The most beautiful Supplications of Rasolollah ﷺ - I
A Journey from Seeking Sufficiency to Finding Ultimate Companionship in Allah's Words
I write this post, thinking of all the times I have supplicated to Allah and in the heat of the moment, uttered words of dua which I thought were what I wanted; only to find later that these same words, which seemed like a longing from the depths of my heart, became too much for me when that moment of divine ecstasy passed. The Quran captures this human tendency so perfectly:
وَيَدْعُ الْإِنسَانُ بِالشَّرِّ دُعَاءَهُ بِالْخَيْرِ ۖ وَكَانَ الْإِنسَانُ عَجُولًا"And mankind supplicates for evil as he supplicates for good, and mankind is ever hasty." (Quran 17:11)
One is closest to Allah when in dua, especially when that dua isn't just a ritual but rather a moment of intimate conversation with Allah. It's that state that Rumi or Omar Khayyam would call being drunk in the love of Allah.
من چه دانم چه کنم؟ عشق تو دیوانه‌ام کرد خویش را گم کردم از یاد تو، در خانه‌ام کرد
"How should I know what to do? Your love has made me mad I have lost myself in remembrance of You, it has brought me home"
Yet once that moment passes, we return to our normal selves and to life's problems. Even though we might think we can handle whatever we asked for in our dua if it's accepted, I've found myself struggling when those accepted duas actually came back to me. And looking back at the many duas that weren't accepted, I now wonder - if they had been, I might have been ruined.
This is why our beloved Prophet ﷺ taught us duas that were the most eloquent, the most complete, and above all, had "Aafiya" in them. The mystics of the subcontinent refer to these as "ٹھنڈی دعا" (thandi dua) - supplications that carry a cooling, soothing effect and don't require intense struggle (mujahida) to bear their outcome. There's wisdom in this, as we see in the story of the sahabi who was asking Allah for strength, and the Prophet ﷺ guided him, saying:
سَلُوا اللَّهَ الْعَفْوَ وَالْعَافِيَةَ فَإِنَّ أَحَدًا لَمْ يُعْطَ بَعْدَ الْيَقِينِ خَيْرًا مِنَ الْعَافِيَةِ
"Ask Allah for forgiveness and well-being (Aafiya), for after certainty of faith, no one has been given anything better than well-being." (Tirmidhi)
Sometimes we make conditional duas - perhaps the most unwise thing we can do. Like saying, "O Allah, if you give me wealth, I will spend it in your way," only to find that when wealth comes, we can't part with even a penny. This reminds me of the story in the Quran about someone who made exactly such a promise:
وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ عَاهَدَ اللَّهَ لَئِنْ آتَانَا مِن فَضْلِهِ لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ وَلَنَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
"And among them are those who made a covenant with Allah, [saying], 'If He should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity and be among the righteous.'" (Quran 9:75)
Imam Ibn Kathir in his exegesis of this verse, begins with the narration from Ibn Abbas, Abu Ka'b and several other companions about Tha'labah, who came to the Prophet ﷺ saying, "O Messenger of Allah! Supplicate to Allah to grant me wealth." The Prophet ﷺ replied:
ويحك يا ثعلبة! قليل تؤدي شكره خير من كثير لا تطيقه
"Woe to you, O Tha'labah! A little wealth for which you are grateful is better than abundant wealth that you cannot bear."
However, Tha'labah persisted, saying "By Him Who sent you with the Truth! If Allah grants me wealth, I will give everyone their due rights." After his insistence, the Prophet ﷺ made the supplication.
Tha'labah began raising sheep, and his wealth grew rapidly like worms (indicating exponential growth). He became so busy with his flock that he could only attend the Zuhr and Asr prayers in congregation, then later only Friday prayers, and eventually, he stopped attending prayers altogether due to his preoccupation with wealth.
When the verse of Zakat was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ sent collectors to gather Zakat. When they reached Tha'labah and recited the Prophet's letter requiring Zakat, he replied that this was nothing but Jizyah (tax paid by non-Muslims), and asked them to come back later. When they returned to the Prophet ﷺ, before they could speak, he said: "Woe to Tha'labah" three times.
Ibn Kathir mentions that this verse was revealed concerning this incident, highlighting how some people make firm promises to Allah but fail to fulfill them when tested. The verse uses strong emphasis (indicated by لَنَصَّدَّقَنَّ and وَلَنَكُونَنَّ) to show the firmness of their promises, making their subsequent betrayal even more serious.
The tafsir then connects this to the next verse (9:76):
فَلَمَّا آتَاهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ بَخِلُوا بِهِ وَتَوَلَّوا وَّهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ
"But when He gave them from His bounty, they were stingy with it and turned away while they refused."
