Supplications for the Morning and Evening

Supplication 112:

Allah subhana wa ta ala says:

“O you who believe remember Allah with muchremembrance. And glorify His praises in the morning and afternoon.”

(33:41,42)And what is meant by the afternoon is that which is between Asr and the setting of thesun.And Allah says:

“and glorify the praises of your Lord in the Ashi (the time period after the mid-noon till the sunset) and in the ibkar (the time period from early morning or sunrise till before mid-noon.)”

(40:55)And Allah says:

“Glorify the praises of your Lord, before the rising of the sun and beforeits setting.”

(50:39)And Allah says:

“So glorify Allah when you come up to the evening and when you enter the morning.”

(30:17) and the meaning of these verses can be many.What is mentioned is that it is from the early morning, after the Morning Prayer up until before the sun rises. It is said that the evening is from salatul Asr until sunset. We seethat this time is a long length of time in the event that the slave forgets (to make thesupplication) at its appropriate time. There is no problem for him to make hissupplication after the sun has risen or for him to make the evening supplication after thesetting of the sun.As for the supplications that can be said at these two virtuous times that have beenauthentically transmitted are many, and if Allah wills we will review some of them alongwith their great meanings and strong proofs.It is narrated from Abu Dawud and Tirmithi and from other than them, on the authority of Uthman ibn Affan (ra) that he said, the Prophet (saws) said:

“Whatever slave says everymorning and every evening: ‘In the name of Allah who with His name nothing is harmed in the earth nor in the heavens and He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing,’ and they saythis three times, nothing will harm them.”

(Supplication in Arabic)

ءِام َ س ّ ل يف وَضِ رْَ يفِءٌي ْ شَه ِ م ِ ْِع َ َ ُ  ُ َ ذ ِ لّ ه ِ ل  ِ س ْ بِ  ُ  ِ  َ ل ع ُ م ِ س ّ ل  َ ُ وَ

(Bismillahi Lathi laa yadurru ma’a ismihi shai’oon feel ardi wa laa fee samaa’e wa huwaSamee’ul Aleem)

This is from the great supplication that is necessary for the Muslim to preserve and reciteevery evening and every morning, so that by it one can be safeguarded and protected, bythe permission of Allah, so that you are not struck by a sudden tribulation and harmed bysomething evil or the likes.Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated in regard to this hadith. This is anauthentic narration and it was stated by the trustworthy (saws) and he taught its proof.Al-Qurtubi states, “Since I heard this narration I have acted upon it and nothing hasharmed me until I left it off. When I left it off I was stung by a scorpion in the city atnight, and I remembered that I forgot to seek refuge in Allah with those words.”The sunnah in this narration is that you state it three times every morning and everyevening, just as the prophet (saws) has guided us to do.And he stated in the hadith

“bismillah (in the name of Allah)”

which means: In the nameof Allah I seek refuge, as every act needs an appropriate action for that situation, so dueto that, we say In the name of Allah.And his statement

“Al-lathi laa yadurru ma’a ismihi shai’oon feel ardi wa laa fee samaa’e (Who with His name nothing is harmed in the heavens or in the earth)”

whichmeans: whoever seeks refuge with the name of Allah then verily, no trial will strike youwhether it is from part of the earth or part of the heavens.And his statement

“wa huwa Samee’ul Aleem (He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing)”

which means: The One who hears the statements of His slaves, and the One who is AllKnowing of the actions that cannot be concealed within the heavens or the earth.It is established in the hadith narrated by Saheeh Muslim on the authority of AbeeHurairah (ra) that a man came to the prophet (saws) and said,

“O messenger of Allah!Yesterday I was bitten by a scorpion.” The prophet (saws) said to him, “Had you said when you woke up: I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what hehas created, you would not have been harmed.”

ق َ خَاَ  شَن ْ ِتِاّا ّَ ل ه ِ ل تِام َ  ِ ك َ بِُ  ْ ُَ

(Authu bikalimaatil lahi tammati min sharri maa khalaq)

And in Tirmithi it is narrated that whoever says three times in the morning:

“Authubikalimaatil lahi tammati min sharri maa khalaq (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from the evil of what He has created)

” no sting will harm him that night.”And here, the word sting means the sting of any animal that possesses poison; like that of the scorpion or anything similar to that.Within this hadith is proof for this virtuous supplication. Whoever says it when theevening approaches, then he is protected by the permission of Allah from being harmedor stung by a snake, a scorpion or the like.He stated in the hadith

“Authu (I seek refuge),”

which means: I seek refuge (in Allah), Ihold onto (Allah). The reality of it is to flee from that thing which one fears, to the Onewho can defend you from its evil. This returning or going back to Allah is to flee fromthat which can harm or destroy you and to seek that refuge with your Lord, your King byfleeing or turning to Him. By this you hold onto Him, seeking His protection and seekingHis refuge.The meaning of

“bikalimaatil lahi

(

with the words of Allah)”

is said to be the NobleQur’an. The meaning of

“tammati

(the perfect words)”

this means the words which arenot connected to any type of deficiency or short comings, like those words that may beconnected to the speech of human beings.His (saws) saying,

“min sharri maa khalaq (from the evil of what He has created)”

means: from every evil, from every created thing that can cause harm whether it be fromanimals or other than them, from humans or jinn, from vermin’s or pests and from strongwinds or thunderbolts. This also means any kind of tribulation that one can be afflicted by in this life or in the next.