- When the Morning arrives (the true dawn) or Evening (A'sr):
The Prophet (ﷺ) would say in the morning: "We have entered a new day upon the natural religion of Islam, the word of sincere devotion, the religion of our Prophet Muhammad, and the faith of our father Ibrahim; He was upright (in worshipping Allah), and a Muslim. He was not of those who worship others besides Allah" (Asbahna a'la fitratil Islam, wa a'la kalimatil ikhlas, wa a'la dini Nabiy-yina Muhammad(in), wa a'la mil-lati a-bina Ibrahim(a), hanifan musliman wa ma kana minal mushrikin)
Musnad Ahmad (15367) classed Sahih by Shaykh Albani in his As-Sahihah (6/230-8 - #2989) - the narration about "Amsayna" is shadh (irregular)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Who says in the morning (once): I am content with Allah as my Lord, Islam as my religion and Muhammad as my Prophet (Raditu-billahi Rabba, wa bil Islami dina, wa bi-Muhammadin Nabiy-ya), then I will take him by his hand until he enters Al-Jannah."
Mu'jam al-Kabir (838) Hasan according to Ibn Hajar in Al-Futuhat (1/256)
"If anyone says in the morning or in the evening: O Allah, in the morning we call Thee, the bearers of Thy Throne, [...]"
Abu Dawud (5069) Ibn Hajar classed it Hasan Gharib in Nata'ij al-Afkar (2/375), but Shaykh Albani objected in Ad-Da'ifah (3/141-5 - #1041) - Nevertheless, we have a general Hadith which is narrated in Al-Mustadrak (1/704), and Al-Hakim classed it Sahih to which Imam Dhahabi agreed upon, and Shaykh Albani concurred in As-Sahihah (1/534 - #267), that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Whoever says: Oh Allah, I bear witness to you and your angels and bearers of your throne, and I bear witness who is in the heavens and on the Earth, that you are Allah, there is no deity but you alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is your servant and your messenger (Allahumma inni ush-hiduka wa ush-hidu mala-i-kataka wa hamalata a'rshik, wa ush-hidu man fis-samawati wa man fil ard, Annaka Antal-lah, La ilaha illa ant, wahdaka la sharika lak, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan a'bduka wa Rasuluk) - Who says it once, may Allah free a third of him from the fire, and who says it twice, may Allah free a third of him from the fire. And who says it three times, Allah will free them all from the Fire."
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The morning has never entered except that I sought Allah's forgiveness 100 times."
Ad-Du'afa al-Kabir lil A'qili (1751) graded Sahih in As-Sahihah (4/130-1 - #1600)
We also have a general Hadith where the Messenger (ﷺ) said:
"There is (at times) some sort of shade upon my heart, and I seek forgiveness from Allah a hundred times a day." - "O people, seek repentance from Allah. Verily, I seek repentance from Him a hundred times a day."
Muslim (2702a, b)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Whoever says (Subhanallah) 100 times before the sunrise and before the sunset, it is better than giving 100 she-Camels in the cause of Allah; [the same for]: (Alhamdulillah) 100 times, it is better than giving 100 horses in the cause of Allah; [the same for]: (Allahu Akbar) 100 times, it is better than freeing 100 slaves; and whoever says: (La ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lah, la hul mulk, wa la hul-hamd, wa huwa a'la kulli shay-in qadir) 100 times, no one will come on the Day of Judgement with a deed better than his, except for the one who says what he says or increases it."
A'mal al-Yawm wal-Laylah (821) graded Hasan in Sahih at-Targhib (658)
And specifically about the Tahlil: It is narrated in Musnad Ahmad (6740), refering to 100 in the morning and 100 in the evening, graded Hasan in Sahih at-Targhib (1591) and As-Sahihah (6/520-1 - #2762), that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Who says [it] 200 times a day, no one has preceded him, and no one has attained it after him, except for those who did better than his work."
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "He who recites in the morning and in the evening (these words): Hallowed be Allah and all praise is due to Him (Subhanallah(i), wa bi-hamdih) one hundred times, he would not bring on the Day of Resurrection anything excellent than this except one who utters these words or utters more than these words."