This story hits close to home, doesn't it? How many times have we made promises in our duas, so certain of our strength, only to find that what we asked for came with tests we hadn't anticipated? It reminds me why our Prophet ﷺ always emphasized asking for 'afiya - that complete, wholesome well-being that doesn't burden us beyond our strength. Sometimes, the greatest mercy lies in the duas that remain unanswered, and the greatest wisdom in accepting what Allah chooses for us rather than insisting on what we think is best for ourselves.
In the next series of posts, I will share duas of our beloved Prophet ﷺ - hoping that anyone who reads them can benefit from them, irrespective of their current state of eeman or lack thereof. After all, these duas are a gift of mercy to all of us, perfect in their wisdom and complete in their guidance, showing us how to ask from The One who knows us better than we know ourselves.
The first dua that we will go through today is,
Let me share this beautiful dua that teaches us about contentment and complete reliance on Allah:
اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِي بِحَلَالِكَ عَنْ حَرَامِكَ وَأَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ
"O Allah, make what is halal sufficient for me, as opposed to what is haram; and make me independent of all others with Your favors." (Tirmidhi)
Let's break down this profound supplication:
Linguistic Breakdown:
اللَّهُمَّ (Allahumma): "O Allah" - the most intimate form of calling upon Allah
اكْفِنِي (Ikfini): "Make sufficient for me" - from root ك-ف-ي meaning to suffice/be enough
بِحَلَالِكَ (bi-halalika): "with Your halal" - what is permissible
عَنْ حَرَامِكَ ('an haramika): "from Your haram" - what is forbidden
وَأَغْنِنِي (wa-aghnini): "and make me independent/rich" - from غ-ن-ي meaning self-sufficient
بِفَضْلِكَ (bi-fadlika): "with Your favor/bounty"
عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ ('amman siwaka): "from all besides You"
Imam Al-Ghazali beautifully explains that this dua isn't merely about having enough halal sustenance to avoid haram. Rather, it's seeking a state where our hearts find such complete satisfaction in what is halal that we don't even glance towards what is forbidden. The second part, he explains, is about the heart becoming so filled with Allah's love that it naturally becomes independent of creation - not through material wealth, but through the heart's richness.
When I reflect on this dua, I see how الغِنى (Ghina - sufficiency) touches every aspect of our existence - our daily needs, our spiritual journey, our relationships, our times of strength and weakness, our moments of fear and anxiety, and even extends into our grave where nothing accompanies us except our deeds. In that solitude, this Ghina manifests in its truest form - the light of our good deeds or the darkness of our misdeeds. When we say عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ (aman siwaak - from all besides You), we're acknowledging that true Ghina can only come from Allah - everything else is temporary, limited, and ultimately insufficient for our deepest needs.
Which brings me to the next dua, which to me is a perfect pair to this one. Together, they offer a complete pathway to a life of success, contentment, and happiness. For how can we achieve true independence from creation except through complete servitude to The Creator?
This is captured beautifully in the following dua:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي عَبْدُكَ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ، ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ، نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤُكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ، سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ، أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَداً مِنْ خَلْقِكَ، أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ، أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي، وَنُورَ صَدْرِي، وَجَلَاءَ حُزْنِي، وَذَهَابَ هَمِّي
"O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your male slave, son of Your female slave. My forelock is in Your Hand. Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Quran the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, and the banisher of my sadness, and the reliever of my distress." (Ahmad)
Word by word breakdown:
First Part - Declaration of Complete Servitude:
اللَّهُمَّ (Allahumma): O Allah
إِنِّي (inni): Indeed I am
عَبْدُكَ ('abduka): Your slave
ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ (ibnu 'abdika): son of Your male slave
ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ (ibnu amatika): son of Your female slave
Second Part - Acknowledgment of Allah's Complete Control:
نَاصِيَتِي (nasiyati): my forelock
بِيَدِكَ (biyadika): in Your Hand
مَاضٍ (madin): executing/ongoing
فِيَّ (fiyya): over me
حُكْمُكَ (hukmuka): Your command
عَدْلٌ ('adlun): just
قَضَاؤُكَ (qada'uka): Your decree
Third Part - Beseeching by All Divine Names:
أَسْأَلُكَ (as'aluka): I ask You
بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ (bikulli ismin): by every name
هُوَ لَكَ (huwa laka): that belongs to You
سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ (sammayta bihi nafsaka): You named Yourself with
أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ (aw anzaltahu): or You revealed it
فِي كِتَابِكَ (fi kitabika): in Your Book
أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ (aw 'allamtahu): or You taught it
أَحَداً مِنْ خَلْقِكَ (ahadan min khalqika): to any of Your creation
أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ (aw ista'tharta bihi): or You kept it
فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ (fi 'ilmil ghaybi 'indaka): in the knowledge of the unseen with You
Fourth Part - The Request:
أَنْ تَجْعَلَ (an taj'ala): that You make
الْقُرْآنَ (al-Qur'ana): the Quran
رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي (rabi'a qalbi): the spring of my heart
نُورَ صَدْرِي (nura sadri): the light of my chest
جَلَاءَ حُزْنِي (jala'a huzni): the banisher of my sadness
ذَهَابَ هَمِّي (dhahaba hammi): the reliever of my distress
Ibn Al-Qayyim beautifully explains this profound dua that begins with the ultimate declaration of servitude - عَبْدُكَ، ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ، ابْنُ أَمَتِكَ. Here, he says, the servant acknowledges not just his own slavery to Allah, but that his entire lineage belongs to Allah. This triple affirmation represents the highest state of freedom, for when one truly becomes Allah's slave, they break free from slavery to everything else.
