Chapters

Chapters from The Book of Remembrances — KITĀB AL-ADHKĀR by Imām an-Nawawī

1. 1What has been narrated about the virtue of dhikr and is not restricted to a specific time
2. 2Getting up from sleep
3. 3Putting on clothes
4. 4Putting on new garments, shoes etc.
5. 5What to say to one’s companion when seeing him in new clothes
6. 6How to put on garments and shoes and how to take them off
7. 7What to say when taking off garments to wash, go to sleep etc.
8. 8What to say when leaving the house
9. 9What to say when entering one’s house
10. 10What to say when waking up at night and leaving the house
11. 11What to say when entering the lavatory
12. 12The prohibition of doing dhikr or talking while in the lavatory
13. 13The prohibition of greeting a person who is sitting to relieve himself
14. 14What to say when coming out of the lavatory
15. 15What to say when pouring water to perform wuḍū’
16. 16What to say during wuḍū’
17. 17What to say when performing ghusl (major ablution)
18. 18What to say when performing tayammum
19. 19What to say when going to the mosque
20. 20What to say when entering and leaving the mosque
21. 21What to say in a mosque
22. 22The rejection and censure of someone who looks for lost property in the mosque or sells in it
23. 23Censuring someone who chants poetry in the mosque in which there is no praise for Islam or for abstemiousness, nor any encouragement of the noble qualities of character and the like
24. 24The merit of the adhān
25. 25The description of the adhān
26. 26Description of the iqāmah
27. 27What to say upon hearing the adhān and the iqāmah
28. 28The du‘ā’ to be said after the adhān
29. 29What to say after the two sunnah rak‘āt of ṣubḥ
30. 30What to say when coming to the prayer line
31. 31What to say when intending to stand up for ṣalāh
32. 32The du‘ā’ to be said during the iqāmah
33. 33What to say when ṣalāh begins
34. 34The takbīrāt al-iḥrām
35. 35What to say after the takbīrāt al-iḥrām
36. 36Seeking protection from shayṭān after the opening du‘ā’
37. 37Recitation of Qur’ān after seeking protection
38. 38The adhkār of rukū‘
39. 39What to say when raising the head from rukū‘ and standing upright
40. 40The adhkār of sujūd
41. 41What to say when raising the head from sujūd and while sitting between the two sujūds
42. 42The adhkār of the second rak‘ah
43. 43The qunūt in the ṣubḥ ṣalāh
44. 44The tashahhud in ṣalāh
45. 45Invoking blessings upon the messenger of Allah after the tashahhud
46. 46The du‘ā’ after the last tashahhud
47. 47The greeting to end ṣalāh
48. 48What to say to a person who speaks to one whilst one is engaged in ṣalāh
49. 49Adhkār to be performed after ṣalāh
50. 50Encouragement to do dhikr of Allah after the ṣalāh of ṣubḥ
51. 51What to say in the morning and the evening
52. 52What to say on friday mornings
53. 53What to say when the sun has risen
54. 54What to say after the sun has risen
55. 55What to say between midday and ‘aṣr
56. 56What to say between ‘aṣr and sunset
57. 57What to say upon hearing the adhān of maghrib
58. 58What to say after the ṣalāh of maghrib
59. 59What to recite in and after the ṣalāh of witr
60. 60What to say when one intends to sleep and is lying in bed
61. 61The disapproval of sleeping without the dhikr of Allah
62. 62What to say when waking up at night and wishing to sleep afterwards
63. 63What to say when unable to sleep
64. 64What to say when startled in one’s sleep
65. 65What to say after seeing something one likes or dislikes in a dream
66. 66What to say when told about a dream
67. 67Du‘ā’ and repentance in the second half of the night
68. 68Du‘ā’ in all hours of the night, hoping to coincide with the moment of acceptance
69. 69The most beautiful names of Allah
70. 70Recitation of Qur’ān
71. 71Praise of Allah
72. 72Praying for blessings upon the Messenger of Allah
73. 73The order to those in whose presence the Messenger is mentioned to pray for blessings and salutations upon him
74. 74How to pray for blessings upon the messenger of Allah
75. 75Beginning du‘ā’ by invoking blessings upon the Messenger
76. 76Praying for blessings upon the prophets and their descendants in succession
77. 77The du‘ā’ of istikhārah
78. 78Du‘ā’ against affliction and du‘ā’ for important concerns
79. 79What to say when frightened
80. 80What to say when afflicted with worry or grief
81. 81What to say when in a fix
82. 82What to say when afraid of any group of people
83. 83What to say when afraid of a ruler
84. 84What to say upon seeing the enemy
