Dua al-Istiftah (Opening Dua)

1. ((اللَّهُمَّ بَاعِدْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ خَطَايَايَ كَمَا بَاعَدْتَ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ، اللَّهُمَّ نَقِّنِي مِنْ خَطَايَايَ كَمَا يُنَقَّى الثَّوْبُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الدَّنَسِ، اللَّهُمَّ اغْسِلْني مِنْ خَطَايَايَ، بِالثَّلْجِ وَالْماءِ وَالْبَرَدِ)).

   Allahumma ba'id baynee wabayna khatayaya kama ba'adta baynal-mashriqi wal-maghrib, Allahumma naqqinee min khatayaya kama yunaqqath-thawbul-abyadu minad-danas, Allahummaghsilnee min khatayay, bith-thalji wal-ma'i wal-barad.

   (O Allah, distance me from my sins just as You have distanced The East from The West, O Allah, purify me of my sins as a white robe is purified of filth, O Allah, cleanse me of my sins with snow, water, and ice.)

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2. ((سُبْحانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، وَتَبارَكَ اسْمُكَ، وَتَعَالَى جَدُّكَ، وَلاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ)).

   Subhanakallahumma wabihamdik, watabarakasmuk, wata'ala jadduk, wala ilaha ghayruk.

   (How perfect You are O Allah, and I praise You. Blessed be Your name, and lofty is Your position and none has the right to be worshipped except You.)

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3. ((وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ حَنِيفَاً وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، إِنَّ صَلاَتِي، وَنُسُكِي، وَمَحْيَايَ، وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ المَلِكُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، أَنْتَ رَبِّي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي ذُنُوبي جَمِيعَاً إِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ. وَاهْدِنِي لِأَحْسَنِ الأَخْلاقِ لاَ يَهْدِي لِأَحْسَنِها إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، وَاصْرِفْ عَنِّي سَيِّئَهَا، لاَ يَصْرِفُ عَنِّي سَيِّئَهَا إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ، وَالخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ بِيَـــــــدَيْكَ، وَالشَّـــــرُّ لَيْسَ إِلَيْــــــكَ، أَنَا بِكَ وَإِلَيْكَ، تَبارَكْتَ وَتَعَالَيْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتوبُ إِلَيْكَ)).

   Wajjahtu wajhiya lilladhee fataras-samawati wal-arda haneefan wama ana minal-mushrikeen, inna salatee, wanusukee, wamahyay, wamamatee lillahi rabbil-'alameen, la shareeka lahu wabidhalika umirtu wa ana minal-muslimeen. Allahumma antal-maliku la ilaha illa ant, anta rabbee wa ana 'abduk, zalamtu nafsee wa'taraftu bidhanbee faghfir lee dhunoobee jamee'an innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunooba illa ant. Wahdinee li'ahsanil-akhlaqi la yahdee li'ahsaniha illa ant, wasrif 'annee sayyi'aha, la yasrifu 'annee sayyi'aha illa ant, labbayka wasa'dayk, wal-khayru kulluhu biyadayk, wash-sharru laysa ilayk, ana bika wa ilayk, tabarakta wata'alayt, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk.

   (I have turned my face sincerely towards He who has brought forth the heavens and the Earth and I am not of those who associate (others with Allah). Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death are for Allah, Lord of the worlds, no partner has He, with this I am commanded and I am of the Muslims. O Allah, You are the Sovereign, none has the right to be worshipped except You. You are my Lord and I am Your servant, I have wronged my own soul and have acknowledged my sin, so forgive me all my sins for no one forgives sins except You. Guide me to the best of characters for none can guide to it other than You, and deliver me from the worst of characters for none can deliver me from it other than You. Here I am, in answer to Your call, happy to serve you. All good is within Your hands and evil does not stem from You. I exist by your will and will return to you. Blessed and High are You, I seek Your forgiveness and repent unto You.)(Allah does not create pure evil which does not have any good or contain any benefit, wisdom or mercy at all, nor does He punish anyone without having commited a sin. Something can be good in terms of its creation when viewed in a particular perspective and at the same time be evil when viewed in another way. Allah created the devil and by him, He tests His servants, so there are those who hate the devil, fight him and his way and they stand at enmity towards him and his followers and there are others who are at allegiance with the devil and follow his steps. So evil exists in His creatures by His will and wisdom, not in His actions or act of creating.)

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4. ((اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ جِبْرَائِيلَ، وَمِيْكَائِيلَ، وَإِسْرَافِيلَ، فَاطِرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ، عَالِمَ الغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ. اهْدِنِي لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِكَ إِنَّكَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقيمٍ)).

   Allahumma rabba jibra'eel, wameeka'eel, wa israfeel, fatiras-samawati wal-ard, 'alimal-ghaybi wash-shahadati anta tahkumu bayna 'ibadika feema kanoo feehi yakhtalifoon. Ihdinee limakhtulifa feehi minal-haqqi bi'idhnika innaka tahdee man tasha'u ila siratin mustaqeem.

   (O Allah, Lord of Jibra-eel, Meeka-eel and Israfeel (great angles), Creator of the heavens and the Earth, Knower of the seen and the unseen. You are the arbitrator between Your servants in that which they have disputed. Guide me to the truth by Your leave, in that which they have differed, for verily You guide whom You will to a straight path.)

