The Prayer Journal of Our Prophet (pbuh)

The stance a servant adopts before their Creator, their posture in His presence, is called ubudiyyah (servitude). The Qur’an refers to this with terms such as tasbih (glorification), hamd (praise), and sajdah (prostration) (Ra’d 13:13, Isra 17:44, Nur 24:41). These are all forms of supplication (du’a). In fact, the term salat, which is used to refer to the ritual prayer, also carries the meaning of supplication. As with every virtuous trait, the one who stands at the pinnacle of worship and prayer—our Prophet(peace and blessings be upon him)—expressed it beautifully: “Supplication is the essence of worship.” In other words, at the core of all acts of worship lies supplication.

For a servant who is weak, needy, and aware of their dependence, du’a is a unique act of turning toward the Infinite Mercy with humility and submission, expressing their state to Him. It is an essential reflection of their faith, trust, and reliance upon their Lord.

Supplication is not merely about asking for things. It is about recognizing our helplessness and insignificance before the Infinite Power that created and sustains us. It is about understanding that we are not self-sufficient and laying bare our innermost thoughts and emotions before the One who knows us best.

True supplication is not just the utterance of words; it is the sighs of the heart and the silent cries of the soul. The Qur’an states: “Call upon your Lord humbly and privately; indeed, He does not like transgressors. Call upon Him in fear and hope.” (A’raf 7:55–56) And the value of a person is measured by their supplication: “Say: Would my Lord care for you if not for your supplication?” (Furqan 25:77)

Today, supplication has been reduced to a mere ritual confined to the end of prayers or specific acts of worship. In reality, it is the most essential element of both this life and the hereafter. In truth, life itself—from beginning to end—is nothing but supplication. Du’a is the key to Divine Pleasure and the gates of Paradise. It is the mark of servitude that ascends from the servant to the Lord and the symbol of mercy that descends from the Lord to the servant. More precisely, it is the focal point of the relationship between God and His servant.

Supplication is a sublime ascension (mi’raj), bridging the realm of possibility with the Divine realm. The most accepted supplication is the one made in sujud (prostration), which is the mi’raj of the believer. Furthermore, du’a and reliance upon God strengthen the inclination toward goodness, just as repentance and seeking forgiveness serve as barriers against the inclination toward evil.

It is through supplication that the hand of Divine Mercy extends over us. Indeed, du’a acts as a shield against Divine wrath. It is at the point where human capability reaches its limit that the awareness of supplication begins. However, it is impossible to define a beginning or an endpoint for du’a, for there is not a single moment in a person’s life when they do not need it. Therefore, a servant should never distance themselves from supplication, just as their Lord never distances Himself from them through His manifestations.

From the perspective of the servant, du’a is about asking. However, often people do not know how to ask properly, and in doing so, they may display improper etiquette. In other words, they may—God forbid—attempt to make their limited will dominate over God’s absolute will. Undoubtedly, supplications made with such an attitude do not serve as a true connection between the servant and their Lord.

As with all matters, our greatest guide in this regard is the Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The One who has granted us the ability to ask has also taught us how to ask. And the one who was taught the most beautiful and effective supplications is, without a doubt, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). When we look at collections of supplications, we see that even in supplication, it is impossible to reach his level. Thus, we must turn to how he supplicated.

In the following lines, we will present selected prayers from a day in the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). To explore deeper prayer collections, and learn about the etiquette, types, and times of acceptance of supplications, the prayers of great personalities, and the impact of supplication on both the physical and metaphysical world, one should refer to dedicated compilations of supplications.

Upon Waking Up in the Morning

When the morning arrived, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would recite the following supplication:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَصْبَحْتُ أُشْهِدُكَ وَأُشْهِدُ حَمَلَةَ عَرْشِكَ وَمَلَائِكَتَكَ وَجَمِيعَ خَلْقِكَ أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُكَ وَرَسُولُكَ

“O God! This morning, I bear witness before You, the bearers of Your Throne, Your angels, and all of Your creation that You alone are God—there is no deity but You—and that Muhammad is Your servant and messenger.” In this supplication, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) calls upon all of creation—especially the angels closest to God and the heavenly beings who oversee the universe—as witnesses to his declaration of faith. He offers his praise to God by uniting his voice with their breath, making them part of his supplication. From this, we learn a profound lesson: When approaching the presence of the Almighty, one should seek an intermediary to knock on the door first. This is why, during a time of drought in Madinah, the respected Umar ibn al-Khattab took the respected Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), by the hand and led him up a hill. Lifting Abbas’s hands toward the sky, the respected Umar (RA) pleaded: “O God! These hands raised to You belong to the uncle of Your Beloved. For the sake of these hands, send down rain upon us!” Before the respected Abbas could lower his hands, rain began to pour. This was the foresight and wisdom of the respected Umar, inspired by the Prophet’s practice of adding the breath of the angels to his supplications.