Muslim (2692); and in Al-Bukhari (6405), it is related:
"Whoever says [it] 100 times a day, will be forgiven all his sins, even if they were as much as the foam of the sea."
Further, in Abu Dawud (5091), with a minor addition: (Subhanallahil Adhim, wa bihamdih) 100 times, and additionally to this Dhikr, there is a narration in At-Tirmidhi (3464), which Abu I'sa classed Hasan Sahih Gharib, that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Whoever says [this], a date-palm tree is planted for him in Paradise."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "When one of you reaches the morning[/evening], he should say 3 times: I have entered the morning praising You, and I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except for Allah (Asbahtu uthni a'layka hamdan wa ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah) - (Amsaytu ...)
Sunan al-Kubra (10331) Hasan by Shaykh Muqbil ibn Hadi in As-Sahih al-Musnad (2/334 - #1304) and in Al-Jam'i as-Sahih (2/596 - #1637)
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to teach his Companions (by) saying: "When one of you reached the morning, then let him say: O Allah, by You we enter the morning, and by You we enter the evening, and be You we live, and by You we die, and to You is the Return, (Allahumma bika asbahna wa bika amsayna wa bika nahya wa bika namut, wa ilaykal masir) and when he reaches the evening, let him say: O Allah, by You we enter the evening, and by You we enter the morning, and by You we live, and by You we die, and to You is the Resurrection" (Allahumma bika amsayna wa bika asbahna wa bika nahya wa bika namut, wa ilaykan-nushur)
At-Tirmidhi (3391) Abu I'sa classed it Hasan, and Ibn Hajar stated it is Sahih Gharib in Al-Futuhat (3/86)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Who says in the morning [once]: There is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partner, His is the kingdom and His is the praise, He gives life and death, He is alive and does not die, and He is potent over everything (La ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lah, la hul mulk, wa la hul-hamd, yuhyi wa yumit, wa huwa hayyu la yamut, wa huwa a'la kulli shay-in qadir) [reward] and whoever says [it] in the evening, it will be the same until the morning."
Ibn as-Sunni (64) Shaykh Hilal said in his Tahqiq (1/110-1): 'The sanad is Hasan; its men are trustworthy, except Sa'id, and he is truthful.'
In Musnad Ahmad (23568), which Shaykh Albani mentioned in As-Sahihah (1/231-2 - #114) and classed Hasan in Sahih at-Targhib (660 - 1/417), it is narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"Who says in the morning: (La ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lah, la hul mulk, wa la hul-hamd, yuhyi wa yumit, wa huwa a'la kulli shay-in qadir) ten times, Allah writes for him for each one he said, ten good deeds, and Allah removes ten bad deeds from him, and Allah raises him ten degrees, and it will be for him like freeing ten slaves, and he will be armed (protected) from the beginning of the day to the end, and he would not do an act that would overpower him, so if he says it in the evening, it will be the same."
This is also narrated in Mu'jam al-Kabir (3883), classed Sahih in As-Sahihah (6/134-7 - #2563)
And in At-Tirmidhi (3468), which Abu I'sa classed Hasan Sahih, the Mesenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"Whoever says: [this] a hundred times in a day, it will be for him the equivalent of freeing ten slaves, and there shall be written for him a hundred good deeds, and a hundred bad deeds shall be wiped out for him, and it will be a protection for him from Shaytan on that day, until he reaches the evening. And none has brought better than it, except for one who has done more than that."
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "If anyone says in the morning [once]: (La ilaha ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lah, la hul mulk, wa la hul-hamd, wa huwa a'la kulli shay-in qadir) he will have a reward..."
