Musabb’at al-‘Ashr

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (r.a.) encouraged dzikr in his Ihya’ ‘Ulum ad-Din.  He explained that the heart has two doors: one opens to this world and the other to the ‘alam al-malakut, that is, the heavenly world of the angels; the ‘Arsh, the Throne; and the Lawh Mahfuzh, The Preserved Tablet. 

The recitation of dzikr in abundance erases sins and opens the second door to the ‘alam al-malakut.  To achieve this, Imam al-Ghazali (r.a.) exhorted us to do dzikr, remember Allah (s.w.t.) continuously.  Dzikr has to be done with such abundance that first, it abides on our tongues and then in our hearts.  The final stage is reached when the dzikr becomes engraved in the heart with its meanings. 

Two whole books of the Ihya’ are devoted to this purpose.  These are full of adzkar, supplications, and awrad, litanies.  One such suffices as a ni’ma’ al-hadiyyah, a splendid gift, from him.  Imam al-Ghazali (r.a.) narrated that Khidhr (a.s.) received these as a gift from Rasulullah (s.a.w.) himself, then taught them to Shaykh Ibrahim at-Taymi (r.a.) in front of the Ka’bah, and recommended their recitation seven times each before sunrise and sunset.  Hence, they are called Musabb'at al-Ashr, the ten invocations recited seven times each.  Mawlana al-Haddad (r.a.) made it the concluding part of his Wird al-Kabir. 

The wird is  as follows: 

سورة الفاتحة (×7) 

Surah al-Fatihah x 7 

سورة الاخلاص (×7) 

Surah Ikhlasw x 7 

سورة الفلق (×7) 

Surah al-Falaq x 7 

سورة الناس (×7) 

Surah an-Naas x 7 

سورة الكافرون (×7) 

Surah al-Kafirun x 7 

اٰية الكرسي (×7) 

Ayat al-Kursi x 7 

سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ، وَلَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللهُ وَاللهُ اَكْبَرُ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيمِ. (×7) 

Subhaan Allah wa al-Hamdulillah wa laa ilaha illaa Allahu wa Allahu Akbar wa laa hawla wa laa quwwata illaa bi Allahi al-‘Aliyyi al-‘Azhiim x 7 

Glory be to Allah, and all Praise is for Allah, and none is worthy of worship but Allah, and Allah is Great, and there is no might or power except with Allah, the Most High, the Incomparably Great. 

اللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍۨ، النَّبِيِّ الْاُمِّيِّ وَعَلَى اٰلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلِّمْ (×7) 

Allahumma Swalli ‘alaa Muhammad an-Nabiyy al-Ummiyyi wa ‘alaa alihi wa swahbihi wa sallim x 7 

O Allah!  Bestow blessings and peace on Sayyidina Muhammad, the unlettered prophet and bestow peace and blessings as well on his family and companions. 

اَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ، وَلِجَمِيعِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ الْاَحْيَاءِ مِنْهُمْ وَالْاَمْوَاتِ، اِنَّكَ سَمِيعٌ قَرِيبٌ مُجِيبُ الدَّعَوَاتِ (×7) 

Astaghfirullaha lii wa liwaalidayya wa lijamiy’i al-mu’miniina wa al mu’minaat wa al-muslimiina wa al-muslimaat al-ahyaa’i minhum wa al-amwaat.  Innaka Samii’un Qariibun Mujib ad-da’awaat x 7 

O Allah!  Forgive my parents and I, and all believing men and believing women, and all Muslim men and Muslim women, from among those that are alive and those that have passed away.  Truly, You are the Hearer, the Near One, the Acceptor of supplications. 

اللّٰهُمَّ افْعَلْ بِي وَبِهِمْ عَاجِلًا وَاٰجِلًا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْاٰخِرَةِ مَا اَنْتَ لَهُ اَهْلٌ، وَلَا تَفْعَلْ بِنَا يَا مَوْلَانَا مَا نَحْنُ لَهُ اَهْلٌ، اِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ، جَوَادٌ كَرِيمٌ، رَؤُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ. (×7) 

Allahumma af’al bii wa bihim 'aajilan wa aajilan fii ad-dunyaa wa al-akhirah maa Anta lahu ahlun wa laa taf’al binaa Yaa Mawlana maa nahnu lahu ahlun.  Innaka Ghafur Haliim, Jawwaadun Kariimun Rawuufun Rahiim x 7 

O Allah!  Give them and me, now and in the future, here and in the Hereafter; what you Have and do not give us, Our Lord, what we deserve.  Truly, you are Forgiving, Patient, Generous, Bountiful, Most Kind, Merciful. 

He also gives selected invocations of the Prophet (s.a.w.), of Adam (a.s.), Ibrahim (a.s.), and ‘Isa (a.s.), and of Sayyidina Abu Bakr ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utsman asw-Swiddiq (r.a.), Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib (k.w.), Sayyidatina Fathimah az-Zahrah (r.a.), and Sayyidatina ‘Aishah bint Abu Bajr (r.a.), amongst many others.