The most beautiful Supplications of Rasolollah ﷺ - IV
Prayers of gratitude and seeking closeness to Allah
Bismillah
Continuing our journey through the beautiful supplications of Rasulullah ﷺ, today we explore duas that show us how gratitude, when expressed in its truest form, transforms our scattered moments into islands of peace. In a world where overwhelm often clouds our hearts, these prophetic words become anchors, teaching us how to turn life's pressures into moments of profound connection with Allah.
In our fourth episode, we find ourselves in the depths of night, when hearts naturally turn toward their Creator with sincerity. It was in these precious moments that our beloved Prophet ﷺ would pour forth some of his most intimate conversations with Allah. These weren't just any supplications - they were expressions that transformed anxiety into tranquility, uncertainty into certainty, and spiritual distance into closeness.
Two particularly beautiful duas stand out from his night prayers. The first, narrated by Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), shows us how the Prophet ﷺ would begin his tahajjud - not with requests, but with a heart-moving recognition of Allah's complete authority and care over every aspect of existence. The second, shared by Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him), teaches us how to seek excellence in every state of our being.
دعاء النبي ﷺ عند قيامه لصلاة الليل
عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما قال: كان النبي ﷺ إذا قام من الليل يتهجد قال
اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ، أَنْتَ قَيِّمُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، لَكَ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، أَنْتَ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، أَنْتَ الْحَقُّ، وَوَعْدُكَ الْحَقُّ، وَلِقَاؤُكَ حَقٌّ، وَقَوْلُكَ حَقٌّ، وَالْجَنَّةُ حَقٌّ، وَالنَّارُ حَقٌّ، وَالنَّبِيُّونَ حَقٌّ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ حَقٌّ، وَالسَّاعَةُ حَقٌّ. اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ، وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ، وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْتُ، وَبِكَ خَاصَمْتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ حَاكَمْتُ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ، وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ، أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ، لا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ — صحيح البخاري، كتاب التهجد، باب الدعاء في صلاة الليل
The Prophet ﷺ would begin his night prayer declaring: "O Allah, to You belongs all praise. You are the Maintainer of the heavens and the earth and whatever is within them, And to You belongs all praise, Yours is the dominion of the heavens and earth and whoever is within them, And to You belongs all praise, You are the Light of the heavens and earth. And to You belongs all praise, You are the Truth, Your promise is true, Meeting with You is true, Your word is true, Paradise is true, Hellfire is true, The Prophets are true, Muhammad ﷺ is true, And the Hour is true. O Allah, to You I submit, In You I believe, Upon You I rely, To You I turn, Through You I argue, And to You I take for judgment. So forgive me what I have sent ahead and what I have left behind, What I have hidden and what I have declared. You are the Advancer and the Delayer, There is no deity except You."
Explanation
Let me illuminate how our beloved Prophet ﷺ would begin his conversations with Allah in the stillness of night. Picture those precious moments when Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) witnessed the Prophet ﷺ rising for tahajjud, his heart overflowing with recognition of his Lord's majesty.
The dua begins with a profound declaration: "O Allah, to You belongs all praise." Notice how our Prophet ﷺ doesn't immediately ask for anything. Instead, he builds a beautiful ladder of recognition, each rung taking us higher in understanding Allah's complete authority over existence.
First, he acknowledges Allah as the Maintainer - "Qayyim" - of the heavens and earth. Think about this: everything from the tiniest atom to the grandest galaxy is sustained by Allah's constant care. Then he recognizes Allah's complete ownership - "Mulk" - reminding us that we're all ultimately returning to the true Owner of everything.
The Prophet ﷺ then elevates us further, acknowledging Allah as the "Light of the heavens and earth." This light isn't just physical illumination, but the guiding light that prevents us from stumbling in our spiritual journey.
Then comes one of the most powerful sections - a cascade of truths. "You are the Truth, Your promise is true, meeting with You is true..." Each declaration builds certainty in our hearts, washing away doubts like rain cleans the earth. When anxieties cloud our minds about the future, about paradise, about our purpose - this dua reminds us of what's absolutely certain.
Finally, we witness how all this recognition naturally flows into complete personal surrender: "To You I submit, in You I believe..." It's as if the Prophet ﷺ is teaching us that when we truly recognize Allah's attributes, our hearts can't help but submit in love and trust.
The specific times this dua is recommended include:
At the opening of tahajjud prayer
When beginning any voluntary night prayer
In moments requiring deep connection with Allah
Times when we need to strengthen our certainty
Situations requiring complete trust in Allah
A moving example comes from the life of the great scholar and warrior Salahuddin Ayyubi. Historical accounts mention that during the intense period before the Battle of Hattin, he would spend his nights in tahajjud, beginning with this dua. His biographer Ibn Shaddad notes that Salahuddin would particularly dwell on the words "Yours is the dominion of the heavens and earth" (لَكَ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ). Despite commanding a vast army, these words would remind him that all power belongs to Allah alone.