Then comes what scholars consider the most powerful part - نَاصِيَتِي بِيَدِكَ (my forelock is in Your Hand). Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه explained that this acknowledgment is profound because the forelock represents complete control. In Arabic tradition, to have someone's forelock meant to have absolute power over them. So these words acknowledge that every breath, every movement, every thought is under Allah's complete control.
When we say أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ (I ask You by every name belonging to You), Ibn Al-Qayyim explains that the dua encompasses four categories of Allah's names:
سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ - Names Allah has named Himself with
أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ - Names revealed in His Book
أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَداً مِنْ خَلْقِكَ - Names taught to His creation
أَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ - Names He has kept in His knowledge of the unseen
This comprehensive inclusion of all divine names, Ibn Al-Qayyim says, makes this dua one of the most complete forms of asking, as it acknowledges both what we know of Allah's names and what remains unknown to us.
And what do we ask for with this powerful invocation? Not for wealth, fame, or even Paradise directly, but for something far more precious: أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي - that the Quran becomes the spring of our hearts.
Ibn Al-Qayyim beautifully explains why spring specifically is mentioned. Just as spring:
Brings dead earth back to life
Covers barrenness with beauty
Transforms dryness into freshness
Brings forth fruits of every kind
Is the most beloved and balanced of seasons
Similarly, when the Quran becomes the spring of one's heart, it:
Brings dead hearts back to life
Transforms spiritual barrenness into beauty
Replaces hardness with softness
Bears fruits of wisdom and knowledge
Creates perfect balance in one's spiritual state
This dua—I do not have words except tears whenever I read it, such a profound and beautiful dua - wallahi, by the one, who has me by my forelock, it suffices, even if I lost all my world. The contentment and light that flows when Allah grants someone the station of acceptance for this dua - when the Quran truly becomes رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي (the spring of my heart), نُورَ صَدْرِي (the light of my chest), جَلَاءَ حُزْنِي (the banisher of my sadness), and ذَهَابَ هَمِّي (the reliever of my distress) - the companionship of Quran is worth more than anything.
When the heart truly tastes the sweetness of these words, everything else becomes insignificant. For what wealth could compare to having the Quran as the spring of your heart? What status could equal the light in your chest that comes from His words? What worldly solution could match having your sorrows banished by the very words of your Creator?
These two duas, when understood deeply, offer us a complete pathway to true contentment. When we ask Allah أَغْنِنِي بِفَضْلِكَ عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ - to make us independent of all besides Him - He answers us with the most beautiful gift: the companionship of His words. For while we cannot see Allah in this world, He grants us closeness to Him through His speech, making the Quran رَبِيعَ قَلْبِي (the spring of our hearts) and نُورَ صَدْرِي (the light of our chests).
This is perhaps the most beautiful manifestation of true Ghina (sufficiency) - when Allah's words become sufficient for our hearts, what else could we possibly need? When we find ourselves in that sweet spot where our nasiya (forelock) is truly in His hands, and His book becomes our constant companion, we taste a freedom that no worldly independence could ever match. This is the essence of these duas - complete freedom through complete submission, ultimate richness through absolute servitude, and perfect companionship through the words of The Most High.
This is the highest form of expression of this dua among others which suffice our needs of life. For in these duas, we find not just the fulfillment of our worldly needs, but the ultimate contentment of the heart through its connection with its Creator.
I've tried to visualize these beautiful connections in a mindmap that shows how عَمَّنْ سِوَاكَ (freedom from all besides Allah) finds its ultimate expression in the companionship of the Quran. The map shows how seeking independence from creation (غِنى) through complete servitude (عبودية) and submission (تسليم) leads us to the Quran becoming our spring, our light, our comfort, and our peace - the perfect manifestation of being sufficient with Allah alone.
Jazak-Allah Khair for reading this, and if you find it useful—please, pray for me as well when making this dua that Allah not only accepts these two duas but also that I meet Him like what is described in the following dua:
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ خَيْرَ عُمُرِي آخِرَهُ، وَخَيْرَ عَمَلِي خَوَاتِمَهُ، وَخَيْرَ أَيَّامِي يَوْمَ أَلْقَاكَ فِيهِ
"O Allah, make the best of my life its ending, and my best deeds be those at its close, and make my best day the day I meet You."
Ameen ya Rabbal Alameen