Dua for Traveling

Here are two Authentic ḥadīth on what to say when you are about to travel. The first ḥadīth is Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic) and the second ḥadīth is Muwaththaq (Reliable).

عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ عَنْ صَبَّاحٍ الْحَذَّاءِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع إِذَا أَرَدْتَ السَّفَرَ فَقِفْ عَلَى بَابِ دَارِكَ وَ اقْرَأْ فَاتِحَةَ الْكِتَابِ أَمَامَكَ وَ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ وَ عَنْ شِمَالِكَ وَ قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ أَمَامَكَ وَ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ وَ عَنْ شِمَالِكَ وَ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ وَ قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ أَمَامَكَ وَ عَنْ يَمِينِكَ وَ عَنْ شِمَالِكَ ثُمَّ قُلِ ثُمَّ قَالَ

From Ṣabbāḥ said, Abū al-Ḥasan (عليه السلام) said: ‘When you want to travel, stop at the door of your house

1.)   And recite Sūrah al-Fātiḥah (Chapter 1) to your front, to your right and to your left.

2.)   And (recite) Sūrah al-Iklāṣ (Chapter 112) to your front, to your right and to your left.  

3.)   And (recite) Surah al-Nās (Chapter 114) and Surah al-Falaq (Chapter 113) to your front, to your right and to your left. 

Then he says:

«اللَّهُمَّ احْفَظْنِي وَ احْفَظْ مَا مَعِي وَ سَلِّمْنِي وَ سَلِّمْ مَا مَعِي وَ بَلِّغْنِي وَ بَلِّغْ مَا مَعِي بَلَاغاً حَسَناً»

“O Allāh, protect me and what is with me, and, and grant me safety and what is with me, and allow me to reach (my destination) and what is with me with a good reaching”

أَ مَا رَأَيْتَ الرَّجُلَ يُحْفَظُ وَ لَا يُحْفَظُ مَا مَعَهُ وَ يَسْلَمُ وَ لَا يَسْلَمُ مَا مَعَهُ وَ يَبْلُغُ وَ لَا يَبْلُغُ مَا مَعَهُ

Then he (عليه السلام) said: ‘Have you not seen a man protected, but what is with him not protected? And granted safety, but what is with him not granted safety? And he reaches, but what is with him not reach?’

Source:

1.     Al-Kulaynī, Al-Kāfī, ed. `Alī Akbar al-Ghaffārī, 8 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 3^rd Edition, 1388 AH), vol. 2, pg. 543, ḥadīth # 9

Grading:

1.     Al-Majlisī said this hadeeth is Ṣaḥīḥ (Authentic)
à Mir’āt Al-`Uqūl, 26 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1410 AH), vol. 12, pg. 327

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ الْجَهْمِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع قَالَ إِذَا خَرَجْتَ مِنْ مَنْزِلِكَ فِي سَفَرٍ أَوْ حَضَرٍ فَقُلْ

From al-Ḥasan bin al-Jahm from Abī al-Hasan (عليه السلام) said: ‘When you leave from you home for traveling or arrive (at home), he says:

«بِسْمِ اللَّهِ آمَنْتُ بِاللَّهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ»

“In the name of Allāh, I believe in Allāh, I trust Allāh as whatever Allāh wills, and there is no strength and no power except by Allāh”

فَتَلَقَّاهُ الشَّيَاطِين َتَنْصَرِفُ وَ تَضْرِبُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وُجُوهَهَا وَ تَقُولُ مَا سَبِيلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَ قَدْ سَمَّى اللَّهَ وَ آمَنَ بِهِ وَ تَوَكَّلَ عَلَيْهِ وَ قَالَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

The shayāṭīn (pl. of shaytān) that (try) to meet him they leave him, and the angels hit their faces and say: ‘There is no way for you to him, and he has named Allāh, and he believes in Him, and he (places) his trust upon Him, and he said: ‘What Allāh wills, there is no strength and no power except by Allāh’

Source:

1.     Al-Kulaynī, Al-Kāfī, ed. `Alī Akbar al-Ghaffārī, 8 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 3^rd Edition, 1388 AH), vol. 2, pg. 543-544, ḥadīth # 12

Grading:

1.     Al-Majlisī said this hadeeth is Muwaththaq Kal-Ṣaḥīḥ (Reliable like Ṣaḥīḥ)
à Mir’āt Al-`Uqūl, 26 vols., (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1410 AH), vol. 12, pg. 329