Supplications before Prayer (Daily Prayers)

“Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) has said, ‘Whoever just before beginning the prayer says the following will be with Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, recipients of divine supreme covenant: ‘O Lord, I am turning to You through Muhammad and his family, recipients of divine supreme covenant. I assign them as the lead for me before my prayer and seek nearness through them to You, grant me respect through them in this world and in the next life and of those close (to You). You have obliged me for making me know them, conclude for me with obedience to them, knowing them well, and under their guardianship; it is the salvation and end it for me in this (belief). You have power over all things.’ Then complete the prayer and say, ‘O Lord, place me with Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, recipients of divine supreme covenant, in good health and in suffering, place me with Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, recipients of divine supreme covenant, in every dwelling and place of return. O Lord, help me to live in the way of life of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, recipients of divine supreme covenant, and die like the death of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, recipients of divine supreme covenant, place me with them in all habitations and do not separate me from them. You have power over all things.’”

“Say before beginning the prayer, ‘O Lord, I give the lead to Muhammad Your Prophet for the help I need and turn to You through him for my request, grant me respect through him (and his Ahl al-Bayt) in this world and in the next and to be of the people close (to You), O Lord, deem my prayer through them acceptable, my sins forgiven and my call for help through them answered, O the Beneficent, the Merciful.’”

“I observed Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) facing the Qiblah (direction of Ka’bah) before saying Takbir (Allah is greater than can be described) saying, ‘O Lord, do not cause me to lose hope in Your favors and to despair me of Your kindness, or become careless about Your displeasure; no one except the losing people become careless toward the displeasure of Allah.’ I then said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, I have not heard this from anyone before.’ The Imam said, ‘Of the greatest major sins before Allah is to lose hope of the favors of Allah, despair of the mercy of Allah and to become careless about the displeasure of Allah.’”