اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْماً نَافِعاً، وَرِزقاً طَيِّباً، وَعَمَلاً مُتَقَبَّلاً
O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, good provision, and deeds that will be accepted
To be recited once in the morning
Brief Commentary
- The Prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) used to say this supplication in the morning, soon after completing the Fajr prayer [1]
- The Prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) teaches us in this hadith to ask Allah for beneficial knowledge. From this, it is inferred that not all knowledge is beneficial
- Beneficial knowledge is the knowledge that increases the awe of Allah in a person’s heart, and pushes him to increase in righteous actions
- Allah says in the Qur’an {From His servants, it is only the scholars that fear Allah} [2] therefore those who have acquired beneficial knowledge are the ones who truly fear Allah
- The second thing that is asked for in this hadith is good provision. Good provision is that which is halal and pleasing to Allah
- Haram income is something that is detrimental to a person’s life and hereafter, and is a cause for non-acceptance of du’aa, see the commentary on Hadith 10 of Imam Al-Nawawi’s 40 ahadith
- Good provision is not limited to financial income, but also includes anything that brings a person closer to Allah, such as recitation of the Qur’an with concentration, remembrance of Allah with a present heart, the increase of a person’s Iman, a pious spouse and offspring, etc.
- The final thing that is asked for in this hadith is acceptance of good deeds. We understand from this that not every good deed we do is automatically accepted by Allah
- The great Sahabi Abu Al-Dardaa’ would say, “For me to be certain that Allah has accepted one of my Salah is more beloved to me than the dunya and what is in it” [3]
- Imam Ibn Kathir said, “Acceptable actions must fulfil two conditions; they must be sincere for the sake of Allah, and must be in accordance with the shari’ah” [4]
Action Points
- A person who studies this religion should ask himself what effects the studies have had on his relationship with Allah and on his actions. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen said, “How many laypeople you see they have awe of Allah, consciousness of Allah, good manners and righteous worship that far surpass what a student of knowledge has” [5]
- Ensure you seek knowledge for the sake of Allah and act upon what you learn. Knowledge is studied to increase in righteous actions, not for academic pleasures, or even worse, to seek a part of this dunya
- Beneficial knowledge was mentioned first as it is what allows a person to ensure they have good provisions, and acceptable deeds
- Ensure your income is halal and any transactions you make are halal so that you can be from those who have good provision
- Ensure you study the religion properly so that you can perform actions which are in accordance with the shari’ah, and ensure you perform them sincerely for the sake of Allah so that they may be accepted
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- Hadith, reported by Ibn Majah, hadith number 925, Al-Albani graded it as authentic in Sahih ibn Majah, hadith number 152
- Al-Qur’an, Surah Fatir [35:28]
- Tafsir Ibn Kathir, tafsir of Surah Al-Ma’idah, [5:27]
- Tafsir Ibn Kathir, tafsir of Surah Al-Baqarah, [2:112]
- Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen in Al-Sharh Mumti’, Volume 7, page 166
Hadith Commentary 