ON TRAVELING: A FEW PERSONAL DUʿĀS AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES 1

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1 In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful And may peace and blessings be upon His servant Muḥammad, and upon his family and Companions ON TRAVELING: A FEW PERSONAL DUʿĀS AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICES 1 Hadrat Maulana Muḥammad Rafīʿ al-ʿuthmānī 2 *** Many loved ones have requested that I write down my traveling routine so that readers may make use of it as well. On every journey that I have taken, Allah Most High, through His Bounty and Generosity, has bestowed extraordinary and unexpected benefits upon this lowly slave by way of the rituals and supplications that I learned from the spiritual masters (buzurgōn). For this reason, I present them as a gift to the readers in hopes that their practicing upon them becomes a reason for my own reward. 1. When Deciding To Make the Trip (A) If the journey is very crucial or I am unsure about whether or not I should travel, then consistently for six days, or three days, or even one day, I perform the Prayer of Istikhārah and read the prescribed (masnūn) duʿā. 3 I also perform the rituals and duʿās mentioned below (see 1B). 1 Translated to English from the Urdu excerpt: al-ʿuthmānī, Muḥammad Rafīʿ, Tīn Islāmī Mulkōn kā Safarnāmah: Anbiyā kī Sarzamīn Mēn, Idārat al-maʿārif Karachi, 2007, p Kindly contact the translator, Shoaib A. Rasheed, at the following address to inform him of any errors that may be found in this document: sarashee@umich.edu. 2 Hadrat Maulana Muḥammad Rafīʿ al-ʿuthmānī, Grand Mufti of Pakistan, is highly-respected Islamic scholar of the Islamic intellectual and spiritual sciences. He teaches at Jāmiʿah Dār al-ʿulūm Karachi, where he also serves as its president. He is the elder brother of the well-known Mufti Muḥammad Taqī al-ʿuthmānī and son of the beloved former Grand Mufti of Pakistan, Hadrat Muḥammad Shafīʿ al-ʿuthmānī. 3 See pg. 6 for the complete duʿā. [1]

2 (B) If the journey is not so crucial or if I am not experiencing uncertainty, then I attach the intention of Istikhārah to whatever supererogatory (nafl) prayers I routinely perform every day. Furthermore, I also recite the following duʿā after just about every daily (farḍ) prayer, as well as while going about my daily business (chaltē phirtē), whenever the thought comes to mind, and without a specific number of repetitions: الل ه م خ ر ل ي و اخت رل ي O Allah! Grant for me the better choice. In the same manner I also recite this duʿā: الل ه م ا له من ي ر شد ي و ق ن ي ش ر ن فس ي O Allah! Put inside my heart whatever is appropriate for me, and guard me from the evil of my lower self. 2. When the journey is about to begin, I pray two rakʿahs with the intention of [seeking blessing in] travel. As per the advice of my master and spiritual guide, the Honorable Dr. ʿAbd al-ḥayy ʿĀrifī (May Allah have mercy on him), my habit is to recite Sūrat Alam Nashraḥ in the first rakʿah and Sūrat Idhā Jā a Naṣrullāh in the other. 3. When mounting any riding animal [or, analogously, getting settled in a vehicle] the duʿā that the Sunnah prescribes is as follows: ب سم الل ه الرحم ن الرح يم ا لح مد ل ل ه س بح ن ال ذ ي س خر ل ن ا ه ذ ا و م ا ك نا ل هۥ م قر ن ين و ا ن ا ا ل ى ر ب ن ا ل م نق ل ب ون I begin in the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. To Allah belongs all praises. Pure is He that made this vehicle obedient to us, and verily, we were helpless to take power over it (without His help), and verily it is to our Lord that we must return. [2]

3 4. When the vehicle begins to move, the duʿā that the Sunnah prescribes is as follows: لل ه م ا ن ا ن س ا ل ك ف ي س ف ر ن ا هذا الب ر والتقو ى وم ن الع م ل ما ت رض ى الل ه م ه و ن ع ل ين ا ه ذ ا السف ر و ٱطو ع ن ا ب عد ه * الل ه م ا نت الصاح ب ف ي السف ر والخ ل يف ة ف ي الأ هل والو ل د والم ال * الل ه م ا ن ا ن ع و ذ ب ك م ن و عث اء السف ر وك ا ب ة الم نظ ر و س وء الم نق ل ب ف ي الأ هل والو ل د والم ال O Allah! We ask You for piety and God-consciousness in this trip, and the kinds of actions that are pleasing to you. O Allah! Bestow ease upon us during this trip, and fold the distance together (i.e. bring us there quickly). O Allah! You are our only (true) Companion on this trip, and the Guardian of our household, children, and wealth. O Allah! We ask Your protection on this journey from hardships and seeing troubling sights, and from returning home only to be met with our household, children, and wealth in a troubling condition. 5. At least once during the journey, whenever the thought comes to mind, I recite the following duʿā that appears in the Noble Quran, and that the Messenger ﷺ was inspired to recite when migrating to Madīnah: * O My Lord! let My entry be by the gate of truth and Honour, and likewise My exit by the gate of truth and Honour; and grant me from Thy presence an authority to aid (me). 4 [17:80] 4 English translation of this verse is from A. Yusuf Ali. Author s Urdu translation of the verse is as follows: ج س کے ساتھ ) پآ کی) مدد ہو ہنچا یئے پ اے میرے رب! مج ھے ا چ ھی طرح اور مج ھے ا چ ھی طرح لے جا یئے اور مجھ کو ا یئے پاس سے ایسا غلبہ د ی جئے [3]

