8 supplications
Duas for Towns, Vehicles and Markets
A journey has many small moments: mounting, climbing a hill, descending a valley, entering a new town, the last hour before dawn and the market at the destination. The Sunnah gives a word for each, so that travel becomes a chain of remembrance.
Mounting a vehicle or animal
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ، وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ، الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Bismillah, alhamdu lillah, subhanal-ladhi sakhkhara lana hadha wa ma kunna lahu muqrinin, wa inna ila rabbina lamunqalibun. Alhamdu lillah (×3), Allahu akbar (×3), subhanakallahumma inni dhalamtu nafsi faghfir li, fa-innahu la yaghfirudh-dhunuba illa ant.
In the name of Allah; praise be to Allah. Glory to the One who subjected this to us, for we could not have done it ourselves, and to our Lord we shall return. Praise be to Allah (×3), Allah is the greatest (×3). Glory be to You, O Allah; I have wronged myself, so forgive me, for none forgives sins but You. The Prophet ﷺ smiled, saying Allah is pleased when His servant says it.
Source: Sunan Abi Dawud; Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi
Going up and coming down
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ (عِنْدَ الصُّعُودِ)، سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ (عِنْدَ النُّزُولِ)
Allahu akbar (when going up), subhanallah (when going down).
Allah is the greatest when climbing; glory be to Allah when descending. “When we went up we said Allahu akbar, and when we went down we said subhanallah.”
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari
On entering a town
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعِ وَمَا أَظْلَلْنَ، وَرَبَّ الْأَرَضِينَ السَّبْعِ وَمَا أَقْلَلْنَ، وَرَبَّ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَمَا أَضْلَلْنَ، وَرَبَّ الرِّيَاحِ وَمَا ذَرَيْنَ، أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةِ وَخَيْرَ أَهْلِهَا وَخَيْرَ مَا فِيهَا، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّهَا وَشَرِّ أَهْلِهَا وَشَرِّ مَا فِيهَا
Allahumma rabbas-samawatis-sab‘i wa ma adhlalna, wa rabbal-aradinas-sab‘i wa ma aqlalna, wa rabbash-shayatini wa ma adlalna, wa rabbar-riyahi wa ma dharayna, as’aluka khayra hadhihil-qaryati wa khayra ahliha wa khayra ma fiha, wa a‘udhu bika min sharriha wa sharri ahliha wa sharri ma fiha.
O Allah, Lord of the seven heavens and all they shade, Lord of the seven earths and all they carry, Lord of the devils and all they mislead, Lord of the winds and all they scatter: I ask You for the good of this town, the good of its people and the good of what is in it, and seek refuge in You from its evil, the evil of its people and the evil of what is in it.
Source: Sunan al-Nasa’i; al-Mustadrak of al-Hakim
The traveller at dawn
سَمَّعَ سَامِعٌ بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ وَحُسْنِ بَلَائِهِ عَلَيْنَا، رَبَّنَا صَاحِبْنَا وَأَفْضِلْ عَلَيْنَا، عَائِذًا بِاللَّهِ مِنَ النَّارِ
Samma‘a sami‘un bi-hamdillahi wa husni bala’ihi ‘alayna, rabbana sahibna wa afdil ‘alayna, ‘a’idhan billahi minan-nar.
A listener has heard us praise Allah for His favour upon us. Our Lord, accompany us and bestow Your bounty on us, as we seek refuge in Allah from the Fire.
Source: Sahih Muslim
Nuh boards the Ark
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ مَجْرَاهَا وَمُرْسَاهَا ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
Bismillahi majraha wa mursaha, inna rabbi la-ghafurur-rahim.
In the name of Allah is its course and its anchorage. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.
Source: Qur’an 11:41
To someone setting off
زَوَّدَكَ اللَّهُ التَّقْوَى، وَغَفَرَ ذَنْبَكَ، وَيَسَّرَ لَكَ الْخَيْرَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْتَ
Zawwadakallahut-taqwa, wa ghafara dhanbak, wa yassara lakal-khayra haythuma kunt.
May Allah provide you with piety as provision, forgive your sin and make good easy for you wherever you are.
Source: Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi
For a traveller’s easy journey
اللَّهُمَّ اطْوِ لَهُ الْأَرْضَ، وَهَوِّنْ عَلَيْهِ السَّفَرَ
Allahummatwi lahul-ard, wa hawwin ‘alayhis-safar.
O Allah, fold the distance for him and make the journey easy for him.
Source: Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi
On entering the market
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ وَهُوَ حَيٌّ لَا يَمُوتُ، بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
La ilaha illallahu wahdahu la sharika lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamd, yuhyi wa yumitu wa huwa hayyun la yamut, bi-yadihil-khayr, wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir.
There is no god but Allah alone without partner; His is the dominion and His the praise; He gives life and causes death, and He is Ever-Living and does not die; in His hand is all good and He has power over all things.
Source: Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi; Sunan Ibn Majah
Remembrance along the way
Jabir said: “When we went up we said Allahu akbar, and when we went down we said subhanallah” (al-Bukhari). The Prophet ﷺ did not see a town he wanted to enter without saying the du‘a of entering it (an-Nasa’i). Whoever says the market du‘a, Allah writes a million good deeds for him (at-Tirmidhi, graded hasan by some).
Duas for Towns, Vehicles and Markets: questions and answers
Is the travel du‘a said in a car or plane?
Yes. Any means of transport is included in “subhanal-ladhi sakhkhara lana hadha”.
What do I say to someone travelling?
“Astawdi‘ullaha dinaka wa amanataka wa khawatima ‘amalik” and “Zawwadakallahut-taqwa…” (at-Tirmidhi).