85. 85What to say if a shaytān appears to one or one is afraid of him
86. 86What to say when overcome by weakness
87. 87What to say when finding something to be difficult
88. 88What to say when earning one’s livelihood becomes difficult
89. 89What to say to ward off calamity
90. 90What to say when visited by misfortunes, be they few or many
91. 91What to say when burdened by debts which one is unable to repay
92. 92What to say when afflicted with loneliness
93. 93What to say when troubled by satanic disturbance
94. 94What to say over the insane or someone who has been stung
95. 95Seeking protection for children and others
96. 96What to say over abscesses, pimples and suchlike
97. 97Recommendation to remember death much
98. 98Approval of asking the relatives of a sick person about his health, and of replying to the question
99. 99What the sick should say, what should be said and recited near them, and how to ask after their health
100. 100In commendation of advising the families of the sick and those tending them to be kind and bear patiently the difficulties in their affairs; also, advising those whose death is imminent because of a legal sentence
101. 101What to say a person who has a headache, fever or other pain
102. 102The permissibility of a sick person saying: ‘I am in severe pain’ or ‘unwell’ or ‘Oh, my head!’ and things like that; and explanation that there is nothing disapproved of in that if none of it is an expression of discontentment or impatience
103. 103The disapproval of hoping for death because of physical harm, but its permissibility if one fears jeopardy in his religion
104. 104The recommendation of a man making du‘ā’ that his death be in the noble land
105. 105The desirability of comforting the sick
106. 106Praising a sick person, when seeing him to be fearful, by mentioning his good deeds, in order to alleviate his fear and give him a good opinion of his lord
107. 107Giving the sick person what he craves
108. 108Visitors seeking the du‘ā’ of the sick
109. 109Exhorting and reminding an invalid, after he is healed, to fulfil the repentance that he promised Allah
110. 110What to say to someone who has lost hope of surviving
111. 111What to say after closing the eyes of the deceased
112. 112What to say near the deceased
113. 113What to say to the bereaved
114. 114What to say upon hearing the news of the death of one’s companion
115. 115What to say upon being told of the death of an enemy of Islam
116. 116The prohibition of wailing over the deceased and crying out with the cries of the days of ignorance (before Islam)
117. 117Condolence
118. 118The permissibility of informing companions and relatives of the death of the deceased, and the disapproval of announcing the death publicly
119. 119What to say while washing and shrouding the deceased
120. 120The adhkār of the funeral ṣalāh
121. 121What to say whilst walking with the bier
122. 122What to say when a bier passes or on seeing one
123. 123What those who lay the deceased in the grave should say
124. 124What to say after the burial
125. 125On the deceased leaving a special request that a specific person perform his funeral ṣalāh or that he be buried in a certain manner or in a specific place, or concerning his shrouding, or other things that should or should not be done
126. 126How the deceased benefits from the words of others
127. 127The prohibition of abusing the dead
128. 128What visitors to graveyards should say
129. 129Those visiting graveyards should discourage those they see weeping from being distraught at the graveside and tell them to be patient and discourage them from doing other things which the law forbids
130. 130Weeping and feeling fear when passing by graves; also, seeing the destruction of oppressors, displaying humility before Allah, and being on guard against forgetfulness
131. 131Adhkār recommended to be recited on friday during the day and night, and du‘ā’
132. 132The adhkār for the two ‘Īds
133. 133The adhkār for the first ten days of Dhū al-Ḥijjah
134. 134The adhkār prescribed for eclipses
135. 135Adhkār for seeking rain
136. 136What to say when the wind blows
137. 137What to say when stars fall
138. 138Not pointing to, or looking at, falling stars or lightning
139. 139What to say on hearing thunder
140. 140What to say when it rains
141. 141What to say after it has rained
142. 142What to say when there is a great deal of rain and one fears harm from it
143. 143The adhkār of the tarāwīḥ ṣalāh
