186. Dua for Salah (At the beginning of the prayer)
Dua for Salah in Arabic
وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، إِنَّ صَلَاتِي، وَنُسُكِي، وَمَحْيَايَ، وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ اَللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْمَلِكُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، أَنْتَ رَبِّي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي ذُنُوبِي جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، وَاهْدِنِي لِأَحْسَنِ الْأَخْلَاقِ لَا يَهْدِي لِأَحْسَنِهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ، وَاصْرِفْ عَنِّي سَيِّئَهَا، لَا يَصْرِفُ عَنِّي سَيِّئَهَا إِلَّا أَنْتَ لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ، وَالْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ بِيَـدَيْكَ، وَالشَّـرُّ لَيْسَ إِلَيْـكَ، أَنَا بِكَ وَإِلَيْكَ، تَبارَكْتَ وَتَعَالَيْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتوبُ إِلَيْكَ
Dua for Salah English Transliteration
Wajjahtu wajhiya lilladhee fataras-samawaati wal-arda haneefan wa maa ana minal-mushrikeen, inna salaatee wa nusukee wa mahyaaya wa mamaatee lillaahi rabbil-’alameen, laa shareeka lahu wabi dhaalika umirtu wa-ana minal-muslimeen. Allaahumma antal-maliku laa ilaaha illaa anta. anta rabbee wa-anaa ‘abduka, dhalamtu nafsee wa’taraftu bidhanbee faghfir lee dhunoobee jamee’an innahu laa yaghfirudh-dhunooba illaa anta. wahdinee li-ahsanil-akhlaaqi laa yahdee li-ahsaniha illaa anta, wasrif ‘annee sayyiaha laa yasrifu ‘annee sayyiaha illaa anta, Labbayka wa sa’dayka, wal-khayru kulluhu biyadayka, washsharru laysa ilayka, ana bika wa-ilayka, tabarakta wa ta’alayta, astaghfiruka wa atoobu ilayk
Dua for Salah English Translation
I have turned my face sincerely towards He who has brought forth the heavens and the Earth and I am not of those who associate (others with Allah). Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death are for Allah, Lord of the worlds, no partner has He, with this I am commanded and I am of the Muslims. O Allah, You are the Sovereign, none has the right to be worshipped except You. You are my Lord and I am Your servant, I have wronged my own soul and have acknowledged my sin, so forgive me all my sins for no one forgives sins except You. Guide me to the best of characters for none can guide to it other than You, and deliver me from the worst of characters for none can deliver me from it other than You. Here I am, in answer to Your call, happy to serve you. All good is within Your hands and evil does not stem from You. I exist by your will and will return to you. Blessed and High are You, I seek Your forgiveness and repent unto You.
Hadith about the Dua
Arabic Text
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الْمُقَدَّمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يُوسُفُ الْمَاجِشُونُ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ عَبْدِ، الرَّحْمَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ كَانَ إِذَا قَامَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ قَالَ " وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الْمَلِكُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ . أَنْتَ رَبِّي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي وَاعْتَرَفْتُ بِذَنْبِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي ذُنُوبِي جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ وَاهْدِنِي لأَحْسَنِ الأَخْلاَقِ لاَ يَهْدِي لأَحْسَنِهَا إِلاَّ أَنْتَ وَاصْرِفْ عَنِّي سَيِّئَهَا لاَ يَصْرِفُ عَنِّي سَيِّئَهَا إِلاَّ أَنْتَ لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ وَالْخَيْرُ كُلُّهُ فِي يَدَيْكَ وَالشَّرُّ لَيْسَ إِلَيْكَ أَنَا بِكَ وَإِلَيْكَ تَبَارَكْتَ وَتَعَالَيْتَ أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ " . وَإِذَا رَكَعَ قَالَ " اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ رَكَعْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَلَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ خَشَعَ لَكَ سَمْعِي وَبَصَرِي وَمُخِّي وَعَظْمِي وَعَصَبِي " . وَإِذَا رَفَعَ قَالَ " اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ مِلْءَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَمِلْءَ الأَرْضِ وَمِلْءَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمِلْءَ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ بَعْدُ " . وَإِذَا سَجَدَ قَالَ " اللَّهُمَّ لَكَ سَجَدْتُ وَبِكَ آمَنْتُ وَلَكَ أَسْلَمْتُ سَجَدَ وَجْهِي لِلَّذِي خَلَقَهُ وَصَوَّرَهُ وَشَقَّ سَمْعَهُ وَبَصَرَهُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ " . ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مِنْ آخِرِ مَا يَقُولُ بَيْنَ التَّشَهُّدِ وَالتَّسْلِيمِ " اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَفْتُ وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ " . '
Ali b. Abu Talib reported that when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) got up at night for prayer he would say: I turn my face in complete devotion to One Who is the Originator of the heaven and the earth and I am not of the polytheists. Verily my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the worlds; There is no partner with Him and this is what I have been commanded (to profess and believe) and I am of the believers. O Allah, Thou art the King, there is no god but Thee, Thou art my Lord, and I am Thy bondman. I wronged myself and make a confession of my Sin. Forgive all my sins, for no one forgives the sins but Thee, and guide me in the best of conduct for none but Thee guideth anyone (in) good conduct. Remove sins from me, for none else but Thou can remove sins from me. Here I am at Thy service, and Grace is to Thee and the whole of good is in Thine hand, and one cannot get nearneststo Thee through evil. My (power as well as existence) is due to Thee (Thine grace) and I turn to Thee (for supplication). Thou art blessed and Thou art exalted. I seek forgiveness from Thee and turn to Thee in repentance: and when he would bow, he would say: O Allah, it is for Thee that I bowed. I affirm my faith in Thee and I submit to Thee, and submit humbly before Thee my hearing, my eyesight, my marrow, my bone, my sinew; and when he would raise his head, he would say: O Allah, our Lord, praise is due to Thee, (the praise) with which is filled the heavens and the earth, and with which is filled that (space) which exists between them, and filled with anything that Thou desireth afterward. And when he prostrated himself, he (the Holy Prophet) would say: O Allah, it is to Thee that I prostrate myself and it is in Thee that I affirm my faith, and I submit to Thee. My face is submitted before One Who created it, and shaped it, and opened his faculties of hearing and seeing. Blessed is Allah, the best of Creators; and he would then say between Tashahhud and the pronouncing of salutation: Forgive me of the earlier and later open and secret (sins) and that where I made transgression and that Thou knowest better than I. Thou art the First and the Last. There is no god, but Thee. [Muslim: 771]
Benefits of Dua for Salah (At the Beginning of the Prayer)
This dua before salah helps a Muslim focus on Allah alone, making every prayer start with pure intention and a heart full of Iman and hope for forgiveness and guidance.
- Wajjahtu wajhiya in namaz brings the heart close to Rabbil Alamin with full niyat.
- La ilaha illa anta in this dua for salah keeps shirk away and grows true Iman.
- Astaghfirullah in dua before prayer helps a Muslim get Allah’s forgiveness for sins.
- Before namaz dua asks Allah to guide towards best Akhlaq and keep away bad habits.
- Takbiratul ihram with this masnoon dua makes every Amal in salah more accepted by Allah.
When to Recite Dua For Salah
This dua for salah is recited at the start of prayer, turning your heart to Allah, asking for forgiveness, Barakah, and the best Akhlaq before you begin your namaz with full Iman and hope.
- At the very start of your prayer, recite the dua for salah after takbiratul ihram.
- Before reading Surah Fatiha, use the dua before salah to set your niyat for Rabbil Alamin.
- When you want to clean your heart before namaz, say wajjahtu wajhiya for forgiveness.
- If you feel weak in Amal, make the dua before salat to ask Allah for best Akhlaq and Barakah.
- While starting any fard or sunnah prayer, remember the dua before prayer for pure Iman.
How to perform Dua for Salah at the Beginning
Starting your salah with this dua for salah brings your heart close to Rabbil Alamin and fills your namaz with Barakah. This dua before salah helps you focus, ask for forgiveness, and make your niyat strong before every prayer.
- Stand facing the qiblah and after takbiratul ihram, softly recite wajjahtu wajhiya.
- Before reading surah Fatiha, say this dua before salah to set your niyat and ask for help.
- When you feel weak in Iman, use this dua for forgiveness and ask la ilaha illa anta for mercy.
- If you want better Amal, recite this dua before prayer to ask Allah for good character.
- While making your niyat for namaz, remember to say astaghfirullah and seek Allah’s guidance.
Summary
The dua for salah called Wajjahtu Wajhiya is recited at the start of Salah after takbiratul ihram. This dua before salah shows a Muslim’s full niyat to pray only for Allah Rabbil Alamin.
It asks for Barakah in Amal and forgiveness by saying la ilaha illa anta and astaghfirullah. It also asks Allah to guide to good Akhlaq and keep away from bad.
This dua before namaz reminds Muslims that all good is from Allah and He alone forgives. It is a masnoon dua and helps build Iman and focus in Salah. The main lesson is to pray with a clean heart and trust only Allah for help and forgiveness.