❖ The Shar‘i Status of Fudayl ibn ʿIyāḍ’s Duʿā for His Son ❖
Fatwa by: Fadhīlatul-ʿĀlim Ḥāfiẓ Khaḍr Ḥayāt ḥafiẓahullāh
What is the Islamic ruling regarding the following supplication (duʿā) attributed to Fudayl ibn ʿIyāḍ (رحمه الله)?
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي اجْتَهَدْتُ أَنْ أُؤَدِّبَ ابْنِي، فَلَمْ أَقْدِرْ عَلَى تَأْدِيبِهِ، فَأَدِّبْهُ أَنْتَ لِي
This supplication is authentically reported from Imām Fudayl ibn ʿIyāḍ رحمه الله regarding his son ʿAlī. The exact wording recorded in classical sources is:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي اجْتَهَدْتُ أَنْ أُؤَدِّبَ عَلِيًّا، فَلَمْ أَقْدِرْ عَلَى تَأْدِيبِهِ، فَأَدِّبْهُ أَنْتَ لِي
Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ 8/445, Ṭ. al-Risālah
Translation:
“O Allah! I have strived my utmost to discipline ʿAlī, but I was unable to do so fully. So You discipline him on my behalf.”
This is a non-mashrūʿ (non-prescribed) supplication — i.e. not directly from the Prophet ﷺ — but it fulfills all five conditions mentioned by Shaykh Bakr Abū Zayd رحمه الله regarding the permissibility of non-mashrūʿ duʿās:
➊ The words must be clear and eloquent, reflecting the nature of humble pleading before Allah.
➋ The meaning must conform to Islamic beliefs and Arabic usage.
➌ The duʿā must not contain any shirk, innovation, or impermissible requests.
➍ It must not be restricted to any specific time, place, or condition unless evidence supports it.
➎ It must not be taken as a sunnah or ritual act, i.e. not made into a binding religious practice.
Taṣḥīḥ al-Duʿāʾ, p. 42–43
Since Fudayl ibn ʿIyāḍ’s duʿā fulfills all these criteria, it is permissible to recite it.
One may replace “ʿAlī” with the name of their own child, or use general terms like:
ابْنِي (my son) or بِنْتِي (my daughter) in personal supplication.
Both Fudayl and his son ʿAlī were known for their piety, asceticism, and devotion. ʿAlī رحمه الله passed away before his father. Their biographies and inspirational accounts can be found in:
Ḥilyat al-Awliyāʾ
Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ
Fatwa by: Fadhīlatul-ʿĀlim Ḥāfiẓ Khaḍr Ḥayāt ḥafiẓahullāh
❖ Question:
What is the Islamic ruling regarding the following supplication (duʿā) attributed to Fudayl ibn ʿIyāḍ (رحمه الله)?
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي اجْتَهَدْتُ أَنْ أُؤَدِّبَ ابْنِي، فَلَمْ أَقْدِرْ عَلَى تَأْدِيبِهِ، فَأَدِّبْهُ أَنْتَ لِي
❖ Answer:
This supplication is authentically reported from Imām Fudayl ibn ʿIyāḍ رحمه الله regarding his son ʿAlī. The exact wording recorded in classical sources is:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي اجْتَهَدْتُ أَنْ أُؤَدِّبَ عَلِيًّا، فَلَمْ أَقْدِرْ عَلَى تَأْدِيبِهِ، فَأَدِّبْهُ أَنْتَ لِي
Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ 8/445, Ṭ. al-RisālahTranslation:
“O Allah! I have strived my utmost to discipline ʿAlī, but I was unable to do so fully. So You discipline him on my behalf.”
❖ Ruling on This Duʿā:
This is a non-mashrūʿ (non-prescribed) supplication — i.e. not directly from the Prophet ﷺ — but it fulfills all five conditions mentioned by Shaykh Bakr Abū Zayd رحمه الله regarding the permissibility of non-mashrūʿ duʿās:
The Five Conditions Are:
➊ The words must be clear and eloquent, reflecting the nature of humble pleading before Allah.
➋ The meaning must conform to Islamic beliefs and Arabic usage.
➌ The duʿā must not contain any shirk, innovation, or impermissible requests.
➍ It must not be restricted to any specific time, place, or condition unless evidence supports it.
➎ It must not be taken as a sunnah or ritual act, i.e. not made into a binding religious practice.
Taṣḥīḥ al-Duʿāʾ, p. 42–43Since Fudayl ibn ʿIyāḍ’s duʿā fulfills all these criteria, it is permissible to recite it.
❖ Usage Flexibility:
One may replace “ʿAlī” with the name of their own child, or use general terms like:
ابْنِي (my son) or بِنْتِي (my daughter) in personal supplication.
❖ Note on Fudayl ibn ʿIyāḍ and His Son ʿAlī:
Both Fudayl and his son ʿAlī were known for their piety, asceticism, and devotion. ʿAlī رحمه الله passed away before his father. Their biographies and inspirational accounts can be found in:
Ḥilyat al-Awliyāʾ Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