Everyday manners

Congratulating new parents

بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ فِي الْمَوْهُوبِ لَكَ، وَشَكَرْتَ الْوَاهِبَ، وَبَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ، وَرُزِقْتَ بِرَّهُ

Baarakallaahu laka fil-mawhoobi laka, wa shakartal-waahiba, wa balagha 'ashuddahu, wa ruzigta birrahu. The reply of the person being congratulated is to say: Baarakallahu laka wa baaraka 'alayka, wa jazaakallaahu khayran, wa razaqakallaahu mithlahu, wa 'ajzala thawaabaka.

May Allah bless you in what He has given you, may you give thanks to the Giver, may the child reach maturity, and may you be granted his dutifulness.

NoteThe parent replies: may Allah bless you and shower blessings upon you, reward you well, grant you the like of it, and make your reward abundant.

When sneezing

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ

Alhamdu lillah.

All praise is for Allah.

NoteWhen one of you sneezes, let him say: all praise is for Allah; his brother says: may Allah have mercy on you (yarhamukal-lah); and he replies: may Allah guide you and set your affairs right (yahdeekumul-lahu wayuslihu balakum).

To a non-Muslim who sneezes and praises Allah

يَهْدِيكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَكُمْ

Yahdeekum wayuslihu balakum.

May Allah guide you and set your affairs right.

For the newlywed

بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ، وَبَارَكَ عَلَيْكَ، وَجَمَعَ بَيْنَكُمَا فِي خَيْرٍ

Barakal-lahu lak, wabaraka 'alayk, wajama'a baynakuma fee khayr.

May Allah bless you, shower blessings upon you, and unite you both in goodness.

On marrying or buying a mount

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَهَا، وَخَيْرَ مَا جَبَلْتَهَا عَلَيْهِ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّهَا، وَشَرِّ مَا جَبَلْتَهَا عَلَيْهِ

Allahumma innee as'aluka khayraha wakhayra ma jabaltaha 'alayh, wa-a'oothu bika min sharriha washarri ma jabaltaha 'alayh.

O Allah, I ask You for her good and the good of the nature You have given her, and I seek refuge in You from her evil and the evil of the nature You have given her.

NoteSaid on marrying, or on acquiring a servant; when buying a camel take hold of its hump and say the same.

Before marital intimacy

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، اللَّهُمَّ جَنِّبْنَا الشَّيْطَانَ، وَجَنِّبِ الشَّيْطَانَ مَا رَزَقْتَنَا

Bismil-lah, allahumma jannibnash-shaytan, wajannibish-shaytana ma razaqtana.

In the name of Allah. O Allah, keep the devil away from us, and keep the devil away from what You grant us.

On seeing someone afflicted

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي عَافَانِي مِمَّا ابْتَلاَكَ بِهِ، وَفَضَّلَنِي عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِمَّنْ خَلَقَ تَفْضِيلاً

Alhamdu lillahil-lathee 'afanee mimmab-talaka bih, wafaddalanee 'ala katheerin mimman khalaqa tafdeela.

All praise is for Allah, who spared me what He has afflicted you with, and greatly favoured me over many of those He created.

In a gathering

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي، وَتُبْ عَلَيَّ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ التَّوَّابُ الْغَفُورُ

Rabbigh-fir lee watub 'alay, innaka antat-tawwabul-ghafoor.

My Lord, forgive me and accept my repentance; indeed You are the Accepter of repentance, the Forgiving.

NoteThe Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was counted saying it one hundred times in a single sitting before standing up.

Expiation of the gathering

سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ

Subhanakal-lahumma wabihamdik, ashhadu an la ilaha illa ant, astaghfiruka wa-atoobu ilayk.

Glory be to You, O Allah, and praise be to You. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except You; I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.

VirtueWhoever says it on rising from a gathering is forgiven whatever took place in that gathering.

Reply to "may Allah forgive you"

وَلَكَ

Walak.

And you.

