Ibn `Abbas said, "Preach to the people once a week, and if you won't, then preach them twice, but if
you want to preach more, then let it be three times (a week only), and do not make the people fed-up
with this Qur'an. If you come to some people who are engaged in a talk, don't start interrupting their
talk by preaching, lest you should cause them to be bored. You should rather keep quiet, and if they
ask you, then preach to them at the time when they are eager to hear what you say. And avoid the use
of rhymed prose in invocation for I noticed that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and his companions always avoided
it."
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 349
Hadith 6338
Chapter 21: One should appeal to Allah with determination - كتاب الدعوات
Narrated Anas:
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
" إِذَا دَعَا أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ، وَلاَ يَقُولَنَّ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَعْطِنِي. فَإِنَّهُ لاَ مُسْتَكْرِهَ لَهُ ".
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When anyone of you appeal to Allah for something, he should ask with
determination and should not say, 'O Allah, if You wish, give me.', for nobody can force Allah to do
something against His Will.
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 350
Hadith 6339
Chapter 21: One should appeal to Allah with determination - كتاب الدعوات
Narrated Abu Huraira:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ
" لاَ يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي، اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْنِي، إِنْ شِئْتَ. لِيَعْزِمِ الْمَسْأَلَةَ، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ مُكْرِهَ لَهُ ".
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "None of you should say: 'O Allah, forgive me if You wish; O Allah, be merciful
to me if You wish,' but he should always appeal to Allah with determination, for nobody can force
Allah to do something against His Will."
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 351
Hadith 6340
Chapter 22: Invocation is granted by Allah if impatience is not shown - كتاب الدعوات
Narrated Abu Huraira:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدٍ، مَوْلَى ابْنِ أَزْهَرَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ
" يُسْتَجَابُ لأَحَدِكُمْ مَا لَمْ يَعْجَلْ يَقُولُ دَعَوْتُ فَلَمْ يُسْتَجَبْ لِي ".
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The invocation of anyone of you is granted (by Allah) if he does not show
impatience (by saying, "I invoked Allah but my request has not been granted.")
While the Prophet (ﷺ) was delivering a sermon on a Friday, a man stood up and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!
Invoke Allah to bless us with rain." (The Prophet (ﷺ) invoked Allah for rain.) So, the sky became overcast
and it started raining till one could hardly reach one's home. It kept on raining till the next Friday
when the same man or another man got up and said (to the Prophet), "Invoke Allah to withhold the
rain from us, for we have been drowned (with heavy rain )." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Allah! Let it rain
around us and not on us." Then the clouds started dispersing around Medina and rain ceased to fall on
the people of Medina.
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 353
Hadith 6343
Chapter 25: To invoke Allah while facing the Qiblah - كتاب الدعوات
Narrated `Abdullah bin Zaid:
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ يَحْيَى، عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ تَمِيمٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، قَالَ خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى هَذَا الْمُصَلَّى يَسْتَسْقِي، فَدَعَا وَاسْتَسْقَى ثُمَّ اسْتَقْبَلَ الْقِبْلَةَ وَقَلَبَ رِدَاءَهُ.
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out to this Musalla (praying place) to offer the prayer of Istisqa.' He invoked
Allah for rain and then faced the Qibla and turned his Rida' (upper garment) inside out.
My mother said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Please invoke Allah on behalf of your servant." He said, "O
Allah! Increase his wealth and children, and bestow Your Blessing on whatever You give him." a time
of distress.
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 355
Hadith 6345
Chapter 27: To invoke Allah at a time of distress - كتاب الدعوات
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي الْعَالِيَةِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَدْعُو عِنْدَ الْكَرْبِ
" لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ، رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ ".
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to invoke Allah at the time of distress, saying, "La ilaha illal-lahu Al-`Azim, al-
Halim, La ilaha illal-lahu Rabbu-s-samawati wal-ard wa Rabbu-l-arsh il-azim."
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to say at a time of distress, "La ilaha illal-lahu Rabbul-l-'arsh il-'azim, La ilaha
illallahu Rabbu-s-samawati wa Rabbu-l-ard, Rabbu-l-'arsh-il-Karim."
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to seek refuge with Allah from the difficult moment of a calamity and from being
overtaken by destruction and from being destined to an evil end, and from the malicious joy of
enemies. Sufyan said, "This narration contained three items only, but I added one. I do not know
which one that was."
When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was healthy, he used to say, "No prophet dies till he is shown his place in
Paradise, and then he is given the option (to live or die)." So when death approached him(during his
illness), and while his head was on my thigh, he became unconscious for a while, and when he
recovered, he fixed his eyes on the ceiling and said, "O Allah! (Let me join) the Highest Companions
(see Qur'an 4:69)," I said, "So, he does not choose us." Then I realized that it was the application of
the statement he used to relate to us when he was healthy. So that was his last utterance (before he
died), i.e. "O Allah! (Let me join) the Highest Companions."
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 359
Hadith 6349
Chapter 30: The invocation for death or life - كتاب الدعوات
Narrated Qais:
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنْ قَيْسٍ، قَالَ أَتَيْتُ خَبَّابًا وَقَدِ اكْتَوَى سَبْعًا قَالَ لَوْلاَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَانَا أَنْ نَدْعُوَ بِالْمَوْتِ لَدَعَوْتُ بِهِ.
I came to Khabbab who had been branded with seven brands(1) and he said, "Had Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) not
forbidden us to invoke (Allah) for death, I would have invoked (Allah) for it."
