دُعَاءُ الاسْتِفْتَاح

Praise and blessing

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحَابَتِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ.

Al-ḥamdu lillāhi rabbi l-ʿālamīn, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Muḥammadin wa ʿalā ālihi wa ṣaḥābatihi ajmaʿīn.

All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds; and prayers and peace be upon Muhammad, upon his family and upon all his companions.

الْعَالَمِينَ al-ʿālamīn root ع ل م the worlds. Plural of ʿālam: every created realm at once, not just ours.

The prayer of Musa

رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي، وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي، وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِنْ لِسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي.

Rabbi shraḥ lī ṣadrī, wa yassir lī amrī, waḥlul ʿuqdatan min lisānī yafqahū qawlī.

My Lord, expand my chest for me, make my task easy for me, and untie the knot from my tongue so that they may understand my speech.

Qur’an, Ṭāhā 20:25-28

عُقْدَة ʿuqdah root ع ق د a knot. From the verb to tie: the same root that gives ʿaqīdah, the creed the heart is tied to.

Knowledge that benefits

اللَّهُمَّ عَلِّمْنَا مَا يَنْفَعُنَا، وَانْفَعْنَا بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنَا، وَاجْعَلْهُ حُجَّةً لَنَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ يَوْمَ نَلْقَاكَ.

Allāhumma ʿallimnā mā yanfaʿunā, wanfaʿnā bimā ʿallamtanā, wajʿalhu ḥujjatan lanā bayna yadayka yawma nalqāk.

O Allah, teach us what benefits us, benefit us by what You have taught us, and make it an argument in our favour before You on the Day we meet You.

حُجَّة ḥujjah root ح ج ج a proof that stands in court. Knowledge is evidence either for you or against you; the dua asks which.

Turned toward, turned away

اللَّهُمَّ وَجِّهْنَا لِمَا خَلَقْتَنَا لَهُ، وَاصْرِفْنَا عَمَّا نَهَيْتَنَا عَنْهُ، وَلَا تَشْغَلْنَا بِمَا تَكَفَّلْتَ لَنَا بِهِ.

Allāhumma wajjihnā limā khalaqtanā lah, waṣrifnā ʿammā nahaytanā ʿanh, wa lā tashghalnā bimā takaffalta lanā bih.

O Allah, turn us toward what You created us for, turn us away from what You forbade us, and do not occupy us with what You have already guaranteed for us.

تَكَفَّلْتَ takaffalta root ك ف ل You took charge of it. A kafīl is a guarantor. Provision is already guaranteed, so worry over it is misplaced attention.

The soldiers of good

اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنَا مِنْ جُنْدِ الْخَيْرِ، دُلَّنَا عَلَيْكَ، أَرْشِدْنَا إِلَيْكَ، فَهِّمْنَا عَنْكَ، عَلِّمْنَا مِنْكَ، وَأَعِذْنَا مِنْ مُضِلَّاتِ الْفِتَنِ مَا أَحْيَيْتَنَا.

Allāhumma jʿalnā min jundi l-khayr, dullanā ʿalayk, arshidnā ilayk, fahhimnā ʿank, ʿallimnā mink, wa aʿidhnā min muḍillāti l-fitani mā aḥyaytanā.

O Allah, make us among the soldiers of good. Point us to You, guide us toward You, make us understand from You, teach us from You, and shelter us from misleading trials for as long as You keep us alive.

مُضِلَّات muḍillāt root ض ل ل things that cause going astray. From ḍalla, to lose the way: not trials as such, but the ones that pull you off the road.

Victory, both directions

اللَّهُمَّ انْصُرْنَا بِالْإِسْلَامِ، وَانْصُرِ الْإِسْلَامَ بِنَا، وَاجْعَلْنَا حُجَّةً لَهُ لَا عَلَيْهِ، وَاجْعَلْهُ حُجَّةً لَنَا لَا عَلَيْنَا.

Allāhumma nṣurnā bil-islām, wanṣuri l-islāma binā, wajʿalnā ḥujjatan lahu lā ʿalayh, wajʿalhu ḥujjatan lanā lā ʿalaynā.

O Allah, give us victory through Islam and give Islam victory through us. Make us an argument for it and not against it, and make it an argument for us and not against us.

انْصُرْ unṣur root ن ص ر give victory, support. A nāṣir is the one who comes to your aid. Note the deliberate mirror: us by it, it by us.

Help and acceptance

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنَّا عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ، وَتَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا صَالِحَ أَعْمَالِنَا وَتَجَاوَزْ عَمَّا دُونَهَا، اللَّهُمَّ آمِين.

Allāhumma aʿinnā ʿalā dhikrika wa shukrika wa ḥusni ʿibādatik, wa taqabbal minnā ṣāliḥa aʿmālinā wa tajāwaz ʿammā dūnahā, Allāhumma āmīn.

O Allah, help us to remember You, to thank You, and to worship You well. Accept from us our righteous deeds, and pass over what falls short of them. O Allah, amin.

Opening phrase from the hadith of Muʿādh ibn Jabal (Abū Dāwūd, al-Nasāʾī)

تَجَاوَزْ tajāwaz root ج و ز pass over it. From crossing through: do not stop at the flawed deeds, keep walking past them.