مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 804

It was narrated from 'Ali bin Abi Talib that when the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) started to pray, he would say takbeer, then say: "I have turned my face in submission to the One Who originated the heavens and the earth, as a monotheist and I am not one of the mushrikeen . Verily, my Salah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the 'Alameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists). He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and i am the first of the Muslims. O Allah, You are the Sovereign, there is no god but You. You are my Lord and i am Your slave. I have wronged myself and I admit my sin, so forgive me all my sins, for no one can forgive sins except You. O Allah, guide me to the best of conduct, for none can guide to that except You; divert from me the worst of conduct, for none can divert it except You. Here I am at Your service, all goodness is in Your hand and evil cannot be attributed to You. My existence is due to You and my return is to You. Blessed and exalted are You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You." When he bowed, he said: "O Allah, to You I have bowed, in You I have believed and to You i have submitted. My hearing, my sight, my brain, my bones and my sinews submit to You." When he rose from bowing he said: "Allah hears the one who praises Him. O Allah our Lord, to You be praise, filling the heavens, filling the earth, filling that which is between them and filling whatever else You will besides." When he prostrated he said: "O Allah, to You I have prostrated, in You I have believed and to You I have submitted. My face has prostrated to the One Who created it and gave it shape and gave it the best of shapes, and opened its hearing and sight.Blessed be Allah, the Best of , , creators." When he had finished praying he said: "O Allah, forgive me my past and future sins, what I have done in secret and what I have done openly, what I have transgressed and what You know more than I. You are the One who brings forward and the One Who puts back, there is no god but You." Abdullah said: We heard from Ishaq bin Rahawaih, from an-Nadr bin Shumail, that he said concerning this hadeeth, instead of, "evil cannot be attributed to You," he said: Evil cannot be used to draw close to You.

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020