Morning du'a (Asbahna)
Muslim 2723أَصْبَحْنَا وَأَصْبَحَ الْمُلْكُ لِلَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Asbahna wa asbahal-mulku lillah, wal-hamdulillah. La ilaha illal-lah, wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, wa huwa ʿala kulli shay'in qadir
“We have reached the morning, and the dominion belongs to Allah. Praise be to Allah. There is no god but Allah, alone, without partner. To Him belongs the dominion and the praise, and He has power over all things.”
Benefit: One of the best authenticated morning invocations. Recite it once on rising.
Evening du'a (Amsayna)
Muslim 2723أَمْسَيْنَا وَأَمْسَى الْمُلْكُ لِلَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ
Amsayna wa amsal-mulku lillah, wal-hamdulillah. La ilaha illal-lah, wahdahu la sharika lah
“We have reached the evening, and the dominion belongs to Allah. Praise be to Allah. There is no god but Allah, alone, without partner.”
The master supplication for forgiveness (Sayyid al-Istighfar)
Bukhari 6306اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Allahumma anta Rabbi, la ilaha illa Ant, khalaqtani wa ana ʿabduk, wa ana ʿala ʿahdika wa waʿdika mastataʿt. Aʿudhu bika min sharri ma sanaʿt, abu'u laka bi-niʿmatika ʿalayy, wa abu'u bi-dhanbi fa-ghfir li, fa-innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa Ant.
“O Allah, You are my Lord; there is no god but You. You created me and I am Your servant. I keep my covenant with You as best I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil I have done. I acknowledge Your favours upon me and I acknowledge my sins. Forgive me, for none forgives sins but You.”
Benefit: Whoever says it during the day with conviction and dies before evening enters Paradise. The same applies in the evening.
Before eating
Abu Dawud 3767بِسْمِ اللَّهِ
Bismillah
“In the name of Allah”
Benefit: If you forget, say during the meal: “Bismillahi awwalahu wa akhirah” (In the name of Allah, at its beginning and its end).
After eating
Tirmidhi 3458الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَطْعَمَنِي هَذَا وَرَزَقَنِيهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَوْلٍ مِنِّي وَلَا قُوَّةٍ
Al-hamdulillahil-ladhi atʿamani hadha wa razaqanihi min ghayri hawlin minni wa la quwwah
“Praise be to Allah who fed me this and provided it for me, with no power or strength of my own.”
On entering the house
Abu Dawud 5096بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَلَجْنَا وَبِسْمِ اللَّهِ خَرَجْنَا وَعَلَى رَبِّنَا تَوَكَّلْنَا
Bismillahi walajna, wa bismillahi kharajna, wa ʿala Rabbina tawakkalna
“In the name of Allah we enter, in the name of Allah we leave, and upon our Lord we rely.”
For travel
Qur'an 43:13-14 + Muslim 1342سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ، وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ
Subhanal-ladhi sakhkhara lana hadha wa ma kunna lahu muqrinin, wa inna ila Rabbina la-munqalibun
“Glory be to Him who has subjected this to us, for we could never have mastered it ourselves. And to our Lord we shall surely return.”
Before sleeping
Bukhari 6324بِاسْمِكَ اللَّهُمَّ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
Bismika Allahumma amutu wa ahya
“In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live.”
Benefit: Say it before sleeping. On waking: “Al-hamdulillahi alladhi ahyana baʿda ma amatana wa ilayhi-n-nushur”
Ayat al-Kursi
Qur'an 2:255اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ
Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum, la ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm…
“Allah! There is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth…”
Benefit: Whoever recites it after every prayer, nothing stands between him and Paradise but death (Nasa'i).
The last three surahs (al-Muʿawwidhat)
Qur'an 112, 113, 114 — Tirmidhi 3575قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ… قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ… قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ
Qul huwa Allahu ahad… Qul aʿudhu bi-Rabbil-falaq… Qul aʿudhu bi-Rabbin-nas
“Say: He is Allah, the One… Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak… Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind…”
Benefit: Recite three times morning and evening. Protection from every harm.
Against anxiety and sorrow
Bukhari 2893اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ
Allahumma inni aʿudhu bika minal-hammi wal-hazan, wal-ʿajzi wal-kasal, wal-bukhli wal-jubn, wa dhalaʿid-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijal
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from miserliness and cowardice, from the burden of debt and from being overpowered by men.”
Salat al-Istikhara (asking for guidance)
Bukhari 1162اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ، وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ…
Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi-ʿilmik, wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratik, wa as'aluka min fadlikal-ʿazim…
“O Allah, I seek Your guidance through Your knowledge, I seek ability through Your power, and I ask You of Your immense bounty…”
Benefit: Say it after two voluntary rakats, for any important decision (work, marriage, moving house).