By Dr. Norlain Dindang Mababaya

Supplications for Righteousness

Knowing that Allah gives tremendous rewards to anyone who does a righteous deed both in this world and in the life hereafter, we therefore need to be righteous in all our ways and deeds.  The best way to do this is to sincerely supplicate to Allah for righteousness. Both the Qur’an and the Sunnah guide and teach us supplications for righteousness.  Some of these are as follows:

"O my Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer)! So order me that I may be grateful for Your favors which You have bestowed on me and on my parents and that I may work the righteousness that will please You: and admit me by Your Grace to the ranks of You righteous Servants.”    (Qur’ªn 27:19)

“O my Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer)!  Grant me that I may be grateful for Your favor which You  have  bestowed upon me, and upon both my parents, and that I may work   righteousness  such  as  You  may approve and be gracious to You and truly do I submit  (to You) in Islâm.”    (Qur’ªn 46:15)

"O my Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer)! Grant me a righteous (child)!”  (Qur’ªn 37:100)

"Our Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer)! We have heard the call of one calling (us) to faith ‘Believe in the Rabb’ and we have believed. Our Rabb! Forgive us our sins blot out from us our iniquities and take to Yourself our souls in the company of the righteous.”    (Qur’ªn 3:193)

“O my Rabb! Bestow wisdom on me and join me with the righteous. Grant me honorable mention on the tongue of truth among the latest (generations).  Make me one of the inheritors of the Garden of Bliss.”    (Qur’ªn 26:83-85)

"O my Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer)! …O Creator of the heavens and the earth!  You are my Protector in this world and in the Hereafter take my soul (at death) as one submitting to  Your Will (as a Muslim) and unite me with the righteous.”    (Qur’ªn 12:101)

Zaid ibn Arqam reported: "I am not going to say anything but only that which Allâh’s Messenger used to say.  He used to supplicate: “O Allâh, I seek refuge in You from incapacity, from sloth, from cowardice, from miserliness, decrepitude and from the torment of the grave.  O Allâh, grant to my soul the sense of righteousness and purify it, for You are the Best to Purifier thereof.  You are the Protecting Friend thereof, and Guardian thereof.  O Allâh I seek refuge in You from the knowledge which does not benefit, from the heart that does not entertain the fear (of Allâh), from the soul that does not feel contented and the supplication that is not responded.”    (Muslim 4/ 6568)

Sa'd narrated that a desert Arab came to Allâh’s Messenger and said to him: “Teach me the words which I should (often) utter.”   Hesaid: "There is no god but Allâh, the One, having no partner with Him. Allâh is the Greatest of the great and all praise is due to Him. Hallowed be Allâh, the Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) of the worlds, there is no Might and Power but that of Allâh, the All-Powerful and the Wise.”    He (the desert Arab) said: “These all (glorify) my Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer). But what about me?  Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: You should say: "O Allâh, grant me pardon, have mercy upon me, direct me to righteousness and provide me with sustenance.”    Musa (one of the narrators) said: I think he also said: "Grant me safety.”   But I cannot say for certain whether he said this or not. Ibn Abu Shaybah has not mentioned words of Musa in his narration. (Muslim 6513)

Abu Malik Ashja'i narrated that whenever a person embraced Islâm, Allâh’s Messengerinstructed him to recite: "O Allâh, grant me pardon, have mercy upon me, direct me to the path of righteousness and provide me sustenance.”    (Muslim 6514)

Asim ibn Kulayb narrated that Allâh’s Messenger said to me: Say: "O Allâh, I beg of You righteousness and adhering to the straight path.”    (Muslim 6574)

 Shaddad ibn Aws  narrated that Allâh’s Messenger used to recite in his prayer (this supplication): “O Allâh, I beg of You steadfastness in (righteous) affairs and firm determination (to adhere to the path) of righteousness.  I beg of You to make me grateful for Your favor and the excellence of the worship of You.  I beg of You a sound heart and a truthful tongue.  And I beg of You the good which You know, I seek refuge in You from the evil that You know, and I seek pardon of You for what You know.”    (Tirmidhi Hâdîth 955, Nasa'i and Ahmad)

Anas ibn Malik narrated that a man approached the Prophet and requested: “O Messenger of Allâh! I am intending to go out on a journey, kindly grant me some provisions (i.e. pray for me).”   He said: “May Allâh grant you the provision of righteousness.”   The man requested:  “Some more good wishes.”   Hesaid: “And may He forgive your sins.”    The man again requested: “Please add something more.”    The Prophet said: “And may He make it easy for you to do virtuous deeds, wherever you may be.”   (Tirmidhi 717)

The above Qur’anic Ayât (Verses)  and authentic Ahâdîth show that Islam indeed teaches us various supplications for righteousness.   We can supplicate to Allah and earnestly ask Him to: 1) make us righteous,  2) grant us opportunities to do righteous deeds, 3) be in the company of the  righteous individuals, and 4) have righteous offspring or make our children righteous.  All these kinds of supplications illustrate how Islam goes and guides us to righteousness and hence, success.