Among the other morning prayers of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was this: “O Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, O Lord of Majesty and Honor! I declare my devotion to You in this worldly life and call upon You as my witness, and You alone are sufficient as a witness.” It is significant that in this supplication, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) invokes God’s name Fâtir (The Creator, The Originator). It is as if he is saying: “O You who have created the heavens and the earth according to a natural order and made them subject to the laws of creation! Within this natural order, there are the laws of medicine, physics, chemistry, astrophysics, and astronomy. Every morning, it is as though these laws are renewed, and the universe is once again set into motion. You are the One who grants this order and the purity of this fresh beginning!”

When Wearing Clothes and Eating

Everything we consider to belong to us, including ourselves, ultimately belongs to God. Without His help and generosity (atâ), we would be incapable of acquiring anything, nor could we breathe, eat, or even walk. Yet, human beings tend to say, “Mine and His,” as if trying to claim ownership over God’s dominion. Many fall into arrogance, heedlessness, and sometimes even shirk (associating partners with God) by saying, “I earned this, I achieved this, this is mine…” To save humanity from such a dangerous mindset, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would always offer supplications upon receiving any blessing, emphasizing tawhid (the oneness of God) in the most profound way. For instance, when putting on a beautiful garment or eating a meal, he would recite the following supplications: 

Supplication When Wearing Clothes

اللَّهُمَّ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي كَسَانِي هَذَا الثَّوْبَ وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ

“All praise is due to God, who has clothed me with this garment and provided it for me without any power or strength of my own.”

Supplication After Eating

The essence of supplication after eating can be summarized in three words: remembrance (dhikr), reflection (fikr), and gratitude (shukr). Before beginning the meal, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would say “Bismillah” (In the name of God), during the meal, he would reflect on the blessings granted by Ar-Razzaq (The Provider), and after finishing, he would recite the following prayer:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنَا وَسَقَانَا وَجَعَلَنَا مُسْلِمِينَ

“All praise is due to God, who has fed us, given us drink, and made us Muslims.”

After the Call to Prayer (Adhan)

The Adhan, called five times a day, is a divine invitation to a celestial feast. It conveys the fundamental principles of Islam and is proclaimed with the same words across all Muslim communities. The one who taught us this call is the Master of the Universe (peace and blessings be upon him), and on the Day of Judgment, he will also intercede for us. To emphasize this reality, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught us the following supplication to be recited after the Adhan:

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ هَذِهِ الدَّعْوَةِ التَّامَّةِ وَالصَّلَاةِ الْقَائِمَةِ آتِ مُحَمَّدًا الْوَسِيلَةَ وَالْفَضِيلَةَ وَابْعَثْهُ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا الَّذِي وَعَدْتَهُ

“O God, Lord of this perfect call and of the established prayer! Grant Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) Al-Wasilah (the highest rank in Paradise) and Al-Fadilah (superiority) and raise him to the honored station that You have promised him.”

Entering and Leaving Home

Home holds great significance in a person’s life, as we spend most of our time there. We only leave when necessary and always return. Besides the household members, angels, other spiritual beings, and many unseen entities share this space with us. The home is a place of rest, education, and privacy, and ensuring that everything within it remains good and pure is vital for society and humanity as a whole. Therefore, just as in all our affairs, we should seek refuge in God and rely on Him when entering or leaving our homes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would recite the following supplications on these occasions:

Supplication When Entering the Home

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ الْمَوْلَجِ وَخَيْرَ الْمَخْرَجِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَلَجْنَا وَبِسْمِ اللَّهِ خَرَجْنَا وَعَلَى اللَّهِ رَبِّنَا تَوَكَّلْنَا ثُمَّ لِيُسَلِّمْ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ

“O God! I ask You for goodness in my entry and goodness in my exit. In the name of God, we enter; in the name of God, we leave; and in God, our Lord, we place our trust.”

He (peace and blessings be upon him) also advised greeting the household upon entering.

Supplication When Leaving the Home

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

“In the name of God, I place my trust in God. There is no power or strength except through God.”

