From the essential Duaa to be made in the prayer

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Imaam al-Bukhaaree mentioned in his Saheeh:

Book: Call to Prayers (Adhaan)

(149) Chapter: Invocation before the Tasleem

Narrated Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq رضي الله عنه: I asked Allaah’s Messenger ﷺ to teach me an invocation so that I may invoke Allaah with it in my prayer. He ﷺ told me to say:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا، وَلاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ، وَارْحَمْنِي إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

❝Allaahumma innee dhalumtu nafsi zulman katheeraa, Wa laa yaghfiru dh-dhunooba illa anta, fa-ghfir lee maghfiratan min `indika, war-hamnee, innaka antal-ghafooru r-raheem

(O Allaah! I have done great injustice to myself and none except You forgives sins, so bestow on me a forgiveness from You, and Have Mercy on me, You are the Forgiver, the Merciful).❞

[Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (834, 6326, 7387) and Saheeh Muslim (2705-48)]

Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen said:

This Hadeeth has great importance because of the following reasons:

First: from the perspective of the questioner and the one being questioned. The questioner is Abu Bakr and the one being questioned is the Prophet ﷺ. And the most beloved of people to the Prophet ﷺ was Abu Bakr. Therefore, there is no doubt that the Prophet ﷺ would choose for him the best and the most comprehensive Du`aa.

Second: from the perspective of the style of the wording (of the Du`aa). This Du`aa is a collection of different types of Tawassul (means of asking Allaah for something earnestly and feelingly).

In the saying: “O Allaah! I have done great injustice to myself”, is an earnest appeal using the state/situation of the one making the Du`aa.

Part of making an earnest appeal in Du`aa is that a person makes an appeal by mentioning his situation. Like how Moosaa عليه السلام did:

رَبِّ إِنِّي لِمَا أَنزَلْتَ إِلَيَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ فَقِيرٌ

{"My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!"}

[Surah al-Qasas (28): 24]

And he (Moosaa عليه السلام) did not mention any other thing except this. He mentioned his state (in his Du`aa) - an indication that it (the Du`aa automatically) includes in it - that anyone who mentions his situation is beseeching Allaah to change it for the better.

It also includes: Beseeching Allaah by mentioning His praises (as He deserves to be praised). And this is mentioned in his ﷺ saying: “and none except You forgives sins”. This is part of making an earnest appeal; that a person beseeches Allaah تعالى through one of His (Lofty) Attributes, appropriate as per the need.

It also includes: Beseeching Allaah through His (Beautiful) Names, and that is in the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “so bestow on me a forgiveness from You, and Have Mercy on me, You are the Oft-Forgiver, the Most-Merciful”. This is beseeching Allaah through His (Beautiful) Names.

And in his ﷺ statement: “a forgiveness from You”, is an indication to the greatness of the thing that is being sought, because something to come from Allaah, is no doubt, more magnificent and numerous. And this is also another way of making an earnest appeal.

Another benefit from this Hadeeth: A person should (make a habit) of supplicating with this supplication during the Salaah. But when should he supplicate?

Answer: As per the apparent understanding of Imaam al-Bukhaaree رحمه الله, one should supplicate with this after the (Final) Tashahhud (and before the Tasleem), because he included this Hadeeth under the chapter heading: <>, but there is nothing clearly mentioned in the Hadeeth to support this, as in the Salaah, there are different places to make Du`aa: in the Sujood, in the sitting between the two Sujood, after getting up from Rukoo`. In all these have been mentioned in the Sunnah as the places to make Du`aa. So anything is possible. But yes, in some other narrations, the Prophet ﷺ instructed (the other companions to supplicate with whatever they want in the final Tashahhud) before the Salaam. So the same is to be applied.

[Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaaree of Ibn al-`Uthaymeen (3/386-387)]