The Merit of 25 Supplications or Prayers
By: Amatullah
(Extracted from 50 Narrations on Virtuous Deeds)
1. While we were praying one day with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, a man from among the people said, “Allahu Akbaru Kabeera, walhamdulillahi Katheera, wa Subhan’Allahi bukratan wa aseela”, ‘Allah is the Greatest above everything else, and All Praise is for Allah abundantly, and Glory be to Allah in the morning and evening.’ The Prophet ﷺ asked, “who said those words?” A man replied, “I did, O Messeger of Allah.” The Prophet ﷺ then said, ‘I am amazed by your speech, for they caused the doors of heaven to open.’ Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) added to this narration, “I never left saying those words after I heard the Messenger of Allah say that. [Muslim]
2. One day we were praying behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and when he ﷺ raised his head from the position of ruku` (bowing position), he said: “Sami Allahu leman hamidah” – ‘Allah hears the one who praises Him’. A man from behind added: “Rabbanna wa la kal hamd – hamdan katheeran tayyiban mubarakan fih” – ‘Our Lord, all praise is due only to You, praise which is abundant, excellent and blessed.’ When we finished [the prayer] the Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Who spoke?’ The man said, ‘I did’. He ﷺ said, ‘Indeed I saw some 30 angels all scuffling to see which one of them could record it.’ [Muslim]
3. Whoever prays twelve units of prayer voluntarily in a day and night, Allah will build him a house in Paradise. [Muslim]
4. Whoever observes four rakaat (units) before dhuhr (midday) prayer, and four rakaat after prayer, the fire will not touch him. [Abu Dawud]
5. May Allah have mercy on a person who prays four rakaat before ‘Asr (afternoon) prayer.[Abu Dawud]
6. Whoever stands in night prayer and recites ten verses (from the Qur’an) will not be written as a heedless person. And whoever recites 100 verses will be written as a devout slave. And whoever recites 1000 verses will be written as one who has mountains of good deeds. [Abu Dawud]
7. The voluntary prayer of a man where no one can see him is 25 times greater than voluntary prayer in front of the people. [Abu Ya’la]
8. Whoever prays four rakaat of Duha (mid-morning) prayer, and then another four (for a total of eight rakaat), a house is built for him in Paradise. [Tabarani]
9. Whoever prays fajr (morning prayer) in congregation then sits remembering Allah until the sun rises, then prays two units of prayer has the reward like that of Hajj and Umrah. [Tirmidhi]
10. “Whoever prays to Allah for forty days in congregation, not missing the first takbeer (of prayer), he will be recorded as being free from two things: free from the Fire and free from hypocrisy. [Tirmidhi]
11. The best of prayers with Allah is the fajr (morning) prayer, prayed in congregation on Friday. [Abu Nu’aym] (There is a difference of opinion among the scholars if this narration is a hadith or a statement of ibn Umar – Allah knows best)
12. Whoever says, “Subhan’Allah al-Adheem wa biHamdihi” – ‘Glory be to Allah the Most Great and for Him is all praise’, will have a date-palm tree planted for him in Paradise. [Tirmidhi]
13. Whoever says “Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdika, ash-hadu an laa ilaha illa anta, astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaika” - ‘(O Allah, You are free from every imperfection; praise be to You. I testify that there is no true god except You; I ask Your Pardon and turn to You in repentance)’ in a gathering of remembrance, it will be like a seal to stamp it (the remembrance) with, and he who says it in a gathering of vain talk, it will be an expiation for it (the vain talk). [Nasaa’i]
14. Indeed, (saying) “SubhanAllah” – ‘Glory be to Allah (and He is high above any imperfection)’ and “Alhamdulillah” – ‘All praise and thanks is only for Allah alone’, and “Laa ilaha ilAllah” – ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except ’llah’, and “Allahu Akbar” – ‘Allah is Greater than everything’, cause a slave’s sins to fall away just as the leaves of a tree fall. [Ahmad]
15. Would any of you like to accumulate 1000 rewards every day? Say “SubhanAllah“, ‘Glory be to Allah and He is high above any imperfection’ 100 times and Allah will record for you 1000 rewards or He will remove 1000 mis-deeds. [Muslim]