144. 144The adhkār of the ṣalāh of need
145. 145The adhkār of the ṣalāh of tasbīḥ
146. 146The adhkār related to zakāh
147. 147What to say upon seeing the new moon and what to say on seeing the moon
148. 148The adhkār that are mustaḥabb while fasting
149. 149What to say when breaking the fast
150. 150What to say when breaking the fast with people
151. 151The supplication to say on laylat al‑qadr (the night of the decree)
152. 152The adkhār of i‘tikāf
153. 153the adkhār of pilgrimage (ḥajj)
154. 154the recommendation of asking for martyrdom
155. 155The imam should encourage the leader of a delegation to fear Allah, and also teach him what he needs [to know] concerning matters of fighting the enemy and entering into pacts with them
156. 156The sunnah for the imam and the leader of the army to feign taking another direction when intending to go on an expedition
157. 157The du‘ā’ for those who do battle or work at anything that helps with it; also saying things to inspire people and rouse them to battle
158. 158Du‘ā’, humility, and takbīr in battle, and asking Allah to fulfil his promise to help the believers
159. 159The prohibition of needlessly raising the voice in battle
160. 160Saying ‘I am so-and-so’ in battle in order to terrify the enemy
161. 161The desirability of reciting poetry during combat
162. 162The desirability of displaying patience and strength to a person who has been wounded
163. 163The what to say when the muslims are victorious and defeat their enemy
164. 164What to say when seeing the muslims defeated, may Allah the most generous be our refuge
165. 165Encouragement for the imam to praise those who have displayed skill in battle
166. 166What to say upon returning from an expedition
167. 167Istikhārah and consultation
168. 168Adhkār to perform after deciding to travel
169. 169Adhkār to say when intending to leave home
170. 170The adhkār to perform when leaving
171. 171The desirability of seeking advice from the righteous
172. 172The desirability of someone remaining behind asking a traveller for du‘ā’ at blessed places
173. 173What to say when mounting an animal
174. 174What to say when boarding a ship
175. 175The desirability of making du‘ā’ whilst travelling
176. 176The desirability of a traveller saying takbīr when ascending a hill, and taḥmīd and tasbīḥ when descending into a valley
177. 177The prohibition of raising the voice exaggeratedly in takbīr and suchlike
178. 178Setting a pace, reviving the spirits, relaxing, and making the journey easy for other travellers
179. 179What to say when one’s animal runs away
180. 180What to say when on a difficult and recalcitrant animal
181. 181What to say upon seeing a village which one does, or does not, wish to enter
182. 182What to say when apprehending harm from some people
183. 183What travellers should say when confronted by an ogre
184. 184What to say when dismounting
185. 185What to say upon returning from a journey
186. 186What travellers should say after the ṣalāh of ṣubḥ
187. 187What to say upon sighting one’s homeland
188. 188What to say when returning from a journey and entering one’s home
189. 189What to say to someone who is returning give thanks I will certainly from a journey
190. 190What to say to someone returning from an expedition for the cause of Allah
191. 191What to say to someone who is returning from ḥajj
192. 192What to say when food is brought
193. 193The desirability of a host saying ‘eat’ and similar things to his guests when food is presented
194. 194Mentioning the name of Allah when eating and drinking
195. 195Not finding fault with food
196. 196The permissibility of saying ‘I do not have an appetite for this food’ or ‘I do not ordinarily eat it’ and the like if necessary
197. 197Praising the food that one eats
198. 198What to say when present at a meal and one is fasting, in the case when one does not break his fast
199. 199What to say when one is invited for a meal and others follow
200. 200How to admonish and instruct someone who errs when eating
201. 201The desirability of talking whilst eating
202. 202What someone who eats without becoming satiated should say and do
203. 203What to say when eating with someone who has a bodily defect
204. 204The desirability of a host saying ‘eat’ to his guests and others when they lift their hands from the food and saying it repeatedly until he has ascertained that they have had enough; and that of doing the same with drink, perfume, etc.
