What are the most accurate narrations for the following Hadiths: 1. "O Allah, by Your knowledge of the unseen and Your power over creation, grant me life as long as You know life to be good for me, and take my life if You know death to be better for me," or "O Allah, grant me life as long as life is good for me, and take my life if death is good for me"? 2. "O Allah, You are Pardoning, You love pardon, so pardon me," or "O Allah, You are Pardoning, Generous, You love pardon, so pardon me"? 3. The authentic supplication upon waking up at night, and what are its other narrations? 4. "O Allah, I ask You for all good, immediate and delayed, what I know of it and what I do not know. And I seek refuge in You from all evil, immediate and delayed, what I know of it and what I do not know. And I ask You for Paradise and what brings one closer to it of word or deed. And I seek refuge in You from Hellfire and what brings one closer to it of word or deed. And I ask You for the good that Your servant and Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked You for. And I seek Your protection from what Your servant and Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) sought Your protection from. And I ask You that whatever You have decreed for me, You make its outcome righteous," or with the addition of "by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful" at the end of it? 5. "O Allah, forgive my fault, my ignorance, my extravagance in all my affairs, and what You know better than I do. O Allah, forgive my mistakes, my intentional wrongs, my ignorance, my jest, and all of that is in me. O Allah, forgive what I have sent forth and what I have held back, and what I have concealed and what I have declared. You are the Expediter and You are the Delayer, and You are over all things competent," or "O Allah, forgive my fault, my ignorance, my extravagance in my affairs, and what You know better than I do. O Allah, forgive my jest, my seriousness, my mistakes, and my intentional wrongs, and all of that is in me"? 6. "My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, for indeed You are the Acceptor of Repentance, the Most Merciful," or "My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance, for indeed You are the Acceptor of Repentance, the Forgiving"?
The wording of hadiths and narrations varies due to the multiplicity of narrators or the differences in the reported wordings. This variation can be minor, involving only a few letters, or broader, encompassing multiple wordings for the same act of worship, such as the dhikr (remembrances) in prayer or the (call to prayer). All of these are sound and acceptable for practice. The multiplicity of wordings in acts of worship aims to provide ease and choice for the worshippers.
The differing wordings for a single act of worship have multiple wisdoms, including: following the , reviving the Sunnah, and fostering mindfulness.
However, in the case of non-repeated hadiths or single stories, if the meaning differs, the narrations should be weighed, and the one with the soundest (chain of narration) should be chosen. Regarding the hadiths mentioned in the question: 1. Both wordings in the first are sound and can be acted upon when harm occurs. 2. The second wording in the second hadith (the addition of "karim" - generous) has no basis in hadith sources; therefore, the first wording is the sounder. 3. The third hadith does not have differing narrations. If any are found, the narration by Al-Bukhari is sufficient. 4. The addition ("bi rahmatika ya arhamar-rahimin" - by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful) in the second wording of the fourth hadith has no evidence of its authenticity; therefore, the first narration without it should suffice. 5. There is no contradiction between the two wordings in the fifth hadith; both are sound, and the first narration is broader. 6. Both wordings in the sixth hadith are sound. This is a case of diversity in wording, and you will be rewarded whichever you use to seek forgiveness.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/4209
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 4209
- Imported
- Translation status
- Source text, unreviewed
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy