Selected Prophetic Prayers for Spiritual, Physical and Emotional Wellbeing by Chaplain Ibrahim Long

A BRIEF SELECTION RECOMMENDED FOR SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL, AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

Working as a Muslim Chaplain, I have come to see and experience a genuine need for greater resources for  supplications that bring aid to those in spiritual, physical, and emotional distress. For this reason, I have compiled the verses below and narrations that have been recommended by the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). Since his time (Allah bless him and give him peace), they have been recommended with blessed results by his family, companions, and scholars of the Islamic tradition (may Allah be well-pleased with them all).

For the ease of those in need, I have selected supplications which are comprehensive yet brief to make them easier to memorize and implement. Many of these supplications were found in SeekersGuidance’s Answers database. They are shared here with their permission. I have added to these a few supplications from Imam al-Nawawi’s Gardens of the Righteous (Riyad al-Salihin) as provided on the online hadith resource: Sunnah.com.

1.

“My lord, I am in absolute need of the good You send me.” [Qur’an, 28:24]

رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ

Rabbi inni lima anzalta ilayya min khairin faqir

2.

“O Lord! Grant us good in this life, and good in the next, and save us from the torment of the Fire.” [Qur’an, 2:201]

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

Rabbana atina fi’dunya hasana wa fi’l-akhirati hasana wa qina `adhab an-nar

3.

When a man got angry in front of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), he told his companions, “I know some words that would make his anger leave, if he said them. They are, ‘I seek refuge in Allah from Satan’.” [Bukhari]

أعوذ بالله من الشيطان

A`udhubillahi min ash-shaytan

4.

When the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) would be afflicted with a stressful trial, he would say, “O Living and Eternal Maintainer! By Your mercy I seek help!” [Tirmidhi]

يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّوْمُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيْث

Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum! Bi rahmatika astagheeth!

5.

Shahr ibn Hawshab (Allah be well-pleased with him) said, “I said to Umm Salama, ‘O Mother of the believers! What was the most frequent supplication of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and give him peace, when he was with you?’ She said, “His most frequent supplication was, ‘O Turner of the hearts, make my heart firm in Your deen!’” [Tirmidhi]

‏يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلبي على دينك‏

Ya muqallibal-qulubi, thabbit qalbi ‘ala deenika

6.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The supplication of my brother Dhun Nun (Yunus, peace be upon him), who called on Allah while in the whale’s belly: ‘There is no deity but You. Glory be to You! Verily, I have been among the wrongdoers’ (Quran 21:87) – no Muslim person says it, for any situation whatsoever, except that Allah Most High answers his call.” [Tirmidhi]

لا إلهَ إلا أنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظّالِمِيْنَ

La ilaha illa Anta, Subhanaka, inni kuntu mina z-zalimin

7.

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to say, “O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, dignified restraint, and freedom from need.” [Muslim]

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالتُّقَى وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنَى

Allahumma inni as’aluka’l huda wa’t tuqa wa’l `afafa wa’l ghina

8.

“O Allah! There is no ease except that which You make easy, and indeed You, when You want, make difficulties easy.” [Ibn Hibban]

اللهُمَّ لا سَهْلَ إلا مَا جَعَلتَهُ سَهْلا وَ أنتَ تَجْعَلُ الحزْنَ إذا شِئْتَ سَهْلا

Allahumma la sahla illa maa ja’altahu sahlan, wa Anta taj’alu l-hazna idha shi’ta sahla

9.

Ibn ‘Abbas (Allah be well-pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Anyone who visits a sick person whose time has not yet come and says seven times in his presence, ‘I ask Allah the Immense, the Lord of the Immense Throne, to heal you,’ Allah will heal him of that illness.” [Abu Dawud; Tirmidhi]

أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ رَبَّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ أَنْ يَشْفِيَكَ

As’alullahal-’Azima Rabbal-’Arshil-’Azimi, an yashfiyaka

10.

‏’Aisha (Allah be well-pleased with her) reported that when the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) visited any ailing member of his family, he would touch the sick person with his right hand and would supplicate: “O Allah! The Lord of mankind! Remove this disease and heal (him or her)! You are the Great Healer! There is no healing but through You; (a healing) which leaves behind no disease.” [Agreed Upon]

اللهم رب الناس، أذهب البأس، واشف، أنت الشافي لا شفاء إلا شفاؤك، شفاءً لا يغادر سقماً

Allahumma Rabban-nasi, adhhibil-ba’sa, washfi, Antash-Shafi, la shifa’a illa shifa’uka, shifaan la yughadiru saqaman

11.

