The Prophet's Guidance in Daily Supplications (Morning and Evening Adhkar)

Ibn al-Qayyim presents in this chapter the Prophet's ﷺ daily regimen of remembrance (dhikr) — the morning and evening adhkar that serve as a spiritual armor protecting the believer throughout the day. These supplications, firmly established in the Sunnah, represent the most practical and consistent form of worship, woven into the fabric of daily existence rather than confined to formal prayer times.

The morning adhkar begin at Fajr and are ideally recited immediately after the obligatory prayer, when the night's stillness has not yet given way to the day's distractions. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nothing will prevent him from entering Paradise except death.' He recited specific formulas of tasbih, tahmid, takbir, and tahlil — glorification, praise, magnification, and testimony of divine oneness — a specific number of times. Among the most important is the recitation of 'Subhan Allahi wa bihamdihi' a hundred times each morning and evening: 'Whoever says it a hundred times in the morning and a hundred times in the evening, no one will come on the Day of Resurrection with anything better except someone who did the same or more.'

The evening adhkar are recited at the onset of the Asr time or at sunset, marking the transition from afternoon to evening. They mirror the morning adhkar in structure but carry the additional purpose of seeking protection through the night from the dangers that multiply in darkness — the Prophet ﷺ taught that certain types of jinn and satanic influence are more active at night, and the evening adhkar provide a spiritual barrier.

Among the most comprehensive supplications are the sayyid al-istighfar (master of seeking forgiveness): 'O Allah, You are my Lord, there is no deity but You. You created me and I am Your servant, and I abide by Your covenant and promise as best I can. I seek Your protection from the evil of what I have done. I acknowledge Your blessing upon me and I acknowledge my sin, so forgive me, for no one forgives sins except You.' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Whoever says this with certainty in the morning and dies before evening will be among the people of Paradise, and whoever says it with certainty in the evening and dies before morning will be among the people of Paradise.'

Ibn al-Qayyim explains the deep wisdom in each of these supplications, connecting the specific wording to theological realities — for example, the morning supplication 'We have come upon the morning and upon it the Kingdom of Allah' (Asbahnaa wa asbahal mulku lillah) is a declaration of divine sovereignty at the start of each day, reminding the servant that all affairs belong to Allah and nothing happens except by His permission and decree.

He also covers the adhkar for specific transitions during the day: entering and leaving the home, entering and leaving the masjid, beginning a meal, concluding a meal, entering the market, sneezing and responding to one who sneezes, meeting a fellow Muslim, and departing on a journey. Each of these moments is an opportunity to orient oneself toward Allah, and the Prophet's ﷺ practice was to seize every such opportunity without exception.

The chapter concludes with Ibn al-Qayyim's meditation on the effect of consistent dhikr on the heart: it fills the heart with light, drives away satanic whispers, increases provision and blessings, and maintains a continuous awareness of Allah's presence (muraqabah) that is the foundation of all virtuous conduct. A heart that remembers Allah constantly is not easily swayed by temptation or shaken by hardship.