4 It is useful to recite this duʿā at the beginning of all important tasks. 5 All praise is to Allah that, in accordance with my father s teachings (may Allah have mercy on him), I read it upon finishing a journey or for fulfillment of any important goal. 6. When the airplane begins to land, or when I am about to disembark from the plane or any other vehicle, I recite this duʿā from the Noble Quran: O My Lord! enable me to disembark with Thy blessing: for Thou art the best to enable (Us) to disembark. 6 [23:29] At this time, I also recite the duʿā that was discussed above (see 5). 7. When entering any town or city, the duʿās that the Sunnah prescribes are as follows: الل ه م ح ب بن ا ا ل ى ا هل ه ذ ه الب لد ة و ح ب ب ص ال ح ي ا هل ه ا ا ل ين ا O Allah! Place love for us into the hearts of the residents of this town, and also place in our hearts the love for its pious-folk. الله م ا ن ا ن س ا ل ك خ ي ر هذه الق ري ة و خ ير ما فيها و ن ع وذ ب ك م ن ش ر هذه الق ري ة و ش ر م ا فيها O Allah! We ask You to grant us the good of this city, and the good of whatever it contains, and we seek Your protection from its evil, and the evil of whatever it contains. 8. When waiting or stopping at any point in the journey, the duʿā that the Sunnah prescribes is as follows: 5 al-ʿuthmāni, Muḥammad Shafīʿ, Tafsīr Maʿārif al-qur ān, v.5, p English translation of this verse is from A. Yusuf Ali. Author s Urdu translation of the verse is as follows: اے میرے رب! میرے اترنے کو پاترکت بن اد ی جئے اور آپ سب سے ا چ ھے میزپان ہیں [4]

ا ع وذ ب ك ل م ات الله التامات م ن ش ر م ا خ ل ق ف الل ه خ ير ح اف ظا وه و ا رح م الر ح م ين I seek refuge in all of Allah s words from every evil that He created, for it is Allah who is the Best of

5 ا ع وذ ب ك ل م ات الله التامات م ن ش ر م ا خ ل ق ف الل ه خ ير ح اف ظا وه و ا رح م الر ح م ين I seek refuge in all of Allah s words from every evil that He created, for it is Allah who is the Best of Guardians, and He it is who is Most Merciful of all the merciful ones. 9. Upon returning from the journey, the duʿā that the Sunnah prescribes is as follows: اي ب ون ت ائ ب ون ع اب د ون ل ر ب ن ا ح ام د ون We are those who are returning, those who are seeking forgiveness, those who worship, and those who praise our Lord. I also recite the duʿā that was discussed above (see 5) *** May Allah Most High grant acceptance of all these duʿās from us all. Āmīn و ا خ ر د عو ان ا ا ن الح مد ل ل ه ر ب الع ل م ين [5]

6 DUʿĀ OF ISTIKHĀRAH ا لله م ا ن ي ا ست خ ير ك ب ع لم ك و ا ست قد ر ك ب ق در ت ك و ا سا ل ك م ن ف ضل ك الع ظ يم ف ا ن ك ت قد ر و لأ ا قد ر و ت عل م و لأ ا عل م و ا نت ع لام الغ ي وب ا لله م ا ن ك نت ت عل م ا ن ه ذ ا الأ مر خ ير ل ي ف ي د ين ي و م ع اش ي و ع اق ب ة ره ل ي ث م ب ار ك ل ي ف يه و ا ن ك نت ت عل م ا ن ه ذ ا ا مر ي ف اقد ره ل ي و ي س الأ مر ش ر ل ي ف ي د ين ي و م ع اش ي و ع اق ب ة ا مر ي ف اصر فه ع ن ي و اصر فن ي ع نه و اقد ر ل ي الخ ير ح يث ك ان ث م ا رض ن ي ب ه Oh Allah! I seek from You a decision by virtue of Your Knowledge (of what is best), and I seek from You the ability (to realise my object) by virtue of Your Power, and I ask You (to grant me) from Your Great Bounty, for indeed You have power and I do not have power, and You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the Unseen. Oh Allāh! If, according to Your Knowledge, this matter is good for me with regards to my religious affairs, my worldly life and my final outcome (i.e. in the Hereafter), then direct it towards me and ease it for me, thereafter grant me blessing in it. And if, according to Your Knowledge, this matter is evil for me with regards to my religious affairs, my worldly life and my final outcome (i.e. in the Hereafter), then turn it away from me and turn me away from it. And direct towards me that which is good, no matter where it is, thereafter make me pleased with it (i.e. that good.) 7 7 Translation from Maulana Ismail Desai from Askimam.org Fatwa #21896 [6]

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