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite these words in his supplication: "O my Lord, help me and do not help others against me. Grant me victory and do not grant others victory against me. Plan in my favour and do not plan against me. Guide me and make guidance easy for me. Grant me victory over whoever transgresses against me. O my Lord, make me one who is greatly thankful to You, who remembers You much, who greatly fears You, who is obedient to You, who is humble and lowly before You, who calls upon You and turns back to You. O my Lord, accept my repentance, wash away my sins, answer my supplication, guide my heart, make my proof firm, keep my tongue upright, and remove the rancour and malice from my heart."

Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with water for ablution. He performed ablution and offered prayer, and then said: "O Allah, forgive my sins, grant spaciousness in my home, and grant me blessing in my provision."

Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate with these words: "O Allah, forgive my error, my ignorance, and my excess in my affairs, and that which You know better than I do. O Allah, forgive my seriousness and my jesting, and the errors I have committed deliberately and those I have committed unintentionally; and all of these are from me."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in this way: "O Allah, benefit me by what You have taught me, teach me what will benefit me, and increase me in knowledge. All praise belongs to Allah in every state, and I seek refuge with Allah from the punishment of Hell."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Uthman bin Abi al-As and a woman of the tribe of Qays (may Allah be pleased with them both) that they both heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). One of them said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "O Allah, forgive my sins, and also forgive the sins I have committed unintentionally and deliberately." And the other said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "O Allah, I seek guidance from You alone for the rightness of my affair, and I seek refuge with You alone from the evil of my own self."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that the Mother of the Believers, Sayyidah Juwayriyah (may Allah be pleased with her), said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by me at the time of the morning prayer, or after offering the morning prayer, while I was remembering Allah. He came back when the day had advanced, or he said: when half the day had passed, and she was still in the same state. He (peace and blessings be upon him) then said: "When I got up from you, I recited four phrases three times, which are far greater in reward and weightier, or he said: heavier in the balance, than the words you have recited. They are: Glory be to Allah as much as the number of His creation; glory be to Allah for His pleasure; glory be to Allah as much as the weight of His Throne; glory be to Allah as much as the ink of His words."

It is narrated from al-Hasan al-Basri that he used to say that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in this way: "O Allah, forgive me! O Allah, have mercy on me. O Allah, grant me guidance. O Allah, show me the straight path. O Allah, grant me well-being. O Allah, grant me provision."

It is narrated from Sa'id bin Jubayr that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah, grant us provision from Your bounty and do not deprive us of Your provision. Grant us blessing in the provision You have given us, grant us longing for what is with You, and place self-sufficiency within our souls."

Ali bin Husayn and others said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in this way: "O Allah, remove my stumbles, cover my nakedness, replace my fear with safety, suffice me against whoever transgresses against me, help me against whoever wrongs me, and show me my vengeance on him."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in this way: "O Allah, I ask You alone, for You are the First and there is nothing before You; You are the Last and there is nothing after You; You are the Manifest and there is nothing above You; You are the Hidden and there is nothing besides You: that You settle our debts and free us from need and poverty."

Muhammad bin al-Munkadir said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to supplicate in this way: "O Allah, help me to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You well. I seek refuge with You from being overcome by debt or by any enemy, and I seek refuge with You from being overpowered by men."

Ali bin Rabi'ah said: The Commander of the Believers seated me behind him on his mount and then set off towards the side of al-Harrah. He then raised his head towards the sky and recited this supplication: "Forgive my sins, for none other than You can forgive sins." He then turned towards me and laughed. I said: "O Commander of the Believers, you sought forgiveness from your Lord, and then why did you turn towards me and laugh?" He said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) seated me behind him on his mount and then set off with me towards the side of al-Harrah. He likewise raised his head towards the sky and made this supplication: "O Allah, forgive my sins, for none other than You can forgive sins." He (peace and blessings be upon him) then turned towards me and laughed. I said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), you sought forgiveness from your Lord, and then why did you turn towards me and laugh?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I laughed because of my Lord's laughter, for Allah marvels at His servant, that he knows that none other than Allah can forgive."