205. 205What to say when one has finished eating
206. 206The du‘ā’ of invitees and guests for their host when they have finished eating
207. 207Making du‘ā’ for somebody who gives one water or milk to drink
208. 208Du‘ā’ and encouragement for someone who entertains a guest
209. 209Praise for someone who entertains a guest
210. 210The desirability of welcoming guests and praising Allah for having found a guest to entertain; also, being happy and extolling him for enabling one to do this
211. 211What to say after eating
212. 212The merits of greeting and the order to extend greetings
213. 213The mode and method of greeting
214. 214The disapproval of gesturing when greeting, without any verbal expression
215. 215The rulings on greeting
216. 216Situations in which it is mustaḥabb to greet and in which it is makrūh, and those in which it is permissible
217. 217Who may be greeted and who may not, and who may be answered and who may not
218. 218Courtesies and rulings on greeting
219. 219Seeking permission to enter a house
220. 220Matters Related to Greeting
221. 221Responding when someone sneezes, and the rulings on yawning
222. 222Praise
223. 223Praising oneself and mentioning one’s own good qualities
224. 224Questions Related to the Preceding Subject
225. 225What to say when asking for a woman’s hand in marriage from her family, for himself or for someone else
226. 226A man offering his daughter’s hand in marriage to virtuous people
227. 227What to say when making the marriage contract
228. 228What to say to the groom after the contract has been made
229. 229What the groom should say when his bride comes to him on the wedding night
230. 230What to say to the groom after his marriage has been consummated
231. 231What to say during intercourse
232. 232A man playing with his wife and joking and talking gently to her
233. 233The etiquette for a husband speaking to his relatives by marriage
234. 234What to say during childbirth and when a woman is in labour
235. 235Saying the adhān in the ear of a newborn baby
236. 236Supplicating and performing taḥnīk for a baby
237. 237Naming a newborn baby
238. 238Naming a stillborn baby
239. 239The desirability of giving beautiful names
240. 240The names dearest to Allah
241. 241The desirability of congratulating and what to say when congratulated
242. 242The prohibition of giving repulsive names
243. 243A man calling a subordinate, such as a son, servant, or student, by an ugly name in order to retrain him from doing vile deeds and to train him
244. 244Calling out to a person whose name one does not know
245. 245The prohibition of a son, student or pupil calling his father, teacher or mentor by name
246. 246The desirability of changing a name to a better one
247. 247The permissibility of shortening a person’s name, as long as he is not offended by it
248. 248The prohibition of giving a person a nickname that he dislikes
249. 249The acceptability and desirability of giving a person a nickname that he likes
250. 250The acceptability of kunyahs and the desirability of addressing people by them
251. 251The kunyah of a man [normally] coming from his eldest son
252. 252Giving a man who has sons a kunyah which does not come from his son
253. 253Giving a kunyah to someone who has no children, and to a minor
254. 254The prohibition of using the kunyah Abū al-Qāsim
255. 255The permissibility of giving a kunyah to a disbeliever, innovator or sinner if he is not known by any other name, or there is a risk of trouble from calling him by his name
256. 256The permissibility of giving a man a kunyah ‘father of so-and-so’ or a woman the kunyah ‘mother of so-and-so’
257. 257The desirability of praising Allah on receiving good news
258. 258What to say upon hearing a cock crow, a donkey bray or a dog bark
259. 259What to say upon seeing a fire
260. 260What to say when standing up to leave a gathering
261. 261The du‘ā’ of a person sitting in a gathering, for himself and those with him
262. 262The disapproval of rising or leaving a gathering without remembering Allah
263. 263The remembrance of Allah in the street
264. 264What to say when angry
265. 265The desirability of telling a man that one loves him, and what to say in reply
266. 266What to say when seeing someone whom Allah has afflicted with sickness
267. 267The desirability of praising Allah when asked about the health of oneself or one’s beloved, if the reply is positive
268. 268What to say when entering the marketplace
269. 269The desirability of saying to a person who has entered into a good marriage, or bought or done something commanded in Sharī‘ah: ‘you have done the right thing’ or ‘you have done well’, etc.
