Nasai

“True companion”—because other companions can leave at any time, whether in happiness or in unhappiness. “Guardian”—in Arabic, the word “khalifah” is used, which means deputy and successor. The meaning is that in my absence, You alone will suffice in my place. This meaning has been expressed with the word “guardian.”

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
(1)
Al-Hawr:
means
to untie the folds or twists of a turban.
(2)
Kawn:
means
to be obtained,
to be established,
the purpose is that after steadfastness and uprightness, corruption and disorder arise,
or as Imam Tirmidhi says,
to return from faith to disbelief,
to turn from obedience to disobedience,
to return from one thing to something worse than it.

Benefits and Issues:
During travel, a person faces various situations,
there are also very dangerous turns in it,
and one may be subjected to oppression and injustice by someone,
therefore, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam set out on a journey, he would supplicate for steadfastness and firmness upon his righteousness, obedience, and correct conduct, so that due to the hardships and difficulties of travel, the circumstances would not turn towards corruption and disorder instead of reform and improvement, and so that he would not be deprived of the better things he had attained.

Explanation:
1:
O Allah! You are the companion of our journey,
You are the deputy and guardian over our families whom we leave behind,
O Allah, remain with us in this journey of ours, and become our deputy and guardian among our household,
O Allah! I seek Your protection from the hardship and fatigue of travel, from the sorrow of returning unsuccessful and disappointed,
from the supplication of the oppressed, and from witnessing any evil scene (bad situation) in wealth and family.

Benefits and Issues:

➊
The meaning of a distressing return is:
That suddenly such an unforeseen situation arises that a person is compelled to return, or it means that upon returning, some unpleasant incident has already occurred at home. In the presence of the usual hardships and difficulties of travel, such a situation becomes unbearable.
Therefore, one supplicates to Allah
to be protected from this.

➋
The meaning of (al-hawr ba‘d al-kawr)
is that after a task has been properly completed, there then occurs some deficiency or corruption in it, or after a good state, one falls into a bad state—for example, disbelief after faith, sin after righteousness, and hardship and indebtedness after prosperity, etc. In this regard, these are very comprehensive words.

➌
Seeking refuge from the supplication (curse) of the oppressed means that Allah, the Exalted, grants us the ability not to wrong anyone, so that they do not supplicate against us. Therefore, if one has wronged someone, one should make amends before setting out on a journey.