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 360
Hadith 6350
Chapter 30: The invocation for death or life - كتاب الدعوات
Narrated Qais:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي قَيْسٌ، قَالَ أَتَيْتُ خَبَّابًا وَقَدِ اكْتَوَى سَبْعًا فِي بَطْنِهِ فَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ لَوْلاَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَانَا أَنْ نَدْعُوَ بِالْمَوْتِ لَدَعَوْتُ بِهِ.
I came to Khabbab who had been branded with seven brands over his `Abdomen, and I heard him
saying, "If the Prophet: had not forbidden us to invoke (Allah) for death, I would have invoked Allah
for it."
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 361
Hadith 6351
Chapter 30: The invocation for death or life - كتاب الدعوات
Narrated Anas:
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ سَلاَمٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ ابْنُ عُلَيَّةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ صُهَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
" لاَ يَتَمَنَّيَنَّ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمُ الْمَوْتَ لِضُرٍّ نَزَلَ بِهِ، فَإِنْ كَانَ لاَ بُدَّ مُتَمَنِّيًا لِلْمَوْتِ فَلْيَقُلِ اللَّهُمَّ أَحْيِنِي مَا كَانَتِ الْحَيَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي، وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا كَانَتِ الْوَفَاةُ خَيْرًا لِي ".
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said," None of you should long for death because of a calamity that had befallen him,
and if he cannot, but long for death, then he should say, 'O Allah! Let me live as long as life is better
for me, and take my life if death is better for me.' "
My aunt took me to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! My sister's son is sick." So he
passed his hand over my head and invoked for Allah's blessing upon me and then performed the
ablution. I drank from the water of his ablution and I stood behind him and looked at his Khatam (the
seal of Prophethood) between his shoulders (and its size was) like the button of a tent.
that his grandfather. `Abdullah bin Hisham used to take him from the market or to the market (the
narrator is in doubt) and used to buy grain and when Ibn Az-Zubair and Ibn `Umar met him, they
would say to him, "Let us be your partners (in trading) as the Prophet (ﷺ) invoked for Allah's blessing
upon you." He would then take them as partners and he would Sometimes gain a whole load carried
by an animal which he would send home.
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 364
Hadith 6354
Chapter 31: To invoke for Allah's Blessings upon the children - كتاب الدعوات
Narrated Mahmud bin Ar-Rabi:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ كَيْسَانَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي مَحْمُودُ بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي مَجَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي وَجْهِهِ وَهْوَ غُلاَمٌ مِنْ بِئْرِهِمْ.
On whose face Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had thrown water from his mouth, the water having been taken from
their well while he was still a young boy (who has not yet attained the age of puberty).
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 365
Hadith 6355
Chapter 31: To invoke for Allah's Blessings upon the children - كتاب الدعوات
Narrated `Aisha:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُؤْتَى بِالصِّبْيَانِ فَيَدْعُو لَهُمْ، فَأُتِيَ بِصَبِيٍّ فَبَالَ عَلَى ثَوْبِهِ، فَدَعَا بِمَاءٍ فَأَتْبَعَهُ إِيَّاهُ، وَلَمْ يَغْسِلْهُ.
The boys used to be brought to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he used to invoke for Allah's blessing upon them.
Once an infant was brought to him and it urinated on his clothes. He asked for water and poured it
over the place of the urine and did not wash his clothes.
Ka`b bin 'Ujra met me and said, "Shall I give you a present? Once the Prophet (ﷺ) came to us and we said,
'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ! We know how to greet you; but how to send 'Salat' upon you? He said, 'Say:
Allahumma Salli ala Muhammadin wa 'ala `Ali Muhammadin, kama sal-laita 'ala all Ibrahima innaka
Hamidun Majid. Allahumma barik 'ala Muhammadin wa 'ala all Muhammadin, kama barakta 'ala all
Ibrahima, innaka Hamidun Majid."
We said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) This is (i.e. we know) the greeting to you; will you tell us how to send
Salat on you?" He said, "Say: 'Allahumma Salli 'ala Muhammadin `Abdika wa rasulika kama sal-laita
'ala Ibrahima wa barik 'ala Muhammadin wa all Muhammadin kama barakta 'ala Ibrahima wa `Ali
Ibrahim."
Whenever somebody brought alms to the Prophet (ﷺ) the used to say, "Allahumma Salli 'Alaihi (O Allah!
Send Your Salat (Grace and Honor) on him)." Once when my father brought his alms to him, he said,
"O Allah! Send Your Salat (Grace and Honor) on the family of Abi `Aufa."
The people said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ! How may we send Salat on you?" He said, "Say: Allahumma
Salli 'ala- Muhammadin wa azwajihi wa dhurriyyatihi kama sal-laita 'ala `Ali Ibrahim; wa barik 'ala
Muhammadin wa azwajihi wa dhurriyyatihi kamabarakta 'ala `Ali Ibrahim innaka hamidun majid."
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 371
Hadith 6361
Chapter 34: "If I should harm somebody, let that be a means of purification and mercy for him." - كتاب الدعوات
Narrated Abu Huraira:
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ
" اللَّهُمَّ فَأَيُّمَا مُؤْمِنٍ سَبَبْتُهُ فَاجْعَلْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ قُرْبَةً إِلَيْكَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ".
that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "O Allah! If I should ever abuse a believer, please let that be a means
of bringing him near to You on the Day of Resurrection."