Abu Dawud (5077) Shaykh Albani classed it Sahih; in Muslim (2693) 10 times, and in (2691) 100 times or more
Aban ibn U'thman said: I heard U'thman ibn A'ffan (his father) say: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "If anyone says three times: In the name of Allah, when Whose name is mentioned nothing on Earth or in Heaven can cause harm, and He is the Hearer, the Knower" he will not suffer sudden affliction till the morning, and if anyone says this in the morning, he will not suffer sudden affliction till the evening" (Bismillahil-ladhi la yadur-ru ma-a'smihi shay-un fil ard, wa la fis-sama, wa huwas-sami'ul a'lim); A'ban was afflicted by some paralysis and when a man who heard the tradition began to look at him, he said to him: 'Why are you looking at me? I swear by Allah, I did not tell a lie about U'thman, nor did U'thman tell a lie about the Prophet (ﷺ), but that day when I was afflicted by it, I became angry and forgot to say it.'
Abu Dawud (5088) Shaykh Albani classed it Sahih in At-Ta'liq ar-Raghib (1/294); in Musnad Ahmad (528), with a Hasan Isnad, it says: "... a sudden affliction did not overtake him until the night."
Abu Darda from the Prophet (ﷺ) who said: 'Whoever says every day in the morning and evening: Allah is sufficient for me - there is none worthy of worship but Him - I have placed my trust in Him, and He is Lord of the Majestic Throne' (Hasbiyal-lahu la ilaha illa huwa a'layhi tawak-kalt, wa huwa Rab-bul A'rshil A'dhim) 7 times, Allah the Almighty and Majestic will suffice him for the concerns regarding the affairs of the Dunya and Akhira.'
Ibn as-Sunni (71) | Shaykh Abdur-Razzaq al-Badr said in Fiqh-ul A'diyah wal Adhkar (3/21): 'It was narrated with a Marf'u and Mawquf Isnad, and Shaykh Albani authenticated it in Ad-Dai'fah (11/450)' by saying: 'The narrators of the Mawquf Isnad are trustworthy, unlike the Marf'u [one].'
The Prophet (ﷺ) said to his daughter Fatimah: "What prevents you from listening to what I command you, to say in the morning and evening: Ya Hayyu, Ya Qayyum - in your mercy I seek help to set right all of my affairs for me, and to never leave me to myself for the blink of an eye." (Ya Hayyu, Ya Qayyum - bi-Rahmatika astaghith, wa aslih li sha-ni kullah, wa la takilni ila nafsi tarfata a'ynin abadan)
Ibn as-Sunni (48) Hasan in As-Sahihah (1/449-50 - #227)
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never failed to utter these supplications in the evening and in the morning: (Allahumma inni asalukal (a'fwa wal) a'fiyata fid-dunya wal akhirah, Allahumma inni asalukal a'fwa wal a'fiyata fi dini wa dunyaya wa ahli wa mali, Allahum-mastur a'u-rati wa amin rau-a'ti, Allahum-mahfazni (or: wahfazni) min bayni yaday-ya wa min khalfi, wa a'n yamini wa a'n shimali wa min fauqi, wa a'udhu bi-a'zamatika (or: bika) an ughtala min tahti)
Abu Dawud (5074) graded Sahih by Shaykh Albani; parentheses: Ibn Majah (3871)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "If you said in the evening [once]: I seek refuge in the Perfect Word of Allah from the evil of what He has created (A'udhu bikalimatil-lahit-tam-mati min sharri ma khalaq), it [the scorpion] would have not harmed you.
U'baydullah said: 'Whoever says it in the evening and in the morning, it will not harm him.'
Musnad Abu Ya'la (6688)
Furthermore, in Muslim (2709a) without mentioning morning; and in Jam'i as-Saghir (11373), classed Sahih in Sahih al-Jam'i (6427), and in At-Tirmidhi (3604b) which Abu I'sa classed Hasan, to say it 3 times refering only to the evening.