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5. ((اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيرَاً، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيراً، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ كَبِيراً، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثيراً، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثيراً، وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ كَثيراً، وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ بُكْرَةً وَأَصِيلاً)) ثَلاثاً ((أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ: مِنْ نَفْخِهِ، وَنَفْثِهِ، وَهَمْزِهِ)).

   Allahu akbaru kabeera, Allahu akbaru kabeera, Allahu akbaru kabeera, wal-hamdu lillahi katheera, wal-hamdu lillahi katheera, wal-hamdu lillahi katheera, wasubhanallahi bukratan wa aseela (3 times) a'oodhu billahi minash-shaytan: min nafkhih, wanafthih, wahamzih.

   (Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, Allah is Most Great, much praise is for Allah, much praise is for Allah, much praise is for Allah, and I declare the perfection of Allah in the early morning and in the late afternoon.)(I take refuge with Allah from the devil, from his pride, his poetry and his madness.)

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6. ((اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ، أَنْتَ نُورُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ، وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ قَيِّمُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ، [وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ رَبُّ السَّمَواتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ] [وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ لَكَ مُلْكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَنْ فِيهِنَّ] [وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ أَنْتَ مَلِكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ] [وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ] [أَنْتَ الْحَقُّ، وَوَعْدُكَ الْحَقُّ، وَقَوْلُكَ الْحَقُّ، وَلِقاؤُكَ الْحَقُّ، وَالْجَنَّةُ حَقٌّ، وَالنَّارُ حَقٌّ، وَالنَّبِيُّونَ حَقٌّ، وَمحَمَّدٌ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَقٌّ، وَالسّاعَةُ حَقٌّ] [اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ أَسْلَمتُ، وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ، وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْتُ، وَبِكَ خاصَمْتُ، وَإِلَيْكَ حاكَمْتُ. فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ، وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ، وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ، وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ] [وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي] [أَنْتَ المُقَدِّمُ، وَأَنْتَ المُؤَخِّرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ] [أَنْتَ إِلَهِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ] [وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ])).

   Allahumma lakal-hamd, anta noorus-samawati wal-ardi waman feehinn, walakal-hamdu anta qayyimus-samawati wal-ardi waman feehinn, (walakal-hamdu anta rabbus-samawati wal-ardi waman feehinn) (walakal-hamdu laka mulkus-samawati wal-ardi waman feehinn) (walakal-hamdu anta malikus-samawati wal-ard) (walakal-hamd) (antal-haqq, wawa'dukal-haqq, waqawlukal-haqq, waliqa'ukal-haqq, wal-jannatu haqq, wan-naru haqq, wan-nabiyyoona haqq, wamhammadun sallallahu 'alayhi wasallama haqq, was-sa'atu haqq) (Allahumma laka aslamt, wa'alayka tawakkalt, wabika amant, wa ilayka anabt, wabika khasamt, wa ilayka hakamt. Faghfir lee ma qaddamt, wama akhkhart, wama asrart, wama a'lant) (wama anta a'lamu bihi minnee) (antal-muqaddim, wa antal-mu'akhkhiru la ilaha illa ant) (anta ilahee la ilaha illa ant) (wala hawla wala quwwata illa billah).

   (O Allah, to You belongs all praise, You are the Light of the heavens and the Earth and all that is within them. To You belongs all praise, You are the Sustainer of the heavens and the Earth and all that is within them. To You belongs all praise. You are Lord of the heavens and the Earth and all that is within them. To You belongs all praise and the kingdom of the heavens and the Earth and all that is within them. To You belongs all praise, You are the King of the heavens and the Earth and to You belongs all praise. You are The Truth, Your promise is true, your Word is true, and the Day in which we will encounter You is true, the Garden of Paradise is true and the Fire is true, and the Prophets are true, Muhammad is true and the Final Hour is true. O Allah, unto You I have submitted, and upon You I have relied, and in You I have believed, and to You I have turned in repentance, and over You I have disputed, and to You I have turned for judgment. So forgive me for what has come to pass of my sins and what will come to pass, and what I have hidden and what I have made public. You are Al-Muqaddim and Al-Mu-akhkhir. None has the right to be worshipped except You, You are my Deity, none has the right to be worshipped except You.)(Meaning of Al-Muqaddim and Al-Mu-akhkhir: Allah puts forward and favours whom He wills from amongst His creation just as He defers and holds back whom He wills in accordance to His wisdom. E.g. Favouring man over the rest of creation, favouring the Prophets over the rest of mankind, favouring Muhammad over all the Prophets and Messengers…etc.)

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Source: Hisn al-Muslim by Saʿid ibn ʿAli ibn Wahf al-Qahtani. The Arabic is verbatim from the book; the English meaning is from the hisnmuslim.com English edition. The transliteration is generated by Waqtazan from the voweled Arabic as a reading aid — the Arabic and the recitation remain the reference. Virtues are quoted only from authentic hadith (al-Bukhari, Muslim, or graded sahih/hasan by al-Albani). Recitations: hisnmuslim.com.