Contemplation on a supplication of travel

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

When Setting Off On a Journey:

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ فِي سَفْرِنَا هَذَا الْبِرَّ وَالتَّقْوَى ، وَمِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تَرْضَى ، اللَّهُمَّ هَوَّنْ عَلَيْنَا سَفْرِنَا هَذَا وَاطْوَعَّنَّا بَعْدهُ ، اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الصَّاحِبُ فِي السَّفَرِ، وَالْخَلِيفَةُ فِي الأَهْلِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ وَعْثَاءِ السَّفَرِ، وَكآبَةِ الْمَنْظَرِ وَسُوءِ المُنْقَلَبِ فِي الْمَالِ وَالأَهْلِ

When returning:

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ فِي سَفْرِنَا هَذَا الْبِرَّ وَالتَّقْوَى ، وَمِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تَرْضَى ، اللَّهُمَّ هَوَّنْ عَلَيْنَا سَفْرِنَا هَذَا وَاطْوَعَّنَّا بَعْدهُ ، اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الصَّاحِبُ فِي السَّفَرِ، وَالْخَلِيفَةُ فِي الأَهْلِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ وَعْثَاءِ السَّفَرِ، وَكآبَةِ الْمَنْظَرِ وَسُوءِ المُنْقَلَبِ فِي الْمَالِ  وَالأَهْلِ
آيِبُونَ تَائْبُونَ عَابِدُونَ لِرَبِّنَا حَامِدُونَ

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ َ

“Allah is the Greatest! Allah is The Greatest! Allah is The Greatest!” Meaning: Allah is Greater than everything else. Takbir is to exalt the Lord –  declaring that Allah is the Greatest; believe that there is nothing greater nor mightier than Allah and that every great thing is small in Allah’s presence. Allaah (alone) is the One to whom everything humbles itself- all the tyrants are humbled in Allah’s presence. All faces shall be humbled before Allah (on the Day of Judgement). Allaah (alone) is the One to Whom everything is completely subjugated- all the creation are under Allah’s absolute control. [1]

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ وَإِنَّا إِلَى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ،

“Glorified be Allah and free is He from all imperfections, the One Who has placed this means of transport at our service,  and we ourselves would not have been capable of that, and to our Lord is our final destination”. This statement contains the three pillars of gratitude, and they are: to acknowledge Allah’s blessings, proclaim Allah’s Blessings,  speak about them and praise Allah for it, submit to Allah and utilise these blessings to fulfil acts of worship for the sake of Allah (alone).

Regarding the statement: [وَإِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ   – And verily, to Our Lord we indeed are to return]: this is an acknowledgement of recompense and preparing for it. The objective behind these favours is that they are an aid through which a servant of Allāh fulfils that which Allah has commanded him. When a person recalls that he is completely surrounded by the blessings of Allah and that nothing is from himself, but rather blessings are from Allah -its means are facilitated and its obtainment made easy by Allah, he submits to Allah, humbles him, thanks and Praises Allah. Through this, he is given continuous blessings. [2]

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ فِي سَفْرِنَا هَذَا الْبِرَّ وَالتَّقْوَى

“O Allah! We ask You for righteousness and piety in our journey”. Meaning: Righteousness necessitates performance of good deeds and piety necessitates keeping away from sin.

اللَّهُمَّ هَوَّنْ عَلَيْنَا سَفْرِنَا هَذَا وَاطْوَعَّنَّا بَعْدهُ

“O Allah! Make our journey easy and make us cover its distance quickly”. Meaning: Facilitate ease for us and make the journey short.

 اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ الصَّاحِبُ فِي السَّفَرِ

وَالْخَلِيفَةُ فِي الأَهْلِ،

“O Allah! You are the one with me (by your knowledge) during the journey. And the One I’ve left with the family”. Meaning: You are the One Who protects and aids me. I depend on You alone O Allah to protect my family. [3]

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ وَعْثَاءِ السَّفَرِ

“O Allah! I seek Your protection from the difficulties of travel”. Abu Hurairah, may Allāh be pleased with him, narrated that Allāh’s Messenger, peace and blessings  of Allāh be upon him, said: “Travelling is a portion of torment. It prevents one of you from your sleep, food, and drink. So when one of you fulfils his (need behind that travelling), let him hurry back to his family”. [Muslim 1927]. 

Imam An-Nawawi, may Allāh have mercy upon him, commented on this hadeeth that it means: One is prevented from full sleep and its full enjoyment due to difficulties, tiredness, heat and cold, worries, fear, isolation from one family and rough (circumstances). Thus, it is recommended that one returns to his family after fulfilling his business and does not delay his return due to something else that is not important. [4]

وَكآبَةِ الْمَنْظَرِ وَسُوءِ المُنْقَلَبِ فِي الْمَالِ وَالأَهْلِ

“(And I seek refuge in You) from repugnant scenes and an evil return to our wealth and family”. Meaning, I seek Your Protection from an evil state of affairs and failure due to sadness and pain. I seek protection from a change and return from my journey with sadness and evil, neither on my personal self, nor on my wealth and family.

When returning from the journey one added: [آيِبُونَ تَائْبُونَ عَابِدُونَ لِرَبِّنَا حَامِدُونَ – We return, repent, worship and praise our Lord]. Meaning: We are returning with safety and good; repenting for our sins and shortcomings; praising our Lord due to the tremendous blessing and favours He has bestowed on us, and because He is the one who facilitates and makes things easy for us. [5]

[1] An Excerpt from ‘Fiqhul Ad’iyah Wal Ad’kaar 1/250-251  

[2] An Excerpt from ‘Fatawa Sa’diyyah. Page 61. 

[3] An Excerpt from Fiqhul Ad’iyah. 3/272-273 

[4] An Excerpt from ‘Sahih Muslim Bi-Sharh An-Nawawi 13-14/60. Publisher: Dar Al-Kotob Al-Ilmiyyah’ 1st edition 1421AH (Year 2000). 

[5] An Excerpt from Fiqhul Ad’iyah 3/272-273]