16. Verily, Allah has chosen four words from all speech: “SubhanAllah” (Glory be to Allah and He is high above any imperfection), and “Alhamdulillah” (All praise and thanks are for Allah alone), and “Laa ilaha ilAllah” (There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah), and “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is the Greater than everything). Therefore whoever says SubhanAllah twenty deeds will be recorded for him and twenty sins will be removed from him. And whoever says Allahu Akbar will get the same. And whoever says Laa ilaha ilAllah will get the same. And whoever says “Alhamdulillahi Rabbil `Alamin” – ‘All praise and thanks is for Allah alone, the Lord of all things’, from his heart, thirty good deeds will be recorded for him and thirty sins will be dropped from him. [Nasaa’i]
17. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates, “The Prophet ﷺ (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed by me once while I was planting some crops. He said, ‘O Abu Hurayrah! What are you planting?’ I answered, ‘some crops.’ The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Shall I inform you of crops which are far better than all this? Saying: “SubhanAllah” – ‘Glory be to Allah (and He is high above any imperfection)’ and “Alhamdulillah” – ‘All praise and thanks is for Allah alone’, and “Laa ilaha ilAllah” – ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah’, and “Allahu Akbar” – ‘Allah is Greater than everything’. With every one of these [words], a tree will be planted for you in paradise’.” [Sunan ibn Majah]
18. Whoever is stingy about spending his wealth, and fears to fight the enemy, and is in terror of enduring the night should repeat frequently “SubhanAllahi wa biHamdihi” – ‘Glory be to Allah the Most Great and for Him is all praise’. By Him in whose Hand is my soul, they (those words) are more beloved to Allah than two mountains of gold and silver. [Abu Nu’aym]
19.. Whoever enters a market and says: “Laa ilaaha illAllah waHdahu laa shareeka lah, lahul mulku wa lahul Hamdu yuHyi wa yumeetu wa huwa Hayyun laa yamoot, bi yadihil khayr, wahuwa `alaa kulli shay’in Qadeer” – ‘There is nothing worthy of worship but Allah, He is alone without partner, to Him belongs dominion and praise, he causes life and death and He is the Living and does not die. In His Hand is all the good, and He is over all things competent’; Allah will write for him a million good deeds, erase a million of his bad deeds and raise him a million levels and build for him a house in Paradise. [Tirmidhi]
20. Shall I guide you to something greater than remembering Allah (all) night and day? Say: “Alhamdulillahi `adada maa khalaq, Alhamdulillahi mil`a maa khalaq, Alhamdulillahi `adada maa fee-s-samawati wa maa fil`ardhi, Alhamdulillahi`’adada maa ahsaa kitabahu, wa Alhamdulillahi `alaa maa ahsaa kitaabahu, wa Alhamdulillahi `adada kuli shayy, wa Alhamdulillah mil`a kuli shayy” – ‘Praise be to Allah by the multitude of what He created; Praise be to Allah by the abundance of what He created; Praise be to Allah by the multitude of what is in the heavens and the earth; Praise be to Allah by the multitude of what His book enumerates; And Praise be to Allah for what His book enumerates; And Praise be to Allah as abundantly as everything.’ Then Glorify Allah similarly (by): learn these (phrases) and teach them to those who will follow after you. [At-Tabarani]
21. Whoever sends blessings on me (the Prophet ﷺ) 10 times in the morning and 10 times in the evening will have my intercession (Shafa’ah) on the Day of Judgment. [At-Tabarani]
22. Whoever says: “Radheetu billahi Rabba, wa bil Islaami Deena, wa bi Muhammad Nabiyya” – ‘I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, and with Islam as my Religion, and with Muhammad as my Prophet,’ Paradise would be (made) mandatory for him. [Abu Dawud]
23. Whoever supplicates for his brother (in Islam) in his absence, an angel is appointed to his side who says “Ameen (so be it) and may you also be blessed with the same.” [Muslim]
24. Whoever says, “Astaghfirullah al-lathi laa ilaha illa huwa, al-Hayyul Qayyum wa atubu ilayh” – ‘I ask forgiveness from Allah the One whom there is no deity worthy of worship except He, the Ever-Living and Sustainer and I repent to Him’ three times, Allah would forgive his sins even if they were as much as the foam of the sea. [Abu Dawud]
25. Shall I teach you some words that if you were to say them, Allah would forgive you? “Laa ilaha ilAllahul `Aliyyul ‘Adheem, laa ilaha ilAllahul Hakimul Kareem, la ilaha ilAllahu SubhanAllahi Rabbis-Samawaati as-Sabi’ wa Rabbil ‘Arshil ‘Adheem. Alhamdulillahil Rabbil `alameen” – ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, The Most High, The Great. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, The Most Wise, The Most Generous. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, Glory be to Allah (and He is high above any imperfection), The Lord of the Seven Heavens and the Lord of the Great Throne. All praise and thanks is for Allah Alone, Lord of all that exists.’ [Ahmad]