Entering the Restroom

Restrooms, bathrooms, and similar places are environments where impurities and unpleasant odors may exist. Even with modern cleaning products, these places may not always feel as clean as other parts of the house. Psychologically, they are often associated with impurity, and harmful spiritual beings, particularly jinn and evil spirits, are believed to frequent such places. Some of these entities even feed on filth and are drawn to foul odors. To seek protection from harm while entering such places, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would recite this supplication: Supplication When Entering the Restroom

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ الْخُبُثِ وَالْخَبَائِثِ

“O God! I seek refuge in You from all evil and impure beings (from the male and female devils).” Upon leaving, he would say:

Supplication When Leaving the Restroom

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنِّي الْأَذَى وَعَافَانِي

“All praise is due to God, who has removed harm from me and granted me well-being.”

Before Embarking on a Journey

No matter how comfortable a journey may seem, it always carries some level of difficulty. Parting is painful, whether from a pet at home or a beloved family member. Travel is unpredictable; one never knows what awaits in a foreign land. Some journeys may not lead to a return, and the separation can be especially painful if it involves a father, mother, or child. For these reasons, every journey is a time for supplication. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would pray before setting out, during the journey, upon arrival, when facing difficulties, and even when ascending or descending from heights. Here, we share one of his supplications before embarking on a journey:  First, he would say “Alhamdulillah” (All praise is due to God) three times and “Allahu Akbar” (God is the Greatest) three times, then recite the following verse from the Qur’an:

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ

“Glory be to Him who has subjected this (means of travel) for us, for we could not have done so on our own. And indeed, to our Lord, we shall return.” (Az-Zukhruf 43:13-14) Then he would supplicate:

اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الصَّاحِبُ فِي السَّفَرِ وَالْخَلِيفَةُ فِي الْأَهْلِ اللَّهُمَّ ازْوِ لَنَا الْأَرْضَ وَهَوِّنْ عَلَيْنَا السَّفَرَ

“O God! You are the Companion on the journey and the Guardian of the family left behind. O God! Make the distance of this journey seem near to us and make it easy for us.”

During Sneezing

One of the events that we naturally encounter is sneezing. When we are alone or with someone else, or when someone else is with us, such a situation can be encountered and inevitably those around us are sensitive to the sound. Our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has practically shown how the person who sneezes is the one who prays and how those around him should respond to him in this situation, and he has also warned those who do not behave in this way. The prayer and its answer are briefly as follows:

The person who sneezes should say; ‘Alhamdulillah’ “Praise be to God”, and the person who hears him should say: “Yerhamukellah” “May God have mercy on you”. When a sneezing person hears “Yerhamukeallah” said to him, he should say: “yehdiyekumullah ve yüslihu balekum” “May God guide us and you” or “Yehdikumullahu ve yuslihu balekum” “May God guide you and set your affairs straight.”

After Prayer – Tasbihat

One of the most spiritually uplifting moments for supplication is right after performing obligatory prayers. Having purified oneself through prayer—often referred to as the pillar of faith—one is in a state of closeness to God, untainted by sin, and immersed in a spiritual atmosphere. This is a golden opportunity to make dua, engage in dhikr, and praise God. The post-prayer tasbihat (remembrances) practiced from the early Islamic period until today include glorifications (tasbih), praises (hamd), declarations of God’s greatness (takbir), salutations upon the Prophet (salawat), and the recitation of God’s beautiful names (Asma al-Husna). Since the structure of these supplications is well-known and widely documented in prayer manuals, we will not go into extensive detail.

At Sunset

Just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would begin his mornings with supplications at sunrise, he would also recite prayers at sunset when darkness covered the earth. These supplications acted as spiritual lamps illuminating his day and night, and he never neglected them. One of his evening supplications was:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَصْبَحْتُ أُشْهِدُكَ وَأُشْهِدُ حَمَلَةَ عَرْشِكَ وَمَلَائِكَتَكَ وَجَمِيعَ خَلْقِكَ أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُكَ وَرَسُولُكَ

“O God! As I enter this evening, I call You to witness, along with the bearers of Your Throne, Your angels, and all of Your creation, that You alone are God—there is no god but You—and that Muhammad is Your servant and messenger.”

Before Sleeping

Sleep is the “little brother of death.” One should enter sleep with this awareness, as closing one’s eyes at night could be their final moment in this world. Therefore, one should not go to bed heedlessly but with mindfulness and attentiveness. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) would often recite the following before going to bed: The beginning and last three verses of Surah Al-Baqarah (Amanar-Rasul), Ayat al-Kursi (The Throne Verse), Surah Yasin, Surah As-Sajdah, and Surah Al-Mulk. Three times each: Surah Al-Ikhlas and the two protective chapters (Al-Falaq and An-Nas). Once: Surah Al-Kafirun. After reciting these, he would blow into his hands, rub them over his body, and reach as much of himself as possible. Various other supplications from hadith collections are also reported.