270. 270What to say when looking into the mirror
271. 271What to say when cupping
272. 272What to say if one’s ear rings
273. 273What to say if one’s foot becomes numb
274. 274The permissibility of supplicating against those who oppress the Muslims or oneself in particular
275. 275Disowning the followers of innovation and sin
276. 276What to say when eradicating falsehood
277. 277What to say if one’s tongue is vulgar
278. 278What to say when one’s animal stumbles
279. 279The desirability of the elders of the land addressing their people on the death of the leader, calming them, exhorting them and commanding them to have patience and to be steady in what they were already doing
280. 280Supplicating for those who treat one well, or for all people or some people, and praise and encouragement for doing so
281. 281The desirability, when giving a gift, of rewarding the receiver’s du‘ā’ for one by making du‘ā’ for him in return
282. 282The desirability of making an excuse when returning a gift for some reason required by Sharī‘ah, such as being qāḍī or ruler or because there is something doubtful about it or for some other reason
283. 283What to say to somebody who safeguards one from harm
284. 284What to say upon seeing the first fruit of the year
285. 285The desirability of moderation in admonition and teaching
286. 286The merit of pointing out good and encouraging it
287. 287Encouragement for someone who is asked for knowledge he does not possess, but which he knows that someone else does, to point him out
288. 288What to say when called to the judgement of Allah
289. 289Turning away from the ignorant
290. 290Admonishing those who are more eminent than oneself
291. 291Keeping a promise or a pact
292. 292The recommendation to make du‘ā’ for a person who offers one wealth or something else
293. 293What a muslim should say to a non-muslim subject who treats him well
294. 294What to say upon seeing something in oneself, one’s child, property or anything else which pleases one so that one fears afflicting it with one’s eye and harming it
295. 295What to say when seeing something one likes or dislikes
296. 296What to say when looking at the sky
297. 297What to say when looking for omens
298. 298What to say when entering a public bath (ḥammām)
299. 299What to say when buying a slave or animal, or when repaying a debt
300. 300What to say when one is unable to keep steady on a horse and what supplication is to be made for one
301. 301The prohibition of scholars and others speaking to people about matters that they do not understand
302. 302A scholar and orator telling the people who attend his assembly to keep quiet and listen so that they will listen attentively
303. 303What a role model should say when doing something which appears to be improper although it is in fact proper
304. 304What a follower should say to the person he is following if he does [something of that kind]
305. 305Encouragement of mutual consultation
306. 306Urging good words
307. 307The desirability of making one’s speech clear for those addressed
308. 308Joking
309. 309Interceding
310. 310The desirability of giving good news and congratulations
311. 311The permissibility of expressing surprise with words of tasbīḥ, tahlīl, and suchlike
312. 312Enjoining what is good and forbidding evil
313. 313Safeguarding the tongue
314. 314The unlawfulness of backbiting and talebearing
315. 315Important matters related to backbiting
316. 316How to prevent oneself from backbiting others
317. 317What backbiting is permissible
318. 318The command that whoever hears their teacher or companion being slandered should refute it or show that it is false
319. 319Backbiting with the heart
320. 320Atonement and repentance for backbiting
321. 321Talebearing
322. 322Not communicating information to those in authority unless there is a need to because of fear of disorder or something similar
323. 323The prohibition of defaming people’s lineages
324. 324The prohibition of arrogance
325. 325The prohibition of rejoicing at the misfortune of a muslim
326. 326The unlawfulness of belittling or mocking muslims
327. 327The strict prohibition of bearing false witness
328. 328The prohibition of reminding people about charity one has given them
329. 329The prohibition of cursing
330. 330Prohibition of driving away the poor and weak, orphans, beggars, and so on; one must speak gently to them and act humbly towards them
331. 331Words which it is deplorable to use
332. 332The prohibition of lying, and an explanation of types of lie
333. 333Exhortation to be certain of what one says, and prohibition of passing on all that one hears
334. 334Insinuation and dissemblance
335. 335What to do if one has said something ugly
336. 336Words which some of the ‘ulamā’ say are makrūh but which are not
337. 337Supplications (da‘awāt) which are mustaḥabb at all times
338. 338The etiquettes of du‘ā’
339. 339A person’s du‘ā’ and using his pious deeds as a means of imploring Allah
340. 340Raising the hands in du‘ā’ and passing them over the face
341. 341Repetition of du‘ā’
342. 342Keeping the heart attentive in du‘ā’
343. 343The merit of making du‘ā’ for people in their absence
344. 344The desirability of making du‘ā’ for those who treat one well, and a description of that du‘ā’
345. 345The desirability of seeking du‘ā’ from virtuous people, even if the one who requests is of a higher station than the one who is asked, and du‘ā’ in noble places
346. 346The prohibition of supplicating against oneself, one’s children, servants, wealth, etc.
347. 347Proof that a muslim will be granted his request when he makes du‘ā’, and that he should not be impatient about its acceptance
348. 348Seeking forgiveness
349. 349The prohibition of staying silent all day
350. 350Final Chapter
351. 351Conclusion