Morning and evening supplications: 3 hadiths explained
Glorifying Allah morning and evening, seeking forgiveness with conviction and learning an evening supplication, with Arabic and English meanings.
Saying subhan Allahi wa bihamdih one hundred times morning and evening, seeking forgiveness with conviction during day and night, and asking for the night’s good in the evening: these are the three teachings brought together in this selection. Each formula is given in Arabic with its English meaning.
The supplications combine praise of Allah, acknowledgement of His blessings, forgiveness and seeking His protection. Reading their meaning allows you to know what you are asking before memorising them.
Article contents
“Subhan Allah wa bihamdih”, one hundred times morning and evening
The context of the narration
Abu Hurayrah reports that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ connects this remembrance with morning and evening, specifying one hundred repetitions and a reward on the Day of Resurrection.مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يُصْبِحُ وَحِينَ يُمْسِي سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ لَمْ يَأْتِ أَحَدٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِأَفْضَلَ مِمَّا جَاءَ بِهِ إِلاَّ أَحَدٌ قَالَ مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ أَوْ زَادَ عَلَيْهِ
“Whoever says one hundred times in the morning and evening, “Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him,” no one will come on the Day of Resurrection with anything better than what they bring, except someone who has said as much or more.”
Understanding this hadith
The formula is subhan Allahi wa bihamdih. It combines glorification of Allah with His praise. The number one hundred and both times appear in the text.
The merit announced concerns the Day of Resurrection. The hadith preserves an exception: someone who says the same or more. It thus encourages remembrance without making the practice a competition with people you know.
To learn, first reread the formula’s meaning, then count without swallowing the words. Choosing an available time in the morning and evening is a matter of your own organisation.
The request for forgiveness that also acknowledges blessings
The context of the narration
Shaddad ibn Aws reports that the Prophet ﷺ taught the foremost formula for seeking forgiveness. He then announced Paradise for someone who says it with conviction during the day and dies before evening, or during the night and dies before morning. Here is the formula:اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَىَّ وَأَبُوءُ لَكَ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ
“O Allah, You are my Lord. There is no deity worthy of worship except You. You created me and I am Your servant. I remain faithful to Your covenant and promise as much as I can. I seek refuge in You from the evil I have done. I acknowledge Your blessing upon me and I acknowledge my sin. So forgive me, for none forgives sins except You.”
Understanding this hadith
This supplication is known as sayyid al-istighfar. It begins by acknowledging Allah as Lord, then brings together the servant’s commitment, weakness, blessings received and sin committed. Seeking forgiveness therefore does not mean seeing only your failings: Allah’s blessing is also named.
The phrase “as much as I can” expresses the servant’s limited capacity; it does not erase the commitment preceding it. Likewise, acknowledging wrongdoing means not endlessly justifying it. You can take time to understand each clause before memorising the next.
The reported promise includes the reciter’s conviction. The text mentions day and night.
Also read: repentance and the rights of a wronged person.
Asking for the good of the night
The context of the narration
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud reports the words of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the evening. Here is the evening formula transmitted in Muslim 2723a:أَمْسَيْنَا وَأَمْسَى الْمُلْكُ لِلَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، اللَّهُمَّ أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ وَشَرِّ مَا بَعْدَهَا، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْكَسَلِ وَسُوءِ الْكِبَرِ، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ عَذَابٍ فِي النَّارِ وَعَذَابٍ فِي الْقَبْرِ
“We have reached the evening and sovereignty belongs to Allah; praise be to Allah. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner. To Him belongs sovereignty and to Him belongs praise, and He has power over all things. O Allah, I ask You for the good of this night and seek refuge in You from the evil of this night and the evil of what follows it. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from laziness and the afflictions of old age. O Allah, I seek refuge in You from punishment in the Fire and punishment in the grave.”
Understanding this hadith
The supplication begins by praising Allah and affirming His oneness. It then asks for the good of this night and what follows it, and protection from their evil. Requests for protection from laziness and the afflictions of old age appear in the same text.
Laziness, the difficulties of old age and punishment in the hereafter are named. The supplication thus combines present concerns with the return to Allah.
Read the text clause by clause to distinguish praise from requests. No fixed number of repetitions is stated in this version. Reread the full formula after learning each clause.
In practice
- You are starting with a short formulaLearn the meaning of subhan Allahi wa bihamdih, then find the number specified in the hadith.Read the formula and its count
- You are learning the request for forgivenessMemorise one clause at a time and connect it with its meaning.Find sayyid al-istighfar
- You are looking for the evening textKeep the full formula accessible before your evening becomes busy.Read the evening supplication
Sources
- Sahih Muslim · 2692“Subhan Allah wa bihamdih”, one hundred times morning and evening
- Sahih al-Bukhari · 6306The request for forgiveness that also acknowledges blessings
- Sahih Muslim · 2723aAsking for the good of the night