Abu Bakr As-Siddiq said: 'O Messenger of Allah, teach me what to say at (Fajr) and (A'sr).' He (ﷺ) said: "O Allah, Creator of the heavens and the Earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, there is none worthy of worship except You, Lord of everything and its Owner, I seek refuge in You from the evil of my soul and from the evil of Shaytan and his Shirk, or that I should do some evil to myself or bring it upon a Muslim" (Allahumma fatiras-samawati wal ard, a'limal ghaybi wash-shahadah - La ilaha illa ant - Rabba kulli shay-in wa malikah, a'udhu bika min sharri nafsi wa min shar-rish-shaytan(i) wa shirkih(i), wa an a-qtarifa a'la nafsi su-an au a-jur-rahu ila muslim)
At-Tirmidhi (3529) graded Sahih in As-Sahihah (6/622-4 - #2763); furthermore, in At-Tirmidhi (3392), which Abu I'sa classed Hasan Sahih, it is narrated:
(Allahumma a'limal ghaybi wash-shahadah, fatiras-samawati wal ard, Rabba kulli shay-in wa malikah - Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa ant - A'udhu bika min sharri nafsi wa min shar-rish-shaytan(i) wa shirkih(i)) - He (ﷺ) said: "Say it when you reach (Fajr) and (A'sr), and when you go to bed."
Musnad Ahmad (81) | Da'if since the Isnad is interrupted due to Mujahid (Ibn Jabr) who did not meet Abu Bakr and Layth (Ibn Abi Sulaym) is weak
When it was A'sr (or Fajr), Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to supplicate: Amsayna wa amsal (Asbahna wa asbahal) mulku-lillah, wal hamdulillah...
Muslim (2723b); 7 versions
Mu'adh bin A'bdullah bin Khubayb, narrated from his father, who said: 'We went out on a rainy and extremely dark night, looking for the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), so that he could lead us in Salat. So I met him and he (ﷺ) said': "Speak", but I did not say anything. Then he (ﷺ) said: "Speak", but I did not say anything. He (ﷺ) said: "Speak", so I said: 'What should I say?' He (ﷺ) said: "Say: Say: He is Allah, the One and Al-Mu'awwidhatayn, when you reach the evening, and when you reach the morning, three times, they will suffice you against everything."
At-Tirmidhi (3575) Abu I'sa classed it Hasan Sahih Gharib; also narrated in Abu Dawud (5082), and Ibn Hajar classed this Hasan in Nata'ij al-Afkar (2/345)
Then, after the Fajr prayer:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Whoever says after Al-Ghadah prayer: (La ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lah, la hul mulk, wa la hul-hamd, yuhyi wa yumit, bi-yadihil khayr, wa huwa a'la kulli shay-in qadir) a hundred times, before bending legs; on that day, he was the best of the people on Earth, except for those who say the same as he says, or add to what he said."
Mu'jam al-Kabir (8075), Mu'jam al-Awsat (7200); and in Ibn as-Sunni (142) without¹ bi-yadihil khayr (in His Hand is all goodness) | The chain of transmission of this Hadith was improved by a group of scholars; Ad-Dimyati said: 'Its Isnad is Jayyid', in Matjar ar-Rabih (313) as well as Al-Mundhiri in At-Targhib wat-Tarhib (1/182). Al-Haythami said: 'Its men are trustworthy', in Majm'a az-Zawa'id (10/108). Ibn Hajar classed it Hasan in Nata'ij al-Afkar (2/324-5) as well as Shaykh Albani in As-Sahihah (6/353-4 - #2664) where he commented: 'This Hadith provides strong testimony to the Hadith of Shahr ibn Hawshab, in which this phrase is mentioned: "while his feet are still folded." I did not act upon it due to the weakness of Shahr until I came across this supporting evidence, and it includes the Tahlil of (100) times instead of (10), and both versions are permissible as they are established. '
Subsequently, in At-Tirmidhi (3474)¹, which Abu I'sa classed Hasan Gharib (Sahih), Ibn Hajar graded it Hasan Gharib in Nata'ij al-Afkar (2/321-3), Shaykh Albani stated it is Hasan li Ghayrihi in Sahih at-Targhib (472, 477) as well as Shaykh Hilal by saying it is Hasan bi-Shawahidih (good according to its evidence)² in his Tahqiq of Ibn as-Sunni (1/195-9); and, in A'mal al-Yawm wal-Laylah (127) - with the complete diction "... yuhyi wa yumit, bi-yadihil khayr ..." - that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
"Whoever says after the Fajr prayer, while his feet are still folded, before speaking: [this] ten times; Allah writes for him with each utterance of it ten good deeds, erases from him ten sins, and raises him by ten degrees. For each utterance, it is as if he has freed a slave. On that day, he is protected from every disliked thing and guarded against Shaytan. No sin can overtake him on that day except associating partners with Allah."