To someone who does you a favour

جَزَاكَ اللَّهُ خَيْراً

(If someone does you a favour and you say: (Jazakal-lahu khayran.) then you have indeed excelled in praising him.)

May Allah reward you with good.

VirtueWhoever says to the one who did him a favour: may Allah reward you with good, has praised him to the fullest.

Protection from the Dajjal

مَنْ حَفِظَ عَشْرَ آيَاتٍ مِنْ أَوَّلِ سُورَةِ الْكَهْفِ عُصِمَ مِنَ الدَّجَّالِ، وَالْاسْتِعَاذَةُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ فِتْنَتِهِ عَقِبَ التَّشَهُّدِ الْأَخِيرِ مِنْ كُلِّ صَلاَةٍ

Whoever memorises ten verses from the beginning of Surah Al-Kahf is protected from the Dajjal; and seek refuge in Allah from his trial after the final tashahhud of every prayer.

Reply to "I love you for the sake of Allah"

أَحَبَّكَ الَّذِي أَحْبَبْتَنِي لَهُ

Ahabbakal-lathee ahbabtanee lah.

May He, for whose sake you love me, love you.

To one who offers you his wealth

بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ فِي أَهْلِكَ وَمَالِكَ

Barakal-lahu laka fee ahlika wamalik.

May Allah bless you in your family and your wealth.

When repaying a loan

بارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ فِي أَهْلِكَ وَمَالِكَ، إِنَّمَا جَزَاءُ السَّلَفِ الْحَمْدُ وَالأَدَاءُ

Barakal-lahu laka fee ahlika wamalik, innama jaza-os-salafil-hamdu wal-ada'.

May Allah bless you in your family and your wealth; the reward for a loan is praise and repayment.

Reply to "may Allah bless you"

وَفِيكَ بَارَكَ اللَّهُ

Wafeeka barakal-lah.

And may Allah bless you.

Against belief in omens

اللَّهُمَّ لاَ طَيْرَ إِلاَّ طَيْرُكَ، وَلاَ خَيْرَ إِلاَّ خَيْرُكَ، وَلاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُكَ

(This supplication is used whenever one initially thinks a casual event or occurrence to foretell good or evil, using it as a basis to determine which action he should undertake, but he then denounces such a link, relies on Allah and then says this supplication as an expiation for this act, since it falls under the category of shirk.)(Allahumma la tayra illa tayruk, wala khayra illa khayruk, wala ilaha ghayruk.)

O Allah, there is no omen but Your omen, no good but Your good, and no god other than You.

When something pleasing happens

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي بِنِعْمَتِهِ تَتِمُّ الصَّالِحَاتُ

Alhamdu lillahil-lathee bini'matihi tatimmus-salihat.

All praise is for Allah, by whose favour good deeds are completed.

When something displeasing happens

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ

Alhamdu lillahi 'ala kulli hal.

All praise is for Allah in every circumstance.

The virtue of prayers upon the Prophet

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ

Allahumma salli wasallim 'ala nabiyyina Muhammad.

O Allah, send Your prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad.

VirtueThe Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: whoever sends one prayer upon me, Allah sends ten upon him. He also said: the miser is the one in whose presence I am mentioned and he does not send prayers upon me. And: no one sends greetings upon me except that Allah returns my soul to me so that I return the greeting.

Spreading the greeting of peace

السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ

As-salamu 'alaykum warahmatul-lahi wabarakatuh.

Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

VirtueYou will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread the greeting of peace among yourselves.

Returning the greeting of a non-Muslim

وَعَلَيْكُمْ

Wa'alaykum.

And upon you.

On hearing a rooster crow or a donkey bray

إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ صِيَاحَ الدِّيَكَةِ فَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ؛ فَإِنَّهَا رَأَتْ مَلَكاً وَإِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ نَهِيقَ الْحِمَارِ فَتَعَوَّذُوا بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيطَانِ؛ فَإِنَّهُ رَأَى شَيْطَاناً

When you hear a rooster crow, ask Allah for His bounty, for it has seen an angel; and when you hear a donkey bray, seek refuge in Allah from the devil, for it has seen a devil.