During particularly challenging nights of the campaign, he would emphasize the portion "Your promise is true, and Your meeting is true" (وَوَعْدُكَ الْحَقُّ، وَلِقَاؤُكَ حَقٌّ), finding strength in the certainty of Allah's promise. His companions noted that after such nights of worship, he would emerge with remarkable clarity and calm, leading with both mercy and resolution.
What's particularly striking about Salahuddin's use of this dua is how it transformed his leadership. The words "to You I submit, in You I believe" (لَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ، وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ) would manifest in his decisions, showing mercy when victorious and patience when faced with setbacks.
For ease of remembrance, I am sharing a chart.
Now moving to our second dua …
دعاء النبي ﷺ في صلاة الليل
عن عمار بن ياسر رضي الله عنه أنه صلى صلاة فأوجز فيها، فقال له بعض القوم: لقد خففت أو أوجزت الصلاة. فقال: أما على ذلك، فقد دعوت فيها بدعوات سمعتهن من رسول الله ﷺ
اللَّهُمَّ بِعِلْمِكَ الْغَيْبَ وَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ، أَحْيِنِي مَا عَلِمْتَ الْحَيَاةَ خَيْرًا لِي، وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا عَلِمْتَ الْوَفَاةَ خَيْرًا لِي. اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَشْيَتَكَ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ فِي الرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الْقَصْدَ فِي الْفَقْرِ وَالْغِنَى، وَأَسْأَلُكَ نَعِيمًا لَا يَنْفَدُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ قُرَّةَ عَيْنٍ لَا تَنْقَطِعُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضَا بَعْدَ الْقَضَاءِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ بَرْدَ الْعَيْشِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ، وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ، فِي غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ، وَلَا فِتْنَةٍ"O Allah, by Your knowledge of the unseen and Your power over creation, keep me alive so long as You know life is best for me, and take me when death is best for me. O Allah, I ask You for fear of You in private and public, and I ask You for the word of truth in times of contentment and anger. I ask You for moderation in poverty and wealth, for blessings that never cease, and joy that never ends. I ask You for pleasure after Your decree, for a cool life after death, for the delight of gazing upon Your Face, and for the yearning to meet You, without experiencing harmful adversity or misleading trial."
Explanation
This prophetic dua unfolds in four remarkable dimensions. It begins with a foundation of complete trust in Allah's knowledge, where we acknowledge that He alone knows what's best for us - even in matters of our life and death. This flows into seeking excellence in character across all states: maintaining God-consciousness in private and public, speaking truth whether pleased or angry, and staying moderate in wealth or poverty. The dua then elevates to asking for eternal, unceasing blessings - not just temporary joys, but those that never fade, including the profound request for contentment with Allah's decree. Finally, it reaches its pinnacle with the ultimate aspirations of a believer - seeking not just paradise, but its highest blessing: the joy of gazing upon Allah's Face and meeting Him, while being protected from harmful trials. Notice how the dua moves from practical daily conduct to the highest spiritual aspirations, teaching us that the path to such lofty goals lies in maintaining excellence in our everyday states.
Let's understand when the Prophet ﷺ taught this beautiful dua. It came to us through Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah be pleased with him), who was questioned after leading what appeared to be a brief prayer. His response beautifully illustrates how this dua can make even a short prayer profound. He said, "Was I hasty in it? I made sure to include supplications I learned from the Prophet ﷺ." This shows us that this dua can be recited in any prayer, particularly in times when we need both brevity and depth.
The scholars note that this dua is particularly recommended for:
During tahajjud (night prayer)
In the final sitting of any prayer before the tasleem
During times of confusion when we need guidance
When facing situations that test our character
In moments when we fear speaking truth might be difficult
One particularly moving account comes from the life of Imam al-Awza'i, one of the great early scholars who lived during the turbulent times of the early Umayyad dynasty. During a period when scholars were being persecuted for speaking truth to power, al-Awza'i was known to regularly recite this dua, particularly focusing on "the word of truth in times of pleasure and anger."
When summoned to the caliph's court to be questioned about his positions, he spent his night in prayer reciting this dua, especially the words "I ask You for fear of You in private and public." The next day, despite the intense pressure and threat to his life, he spoke truth to the caliph, maintaining his principles while remaining respectful. When later asked about what gave him such strength, he mentioned this dua, particularly emphasizing how the Prophet ﷺ taught us to ask for "moderation in poverty and wealth" - explaining that true moderation gives one the courage to stand firm without transgressing bounds.
For ease of revision and memorization - please see the illustration below.
Until Next time, please remember me in your duas.