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Whoever says: (La ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lah, la hul mulk, wa la hul-hamd, wa huwa a'la kulli shay-in qadir) after praying Al-Ghadah, 10 times, ..."
Tarikh Baghdad (4/389, 472) graded Sahih in As-Sahihah (1/229-31 - #113 & 6/136); and in A'mal al-Yawm wal-Laylah (112): "Whoever says [it] after the Fajr prayer, to him it will be equivalent of freeing four slaves from the children of Ismail."
"Hallowed be Allah and praise is due to Him according to the number of His creation and according to the pleasure of His Self and according to the weight of His Throne and according to the ink words" (Subhanallah(i) wa bihamdih, a'dada khalqih, wa rida nafsi, wa zinata a'rshih, wa mi-dada [or ma-dada in Adab al-Mufrad] kalimatih | repeat it 3 times)
Muslim (2726a), in (b):
(Subhanallahi a'dada khalqih - Subhanallahi rida nafsi - Subhanallahi zinata a'rshih - Subhanallahi mi-dada kalimatih | repeat it 3 times)
In At-Tirmidhi (3555), which Abu I'sa classed Hasan Sahih, to say it exactly like in Muslim (2726b), but you repeat each phrase three times: Subhanallahi a'dada khalqih (3x) - ... (3x) - ...
Lastly, in A'mal al-Yawm wal-Laylah (162) classed Sahih in Sahih at-Targhib (1574), to say: "... and praise be to Allah as well" (Subhanallahi a'dada khalqih - Subhanallahi zinata a'rshih - Subhanallahi mi-dada kalimatih - wal hamdulillahi ka-dhalik | repeat it 3 times)
After Fajr, the Prophet (ﷺ) would say: "O Allah, through You I strive, through You I fight, and through You I am guided (or directed)" (Allahumma bika u-hawil, wa bika u-qatil, wa bika u-sawil)
Ibn Hibban (2027), classed Sahih in Taliqat al-Hasan and As-Sahihah (5/30 - #1061); and in Al-Kanz (40471) it ends with: "... wa la haula wa la quwwata illa billah"
Musnad Ahmad (18937):
(Allahumma Ya Rabbi bika uqatil, wa bika uhawil, wa bika usawil, wa la haula wa la quwwata illa billah)
Sunan al-Kubra lil Bayhaqi (18508):
(Allahumma bika uqatil ... illa bik)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said after the Fajr prayer: "Ya Allah, I ask You for a good sustenance, beneficial knowledge, and acceptable deeds." (Allahumma inni asaluka rizqan tayyiba, wa i'lman nafi'a, wa a'malan mutaqab-bala)
Mu'jam as-Saghir (735) | Shaykh Albani said in Tamam al-Manat (p. 233) about this reference: 'Jayyid Isnad' which does not contain the unknown narrator, as explained in Ar-Rawd an-Nadir (1199); and Ibn Hajar classed it Hasan in Nata'ij al-Afkar (2/329-333 - 2/411)
- (When setting out on a journey):
When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was on a journey, he would say at daybreak: Let a hearer hear beginning with praise of Allah and His good favours and blessing to us. Oh Allah, accompany us and show favour to us, and I seek refuge in Allah from Hell (Sam-ma'i sami'un bi-hamdil-lahi wa ni-matihi wa husni bala-i-hi a'layna - Allahumma sahibna fa-af-dil a'layna, a'i-dhan billahi min-nan-nar)
Abu Dawud (5086) graded Sahih; Muslim (2718)
A'bdullah ibn Mas'ud said: 'O maidservant, see if the sun has risen?' She said: 'No.' Then, he continued with Tasbih, and [asked] again: 'Look, has the sun risen?' She said: 'No.' Then [for a] third time: 'Has the sun risen?' She said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Praise be to Allah, Who has granted us this day and has waived our offences' (Alhamdu lil-lahil-ladhi wahaba lana hadhal yauma wa a-qalana fihi a'tharatina)
Ibn as-Sunni (148) Mawquf Sahih Isnad according to Ibn Hajar in Nata'ij al-Afkar (2/440); and in Muslim (822d): 'Praise be to Allah Who did not call us to account for our sins today' (Alhamdu lil-lahil-ladhi a-qalana yaumana hadha)
- At Maghrib (beginning of the night):
(Sayyidul Istighfar) The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "The most superior way of asking for forgiveness from Allah is: O Allah, ..." [...] "If somebody recites this invocation during the night, and if he should die, then he will go to Paradise (or he will be from the people of Paradise). And if he recites it in the morning, and if he should die on the same day, he will have the same fate!"
