DUA OF TAKBIR

You may now prepare yourself for performing the prayer. You must have heart presence and pay attention to your prayer, by considering the humiliation of your situation and the all-greatness and majesty of your Lord to whom you are talking in your prayer. Behave as is you can see Him in front of you and be ashamed of talking to Him with your tongue while your heart is preoccupied by another thing. You may then stand up with respect and reverence, putting your two hands on your thighs opposite to your knees. Separate between your two feet in an amount of three fingers up to one span. Cast your sight on the place of your prostration. You may then intend to perform this dawn (fajr) Prayer for seeking nearness to Allah the Exalted. Then, say the Takbirat al-Ihram statement (saying: Allahu-akbar ‘Allah is the Greatest’; the introductory statement to prayer). It is recommended to add statements of Takbir (i.e. professing Almighty Allah being the Greatest) to it, at each one of which, you may raise your hands to reach the level of the lower part of your ear, turning the palms of your hand towards the kiblah direction. Try to make all your fingers, except the thumb, stick to one another, but not open. You may now say the supplications of the Takbir statements, which are as follows:

After the third Takbir statement, you may say the following:

O Allah, You are verily the King and the Manifest Truth.

لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّاۤ اَنْتَ سُبْحَانَكَ

There is no god save You. All glory be to You.

اِنّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِىْ

I have wronged myself;

فَاغْفِرْ لِىْ ذَنْبِىْ

so, (please) forgive my sin.

اِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوْبَ اِلَّاۤ اَنْتَ۔

Verily, none can forgive sins save You.

After the fifth Takbir statement, you may say the following:

لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ

Here I am responding to You and here I am trying to please You.

وَالْخَيْرُ فِىْ يَدَيْكَ

All goodness is at Your Hand.

وَالشَّرُّ لَيْسَ اِلَيْكَ

Evil is never ascribed to You.

وَالْمَهْدِىُّ مَنْ هَدَيْتَ

A true guided is he whom You guide.

عَبْدُكَ وَابْنُ عَبْدَيْكَ

I, Your servant and the son of Your two servants,

ذَلِيْلٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ

am standing in submission before You,

مِنْكَ وَبِكَ وَلَكَ وَاِلَيْكَ

and I am from You, through You, to You, and for You.

لَا مَلْجَاۤءَ وَلَا مَنْجٰی

There is neither haven nor shelter

وَلَا مَفَرَّ مِنْكَ اِلَّاۤ اِلَيْكَ

nor escape from You except with You.

سُبْحَانَكَ وَحَنَانَيْكَ

All glory be to You; I am seeking Your kindness.

تَبَارَكْتَ وَتَعَالَيْتَ

Blessed You are and Exalted You are.

سُبْحَانَكَ رَبَّ الْبَيْتِ الْحَرَامِ۔

All glory be to You, O Lord of the Sacred House.

After the seventh Takbir statement, you may say the following:

وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِىَ لِلَّذِىْ فَطَرَ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْاَرْضَ

I have turned myself to Him Who originated the heavens and the earth,

عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ

the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed,

حَنِيْفًا مُسْلِمًا

[and I am] upright and Muslim

وَمَا اَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِیْنَ

and I am not of the polytheists.

اِنَّ صَلَاتِىْ وَنُسُكِىْ

Surely, my prayer, my sacrifice,

وَمَحْيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِىْ

my life, and my death

لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِيْنَ

are (all) for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ

No associate has He;

وَبِذٰلِكَ اُمِرْتُ

and this am I commanded,

وَاَ نَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ۔

and I am of those who submit.

Before you begin with the recitation (qira’ah: reciting certain Quranic chapters in the prayers), you may say the statement of seeking protection (isti’adhah) in a low tone:

اَعُوْذُ بِاللهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيْمِ۔

I pray Allah’s protection from Satan, the accursed.