Once in bed, he would say 33 times SubhanAllah (Glory be to God), 33 times Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God), and 33 or 34 times Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest). Among the many supplications he would recite, one was:

اَللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ لَا مَلْجَأَ وَلَا مَنْجَا مِنْكَ إِلَّا إِلَيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ

“O God! I turn my face towards You and entrust my affairs to You. I rely upon You with both hope and fear. There is no refuge or salvation from You except in You. O God! I believe in the Book You have revealed and in the Prophet You have sent.”

Night and the Pre-Dawn Hours

Prayer can be made at any place, time, or position. However, both the Qur’an and hadith strongly encourage and recommend making supplication (du’a) and seeking forgiveness (istighfar) during the pre-dawn hours. When describing the people of Paradise and those blessed with the rewards of the Hereafter, this practice is particularly emphasized:  “God sees those who are patient, truthful, humbly devoted before Him, those who spend (for His sake), and those who seek forgiveness at dawn.” (Aal-e-Imran, 3:17)  “(The people of Paradise) used to sleep but little at night, and in the hours before dawn, they would seek forgiveness.” (Adh-Dhariyat, 51:17–18)

There are several reasons why the pre-dawn hours are preferred for making du’a. Beyond the serenity and heightened spiritual emotions of that time, one of the key reasons is that it is the hour when God descends to the lowest heaven. Additionally, there is a special moment of divine acceptance (sa’at al-ijabah) every night. When a believer gives up sleep and comfort in the late hours of the night to pray, recite the Qur’an, and shed tears over their sins, their heart softens, and they seize a golden opportunity to make supplication. The Prophet of Mercy (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Do not miss the opportunity to pray when your heart softens with mercy, for a softened heart is a sign of God’s mercy.”  It is upon a person to invite divine mercy, to knock on the door of compassion—meaning, to pray. As Shams Tabrizi (645/1247) beautifully put it: “The ocean of mercy always longs to surge and overflow. And it is your pleading, your weeping, and your cries that set it in motion. Unless the clouds of your sorrow gather, the ocean of divine knowledge will not surge or foam.”  Thus, the pre-dawn hours following night worship present the perfect moment to knock on the door of mercy. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) would begin his Tahajjud prayer with this supplication:

اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ قَيِّمُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ رَبُّ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ

“O God, our Lord! All praise belongs to You. You are the Sustainer (Qayyum) of the heavens and the earth and all that is within them. All praise belongs to You. You are the true Lord and Master (Malik) of the heavens, the earth, and all that is within them. All praise belongs to You. You are the Light (Nur) of the heavens, the earth, and all that is within them.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would also not forget to make du’a for his companions in their absence during the night. A supplication made for someone in their absence is considered a prayer from a “sinless tongue,” as the one making du’a bears no responsibility for the sins of the other.

Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (RA) narrated: “One night, I observed the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in prayer from evening until the break of dawn. I heard him supplicating: ‘O God! Uthman bin Affan… I am pleased with him.’” The respected Anas bin Malik also reported that they would pray for one another at night, saying: “May God grant you the prayer of the righteous—those who stand in worship at night, fast during the day, and avoid sin.”

Conclusion

In this section, we wish to highlight the continuous repentance (tawba) and seeking of forgiveness (istighfar) by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) throughout the day—sometimes numbering in the hundreds. As is well known, if he had any sins at all, all his past and future sins had already been forgiven (Al-Fath, 48:2). Despite this, he frequently sought forgiveness and would say: “O God! Forgive me and have mercy on me, for You are the Most Merciful of the merciful.” In a hadith, he stated: “Indeed, sometimes my heart feels a slight veil (of distraction), and truly, I seek God’s forgiveness a hundred times a day.” (Muslim)

Scholars have interpreted this hadith in the following ways: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was in a constant state of spiritual elevation. As he ascended from one station to a higher one, he would seek forgiveness for the previous level, as each new station revealed the shortcomings of the one before it. No matter what level of servitude (‘ubudiyyah) a person attains, it is always insufficient when compared to God’s absolute majesty and grandeur. This is the wisdom behind God’s command to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Know that there is no deity except God, and seek forgiveness for your sins and for the sins of the believing men and believing women.” (Muhammad, 47:19)

No matter how exalted his status was, ever greater levels of nearness to God were continuously being revealed to him. With each new level, he recognized that his previous state, while excellent, was not yet the highest form of servitude to God. This realization led him to engage in constant istighfar. The Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) practice of frequent repentance not only serves as an encouragement for us to seek forgiveness but should also be understood in light of his unique and elevated position in the sight of God.

Prof. Dr. Abdulhakim Yüce, Issue: 74, Year: 2006