Many of us have learned that the Prophet used to say a particular prayer when he was about to initiate a travel. We hear this prayer every time we travel on some airlines of Muslim countries. Yet hardly ever is this prayer translated so that passengers who do not speak Arabic should understand it. Like every special supplication the Prophet said, this one is particularly relevant to the situation at hand. Since it is at the beginning of travel, then it touches on every aspect of the travel. Let us first of all look at what the Prophet did and said to start a journey.
Abdullah Ibn Omar reports: “When the Prophet mounted his camel to start a journey, he would say Allah-u Akbar three times. He then would say two Qur’anic verses that may be translated as: “Limitless in His glory is He who has made all this subservient to our use. We could not have done it by ourselves. To our Lord we shall most certainly return.” (43: 13-14) He will then say this supplication: “Our Lord! We appeal to you to keep us in this travel of ours on the path of goodly action and righteousness, and to help us do what will win Your acceptance. Our Lord! Facilitate this travel of ours, and make its far destination near. Our Lord! You are the Companion in travel and the One to take care of our families. Our Lord! I seek refuge with you against hardship during travel, ugly sights and unpleasant return to family and property.” On his return journey, he would say the same supplication and add to it: “Returning we are, having repented; we worship God; and We give all praise to Him alone.” (Related by Muslim, Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmidhi)
When we look at this supplication by the Prophet we find that it addresses all aspects involved. It begins at the point when travel is initiated. At the time, it was when the traveler mounted his camel or horse and is about to leave. Today, this may be said as we board a plane, get on a train or start the car. The first thing the Prophet said was to glorify God. Then he added a glorification from the Qur’an, thanking God for making his mount subservient to him. This verse will apply in any case of travel, whatever means of transport is used. “He who has made all this subservient to our use” applies to train, plane, motor car, or ship as much as it applied to horse and camel. All these are made available to our use by God’s grace. We could not have made them so without God’s help.
Having thus acknowledged God’s favor in making our mode of travel available, we appeal to Him to make our journey one of good action. When a person travels, he feels that he enjoys freedom that might not be available to him at home. Considerations of social values, family ties and various commitments may make such freedom difficult to enjoy at home. When abroad, one may have freedom and time to do as one pleases. Remembering the values of righteousness, however, will help him steer away from temptation and do what is likely to please God.
The supplication appeals to God to make the travel easier to complete, and trust one’s family to His care. It concludes with an appeal to make the return a pleasant one.
The Prophet’s companions were keen to do like him, even when he reacts to something in a particular fashion. A report mentions that Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, was about to ride his mount. “When he placed his foot in the stirrup, he said: ‘Bismillah,’ (which means, ‘in God’s name’), and when his mount rose, he said: ‘Praise be to God.’ Then he said the verses: ‘Limitless in His glory is He who has made all this subservient to our use. We could not have done it by ourselves. To our Lord we shall most certainly return.’ (43: 13-14) Then he praised God three times and glorified Him three times, before saying: ‘There is no deity other than God. I have wronged myself, so forgive me, my Lord, as no one forgives sins other than You.’ He then smiled.’ When he was asked what made him smile, he said: ‘I have seen the Prophet doing and saying the same as I did, then he smiled. I asked him why he smiled, and he said: ‘I marvel at a person who says these words, as he certainly knows that none other than God will forgive sins’.” (Related by Ahmad, Abu Dawood and Al-Tirmidhi)
What is worth noting in this report is the way Ali did exactly as the Prophet did, even his smile. Of course, Ali did not consider the cause of the Prophet’s smile every time he rode a horse or a camel. He would say what he heard the Prophet saying, but to smile at the end is to faithfully do like the Prophet. This was characteristic of many of the Prophet’s companions, and they are rewarded for their intention to follow the Prophet’s example. When anyone of the Prophet’s companions was about to travel, he would go to bid him goodbye. The Prophet would either pray for him or remind him to be always God-fearing. Qatadah reports: “When the Prophet appointed me in charge of my people, I took his hand to bid him farewell. He said to me: ‘May God make righteousness your equipment. May He forgive you your sin and guide you to what is good wherever you may happen to be’.” (Related by Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Hakim and Al-Darimi)
Abu Hurayrah reports: “A man was about to go on a travel. He came to the Prophet requesting some advice. The Prophet said to him: ‘I urge you to always be God-fearing, and recommend you to glorify God whenever you go over high grounds.’ As the man left, the Prophet prayed for him, saying: ‘My Lord, shorten his distance, and make his travel easy for him’.”
In both cases we see how the Prophet cared for his companions, praying for them when they were about to undertake a travel. Needless to say, a prayer by the Prophet was always answered in the best possible way. When he traveled, he always remembered to pray God for the best outcome at every stage. Ibn Omar reports that if night approached when the Prophet was traveling, he would address the land and say this prayer: “You land! God is your Lord and my Lord! I appeal to Him to protect me from the evil that comes from you or is in you, and from the evil of what God has created in you, or what falls upon you. I appeal to Him for protection from lions, darkness, snakes, scorpions, the people living in town, and from the evil that comes from parent and child.” (Related by Abu Dawood and Al-Hakim)