Al-Bukhari (6306, 6323)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Whoever seeks forgiveness from Allah - Mighty and Exalted - 70 times every day, he will not be written among the negligent for that day. And whoever [does the same] 70 times every night, he will not be written among the negligent for that night."
Ibn as-Sunni (366) graded Sahih in the Tahqiq (1/421-2)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Whoever says after sunset and dawn: (La ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lah, la hul mulk, wa la hul-hamd, yuhyi wa yumit, wa huwa a'la kulli shay-in qadir) 10 times, Allah sends him an army to guard him until the morning, and from the morning until the evening."
A'mal al-Yawm wal-Laylah (578) | Every narrator is trustworthy while there is a difference of opinion about A'mmar bin Shabib as-Saba'i if he was a Sahabi, about whom Ibn Hajar stated in Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz as-Sahabah (4/479): 'Al-Bukhari clarified his reason in his Tarikh and mentioned him among the Companions.'
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Whoever says at the beginning of his day or at the beginning of his night: (Bismillahil-ladhi la yadur-ru ma-a'smihi shay-un fil ard, wa la fis-sama, wa huwas-sami'ul a'lim) 3 times, nothing harmed him that day or that night."
Musnad Ahmad (474) Hasan Isnad
Then, after the Maghrib prayer:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: [...] "whoever says [La ilaha illallah, wahdahu la sharika lah, la hul mulk, wa la hul-hamd, wa huwa a'la kulli shay-in qadir - ten times] after praying Maghrib, it will be the same [reward] until morning"
Ibn Hibban (2023) classed Hasan Sahih in Sahih at-Targhib (474)
The weaknesses for the narrations about Maghrib with the additions of yuhyi wa yumit and bi-yadihil khayr are succinctly explained in Tamam al-Manat (p. 228-9) with examples about Shahr bin Hawshab's confounding narrations regarding this topic.
Shaykh Albani mentioned in Da'if Abu Dawud 1/234-6): 'Ahmad, Ibn Ma'in, Al-A'jli and others considered him trustworthy. Al-Bukhari said: Indeed, his Hadith is Hasan. An-Nasa'i and Al-Hakim said: He is not strong. [...] Al-Hafiz [Ibn Hajar] mentioned in "At-Taqrib" that he is truthful, but prone to excessive narrations and confusion. He is symbolically referred to, along with others, as being among the reliable men of [Imam] Muslim. However, Al-Mundhiri stated in the conclusion of "At-Targhib" that Muslim only narrated from him in conjunction with others.' Ultimately, he has a follow up as expounded above (وهذا حديث جيد غريب من ناحية الشواهد والمتابعات)² for this Dhikr after Salat al-Fajr, but not after Salat al-Maghrib.
When you finish the Maghrib prayer, say: "O Allah, protect me from Hell (Allahumma a-jirni minan-nar) seven times, ..."
Answered here (Rather generally, seeking refuge from Hellfire and seeking Paradise 3 or 7 times a day)
والله أعلم وبالله التوفيق
