Du‘aa’ of the Sahaabah at the beginning of the month

Praise be to Allah.

This report was narrated by at-Tabaraani in al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat (6/221). He said: Muhammad ibn ‘Ali as-Saa‘igh said: Mahdi ibn Ja‘far ar-Ramli said: Rishdeen ibn Sa‘d told us, from Abu ‘Uqayl Zuhrah ibn Ma‘bad, from his grandfather ‘Abdullah ibn Hishaam who said: The companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say this du‘aa’ when a new year or new month began: “O Allah, make this month for us a month of security, faith, safety and Islam, and of attaining the good pleasure of the Most Gracious, and of protection from the Shaytaan.”

But this isnaad includes Rishdeen ibn Sa‘d, who is da‘eef (weak).

Adh-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Abu Zar‘ah said: He is da‘eef. He died in 188 AH. He was righteous, devoted to worship, a narrator of hadith, but he had a poor memory.

End quote from al-Kaashif (1/397).

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Rishdeen ibn Sa‘d is da‘eef (weak). Abu Haatim regarded Ibn Luhay‘ah as better than him. Ibn Yoonus said: He was a righteous and religious person, but he fell into error as some righteous people do, and he mixed up hadiths. End quote from Taqreeb at-Tahdheeb (p. 209).

Hence this report is classed as da‘eef, as noted in as-Silsilah ad-Da‘eefah (8/6).

But Hayawah found a corroborating hadith with a sound isnaad which supports the report of Rishdeen; it was narrated by al-Baghawi in Mu‘jam as-Sahaabah (3/543). He said: Ibraaheem ibn Haani’ told me, from Asbagh who said: Ibn Wahb told me, from Hayawah, from Abu ‘Uqayl, from his grandfather ‘Abdullah ibn Hishaam, who said: The companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to learn this du‘aa’ as they used to learn the Qur’an, when a new month or new year began: “O Allah, make this month for us a month of security, faith, safety and Islam, and of protection from the Shaytaan, and of attaining the good pleasure of the Most Gracious.”

It was classed as saheeh by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar in al-Isaabah (6/407-408), when he (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Abu’l-Qaasim al-Baghawi narrated it via Asbagh, from Ibn Wahb, with the same isnaad as the hadith narrated by al-Bukhaari in ash-Sharikah – another hadith that he narrated from the Sahaabah, which says: The companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to learn this du‘aa’ …

This is mawqoof according to the conditions of as-Saheeh. End quote.

Even though this report is mawqoof, because it is attributed to the actions of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them), it strongly indicates that it should be regarded as being attributable to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), because the fact that they were keen to recite this du‘aa’, their agreement on these particular phrases, and the fact that they memorized it as they memorized the Qur’an, indicates that it is of special virtue, and they could only have known that through revelation.

Conclusion: there is a basis for this du‘aa’, and it is good for the Muslim to say it when a new month begins.

And Allah knows best.