On hearing dogs bark at night

إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ نُبَاحَ الْكِلاَبِ وَنَهِيقَ الْحَمِيرِ بِاللَّيْلِ فَتَعَوَّذُوا بِاللَّهِ مِنْهُنَّ؛ فَإِنَّهُنَّ يَرَيْنَ مَا لاَ تَرَوْنَ

When you hear dogs barking or donkeys braying at night, seek refuge in Allah from them, for they see what you do not see.

For someone you have insulted

اللَّهُمَّ فَأَيُّمَا مُؤْمِنٍ سَبَبْتُهُ فَاجْعَلْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ قُرْبَةً إِلَيْكَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

Allahumma fa-ayyuma mu'minin sababtuhu faj'al thalika lahu qurbatan ilayka yawmal-qiyamah.

O Allah, whichever believer I have insulted, make that a means of nearness to You for him on the Day of Resurrection.

When praising a fellow Muslim

أَحْسِبُ فُلاَناً وَاللَّهُ حَسِيبُهُ، وَلاَ أُزَكِّي عَلَى اللَّهِ أَحَداً، أَحْسِبُهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا

I consider so-and-so to be such, and Allah is his reckoner; I do not declare anyone pure before Allah; I consider him to be so-and-so, if he knows that of him.

When one is praised

اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنِي بِمَا يَقُولُونَ، وَاغْفِرْ لِي مَا لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ، وَاجْعَلْنِي خَيْراً مِمَّا يَظُنُّونَ

Allaahumma laa tu'aakhithnee bimaa yaqooloona, waghfir lee maa laa ya'lamoona [waj'alnee khayram-mimmaa yadhunnoon]

O Allah, do not take me to account for what they say, forgive me for what they do not know, and make me better than what they think.

On surprise or good news

سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ

Subhanal-lah.

Glory be to Allah.

On surprise or good news

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ

Allahu akbar.

Allah is the Greatest.

The prostration of thanks

كَانَ النَّبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا أَتَاهُ أَمْرٌ يَسُرُّهُ أَوْ يُسَرُّ بِهِ خَرَّ سَاجِداً شُكْراً لِلَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى

When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) received something that pleased him, he would fall down in prostration in thanks to Allah, the Blessed and Exalted.

When slaughtering an animal

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُمَّ مِنْكَ وَلَكَ، اللَّهُمَّ تَقَبَّلْ مِنِّي

Bismil-lah wallahu akbar, allahumma minka walak, allahumma taqabbal minnee.

In the name of Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. O Allah, this is from You and for You. O Allah, accept it from me.

Comprehensive good manners

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا كَانَ جُنْحُ اللَّيْلِ – أَوْ أَمْسَيْتُم – فَـكُفُّوا صِبْيانَـكُم، فَإِنَّ الشَّيَاطِينَ تَنْتَشِرُ حِينَئِذٍ، فَإِذَا ذَهَبَ سَاعَةٌ مِنَ اللَّيلِ فَخَلُّوهُمْ، وَأَغْلِقُوا الأَبْوَابَ وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ؛ فَإِنَّ الشَّيطَانَ لاَ يَفْتَحُ بَاباً مُغلَقاً، وَأَوْكُوا قِرَبَكُمْ، وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ، وَخَمِّرُوا آنِيَتَكُم، وَاذْكُرُوا اسْمَ اللَّهِ، وَلَوْ أَنْ تَعْرُضُوا عَلَيْهَا شَيْئاً، وَأَطْفِئُوا مَصَابِيحَكُمْ

When night falls, keep your children in, for the devils spread out at that time; when an hour of the night has passed, let them go. Close the doors and mention the name of Allah, for the devil does not open a closed door. Tie your waterskins and mention the name of Allah, cover your vessels and mention the name of Allah, even by placing something across them, and put out your lamps.