Du’a Istiftaah

Reciting any of these supplications is a Sunnah but the first one is more preferred as it is collected by both Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim, and hence holds a higher rank.

Shaykh Abu Muhammad Badee’ud-Deen Shaah ar-Raashidee as-Sindhee رحمه الله

Some people begin their prayers by reciting بِسْمِ اللهِ الْرَحْمَانِ الْرَحِيْمِ in full. This action is not supported by the Ahaadeeth. It is legislated to begin the prayer only by saying the takbeer¹. Also, the prophet صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلّم did not verbalize the niyyah (intention to pray) by his tongue, and to do so is a bid’ah (innovation in religion). The intent to perform an action within a person’s heart suffices as their intention.

Du’a Istiftaah – The Opening Supplication

The prophet صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلّم used to recite this supplication after the Takbeeratul Ihraam² and before the reciting the Qur’aan.

اَللَّهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِيْ وَ بَيْنَ خَطَايَاىَ كَمَا بَاعَدْتَّ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ ، اَللَّهُمَّ نَقِّنِىْ مِنَ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الأبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ ، اَللَّهُمَّ اغْسِلْنِىْ مِنَ خَطَايَاىَ بِالْمَاءِ وَالثَّلْجِ وَالْبَرَدِ .

“O Allaah, distance me from my sins as you have distanced the east from the west. O Allaah, cleanse me of my sins as a white cloth is cleansed of dirt. O Allaah, wash away my sins with water, snow and ice.”_³

He (صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلّم) would also recite this supplication.

إِنِّىْ وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِىَ لِلَّذِىْ فَطَرَ السَّموتِ وَالأَرْضَ حَنِيْفًا وَّمَا أَنَا مِنَ المُشْرِكِيْنَ. إِنَّ صَلاَتِىْ وَ نُسُكِىْ وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِىْ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ العَالَمِيْنَ ، لاَ شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَبِذَالِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَاَنَا أَوَّلُ المُسْلِمِيْنَ ، اَللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ المَلِكُ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ أَنْتَ رَبِّىْ وَاَنَا عَبْدُكَ ، ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِىْ وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِذَنْبِىْ فَاغْفِرْلِىْ ذُنُوْبِىْ جَمِيْعًا ، إِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ ، وَاهْدِنِىْ لِاَحْسَنِ الاَخْلاَقِ لاَ يَهْدِىْ لِاَحْسَنِهَا إِلاَّ أَنْتَ وَاصْرِفْ عَنِّىْ سَيِّئَهَا لاَيَصْرِفُ عَنِّىْ سَيِّئَهَا إِلاَّ أَنْتَ. لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ وَالخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ فِىْ يَدَيْكَ وَالشَّرُ لَيْسَ إِلَيْكَ وَالمَهْدِىْ مَنْ هَدَيْتَ . أنَا بِكَ وَإِلَيْكَ لاَ مَنْجَأَ مِنْكَ وَلاَ مَلْجَأَ إِلاَّ إِلَيْكَ تَبَارَكْتَ وَتَعَالَيْتَ ، اَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَاَتُوْبُ إِلَيْكَ

“Indeed I turn my face, with submission towards the One who created the heavens and the earth and I am not from the polytheists. My Salah, my sacrifice, my life and my death are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. He has no partners. I have been commanded with this and I am the first of those who submit to Him. O Allah, you are the King, none other than You is worthy of worship. You are my Lord and I am your slave. I have oppressed myself and I affirm my sins, so forgive me all my sins. Indeed, none forgives sins except You. And guide me to the best of manners; as there is none who can guide to the best of manners except You. And nullify my mistakes and bad characteristics; as there is no one who can nullify them except you. (O Allaah) I am here, hoping from You. All good is in Your hands and you are free from evil. Guided is he whom you have guided. I depend on You and my return is to You. There is no escape from You and there is no escape except to You. Blessed are You and the most high. I seek your forgiveness and I turn to you in repentence.”⁴

In some narrations “مِنَ المُسْلِمِيْنَ” (from Muslims) has been used instead of “أَوَّلُ المُسْلِمِيْنَ” (the first of Muslims). Both recitations are correct.

اَللهُ اَكْبَرُ كَبِيْرًا ، اَللهُ اَكْبَرُ كَبِيْرًا ، اَللهُ اَكْبَرُ كَبِيْرًا ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ كَثِيْرًا ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ كَثِيْرًا ، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ كَثِيْرًا ، وَسُبْحَانَ اللهِ بُكْرَةً وَّاَصِيْلاً ، وَسُبْحَانَ اللهِ بُكْرَةً وَّاَصِيْلاً ، وَسُبْحَانَ اللهِ بُكْرَةً وَّاَصِيْلاً .

“Allah is the greatest; Allah is the greatest; Allah is the greatest; and all praise belongs to Allah alone; And all praise belongs to Allah alone; And all praise belongs to Allah alone; And glorified is Allah in the morning and the evening; And glorified is Allah in the morning and the evening; And glorified is Allah in the morning and the evening.”⁵

And he (صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلّم) would also recite the following supplication, which is identical to the second supplication in this section, but with the following changes:

He would recite from “إِنَّ صَلاَتِىْ” till “أَوَّلُ المُسْلِمِيْنَ” and then he would recite:

اَللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِىْ لِأَحْسَنِ الأَعْمَالِ وَأَحْسَنِ الأَخْلاَقِ لاَ يَهْدِىْ لِأحْسَنِهَا إِلاَّ أَنْتَ وَقِنِىْ سَىِّءَ الأَعْمَالِ وَسَىِّءَ الأَخْلاَقِ لاَ يَقَى سَيِّئَهَا إِلاَّ أَنْتَ .

“O Allaah, guide me to righteous character and righteous actions; none guides to them except for You. And save me from evil actions and evil character; none saves from them except for You.”⁶

And the following supplication is also established from him (صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلّم).

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ وَتَبَارَكَ اسْمُكَ وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ وَلاَ إِلهَ غَيْرُكَ

“Glorified are you O Allah; And all praise is due to You and your name is blessed and exalted is Your Majesty; And there is no one worthy of worship except for You.”

Reciting any of these supplications is a Sunnah but the first one is more preferred as it is collected by both Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim, and hence holds a higher rank. Some people think the dua “سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ” is better as there is a Hadeeth that mentions that it was loudly recited by the prophet صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلّم, but there is no such ruling found in the books of Hadeeth. On the contrary such a ruling can be found for “اَللَّهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِيْ”, as Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه asked the messenger of Allah سبحانه و تعالى what he recited between the takbeeratul Ihraam and the recitation of the Quran, and he mentioned this supplication. Meaning, he recommended this one, and did not say that this is specific to himself. So this is better for the ummah (the Muslim nation).

Source: Authentic Supplications for the Prayers

Author: Shaykh Abu Muhammad Badee’ud-Deen Shaah ar-Raashidee as-Sindee رحمه الله (d.1416H)

Translated by: Abu Ahmad Muhammad Rather

¹Takbeer: To say الله اكبر

²Takbeer Tahreemah : The first takbeer that begins the prayer and makes many things forbidden, such as to talk

³Bukhaaree and Muslim

⁴Muslim, Tirmidhee, Nisaa’ee, Abu Dawood, Musnad Shafi’ee

⁵Abu Dawood, ibn Maajah

⁶Nisaa’ee

⁷Muttafaqun’ ilaihi : A term used when a Hadeeth has been collected by Imaam Bukhaaree and Imaam Muslim in their books of Saheeh. Meaning, they both have agreed on a Hadeeth to be Saheeh (sound).