“O Allah, Your mercy I am hopeful for, so do not leave me to myself for the blink of an eye, and put all my affairs in order, there is no god but You.” [Abu Dawud]

اللَّهُمَّ رَحْمَتَكَ أَرْجُوْ فَلَا تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ وَأَصْلِحْ لِي

شَأْنِي كُلِّهِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ

Allahumma rahmataka arju fala takilni ila nafsi tarfata `aynin wa aslih li sha’ni kullihi la ilaha illa anta

12.

`Uthman ibn `Affan (Allah be well-pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “No slave of Allah says in the morning every day and the evening every night, ‘In the name of Allah by whose name nothing in the earth or the heaven can be harmed. He is the Hearing, the Knowing,’ three times without that ensuring that nothing will harm him.” [Abu Dawud; Tirmidhi]

بِسْمِ اللهِ الَّذِيْ لا يَضُرُّ مَعَ اسْمِهِ شَيْءٌ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلا فِي الْسَّمَاءِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيْعُ الْعَلِيْمُ

BismiLlahi’lladhi la yadurru ma’asmihi shay’un fi’l-ardi wa la fi’s-sama’i wa huwa’s-Sami’u’l-‘Alim

13.

Anas (Allah be well-pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to say, “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, anxiety and sorrow, and I seek refuge in You from the torments of the grave, and I seek refuge in You from the trials and tribulations of life and death.” [Bukhari]

اَللّهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْعِجْزِ ، وَالْكَسْلِ، وَالْجُبْنِ ، وَالْهَرَمِ ، وَالْبُخْلِ ، وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ،

وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ فِتْنَةِ الْمَحْيَا وَالْمَمَاتِ

Allahumma inni a`udhu bika min al-`ajzi wal-kasli wal-jubni wal-harami wal-bukhli, wa a`udh bika min adhabi’l qabri, wa a`udhu bika min fitnati’l mahya wal-mamat.

14.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) would say when in distress, “There is no deity but Allah, the Knowing, the Clement. There is no deity but Allah, Lord of the Magnificent Throne. There is no deity but Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth and Lord of the Noble Throne.” [Bukhari]

لا إلهَ إلا اللهُ العَليمُ الحَليم لا إلهَ إلا اللهُ ربُّ العَرْشِ العَظِيْم لا إلهَ إلا اللهُ

ربُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الأَرْضِ ربُّ العَرْشِ الكَرِيْم

La ilaha illa Allahu l-Alimu l-Halim. La ilaha illa Allahu Rabbu l-Arshi l-Azim. La ilaha illa Allahu Rabbu s-samawati wa Rabbu l-ardi wa Rabbu l-Arshi l-Karim.

15.

Umama (Allah be well-pleased with her) said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and give him peace, made many supplications which we did not remember at all. We said, ‘Messenger of Allah, you have made many supplications which we do not remember at all.’ He said, ‘Shall I tell something which will contain all of them for you? You should say: “O Allah, I ask You for the good for which Your Prophet Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace, asked You and I seek refuge from the evil from which Your Prophet Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace, sought refuge. You are the One who is asked for help and it is only You who can transmit it. There is no power nor strength except by Allah.” [Tirmidhi]

للهم إني أسألك من خير ما سألك منه نبيك محمدٌ، صلى الله عليه وسلم؛ وأعوذ بك من شر ما

استعاذ منه نبيك محمدٌ، صلى الله عليه وسلم، وأنت المستعان، وعليك البلاغ؛ ولا حول ولا قوة إلا

بالله

‘Allahumma inni as’aluka min khairi ma sa’alaka minhu nabiyyuka Muhammadun sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Wa ‘a’udhu bika min sharri mas-ta’adha minhu nabiyyuka Muhammadun sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. Wa Antal-Musta’anu, wa ‘alaikal-balaghu, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa bilLah

Ibrahim J. Long received his BA with honors in Humanities and Religious Studies from California State University, Sacramento, and a Graduate Certificate in Islamic Chaplaincy from Hartford Seminary. Presently, Ibrahim is completing his MA in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations also at the Hartford Seminary.  During his studies, Ibrahim has worked as the first Muslim Chaplain at Choate Rosemary Hall, a prestigious boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, and as an imam at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution. Ibrahim currently works as a Resident in the Spiritual Care Department at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (Ontario, Canada). There, he provides chaplaincy services and receives supervised training in spiritual care psychotherapy with a dual focus on pastoral counselling (PCE) and clinical pastoral education (CPE).

Ibrahim lives with his wife in Hamilton, Ontario.