Travel Prayers: Seeking Blessings on Your Journey
Embarking on a journey can be both exciting and daunting. Islam offers specific prayers and verses to recite before, during, and after travel, seeking Allah’s protection and blessings. These practices, as taught by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), provide comfort, guidance, and reassurance for those setting out.
Verses to Recite Before Travel
Before commencing your journey, it is recommended to recite specific verses from the Quran. The five surahs – Kafiroon, Nasr, Ikhlas, Falaq, and Naas – are particularly favored.
“A person who sets out on a journey with his companions should have the best of provisions and the most beautiful character among them. So recite these five surahs: Kafiroon, Nasr, Ikhlas, Falaq, and Naas. Begin each surah with Bismillah and conclude it with Bismillah.” (Heysemi, X, 134)
A Powerful Dua for Safe Travels
Here’s a dua (supplication) specifically recommended for those traveling:
Arabic Text:
Bismillâhirrahmânirrahîm.
Allahümme bike este’înü wa aleyke etevekkelü. Allahümme zellil lî suûbete emrî, wa sehhil aleyye meşakkate seferî verzuknî minel hayri eksera mimmâ etlubu, vasrih annî kulle şerrin, Rabbiş rahlî sadrî wa yessir lî emrî. Allahümme innî estahfizuke wa estevdi’uke nefsî wa dinî wa ehlî ekaribî wa kulle mâ en’amte aleyye wa aleyhim bihî min âhiratin wa dünyâ, vehfaznâ ecma’îne min külli sûin yâ kerîm.”
Translation:
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
O Lord! I seek Your help and rely on You. O Lord! Ease the difficulty of my affair and make my journey easy for me. Grant me abundant goodness more than what I ask for, and remove all evil from me. O Lord! Expand my chest and ease my affair. O Allah! I entrust myself and my religion and my family and my relatives and all that You have blessed me with in this life and the hereafter to You.”
Dua Upon Setting Out
As you prepare to depart, recite this powerful dua:
Arabic Text:
«Bismillahi âmentü billâhi, va’tesamtü billâhi wa tevekkeltü alellâhi velâ havle velâ kuvvete illâ billah.»
Translation:
“In the name of Allah. I believe in Allah, I seek refuge with Allah, and I rely on Allah. There is no power nor strength except through Allah.”
Dua Upon Arrival at a Resting Place
When stopping for rest during your journey, draw a line around your belongings and recite:
Arabic Text:
«Allâhü Rabbî, lâ şerikeleh.»
Translation:
“Allah is my Lord, and there is no partner with Him.”
The Prophet’s Dua for Safe Travels
Whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him) would mount his riding animal, he would glorify Allah and declare His freedom from all imperfections, partners, or need. He would recite this verse:
سُبْحَانَ الَّذ۪ي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِن۪ينَ وَاِنَّٓا اِلٰى رَبِّنَا لَمُنْقَلِبُونَ
“Glory to Him Who has harnessed this for us, and we could never have done it ourselves. Indeed, to our Lord we shall return.” (Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:13-14)
Upon returning from his travels, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would repeat these words and add:
“We have returned from a journey, seeking forgiveness, performing good deeds, and praising our Lord.” (Muslim, Hajj 425; Abu Dawud, Jihad 72)